The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
the woman must be burned with him: so that if the father die, yet they may
haue a father in lawe to helpe to bring vp the children which bee maried:
and also that they will not leaue their sonnes without wiues, nor their
daughters without husbands. [Sidenote: Mandoway a very strong town.] From
thence we went to Mandoway, which is a very strong towne. It was besieged
twelue yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before he could winne it. It standeth
vpon a very great high rocke as the most part of their castles doe, and was
of a very great circuite. [Sidenote: Vgini.] From hence wee went to Vgini
and Serringe, where we ouertooke the ambassadour of Zelabdim Echebar with a
marueilous great company of men, elephants, and camels. Here is great trade
of cotton and cloth made of cotton, and great store of drugs. From thence
we went to Agra passing many riuers, which by reason of the raine were so
swollen, that wee waded and swamme oftentimes for our liues. [Sidenote:
Agra a great citie.] Agra is a very great citie and populous, built with
stone, hauing faire and large streetes, with a faire riuer running by it,
which falleth into the gulfe of Bengala. It hath a faire castle and a
strong with a very faire ditch. [Sidenote: The great Mogor.] Here bee many
Moores and Gentiles, the king is called Zelabdim Echebar: the people for
the most part call him The great Mogor. From thence we went for Fatepore,
which is the place where the king kept his court. The towne is greater then
Agra, but the houses and streetes be not so faire. Here dwell many people
both Moores and Gentiles. The king hath in Agra and Fatepore as they doe
credibly report 1000. elephants, thirtie thousand horses, 1400. tame Deere,
800. concubines: such store of Ounces, Tigers, Buffles, Cocks and Haukes,
that is very strange to see. He keepeth a great court, which they call
Dericcan. Agra and Fatepore are two very great cities, either of them much
greater then London and very populous. [Sidenote: The like is reported of
the cities of China.] Betweene Agra and Fatepore are 12. miles, and all the
way is a market of victuals and other things, as full as though a man were
still in a towne, and so many people as if a man were in a market. They
haue many fine cartes, and many of them carued and gilded with gold, with
two wheeles which be drawen with two litle Buls about the bignesse of our
great dogs in England, and they will runne with any horse, and carie two or
three men in one of these cartes: they are couered with silke or very fine
cloth, and be vsed here as our Coches be in England. Hither is great resort
of marchants from Persia and out of India, and very much marchandise of
silke and cloth, and of precious stones, both Rubies, Diamants, and
Pearles. The king is apparelled in a white Cabie made like a shirt tied
with strings on the one side, and a litle cloth on his head coloured
oftentimes with red or yealow. None come into his house but his eunuchs
which keepe his women.
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