Chap. II. 
of the fever al Countries of the INDIES 
their white Oxen are extraordinary dear. The chief Trade 
of this Province is Saltpetre, for the Soil being black, af- 
fords it plentifully. When it is made they carry it to Surat 
to fell it to the Europeans , and others, who buy it to ballaft 
their Ships, and fell elfewhere. 
12. In the Province of Sinde, which was anciently the 
Kingdom of Dieu, the Inhabitants are wonderfully ingenious 
in all kinds of Arts, and make abundance of Curiofities, for 
which they have a great Trade ; the fineft Pallanquins in 
India are made at Tata in this Province, and there is no- 
thing neater, nor more convenient, than the Car riages made 
here; but their Waggon Wheels are one Piece of folid 
Timber, like a Mill-ftone. 
The Province of Multan yields Plenty of Cotton, Sugar, 
Opium, Brimftone, Galls, Store of Camels, which are 
tranfported into Perfta, and other Parts of the Indies. It 
furnifhes alfo all India with the fineft Bows that are to be 
feen in it, and nimbleft Dancers ; the chief Town of it, of 
the fame Name, is the Rendezvous of the Banjans, becaufe 
of the great Trade managed there, which cannot be carried 
on without them ; for though it is known that they make 
their Profit of every thing, yet moft Merchants chufe ra- 
ther to ufe them, than do their Bufinefs themfelves, be- 
caufe they will buy their Goods much cheaper, and they 
refufe no Service, be it ever fo bafe or vile. The Country 
of Candahar produces abundantly all forts of Provifions that 
are neceflary for human Life, unlefs it be on the Side next 
Perfia r where it is barren. The Inhabitants are great Lo- 
vers of Wine, though they are prohibited to drink it ; and 
if any be found drunk, or doing any fcandalous Aftion in 
Drinking, they are fet upon an Afs, with their Face to the 
Tail, and led about the Town, and attended by the Offi- 
cer of the Controul, who beats a little Drum, and all the 
Children follow him, hooping and hollowing. There are 
many Perfmns in this Province, but they are poor, and 
employed by the Mohammedans, in the meaneft Offices. 
The King of Perfia will not allow the Gentile's Wives to 
burn themfelves in that Part of his Dominions. 
In the Mountains of Caboulijtan grow Mirabolans, and 
many other forts of Drugs. The Country alfo is full of 
Aromatick Trees, which turn to a good Account to the 
Inhabitants ; as do alfo the Mines of a certain fort of Iron 
fitforallUfes. Out of this Province come moft of thofe large 
Canes, of which are made Halberds and Lances, for they 
have many Grounds planted with them. They reckon 
their Months by Moons, and with great Devotion celebrate 
a Feaft called Houli , which lafts two Days, firft in praying, 
and making Oblations, and then in dancing in the Streets 
in Companies to the Sound of Trumpets, making Bon- 
fires, and deftroying the Figure of a Giant. Their Charity 
confifts chiefly in digging Wells, and building little Houfes 
on the Roads for Travellers, and by them is a Place for 
fuch as are heavy laden, to put off and take up their Bur- 
dens: without any Body’s Help. This Country fupplies the 
whole Indies with Phyficians, which are 0 Banyans, and 
fome of them very fkilful in Medicines, and among other 
Remedies make great Ufe of Burning. 
In the City of Labor the Great Mogul has a Palace, on 
one Gate of which is a Crucifix, and on the other the Pic- 
ture of the Virgin Mary. Some have thought them Marks 
of Chriftianity, which was anciently profeffed in thefe Coun- 
tries ; but it is really nothing but a Piece of Flattery and 
Hypocrify of the King I eh an Guire to oblige the Portu - 
f ueze to be his Friends. There are many Gentiles in this 
'ity, who have feveral Pagods all raifed feven or eight Steps 
from the Ground, and fome of them are well adorned. 
This is one of the largeft and moft fruitful Provinces in the 
Indies,, the five Rivers, which make up the River Indus , 
from whence the Moguls call it Pangeah, making it very 
fruitful ; for it yields all forts of Provifions neceflary for 
Life, as Rice, Corn, and feveral forts of Fruits. The Wines 
made here are pretty good, and in the Towns are not only 
all forts of painted Cloths wrought, but all the other Ma- 
nufa&ures ufually made in the Indies. 
13. Iff the Province of Aloud , or Haoud, and Varad y of 
Varalr there are many Rajahs that own not the Authority 
of the Mogul : At Hagawat in this Province is the Pagod 
qf the Idol Matt a, to which the Gentiles that come to pay 
their Devotions to her, are faid to facrifice always fome part 
of their own Bodies. At Calamac , where the Gentiles have 
alio another famous Pagod, there is a Spring of very cold 
Water, which iflues out of a Rock that continually belches 
out Flames, and the Bramins make great Advantage of the 
People who come to fee the Miracle. In the Province of 
Oulejfer is the famous Temple of Jarganate, where one of 
the Faquris undertook to meafure the whole Kingdom of 
the Mogul with his own Body, and being about to perform 
it, was loaded with Charity, and had much Refpeft given 
him. 
The People of this Country, as well Mohammedans as 
Gentiles , are extraordinary voluptuous, have a captious and 
fubtil Wit, and are much addidted to ftealing. The Wo- 
men are very bold and lafcivious, and ufe all Arts to cor- 
rupt and debauch young Men, efpecialiy Strangers, whom 
they eafily trapan, becaufe they are handfome, and well 
drefled. In this Province are above twenty thoufand Chrif- 
tians, who lived in great Unity under potent Kings ; but 
the Mogul becoming Matter of it, and bringing in Mo~ 
hammedifm , a general Diforder, and Corruption of Manners, 
invaded them. 
The Country is full of Torents, and the People live in 
much Eafe, becaufe it is very fruitful, producing Corn, 
Rice, Sugar, Ginger, Long- pepper, Cotton, and Silk, 
with feveral other Commodities ; as alfo Fruits, efpecialiy 
Anana’s as big as Melons, and pleafant to the Tafte, hav- 
ing fomething of the Flavour of the Apricot. In this 
Province the Mogul hath a Caftle, whither he fends fuch 
Traitors as are condemned to perpetual Imprifonment, and 
to that End ’tis always ftridtly guarded. 
14. In the Province of Malm are the Territories of 
Raja-Rana , who deduces his Pedigree from Porus, tho’ 
he is now tributary to the Mogul. Ratifpore is the capital 
City of it, and a Place of great Trade ; it ftands upon a> 
Mountain, and hath a Caftle belonging to it, to which the 
Grand Mogul fends fuch Traitors as are condemned to 
die. They are kept Prifoners for fome time, and always 
fome body is prefent with them, and the Day they are to 
die they make them drink a great Quantity of Milk, and 
then throw them down from the Top of the Caftle upon 
the declining Side of the Hill, which is full of ffiarp-pointed 
craggy Stones, that tear the Bodies of the Wretches to 
Pieces before they can reach the Bottom of the Precipice. 
At Chitor , once a famous Town, but now almoft ruined, 
are the Remains of an hundred Temples, or Pagods, and 
many antique Statues, to be feen. In this Country are two 
kinds of Bats, one like ours in Europe , but the other is 
much different : It is eight Inches long, and the Body is 
covered with yellowiffi Hair. The Body round, and as 
big as a Duck’s, the Head and Eyes like a Cat’s, a fharp 
Snout like a Rat, pricked black Ears, without Hair, no 
Tail, two Teats as big as the End of ones little Finger; 
under the Wings four Legs, Wings almoft two Foot long, 
and feven or eight Inches broad, of a black Skin, like wee 
Parchment ; the two Fore-Legs end in five Talons, like 
a Man’s Hand, and black, and without Hair ; but it has 
Claws inftead of Nails, with which it hangs upon the 
Branches of the Trees. They fly high, and are faid to be 
good Meat. 
The Province of Candijh is the moft plentiful for Cot- 
ton of any Part of Indojlan , and of it phe People make 
abundance of Cloth. They paint fome, but the white are 
moft valued for the lovely Mixture of Gold and Silver tha 
is in them ; for the Rich make their Veils, Scarfs, Hand- 
kerchiefs and Coverings of them, but they are dear. Here 
is alfo Plenty of Rice and Indigo growing. In the Coun- 
try of Balagate are a great many Warrs, Manguiers, Ba~ 
hova, Quifau, Caboul, and other forts of rare Trees. Here 
are vaft Numbers of Anti lopes. Hares, Partridges, and 
towards the Mountains are Merons, or wild Cows. To- 
wards Naopouia grows the beft Rice in all the Indies ; for 
it has an odoriferous Tafte, which that of other Countries 
has not. Cotton abounds here alfo, and in many Places they 
have Sugar Canes, with Mills and Furnaces to make tfie. 
Sugar. The Ways here are always fafely guarded. The 
Pagods of Alora in this Province are fo numerous, and fo 
full of Pillars and Pillafters, and have fo many thoufand 
Figures all cut out of the natural Rock, that they may be 
faid to be Works almoft furpaffing human Force. 
In 
