A native of Angers—Educated for the medical profession—Visits Syria and Egypt—Is ill of the plague at Rosetta—Anecdote of an Arab servant—Visits Mount Sinai—Sails down the Red Sea—Mokha—King of Abyssinia—Bargains with a father for his own son—Sails for India—Becomes physician to the Great Mogul—Is in the train of Dara, brother to Aurungzebe, during his disastrous flight towards the Indus—Is deserted by the prince—Falls among banditti—Exerts the powers of Esculapius among the barbarians—Escapes—Proceeds to Delhi—Becomes physician to the favourite of Aurungzebe—Converses with the ambassadors of the Usbecks, and dines on horse-flesh—Anecdote of a Tartar girl—Description of Delhi—Mussulman music—Enters the imperial harem blindfold—Description of the imperial palace—The hall of audience, and the peacock throne—Tomb of Nourmahal—The emperor departs for Cashmere—Bernier travels in the imperial train—Plains of Lahore—Magnificent style of travelling—Tremendous heat—Enters Cashmere—Description of this earthly paradise—Shawls—Beautiful cascades—Fearful accident—Returns to Delhi—Extravagant flattery—Effects of an eclipse of the sun—Visits Bengal—Sails up the Sunderbund—Fireflies—Lunar rainbows—Returns to France, and publishes his travels—Character 205 SIR JOHN CHARDIN. Born 1643.—Died 1713. Born at Paris—Son of a Protestant jeweller—Visits Persia and Hindostan—Returns to France—Publishes his History of the Coronation of Solyman III.—Again departs for Persia—Visits Constantinople—Sails up the Black Sea—Caviare—Salt marshes—Beautiful slaves—Arrives in Mingrelia—Tremendous anarchy—Is surrounded by dangers—Arrives at a convent of Italian monks—Is visited by a princess, and menaced with a wife—Buries his wealth—The monastery attacked and rifled—His treasures escape—Narrowly escapes with life—Leaves his wealth buried in the ground, and sets out for Georgia—Returns into Mingrelia with a monk, and the property is at length withdrawn—Crosses the Caucasus—Traverses Georgia—Armenia—Travels through the Orion—Arrives at Eryvan—Is outwitted by a Persian khan—Traverses the plains of ancient Media—Druidical monuments—Ruins of Rhe, the Rhages of the Scriptures—Kom—An accident—Arrives at Ispahan—Commences his negotiations with the court for the disposal of his jewels—Modes of dealing in Persia—Character of Sheïkh Ali Khan—Anecdote of the shah—Is introduced to the vizier, and engaged in a long series of disputes with the nazir respecting the value of his jewels—Curious mode of transacting business—Is flattered, abused, and cheated by the nazir—Visits the ruins of Persepolis—Description of the subterranean passages of the palace—Arrives at Bander-Abassi—Is seized with the