The river
Jumna is broader than the Thames at London, and has many boats and
barges, some of them of 100 tons burden; but these cannot return against
the stream.
From Agra to Lahore, a distance of 600 miles, the road is
set on both sides with mulberry trees.
[Footnote 262: At this place, Purchas remarks, "that this addition is
from a written book, entitled, A Discourse of Agra and the Four
principal Ways to it. I know not by what author, unless it be Nicholas
Ufflet." - Purch.]
The tomb of the late emperor Akbar is three coss from Agra, on the road
to Lahore, in the middle of a large and beautiful garden, surrounded
with brick walls, near two miles in circuit. It is to have four gates,
only one of which is yet in hand, each of which, if answerable to their
foundations, will be able to receive a great prince with a reasonable
train. On the way-side is a spacious moholl, intended by the king for
his father's women to remain and end their days, deploring for their
deceased lord, each enjoying the lands they formerly held, the chief
having the pay or rents of 5000 horse. In the centre of this garden is
the tomb, a square of about three quarters of a mile in circuit. The
first inclosure is a curious rail, to which you ascend by six steps into
a small square garden, divided into quarters, having fine tanks; the
whole garden being planted with a variety of sweet-smelling flowers and
shrubs. Adjoining to this is the tomb, likewise square, all of hewn
stone, with spacious galleries on each side, having a small beautiful
turret at each corner, arched over head, and covered with fine marble.
Between corner and corner are four other turrets at equal distances.
Here, within a golden coffin, reposes the body of the late monarch, who
sometimes thought the world too small for him. It is nothing near
finished, after ten years labour, although there are continually
employed on the mausoleum and other buildings, as the moholl and gates,
more than 3000 men. The stone is brought from an excellent quarry near
Futtipoor, formerly mentioned, and may be cut like timber by means of
saws, so that planks for ceilings are made from it, almost of any size.
SECTION VII.
Voyage of Captain David Middleton, in 1607, to Bantam and the
Moluccas.[263]
INTRODUCTION.
Captain David Middleton in the Consent, appears to have been intended to
accompany the fleet under Captain Keeling. But, setting out on the 12th
March, 1607, from Tilbury Hope, while Captain Keeling did not reach the
Downs till the 1st April, Middleton either missed the other ships at the
appointed rendezvous, or purposely went on alone. The latter is more
probable, as Purchas observes that the Consent kept no concent with her
consorts. By the title in Purchas, we learn that the Consent was a
vessel of 115 tons burden. This short narrative appears to have been
written by some person on board, but his name is not mentioned. It has
evidently suffered the pruning knife of Purchas, as it commences
abruptly at Saldanha bay, and breaks off in a similar manner at Bantam.
Yet, in the present version, it has been a little farther curtailed, by
omitting several uninteresting circumstances of weather and other
log-book notices. - E.
[Footnote 263: Purch. Pilgr. I. 226. Astl. I. 332.]
* * * * *
We anchored in Saldanha roads on the 16th July, 1607, with all our men
in good health; only that Peter Lambert fell from the top-mast head the
day before, of which he died. The 21st, the captain and master went to
Penguin island, three leagues from the road. This island does not exceed
three miles long by two in breadth; yet, in my opinion, no island in the
world is more frequented by seals and fowls than this, which abounds
with penguins, wild-geese, ducks, pelicans, and various other fowls. You
may drive 500 penguins together in a flock, and the seals are in
thousands together on the shore. Having well refreshed our men, and
bought some cattle, we weighed anchor about four in the morning of the
29th July, and came out of the roads with very little wind, all our men
in perfect health, yet loth to depart without the company of our other
two ships. But all our business being ended, and being quite uncertain
as to their arrival,[264] we made no farther stay, and directed our
course for the island of St Lawrence or Madagascar.
[Footnote 264: The other two ships under Keeling did not arrive at
Saldanha bay till the 17th December, five months afterwards. - E.]
The 30th was calm all day, till three in the afternoon, when we had a
fresh gale at S.W. with which we passed the Cape of Good Hope by ten at
night. The 1st August we were off Cape Aguillas; and on the 27th we saw
the island of Madagascar, some six leagues off. In the afternoon of the
30th we anchored in the bay of St Augustine, in six and a half fathoms
on coarse gravel. In consequence of a great ledge of rocks off the mouth
of the bay, we fell to room-wards, [leeward,] of the road, and had to
get in upon a tack, having seven, six and a half, and five fathoms all
the way, and on coming to anchor had the ledge and two islands to
windward of us.
The 31st, our captain and Mr Davis went in the longboat to view the
islands, and I myself as we went sounded close by the ledge, and had six
fathoms. One of the islands is very small, as it were a mere bank of
sand with nothing on it. The other is about a mile long, and half a mile
broad, and has nothing upon it but some small store of wood.
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