Chao, II. of the feveral Countries of the INDIES. 
Parts of the World •» but ftill this proves fo far from being 
tedious and unpleafant, that we may lafely affirm, there arc 
no Paffages in his Writings, either more curious, or more 
mftruftive. It was for this Reafon that we judge it requisite 
to give them entire, without venturing to caltrate, 01 in- 
terpolate them, which would only diftrabt the Author’s 
Senfe, without anfwering any good Purpofe. After an ac- 
curate Account of the State of Moguliftan , at the Time he 
travelled through it, he proceeds thus : 
2. Kafembafar , a Village in the Kingdom of Bengal , 
fends abroad every Year twenty-two thoufand Bales of Silk, 
every Bale being a hundred Weight, which are bought up, 
either by the Dutch, or Merchants of T artary and Mogu- 
liftan, to make up their Carpets ; fome all Silk, and others 
mixed with Silver and Gold, which being for the moft part 
made in the Province of Guzurat , are fold either at Ama- 
dabat , or Surat. The Worfted Carpets are made at Vetta- 
pour , twelve Leagues from Agra Sattins, fome plain, 
others ftreaked with Gold ; Taffaties of the fame Fafhion ; 
Patoles, a very thin Silk Stuff, painted with all forts of 
Flowers. The raw Silk of Kafemb'afar is yellowilh, as that 
of Sicily and that of Perfia is *, but they can whiten it witbq 
a Lye made of the Allies of a Tree called Adam’s Fig-tree, 
that it fhall be like that of Paleftine. In the Kingdom of 
Golconda are made the painted Calicoes, (Calicuts) called 
Chinees by the Merchants, but Calmender by the Natives, 
becaufe they are painted with a Pencil. 
There are Chinees made in Moguliftan , but they are all 
printed, and nothing fo fine or beautiful as the former. 
Thefe ferve for Coverlets of Beds, Table-cloths, Pillow- 
biers, Handkerchiefs, but efpecially for Waiftcoats both for 
Men and Women. The fine Calicut Chinees made at 
Brampour are ufed all over Afia for Ormis, or Womens 
Veils ; the Bafta’s, or Calicuts, painted red, blue, and 
black, are carried white to Agra and Amadabat to be dyed ; 
fome they dye like watered Camblets, which increafe their 
Price. The white Calicuts are woven in feveral Places in 
Bengal and Moguliftan , and are carried to Raioxfary and 
Baroche to be whitened, becaufe of the large Meadows and 
Plenty of Lemons that grow thereabouts, for they are never 
fo white as they fhould be, till they are dipp’d in Lemon- 
Water : They are of two forts, wide and narrow, but of 
various Lengths •, fome Calicuts are made fo fine, you can 
hardly feel them in your Hand, and the Thread when fpun, 
is fcarce difcernable. Cotton twitted and untwifted comes 
from the Provinces of Brampour and Guzarat ; but the 
latter is feldom exported, unlefs it be to Ormuz , Balfora , 
or the Philippine Ifies. 
Indigo comes from feveral Parts of the Mogul’s Coun- 
try, but differs in Quality *, the belt comes from the Ter- 
ritories of Biaria , Indocea , and Corfa , a Day or two’s 
Journey from Agra : That which is made flat of this fort 
comes from Sarqiieffe , a Day’s Journey from Surat : The 
Indigo which is made in Golconda is inferior in Good- 
nefs ; as alfo that which is made up at Baroche and Agra , 
tho’ this laft is moft fought for, becaufe it is made up in 
half Balls. The worft fort is that made at Bengal , 
Brampour , and Amadabat. It is made of am Herb much 
■ like our Hemp, which is fown every Year after the Rains. 
They cut it three Times every Year j but the firft Cutting 
makes the beft Indigo, and the fecond better than the 
third : 5 Tis known by the Brifknefs of the Colour. When 
they have cut it, they call it into Pits half full of Water, 
which they raife to the Brim, with the Herb put into it, 
and then pound it about till it becomes as thick as Mud j 
then they let it fettle for fome Days, and afterwards drain 
the Water out of it, which done, they take it up in Baf- 
kets, and making it up fiat at the Bottom, and fharp at 
the Top like an Egg, fet it in the Sun to dry. Great 
Quantities of Saltpetre comes from Agra to Patna *, but 
that which is refined is three Times the Value of that which 
Is not. 
Cardamom, which is the moft excellent of all Spices, 
grows in the Territories of Vifapour , and becaufe there is 
no great Store of it where it grows, it is only made ufe of 
in Afia , at the Tables of the greateft' Princes. Ginger 
grows in the Dominions of the Great Mogul, and is 
brought in great Quantities from Amadabat , where It 
grows more than in any other Part of Afia , and it Is hard 
]y to be imagined how much is tranlported candied into 
other Parts. ^Pepper is of two Sorts, the fmali and the 
great % the final! comes from Bantam , Achen , and fome 
other Parts of the Eaft, it is feldom or ever carried out of 
Afia , , where it is fpent in great Quantities, efpecially among 
the Mohammedans ; for there is double the Grain of this 
fmali Pepper in one Pound to what is in the great j be Tides, 
5 tis not fo hot in the Mouth. The great Pepper comes 
from the Coaft of Malabar , and fome frorn Vifapour « 
Nutmegs come from the Molucca Hands, as alfo from the 
Iflands of Banda ; but the biggeft grow in the Hand of 
Damme. It is obfervable of the Nutmeg-tree, tis never plant- 
ed ; but, when the Nutmegs are ripe, certain Creatures 
come from the Hands towards the South, and devour them 
whole, but are forced to throw them up again before they 
be digefted ; the Nutmeg then befmeared with a vifeious 
Matter falling to the Ground, takes Root, and produces a 
Tree, which would never thrive if planted. Cloves grow 
at Amboyna , Ellias , Sarem, and Bouro. Cinnamon comes 
at prefent from the Hand of Ceylon ; the T ree that bears 
it is like a Willow, and has three Barks t, the two cuter- 
moft may be taken off, and is the beft Cinnamon *, the 
third muft not be meddled with, becaufe then the Tree will 
die, and therefore great Art muft be ufed to take off the 
two uppermoft, left the third fhould be hurt with the 
Knife. The Hollanders are at a vaft Expence at Ceylon to 
gather their Cinnamon, becaufe the King fends his Forces 
upon them' when they are gathering to furprize them, and 
take it from them j fo that they are forced to have a Guard 
upon their Workmen of feven or eight hundred Men 5 
and this makes Cinnamon dearer, and fo much the more 
becaufe the Dutch have fpoiled the Trade for it from the 
Countries of the Rajahs about Cochin. 
The Drugs brought to Surat from all Parts of the In- 
dies are Sal-Armoniac, Borax, Gum- Lac, Gum-Lac 
waftied, Gum-Lac in Sticks of Wax, Saffron, Cummin, 
white and black, Arlet, Frankincenfe, . Myrrh, Gilet, 
and Bold; Caffia, Sugar-Candy, Affutinat, Anni-feed 
both grofs and final], Oupelot, Cointre, Auzorout, Aloes- 
Succotrine, Lignum- Aloes, fome in great, and others in 
fmali Pieces ; Liquorice, Vez Cabouli, out of Gum-Lac, 
the Natives extraA that lively Scarlet-Colour with which 
they paint their Calicoes ; and for that end it is carried in- 
to Perfia. That which remains after the Colour is drawn 
out, is fit only to make Sealing-wax of j and the Women 
of Surat get their Living by cleanfing and colouring it for 
that Ufe. Powdered Sugar is brought in great Quantities 
from the Kingdom of Bengal , and there is a great Trade 
for it at Ougeli, Patna , Daca, and other Places. The 
People of Bengal fay, that there is no Poifon more dan* 
gerous than Sugar kept thirty Years. Loaf-Sugar is made 
at Amadabat , where they have the perfect Art of refining 
it. Opium comes from Brampour , where Tobacco alfo 
grows in great Quantities, fo that the Inhabitants having no 
Vent for it, let it rot upon the Ground. 
3. Diamonds, which are the moft precious of all Stones, 1 
are found partly in Mines, partly in Rivers. At Raolconda , 
a Town five Leagues diftant from Golconda, and eight or 
nine from Vijfapour , in the Province of Camatica , is a 
Diamond-Mine, difeovered not above two hundred Years 
ago : In it are found the cleaned: Stones, with the whiteft 
Water ; but being forced to fetch them out of the Rocks 
with a great Iron-leaver and many Blows, they often flaw 
the Diamonds, and make them look like Cryftal : And 
this is the Reafon there are fo many foft Stones found in 
this Mine, though they make a great Shew. If a Stone 
be clean, they give it only a Turn or two upon the Wheel, 
that it may lofe as little as poffible of the Weight •, but if 
it has any Flaws, Points, or black Specks, they cut it into 
Faffets, and work the Flaw into a Ridge to hide it. The 
Trade at the Mines is free and juft, and tranfadled with- 
out any talking on either Side, the Buyer and Seller ex- 
prefling themfelves by taking each other by the Hands % 
and fo, in the fame Place where there are many People, a 
Parcel of Goods fhall be fold feven or eight Times, and no 
Man know it. At Gam, or Colour , feven Days Journey 
from Golconda Eaft wards, is another Diamond- Mine : It 
lies 
