Spragge Had Returned From The Leskar Or Camp Of The Deccan
Army, Where Melick Amber, With Much Show Of Honour, Had Given Instant
Orders For Searching The Whole Camp; But The Persian Had Fled To
Visiapour, So That The Business Was Referred By Letter To A Dutchman Who
Resided There.
The general of the Deccan army desired Spragge to be the
means of sending English cloth and swords to
His camp, which is within
six days march of Burhanpoor; and, in my opinion, this might be a good
employment for some idle men, and an excellent opportunity to get vent
for our dead commodities.
[Footnote 212: This of the unicorn's horn, or rather the horn of a
rhinoceros, may allude to some supposed inherent virtue of detecting
poison, anciently attributed to cups made of that material. - E.]
The 30th of July I received news from Surat of two Dutch ships being
cast away on the coast near Damaun. They were from the southwards, laden
with spices and China silks, and bound for the Red Sea; but losing the
season, with much bad weather, they had tried to take shelter in
Socatora, or some other port on the coast of Arabia, but failing after
beating about many weeks, they bore away for Surat, hoping to be able to
ride out the adverse monsoon in safety, as they had done in other years.
But the years differ, and being forced to come to anchor, they had to
cut away their masts by the violence of the gale; the smaller vessel of
sixty tons was beaten to pieces, and the cables of the other breaking,
she was driven ashore in oosy ground, within musket shot of the land.
The ship kept upright; but having lost their long-boat, and the skiff
being unable to live, four men got ashore on a raft. The spring-tides
heaved her up so near the shore, that much of her goods and all her
people were saved.
Maree Rustam, who had been king of Candahar, came to visit me on the
21st of August, and brought a present of wine and fruit, staying about
half an hour, and concluded his visit by begging a bottle of wine. This
day Sultan Cusero had his first prospect of long-hoped liberty, being
allowed to leave his prison, and to take the air and his pleasure in a
banqueting house near mine. Sultan Churrum had contracted a marriage at
Burhanpoor, without waiting for the king's consent, for which he had
fallen under displeasure; and some secret practices of his against the
life of his brother had been discovered, on which he was ordered to
court in order to clear himself. By the advice of their father, Etimon
Dowlet, Noormahal and Asaph Khan now made proposals of friendship and
alliance with Cusero. This news has diffused universal joy among the
people, who now begin to hope that their good prince may recover his
full liberty. The 22d the king feasted Asaph Khan. The 25th Asaph Khan
feasted Noormahal. It is reported the Prince Cusero is to make a firm
alliance, as above stated, and is to take a wife of his father's choice.
This will produce his entire liberty, and the ruin of our proud
oppressor, Churrum.
The 1st of September was the solemnity of the king's birth-day, when he
is publicly weighed, to which I went. I was conducted into a beautiful
garden, in the middle of which was a great square pond or tank, set all
round with trees and flowers, and in the middle was a pavilion or
pleasure-house, under which hung the scales in which the king was to be
weighed. The scales were of beaten gold, set with many small stones, as
rubies and turquoises. They hung by chains of gold, large and massy, yet
strengthened by silken ropes for more security. The beam and tressels
from which it hung were covered with thin plates of gold. In this place
all the nobles of the court attended, sitting round on rich carpets; and
waiting the king's arrival. He appeared at length, cloathed, or laden
rather, with diamonds, rubies, pearls, and other precious vanities,
making a great and glorious shew. His sword, target, and throne were
corresponding in riches and splendour. His head, neck, breast, and arms,
above the elbows, and at the wrist, were all decorated with chains of
precious stones, and every one of his fingers had two or three rich
rings. His legs were as it were fettered with chains of diamonds, rubies
as large as walnuts, and some larger, and such pearls as amazed me. He
got into one of the scales, crouching or sitting on his legs like a
woman; and there were put into the other scale, to counterpoise his
weight, many bags said to contain silver, which were changed six times,
and I understood his weight was 9000 rupees, which are almost equal to a
thousand pounds sterling. After this, he was weighed against gold,
jewels, and precious stones, as I was told, for I saw none, as these
were all in bags, and might only have been pebbles. Then against cloth
of gold, silk stuffs, cotton goods, spices, and all sort of commodities;
but I had to believe all as reported, as these were all in packages.
Lastly, against meal, butter, and corn, all of which is said to be
distributed to the Banians, with all the rest of the stuff, but I saw
all carefully carried away, and nothing distributed. The silver only is
reserved for the poor, and serves for the ensuing year, as it is the
king's custom at night frequently to call for some of these before him,
to whom, with great familiarity and humility, he distributes some of
this money with his own hands.
While the king was sitting in the scale, he looked upon me and smiled,
but spoke not, as my interpreter could not be admitted. After he was
weighed, he ascended the throne, and had basins of nuts, almonds, and
spices of all sorts, artificially made of thin silver, which he threw
about, and for which his great men scrambled prostrate on their bellies.
I thought it not decent for me to do so, which seeing, he reached one
basin almost full, and poured the contents into my cloak.
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