A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 65 – Subpart 69
The chief Cities in the great Mogols Countries Described.
Lahore in the great Mogols Country, is a vast and famous City, not much inferiour to Agra, the Metropolis; yea, for circuit and bravery, it much excells it: The aire for eight months is pure, and restorative: the streets are paved and gracefull, which are cleansed, and watered by the River Ravee, which flows most pleasantly into this City, from the Casmyrian Mountains, and after a stately course of three thousand English miles, deep enough for Junks of sixty Tun, it falls into Indus at Tutia. This City is beautified with stately palaces, Mosques, Hummums, or Sudatories, Tanks or Ponds, Gardens, &c. The Castle is large, strong, uniform, pleasant, and bravely seated, being built of hard, white, and polished stone: armed with twelve Posternes: within which is a Palace, sweet, and comely, entred by two Gates, and Courts: on the walls, are pictured sundry stories, and pastimes.
From this City to Agra is five hundred miles, the Country in all that distance being even without Mountains, and hills, and the high way planted on both sides, with shady Ash-trees, whose spreading green tops lenefies the scorching heat of the Sun: At the end of each eight miles is a fair, and convenient lodge built for travellers to repose themselves in: Herb. Trav. p. 69. Pur. Pil. v. 2. p. 1468.
Brampore in the same Countrey, is a City seated low, and in an unhealthful plain, very large, and spacious, and inhabited most by the Bannians: the streets are many and narrow; the houses not high, and but meanly beautifull. In the North-East end it hath a Castle standing by the Rivers side, large and defensive: In the River is an Artificial Elephant, so skilfully shaped, that by the Bannians it is adored, and by others admired. Idem.
Fettipore, if the water were good, it had triumphed over all the Cities in India; It is walled about, and to the North, North West, hath a lake, or fish pond five miles over: The North East hath a fair Buzzar, or market place five hundred paces long, well paved, and built on all sides with pleasant houses: At one end is the Mogols house, and a Mohol most excellently framed; the other side is glorious by a curious Mosque, or Church ascended by thirty steps, adorned with a brave gate: the top is full of Pyramids, the Court within is six times bigger than the Royal Exchange in London, excellently paved with free stone, the Iles are large and well paved, the Pillars all of one stone, and beautifull: and affronting this Gate is a most sumptuous Monument, covered with painting, and Pearl-shell: proud in the many Princes there buried. Idem.
Candahor is seated in a reasonable fruitfull Countrey, redundant in all good things, yet by reason of so many Caravans passing, and repassing from Lahore to Persia, all sorts of provision is very dear, and the passage much pestered with theeves: the City is not very spatious but strong, made defensive by many helps of Nature, and Art: In the South, and East; its surrounded with an advantagious wall: In the West, and North, with high and precipitious Mountains: the Suburbs are large, adding to the City both beauty and Wealth. Idem.
Mandow is a City both antient, and famous, seated on the side of a lofty and steep hill, and beautified with a strong and stately Castle, encompassed with a defensive wall of five miles compass; the City is very beautiful, adorned with Temples (in one of which are buried four Kings) Palaces, Fortresses, especially with a Tower ascended by one hundred and seventy steps, supported by Massy Pillars, and adorned with gates and Windows very observable. Idem.
Surat is at this day a City, great, famous, rich, and populous; yet neither air, nor soil agrees with strangers; the one being extream hot, the other sandy, and sulphurious. From June to September the clouds showre down continually unhealthful rains, the wind and thunder so commixing, that no place in the world seems more unhealthful: Its counted the third best Town in the Guiarat Kingdome: Amadavar, and Cambaya excelling her: Its watered with a sweet River called Tappee, which arising out of the Decan mountains, glides through Brampore, and so to Surat. Its circled with a mud-wall, a strong stone Castle is built at the South-West side, the River washing it: the VVest opens into the Buzzar through a fair gate of stone: The Medan is of no great beauty, nor do the shops give any splendor. The houses are indifferently beautiful, some of carved wood, others of Brick: the English, and Dutch houses at the North end, excelling the other for bignesse, and furniture: adjoyning to one gate is a Tank of water, made of good free-stone, circling in above one hundred sides, or angles, in compasse near one thousand paces.
Agra is the navel of the Mogols territories, and Empresse of India: Its watered by the River Jeminey, which from Delly glides hither, and commixing with Ganges, flows into the Bengalan Sea: Its in shape like an half Moon; the streets long, and narrow, and nasty, of seven miles continuance: part of it is walled about, the rest ditcht. Here the Great Mogol hath a Palace, wherein are two large towers, at least ten foot square, which are covered with Plates of the purest gold.
Asmeer is seated upon an high impregnable mount, the greater part of the City being below, fairly built, walled with good stone, and moated about: the Country about it is Champaigne and very fruitfull.
The Kingdome of Bengala Described.
Bengala is a very large Kingdome, lying along the Sea-coast one hundred and twenty leagues, and as much into the land: Its watered by the River Cabaris, called by some Guenga. It abounds with Rice, VVheat, Sugar, Ginger, long Pepper, Cotton, and Silk, and enjoyeth a very wholesome air. Gouro is the Regal City, spacious, and beautiful; and so is Bengala, which hath given name to that part of the Sea called the Gulph of Bengala: Chatigan is also another of their Cities. The inhabitants are a most subtile, and wicked people: Men, and VVomen given much to uncleannesse; they never dress or seeth meat twice in one pot, but every time have a new one. Adultery is punished with the losse of their noses. In this Country are many Rhinocroces. It is now subject to the Great Mogol.
Cambaia described.
Cambaia is called also G…sarat, containing in length from the River Bate to Circam, which is a Country belonging to Persia, five hundred miles upon the Sea-coasts: On all other parts its invironed with the Kingdomes of Dulcinda, and Sanga on the North: Mandao on the East; and with the Gredosians on the VVest; the Sea▪ and the confines of Decan being the Southerly bounds. It hath in it sixty thousand Cities, and villages. Its watered with many Rivers, whereof Indus is the chief, which divides it in the middle, arising from Caucasus, and after a course of nine hundred miles, at two mouths disembogues it self into the Ocean. Its a fertile Country, not inferiour to any other in India: the earth and trees bring forth plenty, and variety of fruits: It hath store of Elephants, precious stones, Silk, Cotton, &c. The people are of an Olive colour, and go naked, except about their privities: They eat no flesh, but Rice, Barley, milk, and other liveless Creatures; their chief Sea-Towns are Daman, Bandora, Curate, Ravellum, and Bazuinum; and within land, Cambaia, Madabar, Campanel, Tanaa, &c. Cambaia being the chiefest, situate three miles from Indus: Its called the Indian Cairo, having much trafick to it by Indians, Portugals, Persians, Arabians, Armenians, &c. The VVomen dye their teeth black, thinking it a great part of their beauty, and therefore alwayes go with open lips to shew it. VVhen men die they burn their bodies, and their wives dressed as for a wedding, burn with them.
Six leagues from Decan is a Hill out of which Diamonds are taken; it is walled about, and kept with a Garrison: Their Religion is partly Moorish, partly Heathenish. They have Hospitals for sick, or lame Birds, Beasts, &c. yea they redeem Beasts, and Birds lives, and if maimed, or hurt, carry them to their Hospitals. In the high wayes, and woods they set pots with water, and scatter meat to feed them. If they catch a Flea, or a Louse, they will not kill it, but let it go: and you can do them no greater injury, than to kill either in their presence; and if by intreaty they cannot perswade you to forbear, they will redeem its life with mony. They drink no Wine, eat no Vinegar, use water only; they will eat no Eggs, as supposing blood to bee in them; they are very careful before they sit down, that no living Creature bee under them. Pur. Pilgrimage.
The Philippine Islands described.
The Philippine Islands were discovered by the Spaniards out of new Spain, Anno Christi 1542. who in honour of their King Philip the second, gave them that name: They are many in number, lying far into the Sea before Cauchin-China, and Chambaia: some of them are great, and very rich in Rice, Honey, Fruits, Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Gold, &c. and inriched more by trade from China: seventy of these Islands are subjects, or friends to the Spaniards, their intestine divisions making an easy way to the Spanish Conquest. They worshiped the Sun, and Moon. Now they have amongst them many Monasteries of Friers, and Jesuites: But the wicked lives of the Spaniards, makes the Inhabitants abhor their Religion: They carve, and cut their skins in sundry fashions, and devises, all over their body.
The Island of Mauritius described.
The Island of Mauritius lies within the torrid Zone, about one hundred Leagues from Madegascar. It abounds with all good things, requisite for mans use: The land is high, and mountainous; the shape somewhat round; in circuit about one hundred miles, every where sweet, and flourishing; having an healthful air, and the blooming fragrant trees abating the heat of the Sun: besides the gentle Breezes moderating the weather: There are delicious Rivers which make the Earth fruitful: Infinite store of lofty spreading trees, green all the year; their boughs being never unapparrelled of their Summer livery: The ground is ever spread with natures choicest Tapestry, the mirthful Sun ever re-inforcing a continued vigor, and activity: Of the trees, some are good for timber, others for food; all for use: Here is store of Box, and of Ebony of all sorts, black, white, red, and yellow: the tree is high, small, and streight: and the wood of such esteem, that many ships come yearly to it to load with Ebony; besides which, there are Coquo trees, Pines, Ashes, Cypresses, &c. As also store of rare fruits: birds, and fowl: Hawks of all kinds: Bats as big as Gos-hawks, Passo-Flemingos, Herons, Geese, and many others, good in their flesh, and excellent in their feathers: Fish there are plenty, as the Cow-fish, Dolphins, Abicores, Cavalloes, VVhale, Porpice, Grampasse, Mullet, Bream, Trout, Tench, Soles, Flounders, Tortoises, Eeles, Sharks, Pikes, Crabs, Lobsters, Oysters, Cuttle-fish, Rock-fish, and other strange fishes: some like Hedg-hogs; some like Cats, others with bristles, &c. This Isle also affords Goats, Hogs, Beeves, and land Tortoises so big, that two men may sit on one of them, and shee will go away with them.