Chap. II. through feveral Countries of the INDIES. 763 
The City of Agra is fo populous, that it is able to raife 
two hundred thoufand fighting Men. Moil of the In- 
habitants are Mohammedans , but there is fcarce any Nation 
in the World but what trade thither, and all Commodi- 
ties, whether imported or exported, pay 10 per Cent. Cuf- 
tom. This City has under its Jurifdidlion forty fmall Ci- 
ties, and three thoufand five hundred Villages, its Terri- 
tories extending above fixty Leagues about. The adja- 
cent Country is very fertile in Indigo, Cotton, Salt-petre, 
and feveral other Commodities. The Feftival of the Nau- 
rus, or New-year’s- day, is celebrated in this City with a 
great deal of Ceremony. Before the King’s Palace a Theatre, 
or Scaffold, richly adorned, is erefted, Unrounded with 
fmall Pillars in the Nature of a Balcony, where the King 
is feated upon richly embroidered velvet Cufhions, being 
attended by his feven Minifters of State, the Emprefs be- 
ing not far off in a Gallery where fhe can fee the whole 
Ceremony, but cannot be feen by any body. Near the 
King’s Scaffold is another erefted, painted and embellifh- 
ed with Mother of Pearl, whither the principal Lords 
come out of their Tents, pitched and furnifhed with their 
molt precious Moveables, in the outermoft Court in the 
Palace, to pay their Veneration to the King ; which done, 
he leaves the Theatre, and being feated on his Throne, 
he receives the Prefents of his Subjefts, and this he conti- 
nues for eighteen Days fucceffively. Towards the Conclu- 
lion of thefe eighteen Days, the King, in return of the 
Prefents the Lords and others have made him, beftows 
upon them his Prefents, which are certain Employments 
and Honours proportionable £0 the Gifts he has received 
from their Hands. 
The Mogul’s Birth-day is alfo celebrated here after a 
peculiar Manner. The Day is begun with all manner of 
Divertifements, which done, he fhews himfelf to the 
Queen-Mother, if living, in her own Apartments, where 
the great Lords are obliged to appear, and to bring along 
with them confiderable Prefents. After Dinner he puts 
on the richeft Apparel that can be contrived, laden all over 
with Gold, and precious Stones. Thus he goes into a 
Tent, and in the Prefence of the chief Lords, weighs him- 
felf in a Pair of Scales of maffy Gold, the Chains where- 
of being of the fame Metal, are fet with precious Stones. 
He is fet in one of the Scales, and in the other are put fe- 
veral Bags of Silver, one of Gold, fome precious Stones, 
certain Pieces of Silk, Stuffs, Callicoes, Pepper, Cloves, 
Nutmegs, Cinnamon, Wheat, Pulfe, and Herbs, and an 
exaft Account is kept of the Difference of his Weight 
from one Year to the other. This done, the King gives 
the Money with his own Hands to the poor Mohammedans , 
and the reft is distributed among certain Banjans. Then 
being feated on his Throne, he orders to be caft among the 
Lords of his Court, Nuts, Piftachoes, Almonds, and di- 
vers other forts of Fruit of Gold, but fo flightly made, 
that one thoufand of them fcarce weigh thirty Crowns, 
which tho’ it may feem incredible, yet it is certain that it has 
been tried by Experience, that a whole large Bafon full of 
this kind of wrought things, have not amounted to above 
ten Crowns, and it is computed, that all this great Mo- 
narch beftows upon this Occafion, would not amount to 
above the Value of one hundred Crowns. The Day is 
concluded with a great Feaft at Court, unto which are in- 
vited all the principal Lords in waiting, who pals the Night 
with the Mogul in Drinking. 
They alfo celebrate another Feftival, which begins ten 
Days after the New-moon of the Month of July. This is 
obferved to perpetuate the Memory of two Brothers named 
Janze and Jawze , who being holy Men or Saints, went 
on Pilgrimage to the Court of Coromandel , and were there 
killed by the Bramans , and other Pagans. They carry 
Coffins covered with Bows, Arrows, Turban ts, Cymitars, 
and^ Garments of Silk, through the City, the People fol- 
lowing in whole Troops with great Lamentation, fome 
ftaihing their Arms till the Blood iffues forth plentifully. 
In the Evening they make diverfe Figures of Straw repre- 
fenting the Perfons who murdered them ; at thefe they 
Ihoot their Arrows, and at laft bum them to Allies. 
They perform this with lb much Animofity, that no Pa- 
gan dares to appear about that Time in the Streets. The 
Indian Mohmmdm »lfo celebrate the Feaft of the Sacri- 
fice of Abraham . It is held in Jmie^ when they kill a 
1 He-goat, which ferves them to entertain their Friends with 
that Day. The Great Mogul deduces his Gff-fpring from 
the famous fimur, or ! Tamerlane , in a dir eft Line, the 
faid lamerlane being defcended from the Family of Zingis- 
Khan of Tartary. Shah-Chorcwi , who reigned at the Time 
of my Travels into thefe Parts, uiiirped the- Crown from 
his Nephew Prince Polagi , whom, as we told you, we 
faw at GaJJonis. 
The Mogul was then about fixty Years of Age. He 
had three Sons, the eideft was about twenty-five , but his 
Affeftions being moft for the youngeft, he intended tp 
beftow the Crown upon him, and to make the other two 
contented with the Government of certain Provinces. The 
Beginning of his Reign had favoured not a little of Cru- 
elty, and even afterwards he could not but betray his In- 
clinations, by putting fuch as were guilty of High Trear 
fon to unheard of Torments ; for the reft, he was of a 
plealant Humour enough, taking much delight in Mufick, 
and the Women Dancers dance naked before him. Of 
thefe I heard the Bnglijh relate a pleafant Story, that a 
certain Perfon of Note belonging to the Court, in whofe 
Converfation the Mogul took particular Delight, being 
miffing at Court, the Mogul afked the Reafon of his Ab- 
fence, and being anfwerecl, that he had taken Phyfick, 
the Mogul ordered his Women Dancers to go to his Houfe, 
to ftrip themfelves naked, and to eafe themfelves before 
him. The Gentleman hearing of their Coming, and hav- 
ing got fome Scent of what their Errand was, afked them 
immediately after their coming into the Room, what the 
King had commanded them to do, and being anfwered, 
that they were to eafe themfelves there, he told them, that 
they might put the King’s Commands in Execution as foon 
as they pleafid ; butafking them at the fame Time, whether 
they had any further Commands, they having anfwered no, 
he bid them have a fpecial Care not to tranfgrefs the Orders 
laid upon them ; for, faid he, if any of you pifs but one 
Drop, I will have you all foundly whipped, which put 
them into fuch a Fright, that not daring to run the 
Hazard of the Lafh, they returned to the Mogul, who 
underftanding by what Invention the Gentleman had dfi 
verted them from what they were ordered to do, laughed 
very heartily at his Ingenuity. 
His daily Diverfions were to fee the Lions, Elephants, 
Tigers, Leopards, and other wild Beafts fight one with ano-.- 
ther. He alfo often delighted in feeing Men engage with 
thofe favage Creatures, but never forced them againft their 
Will, there being not wanting thofe, who m Hopes of offi- 
taining thereby the Mogul’s Favour, would hazard their 
Lives upon that Score. I remember the Mogul on his 
Son’s Birth-day being prefent at the Combat 'between a 
Lion and a Tiger, which were both very much hurt, he 
ordered Proclamation to be made upon the Spot, that 
whoever had fo much Courage as to fight with one of 
thofe Beafts with Sword and Buckler only, ftiould be, if 
he vanquifhed, honoured with the Title of Khan. It was 
not long before three Indofians appeared to accept the 
Challenge, and having laid by their Coats of Mail, one 
engaged with a furious Lion, and for forpe Time made 
his Party good very couragiopfly, but the Beaft prefiing 
very hard upon his Left-hand, in which he held his Buck- 
ler, the Weight whereof at laft forced die Buckler out of 
his Hand ; fo that firing himfelf in unavoidable Danger of 
his Life, he thruft a Dagger which he wore in his Girdle 
into the Lion’s Jaws, who thereupon let go his Hold, and 
was marching off; but the Indojlan lollowed him, and with, 
a Blow crofs his Head, laid him dead upon the Ground. 
The Acclamations of the People were loud upon this Qc*- 
cafion, but the Mogul was lb far from being pleafed with 
the Aftion, that on the contrary, being highly jncenfed 
at his having made ufe of any other Arms except his Sword 
and Buckler, he commanded the Fellow’s Belly to be ripr 
ed up, and the Body to be expofed to the. View of the 
whole City. The fecond Indojlan made up with no left 
Courage than the former, to a Tyger brought in for that 
Purpofc, but this fierce Creature was fo dexterous and piirb 
ble, as to feize him by the Throat, and fo killed him, 
I ne third Indojlan , tho’ a Perfon ot a mean Stature, and 
WPif> nothing dffm.aye.d at the Misfortune pf his 
