Chap, II. from J. B. Tavernier. 833 
ten thoufand. On the River the King has feveral fmall Bri- 
gantines to take his Pleafure in. 
From Dehly you travel to Badelpoura , and fo by Pel- 
vel-ki-fera and Catki-fara , where is one of the great eft Pa- 
gods of the Indians , together with an Hofpital for Apes, 
as well for thofe that are bred thereabout, as for thofe that 
come from the neighbouring Parts, which the Banjans are 
very careful to feed. The Pagod is called Matura. It 
was formerly in greater Veneration than now it is, and the 
Reafon is this, becaufe the River walking the Walls there- 
of, was convenient for the walking the Banjans before they 
went to their Devotions ; but fince the River has left it 
above a League, many have deferted ; but ftill it wants not 
iome Refort of the Indians , who always bring with them 
fome Food for the Apes. 
1 2 . Between this Place and Goodkifera is but five Leagues, 
and then you come to Agra. This City lies in 27 0 3 F of 
Latitude, and in a Tandy Soil, which caufes extream Heat. It 
is the biggeft City in India, and was formerly the Residence 
of their Kings, till Cha-Jehan fearing the great Heats, 
ufually fought a more temperate Air, and fo removed to 
Gehanabadl The Houfes of great Perfons are fair, and 
well built ; but the Houfes of the meaner fort are as plain 
as in other Cities of India , being low and thatched. It is 
not very populous, unlefs it be when the Court is there ; 
but at that Time it is thronged, the King being attended 
with an Army for his Guards, and a great Number of 
Rajahs, Omrahs, Manfapdars, and other Nobles, with 
their Retinues, befides Merchants and Tradelmen that fol- 
low the Court for Trade. The People are moft of them 
Mohammedans , and thefe have all the Power in their Hands, 
though there are a coniiderable Number ol Chrijiians , fome 
few Heathens and Perfees. 
The Dutch have a Factory here, but the Engliflo have 
left theirs, becaufe it did not turn to Account. The molt 
remarkable things in Agra are the King’s Palace, and fome 
Monuments near, and about the City. The King’s Palace 
is in the Caftle, which is begirt with a Wall of Stone and 
Brick, terrailed in feveral Places, which is twenty Cubits 
high. Between the Caftle and the River is a large Place 
left on purpofe for the fighting of Elephants for the King’s 
Diverfion. It is near the Water, to allay the Fury of the 
conquering Elephant, who prefently comes to his Temper, if 
lie be but two or three Foot deep in the Water. Before the 
Palace is a wide Piazza, it contains three Courts, adorned 
with Porches and Galleries, that are painted and gilt ; nay, 
fome things are covered with Plates of Gold. Under the 
Galleries of the fir ft Court are the Lodgings for the King’s 
Guards , in the fecond is the Officer’s Lodgings ; and in 
the third the Lately Apartments for the King and his La- 
dies : Out of thele the King goes commonly to a lovely 
Divan, which looks to the River, to pleafe him.felf in fee- 
ing Elephants fight. His Troops exercife and play upon 
the Water, or in the open Place. By this Palace ftands 
twenty-five or thirty very large ones, in a cl i refit Line, 
which belongs to the Princes, and other great Lords of the 
Court, and ail together afford a moft delightful Profpedt to 
thofe who are on the other Side of the River. Befides thefe 
Palaces, the Beauty of Agra confifts in the Caravanferas, 
which are about fixty in Number, and fome of them have 
fix large Courts, with their Portico’s, which lead to very 
commodious Apartments, where the Merchants Strangers 
have their Lodgings. 
There are above eight hundred Baths in the Town, and 
a great Number of Mofques, fome of which are SanCtua- 
ries. There are many magnificent and Lately Monuments 
in and about Agra for feveral great Men, and efpecially the 
rich Eunuchs, belonging the King’s Haram, are ambitious 
to build their own in their Life-time, and to eredt Monu- 
ments to the Memories of their Fore- fathers j and this the 
great Mogul encourages them in, that he may keep his 
Money in his own Kingdom, and divert them from going 
to Mecca , whither their blind Devotions often leads them 
to ipend it. The two moft eminent Monuments are that 
which King Gehanguir caufed to be built for Ecbar his Fa- 
ther upon an Eminence in the Town. It furpafles the 
Magnificence of all thofe of the Grand Seigniors *, but the 
Taireft of ail is that which Cha-Jehan e refit ed in Honour of 
one of his Wives called C fage-Mchal, whom he tenderly 
Nu^ib, 560 
loved, and whofe Death had almoft coft him his Life. It 
was built by the moft able Architects of the Indies , 
whom the King called together in a Council to contrive it, 
and having fettled Salleries upon them, ordered them to 
fpare no Coft to make it the fineft Moufoiasum in the 
World, if they could. 
The Indians fay it was twenty Years in building, that 
twenty thoufand Men were always employed about it, and 
it was ftnifhed at length to Satisfaction. It ftands on the 
Eaft Side of the City, by the River Side. It is a kind of 
a Garden, with Compartments, like our Garden Plots 1 
but the Walks, inftead of Gravel, are black and white 
Marble : You enter into it through a large Portal, and on 
the left Hand is a fair Gallery, which looks towards 
Mecca , and in which are three or four Niches, wherein the 
Mufti comes at certain Hours to pray. About the Middle 
of the Garden are three great Platforms, one raifed above 
another, with four Towers at the Corners of each. On the 
Top is a Cupolo covered within, and without with black 
Marble *, under it is an empty Tomb (for the Sultanefs is 
buried under the loweft Platform) adorned with Tapeftries, 
Candles, and other Ornaments, where there are always 
Moullahs attending to pray. The Sepulchres of the Eu- 
nuchs have only one Platform, with four little Chambers at 
the four Corners. 
The Indians are pretty uniform in their Apparel, oyly 
the Mohammedans and the Moors diftinguiik thernfelves by 
a particular kind of Coif, or Head Attire •, but in all things 
elfe they are cloathed as the reft. Their Breeches are com- 
monly of Cotton Cloth, and fometimes of Silk, and come 
down to the Leg or Ancle. Their Shirts hang over their 
Breeches, as the Fafhion is all over the Levant , and open- 
before. In cold Weather they wear over their Shirts an 
Arcalick, or Waiftcoat, of painted Stuff, quilted with Cot- 
ton, and pinked ; and over that a Caba of white Cotton 
Cloth, for Lightnefs and Neatnefs •, but if it be hot, they 
lay afide their Arcalick. They ufe but one Girdle, and 
that is of white Cotton Cloth. None ufe the lovely Girdles 
of Perfia but the moft wealthy Perfons of Quality ; in cold 
Weather they wear a Veil called Cadeby, lined with Sa- 
bles. At all times, when they go abroad, they wear a 
Chal, which is like a Scarf, of feveral Colours. Their Tur- 
ban is commonly little, and the Mohammedans wear it 
always white. The Rich have them of fo fine Cloth, that 
twenty-five or thirty Ells of it, put into a Turban, will not 
weigh four Ounces. They are made at Bengal , and are 
dear. They wear their Hair for Ornament, contrary to 
other Mohammedans , who all fhave their Heads. They ufe 
no Stockings, and on their naked Feet, which are of Mo- 
rocco or furky Leather, like Slippers, • only the Banjans 
wear Heels to their Shoes, that they may ftir more freely 
about their Bufmefs. 
The rich Banjans cover theirs with Velvet, embroidered 
with Silk Flowers ; but the Poor are fatisfied with red 
Leather. The Mogul Women are cloathed almoft like 
the Men, but the Sleeves of their Smocks reach no lower 
than the Elbow, that they may have Room to adorn their 
Arms with Carkanets, and Bracelets of Gold, Silver, and 
Ivory, or fet with precious Stones, as they do aifo the Small 
of their Legs. The Smocks of the Indian idolatrous Wo- 
men reach down only to the Middle, as doth the Waiftcoat 
of Sattin, or Cloth, which they wear over it, becaufe from 
the Waift downward they wrap thernfelves up in a Piece 
of Cloth, or Stuff, that covers them to the Feet like a Pet- 
ticoat : For Shoes they have high Pattens •, they wear little 
flat Rings of Gold or Silver in their Ears, with Engraving 
upon them, and adorn their Nofes with Rings put through 
their Noftrils. They wear alfo Rings on their Fingers for 
Ornaments, and have generally one with a Looking- glafs 
fet in it an Inch Diameter, to fee thernfelves. If the Indian 
Women are idolaters, they go bare-faced ; if Mohamme- 
dans , they are vailed. 
In fome Countries both Men and Women go naked to 
the Waift, and cover thernfelves from thence to the Knees. 
At Agra they are curious in breeding up Beafts to fight for 
Pleafure, viz, He-goats, Weathers, Rams, Cocks, Quails, 
Stags, and Antilopes ; for fuch as cannot reach Lions and 
Elephants, are dextrous Fowlers and Hunters. Pictures 
alfo in thi$ City are drawn with Art j but being for the 
10 C moft 
