A Voyage to East India, Account of voyage · Section 3
SECTION III.
What the chief Merchandizes, and moſt Staple, and other Commodities are, which are brought into this Empire.
THE moſt Staple Commodities of this Empire are Indico and Cotten-Wool; of that Wool they make divers ſorts of Callico, which had that name (as I ſuppoſe) from Callicute, not far from Goa, where that kind of Cloth was firſt bought by the Portugals.
For the Spices brought hither by the Eaſt-India Fleet they are had more Southerly; from the Iſlands of Sumatra, from Java major and minor, from the Moluccoes, and from other places thereabout: In which, as in the Molucco Iſlands, and thoſe other parts too from whence the richeſt Spices come, the Low-Countrey Merchants have got ſuch footing, and ſuch a particular intereſt, that our Engliſh Factors there (for the preſent) buy thoſe Commodities, as we ſometimes do buy Proviſions and Commodities here at home, out of the engroſſing Huckſters hands: So that our Engliſh in thoſe parts have a free Trade for no kind of Spice, but for that, which is one of the loweſt prized, namely Pepper, which they fetch from Bant…. Which more general Trade of the Dutch, they have formerly gained, at a very vaſt expence, by fortifying them…ves there, i… the places whereever they ſettle; and then ſtanding upon their Guard, put a kind of force upon the Natives to fell them their Commodities.
What the carriage of that people hath formerly been in thoſe parts towards our Engliſh, (where th… Sword hath been longeſt) is ſufficiently made known by other Pens: This I may conclude from their example (and I would that they were …ingular and alone in it) that when a people will not be ordered by that Royal Law, which commands us, Mat. 7. 12. to do nothing, but what we would be content to ſuffer: as to do nothing unto other's, but what we would be well content to ſuffer from others: But on the contrary when they meaſure things, not by the ſtrait and even Rule of Equity, but by the crooked and oblique Line of Power▪ arming their In juſtice to do what they pleaſe, becauſe they can do what they will; This cauſeth many to make very bold with God in caſes that ſeem to give advantage unto their high Thoughts and Commodities: for what evil cannot Ambition and Covetouſneſs do, when they are back… with an arbitrary and unlimited power here below, if they be not ch… by a ſtronger Arm from above? Whence we ſe… it often come to paſs, that when the Laws of Nature and Nations, yea of God himſelf, lye in the way of their profit, or earthly advantages (whatever their ſufferings or loſs be afterward) they either ſpurn them thence, or elſe tread and trample upon them at pleaſure, to compaſs their ends for the preſent. This I can ſay of the Dutch (ſomething from my own knowledge, but more from the report of others) that when I lived in thoſe parts, and we Engliſh there were more for number than they, and conſequently could receive no hurt from them, we there uſed them as Neighbours and Brethren; but in other places, where they had the like advantage of us, they dealt with us neither like Chriſtians, nor Men. But I will not here any longer digreſs, but return to ſpeak further of the Commodities to be had in Eaſt-India.
The Indico we bring thence, is a good, and a rich Commodity. It is there made of little leaves, not bigger than thoſe on our Gooſeberry buſhes, and the ſhrubs that bear thoſe leaves are about their bigneſs. Theſe leaves they ſlip off from the ſmall branches of thoſe buſhes, which grow with round and full heads without pricks. The leaves thus ſtripp'd off, are laid in great heaps together certain daies, till they have been in a hot ſweat; then are they removed, and put into very great and deep Ve…ſels fill'd with a ſufficient quantity of water to ſleep them in, where they leave their blew tincture, with their ſubſtance! this done, the water is drain'd out into other exceeding broad, but very ſhallow Veſſels▪ or Vats, made of Plaiſter (like to that we call Plaiſter of Paris) which will keep in all the Liquor till the hot Sun in ſhort time extracts the moyſture from it; and then what remains in the bottom, is a Cream about one quarter of an inch thick, which ſuddenly becomes hard, and dry, and that is our Indico; the beſt ſort whereof comes from Biana, near unto Agra, and a coarſer ſort is made at Cirkeeſe, not far from Amadanaz; about which two places are a very great number of thoſe ſhrubs planted which bear thoſe leaves.
For their Cotton-wool, they ſow ſeed, and very large quantities of Ground in Eaſt-India are thus ſeeded. It grows up like ſmall Roſe-b…ſhes; and then puts forth many yellow bloſſoms; thoſe afterward falling off, there remain little Gods, about the bigneſs of a Man's thumb, in which the ſubſtance at firſt is moyſt, and yellow; but as they ripen, they ſwell bigger, till they break their Covering, and after, in ſhort time, that within them becomes Wool, as white as Snow, and then they gather it. Amongſt that Wool they find ſeeds to ſow again as they have occaſion; but thoſe ſhrubs bear that Wool three or four years e're they ſupplant them. Of this Cotton-wool they make divers ſorts of white Cloth (as before I obſerved) ſome broad, ſome narrow, ſome coarſe, ſome ſine, and very fine indeed, for ſome that I have ſeen there I believe was as fine as our pureſt Lawn. Much of the coarſer ſort of that Cloth they dye into Colours, or elſe ſtain in it variety of well-ſhaped and wellcoloured Flowers or Figures, which are ſo fixed in the Cloth, that no water can waſh them out. That pretty art of ſtaining, or printing and fixing thoſe variety of Colours in that white Cloth, the People of Aſia have engroſſed to themſelves, where the moſt curious Pint…daes are made; whither neighbouring, as well as more remote Nations, bring their Monies to fetch them thence.
In Decan, which bounds upon the Mogol's Territories South (the Princes whereof are Tributaries unto him) there are many Diamond Rocks, in which are found thoſe moſt pretious of all other Stones; and they are to be ſold in this Empire; and conſequently to be had by thoſe who have skill to buy them and Money to pay for them. But as all the Stones in Eaſt-India are not pretious▪ ſo thoſe that are, the Natives know very well how to value.
But further, for the Merchandizing Commodities the Mogol's Provinces afford, there is Musk (by reaſon of their abundance of Musk-Cats) to be had in good quantity; and there are Bezar-ſtones, which are not ſo called from any Beaſt of that name, but they grow in the maws of Goats, which when they obſerve to grow exceeding lean, they kill them, and find thoſe Stones in them; and if they did not ſo, that Stone in them would make an end of them; by which we may obſerve, how that pretious Bezar-ſtone, that proves, many times, ſuch a Cordial, and Preſervative to the Life of Man, is deſtructive and mortal unto the poor Creature from whence it is taken: Like that pretious Word of God, that may proceed from the lips of him that hath a lean ſoul, and may do others good, but himſelf nothing but miſchief. The greateſt number of thoſe Goats, from whence thoſe Bezars are taken, feed on the Mountains of Lar in the Perſian's Territories, the Weſt bound (as before) of the Mogol's great Empire.
They have ſome ſtore of Silk here; but the greateſt quantity of that rich Commodity, that any place in the whole World affords, comes out of Georgia, a Province belonging unto the King of Perſia. Thoſe Georgians▪ and Armenians, (both under the Command of the Perſian King) are by profeſſion Chriſtians, like thoſe of the Greek Church. And the Abiſſins, under the Command of Preſter John, are in profeſſion Chriſtians likewiſe, but theſe Abiſſins circumciſe their Males before they baptize them. Alas poor People! who for want of better inſtruction cannot know what they ſhould, and therefore know not what they do. All thoſe Armenians, Georgians, and Abiſſins (as I have it from others, but can relate ſomething of it out of my own knowledge) even all of them ſee Chriſt but in the dark, and by reaſon of the general ignorance that is in them, cannot know God as they ought in Jeſus Chriſt. Theſe are the different caſes of many which profeſs Chriſt in the World; ſome cannot know him, ſome care not to know him, and ſome will not know him; Amongſt the firſt of theſe, they all may be ranked whom I but now named, as many others of the Greek, and thoſe that profeſs Chriſtianity in Ruſſian Churches, with many-many others of the Romiſh, who have the Truths of God ſealed up in an unknown tongue, to keep, and to continue them in ignorance; who inſtead of the two Breaſts of the Church, the Law, and the Goſpel, are fed with mouldy and finnowed Traditions; and their caſe being ſo, our Charity towards them may lead us thus far, to believe, that they would do better, if they knew better; and this may ſpeak much in their excuſe. But what plea may be made for us of this Nation, that do not what we know; or if we be ignorant, it is becauſe we will be ſo; not becauſe we cannot know, but becauſe we care not for knowledge, and will not know?
But to return to the place where I began my laſt digreſſion; I told you that the People there have ſome ſtore of Silk, of which they make Velvets, Settins, Taffat…es, either plain, or mingled, or ſtriped in party-colours; but the beſt of them for richneſs and goodneſs come not near thoſe which are made in the parts of Italy.
Many curious Boxes, Trunks, Standiſhes, Car…ets, with other excellent Manufactures, may be there had. They have medicinable Drugs, and amongſt them very much Caſſia growing there in Canes. They have Gums well ſented, and much Lignum Aloes, which burnt, yields a perfume better than any one thing in the World that I ever ſmelled. They have great ſtore of Gum-lac, of which they make their hard Wax, and that Gum likewiſe they there imploy for many other …eat uſis. The Earth there yields good Minerals of Lead▪ Iron, Copper, Braſs; and (they ſay) that they have Silver-Mines too, which (if true) they need not open, being ſo enriched from other Nations of Europe, and other parts … who yearly bring thither great Quantities of Silver to purchaſe their Com… modities. Which I collect from our Engliſh Trade there; for though we …ent ſome quantity of our Woollen Cloth, with ſome other things we carry thithe…, yet the greateſt part by far of Commodities brought thence… are caught by the Silver hook. And this is the way to make any Nation of the World rich …to bring, and leave Silver in it, and to take away Commodities. And, as all Rivers run into the Sea: ſo many Silver Streams run into this Monarchy, and there ſtay; the People of any Nation being there very welcome that bring in their Bull…on, and carry away the others Merchandizes, but it is look'd on as a Crime that is not eaſily anſwered, to tranſport any quantity of Silver thence.
The Coyn, or Bullion brought thither from any place, is preſently melted, and refined, and the Mogol's Stamp (which is his Name, and Titles, in Perſian Characters) put upon it. The Coyn there is more pure than in any other part of the World, being (as they report) made of pure Silver without any Allay; ſo that in the Spaniſh Money, the pureſt of all Eur…pe, there is ſome loſs.
They call their pieces of Money Roopees, of which there are …ome of dive…s values, the meaneſt worth two ſhillings and three pence, and the beſt two ſhillings and nine pence ſterling. By theſe they account their Eſtates and Payments. They have another Coyn of inferiour value in Guzarat, called Mamoodies, about twelve pence ſterling; both the former, and theſe, are made in halfs, and ſome few in quarters; ſo that three pence is the leaſt piece of Silver current in thoſe Countryes, and very few of them to be ſeen. That which paſſeth up and down for exchange under this rate, is Braſs or Copper money, which they call Pices; whereof three, or thereabouts, countervail a Penny. Thoſe pices▪ are made ſo maſſie, and thick, as that the baſer-metal of which they are made, put to other uſes, is well-nigh worth the Silver they are rated at. Their Silver Coyn is made either round or ſquare, but ſo thick, as that it never breaks, nor wears out. They have pure Gold Coyn likewiſe, ſome pieces of great value; but theſe are not very ordinarily ſeen amongſt them.
I have now done with this Section, wherein I have related much of the Commodities, Riches, as before of the Proviſions and Pleaſures which are to be found in that vaſt Monarchy, and I conceive nothing but what Truth will juſtifie. And now, leſt that place I have deſcrib'd, ſhould ſeem to be an Earthly Paradiſe, I muſt acquaint my Reader, that the Contents there found by ſuch as have lived in thoſe parts; are ſour'd and ſauc'd with many unpleaſing things, which he muſt needs know, when he takes notice