The Reason They Assign For These Early
Marriages Is, That They May Not Be Left Wifeless, In Case Their Parents
Should Die.
Their bramins are esteemed exceedingly holy, and have the
charge of their pagodas or idol temples, having alms and tithes for
their maintenance; yet they marry, and follow occupations, being good
workmen and ready to learn any pattern.
They eat but once a day, washing
their whole bodies before and after meat, and use ablutions after the
natural evacuations.
The Baloches are Mahometans, who deal much in camels, and are mostly
robbers by land or on the rivers, murdering all they rob; yet are there
very honest men among them in Guzerat and about Agra. While I was in
Sinde, they took a boat with seven Italians and a Portuguese friar, all
the rest being slain in fight. This was ripped up by them in search of
gold.[102]
[Footnote 102: This is obscurely expressed, leaving it uncertain what
was ripped up in search of gold: The boat, the bodies of the slain, or
the prisoners. - E.]
John Mildnall, or Mildenhall, an Englishman, had been employed with
three other young Englishmen, whom he poisoned in Persia, to make
himself master of the goods. He was himself also poisoned, yet, by means
of preservatives, he lived many months afterwards, though exceedingly
swelled, and so came to Agra with the value of 20,000 dollars. On this
occasion I went from Surat for Agra, on the 14th May, 1614. I arrived
first at Bramport, [Bushanpoor] where Sultan Parvis lives, situated
in a plain on the river Taptee or of Surat, which is there of great
breadth, and at this place there is a large castle. Thence I went to
Agra in twenty-six days, having travelled the whole way from Surat to
Agra, which is 700 coss or 1010 English miles, in thirty-seven days of
winter, during which time it rained almost continually. From Surat to
Burhanpoor is a pleasant champain country, well watered with rivers,
brooks, and springs. Between Burhanpoor and Agra the country is very
mountainous, not passable with a coach, and scarcely to be travelled on
camels. The nearest way is by Mando, passing many towns and cities on
every day's journey, with many high hills and strong castles, the whole
country being well inhabited, very peaceable, and clear of thieves.
Agra is a very large town, its wall being two coss in circuit, the
fairest and highest I ever saw, and well replenished with ordnance; the
rest of the city being ruinous, except the houses of the nobles, which
are pleasantly situated on the river. The ancient royal seat was
Fatipoor, twelve coss from Agra, but is now fallen into decay. Between
these two is the sepulchre of the king's father, to which nothing I ever
saw is comparable: yet the church or mosque of Fatipoor comes near it,
both being built according to the rules of architecture. In Agra the
Jesuits have a house and a handsome church, built by the Great Mogul,
who allows their chief seven rupees a-day, and all the rest three, with
licence to convert as many as they can:
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