Part m. Travels into I N D I E S. 8 1 ' 
by Ealagate^ and on the South by Btfnagar. The Capital City of this Pro- 
vince is at prefent Beder, which belonged to Balagate when it had Kings,and 
it hath fometime belonged to Decan. a 
Stfr/er is a great Town ^ it is encompaffed with Brick- Walls which have B^^^r. 
Battlements, and at certain diftances Toweiis \ they are mounted with great 
Cannon, fome whereof have the mouth.three Foot wide.There is common- Great Guns 
to this place a Garifon of Three thoufand Men, half Horfe and halfFoot, S.?'" 
\«Pi Seven hundred Gunners -, the Garifon is kept in good order , becaufe ^ 
ophe importance of the place againft Decan, and that they are always a- 
of a furprize. The Governour lodges in a Caftle without the Town, 
It ïs% rich Government , and he who commanded in it when I was there, 
was ]|rother-in-law to King Chagean, Attran-Zebs Father -, but having fince 
delired the Government of Brampour^ ( which is worth more) he had itjbe- 
caufe in the laft War, that Governour had made an Army of the King of 
yiziapottrs, raife the Siege from before BeJer. 
Some time after, 1 met the new Governour upon the Road to Beder , who The Train of 
was a Perjtan of a good afpe6t,and pretty well ftr icken in years^he wascarri- Governour 
ed ina.Valane]uin amidft Five hundred Horfe- men well mounted and cloath- 
ed , before whom marched feveral Men on foot , carrying blew Banners 
charged with flames of Gold , and after them came feven Elephants. The 
Governours FaUnefuin was followed with feveral others full of Women,and 
covered with red Searge, and there were two little Children in one that was 
open. The Bambous of all thefe Palanofuins, were covered with Plates of Sil- 
ver chamfered ^ after them came many Chariots fiill of Women , two of 
which were drawn by white Oxen, almoft fix Foot high ^ and laft of all , 
came the Waggons with the Baggage , and feveral Camels guarded by The Gnat mo^ 
Troopers. This Province of Telenga is worth above Ten millions a Year to Revenue 
the Great Mogul. _ _ mTelen^s,, 
No where are the Gentiles more Superftitious than here -, they have a 
a great many Pagods with Figures of Monftcrs , that can excite nothing 
but Horror inftcad of Devotion , unlefs in thofe who are deluded with the 
Religion. Thefe Idolaters ufe frequent Wadiings -, Men, Women and Jf^hrcSes 
Children go to the River as foon as they are out of Bed ^ and the rich have ' * 
W ater brought them to wafh in. When Women lofe their Husbands-,they 
are conduced thither by their Friends, who comfort them -, and they who 
are brought to Bed, ufe the fame cuftom , almoft as foon as they are deli- 
vered of their Children , and indeed, there is no Countrey where Women 
are fo eafily brought to Bed -, when they come out of the Water, a Brame» 
dawbs their Forehead with a Compofition made of Saffron, and the Pow- 
der of white Sawnders diflblved in Water , then they return home, where 
they eat a flight Breakfaft -, and feeing they muft never eat unlefs they be 
waflied , fome return to the Tamuie or River, about noon -, and others per- 
form their Ablutions at home , before they go to Dinner. 
As they have a fpecial care not to eat any thing but what is dreflèd by a The feeding of 
Gentile of their Caftc, fo they feldom eat any where but at home -, and Gentiles, 
commonly they drefs their Victuals themfelves, buying their Flower, Rice, 
and fuch other Provifions in the Shops of the Banians^ for they'll not buy a- 
ny where elfe. 
Thefe Banians (as well as the Bramensand Courmts ) feed on Butter, Pulfe , '^^^ ^^'^f of 
Herbs, Sugar and Fruit \ they eat neither Fifti nor Flefli , and drink no- 
thing but Water , wherein they put Coffee and Tea -, they ufe no 
Difhes, for fear fome body of another Religion or Tribe , may have made 
ufe of the Difti, out of which they might eat -, and to fupply that, they put 
their Viduals into large Leaves of Trees, which they throw away when 
they are empty \ nay, there are fome of them who eat alone, and will not 
fuffer neither their Wives nor Children at Table with them. 
Neverthelefs, I was informed, that in that Countrey one certain day of The bi -tmem 
the year , the Bramenseax Hogs Flefli -, but they do it privately for fear of fo'"'^"™" 
Scandal, becaufe the Rules of their Se£t enjoyn them fo to do , and I believe 
it is the fame all over the Indies. 
M 2 There 
