Some Deceitfully Mix The Crops Of All The
Three Years, Steeping Them Together, Which Fraud Is Hard To Be
Discovered, But Is Very Knavish.
Four things are required in good
indigo; a pure grain, a violet colour, a gloss in the sun, and that it
be light and dry, so that either swimming in water or burning in the
fire it casts forth a pure light violet vapour, leaving few ashes.
[Footnote 243: The meaning of this quantity is quite unintelligible; but
may possibly mean 500 maunds. - E.]
The king's manner of hunting is thus. About the beginning of November,
he goes from Agra accompanied by many thousands, and hunts all the
country for thirty or forty coss round about, and so continues till the
end of March, when the great heats drive him home again. He causes a
tract of wood or desert to be encompassed about by chosen men, who
contract themselves to a near compass, and whatever is taken in this
enclosure, is called the king's sykar, or game, whether men! or
beasts, and who ever lets aught escape loses his life, unless pardoned
by the king. All the beasts thus taken, if man's meat, are sold, and the
money given to the poor: If men, they become the king's slaves, and are
sent yearly to Cabul, to be bartered for horses and dogs; these being
poor miserable and thievish people, who live in the woods and deserts,
differing little from beasts. One day while the king was hunting, about
the 6th January, 1611, he was assaulted by a lion[244] which he had
wounded with his matchlock. The ferocious animal came upon him with such
sudden violence, that he had in all probability been destroyed, had not
a Rajaput captain interposed, just as the enraged animal had ramped
against the king, thrusting his arm into the lion's mouth. In this
struggle, Sultan Chorem, Rajah Ranidas, and others, came up and slew the
lion, the Rajaput captain, who was tutor to the lately baptized princes,
having first received thirty-two wounds in defence of the king; who took
him into his own palanquin, and with his own hands wiped away the blood
and bound up his wounds, making him an omrah of 3000 horse, in
recompence of his valorous loyalty.
[Footnote 244: The lion of these early travellers in India was almost
certainly the tyger. - E.]
This month of January 1611, the king was providing more forces for the
Deccan war, although the king of that country offered to restore all his
conquests as the price of peace. Azam Khan was appointed general, who
went off at the head of 20,000 horse, with whom went Mohabet Khan,
another great captain, together with a vast treasure. With these forces
went John Frenchman and Charles Charke[245], engaged in the king's
service for these wars.
[Footnote 245: This Charles Charke I have spoken with since in London,
after having served several years in India. - Purch.]
The 9th January, 1611, I departed from Agra for Lahore, to recover some
debts, and carried with me twelve carts laden with indigo, in hopes of a
good price.[246] In seven days journey, I arrived at Delhi, eighty-one
coss from Agra.
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