760 The Remarks, &c. of John Albert de Mandeifloe Book I. 
not by fuch Examples maintain his Authority, he Auld Hufbands at their Deaths, as the only Way to make them 
not be long Governor of Amadabat . careful of their Lives •, yet was no Punifhment inflifted upon 
15. Qttober the 21ft I left Amadabat , in the Company fuch as chd not think fit to comply with this rigorous Im 
of a young Englijh Merchant, and travelled that Day to pofition, except that they were looked upon as infamous 
the Garden ot Tfchirbag. The 2 2d we rrtade feven ever after. 
■ Leagues to the Village or Surguntra and the 23d five This Ceremony being over, I paid a Vi fit to Myrfabe? 
Leagues further to Cambay a, where I was very well ac- one of the chief Mohammedan Merchants in that City unco 
commodated at the Houle of a certain Mohammedan , the whom I delivered the Letter of Recommendation from the 
Englijh Head Fadtor being from home. The City of Cam- Diredor of the Englijh at Amadabat. As he underftood 
baya lies fixteen Leagues from Broitfchia , upon Tandy that Language, fo he complemented me with all imaginable' 
Grounds near the River, which makes there a very great Expreffions of Civility, endeavouring to perfuade^me to 
Bay, into which the River May difcharges itfelf. The remain for fome time at Cambaya, and profiting his Ser- 
Haven is none of the beft ; for though at high Water there vice in every thing that might tend to my Satisfaction 
be feven Fathom Depth, yet at low Tide the Ships are al- Whilft I was returning his Civilities, came up to us the 
moil fwallowed up in Sand and Mud. It has a Wall of King’s Lieutenant, or Deputy-Governor, who, with a very 
Free-ftone, with twelve Gates, large Houfes, ff ait and engaging Air, entreated me to make him a Vint, which I 
very broad Streets, and is ten Leagues in Compafs. The promifed to do. I went home, and had fcarce eat my 
Inhabitants are Pagans , Banyans, and Rajhpoots , the laft Dinner, when the before-mentioned Merchant fent me two 
of whom apply themfelves to the Exercife of Arms, as the Sheep, twelve Capons and Pullets, befides fome Fruit* 
Banjans do to Commerce. Their chief Trade is at Achin, and a fine Veffel of Agat. I fent back the Bearer with a 
Diu, Goa , Mecca „ and into Perfia . finall Prefent, telling him, that I would return my hearty 
Taking a Walk out of the City, I faw there, among Thanks to his Mafter the next Day j but I was fcarce got 
feveral other very curious Gardens, one, that for its Situa- out of my Bed, when he came and told me, that the Fear 
tion and Profpedt to the Sea, and into the faireft cham- of parting with me without taking his Leave, had made 
paign Country that could be to the Land- fide, deferves the him' come fo early. I thanked him, and as a Pledge of 
Precedency of any that ever I faw before. It was furrounded the good Will I bore him, prefented him with a very fine 
by a very high Wall, which had within its Compafs two Englijh Pocket Piftol, which he at firft refufed to accept, 
very fine Strudhires, and in the midft of the Garden was excufing himfelf, that it was not handfome to receive a 
a Sepulchre of a Mohammedan , who was the Founder of it. Prefent from a Stranger, were it not that his Refufal might 
Whilft I was contemplating the Tomb, fome Englijh Mer- be mifinterpreted by me to his Difadvantage j upon which 
chants came in to reprove me for the Affront I had put Score he could not forbear to accept of what I had been 
upon them, as they interpreted it, of preferring a Moham- pleafed to beftow upon him with fo much Kindnefs. 
me dan Lloufe before theirs to lodge in ; and as a Repara- I thought fit to make particular mention in this Place of 
tion, afked me to go along with them the next Morn- thefe Civilities, to convince the World that Barbarifri! 
ing to a Place where an Indian Widow was to burn her- which the Indians are fo often branded with by fome Au- 
felf ; her Hufband, who was a Raflopoot , having been thors, is not fo deeply rooted among them, but that they 
killed two hundred Leagues from thence. underftand and pradtile Civility as well as fome other Na- 
We went accordingly to the Place of this voluntary tions, who challenge the Preference upon that Account be- 
Execution near the River-fide, where we faw the Wo- fore all others, but fall Ihort in that Sincerity which is na- 
man, who was fcarce twenty Years of Age, coming tural to the Indofians , who are as good Friends to thofe to 
up with fo chearful Countenance as is fcarce to be ima- whom they have promifed their Friendihip, as they are 
gined. It is to be obferved, that the Governor, who irreconcilable to their Enemies. I caufed a Box of Beetle 
was a Mohammedan , and confequently would willingly to be prefented to the Merchant, a Drug as commonly 
abolifn this barbarous Cuftom of the Pagans , had for a ufed in the Indies , as Snuff is in Europe , of which he hav- 
long Time oppofed her Refolution, under a Pretence ing taken a little, took his Leave. Soon after, as I was 
that her Hufband’s Death might be uncertain at fo great a going to call at the Deputy- Governor’s Houfe, I met him 
Diftance, in hopes that Time might have changed her Re- in the Street in his Coach, and he no fooner efpied me, 
folution ; but finding her immoveable, he gave at laft his but he obliged me to go back with him to his Houfe, built 
Confent. In the Front of the Procefiion marched the in one of the moft pleafant Parts of the City ^ he treated me 
Mufick, confifting of Hautboys and Timbrels-, thefe were with fome Beetle, and fome Palm-Wine, and fent one of 
followed by a great Number of Maids and Women danc- his Servants to give Orders at the Gates to let me pafs lin- 
ing and finging before the Widow, who was dreffed in her molefted, without paying any Qiftoms. 
beft Apparel, and had many Rings and Bracelets on her I ftaid not above half an Hour, and immediately pro- 
Fingers, Arms and Legs : In the Rear came a confufed ceeded on my Journey ; but being pretty late before I could. 
Multitude of Men, "Women, and Children. She had reach Serguntra, the Banjans, who bum no Lights for fear 
waflied herfelf before in the River, and coming near the of hurting the Flies, or other Infedts, would not open the 
Funeral Pile, which was made of the Wood of Apricock- Shops to fell us Forage for ourBeafts, being a certain Pafte 
trees mixed with fome Sanders and Cinamon, fhe flopped of Sugar, Meal, and fome Butter, which is ufed here for 
a little, and looking over it with a great deal of Carelefs- want of Oats and Hay ; but at laft were prevailed on to 
nefs, took her laft Farewel of her Kindred and Friends, let us have fome, becaufe we threatened to break open their 
I was very near on Horfeback, and fhe perceiving perhaps Shops. We travelled five Leagues the next Day before 
by my Countenance that I had Compaffion of her, fhe caft Noon to a great Village, where having baited our Beafts, 
me one of her Bracelets, which I keep to this Day, diftri- we continued our Journey to the Garden of Tfchirbag. 
buting the reft among her Friends. So foon as fhe had This Garden, which we had occafion to mention before, 
placed herfelf on the Pile, and perceiving that they had fet is looked upon as one of the moft confiderable of all the 
Fire to it, fire poured a Veffel full of perfumed Oil over Empire, not only in refpedt of its noble Buildings, and the 
her Head, which the Fire taking hold of, burnt her to vaft Quantity of excellent Fruits, but efpecially for the 
Afh.es immediately, without fhewing the leaft Sign of Re- Conqueft of Guzarat, in Memory of which it was founded; 
ludtancy, whilft all there prefent filled the Air with their and thence has got the Name of Tfchirbag , i. e. the Gar- 
Shouts and Acclamations. den of Victory. The Walks of this Garden are planted 
This Cuftom, it feems, was firft introduced into' the with Fruit-trees, fuch as Oranges, Citrons, Pomegranates, 
Indies, to prevent the Jeaioufy of the Women created by Dates, Almonds, and Mulberry-trees ; befides many of 
Poligamy, which had this difmal Effedt, that they ufed fre- thefe that bear Mangoes, Cocoas, and fome that were un- 
quently to poilbn their Hufbands, it having been found known to us. Having taken a fhort View of it whilft our 
by Experience, that in one Year there ufed to be four Men Beafts were baiting, we continued our Journey, and came 
buried to one Woman to prevent which, it was thought that Night to Amadabat. We were not a little troubled in 
convenient, that a certain Law fhould be introduced for all the Way by Apes, of whom I fliot two with my Piftol, 
Women that would be accounted honed, to accompany their which fo incenfed the reft, that about twenty of the largeft 
1 Size 
4 
