The 6th, I Travelled Eight C.
And Lay In A Wood, Not Far From The King's Famous Castle Of Mandoa,
[Mundu] Which Stands On A Steep Hill, Of Great Extent, The Walls Being
Fourteen C. In Circuit, This Castle Being Of Wonderous Extent And Great
Beauty.
The 7th, I proceeded ten c. the 8th, eight c. the 9th, ten c.
the 10th, twelve c. the 11th, sixteen c. the 12th, fourteen c. the 13th,
six c. the 14th we halted to take rest.
The 15th, six c. the 16th, six
c. the 17th, twelve c. the 18th, five c. when we arrived at Cytor,
where I was met by Mr Edwards accompanied by Thomas Coryat, who had
travelled to India on foot.
Cytor, [Chitore] is an ancient town in ruins, situated on a hill, but
shews the remains of wonderful magnificence. There are still standing
above an hundred temples, all of carved stone, with many fair towers and
domes, supported by many enriched pillars, and innumerable houses, but
not a single inhabitant. The hill, or rock rather, is precipitous on all
sides, having but one ascent cut out of the rock in a regular slope; in
which ascent there are four several gates before reaching the gate of
the city, which last is extremely magnificent. The top of the hill,
about eight coss in circuit, is inclosed all round with walls, and at
the S.W. end, is a goodly old castle. I lodged close by a poor village
at the foot of the hill.
This city stands in the country of the Rama,[192] a prince newly
subdued by the Mogul, or rather brought to submit to pay tribute and
acknowledge subjection; and Cytor was reduced by Akbar Shah, the
father of Shah Jehan-Guire, the present king of the Moguls. This
Hindoo raja is lineally descended from Porus, the valiant Indian
sovereign who was conquered by Alexander the Great; so that I suppose
this city to have been one of the ancient seats of Porus, though Delly,
much farther north, is reported to have been the chiefest, a famous
place, though now only in ruins. Near that stands a pillar erected by
Alexander the Conqueror, with a Greek inscription. The present Mogul and
his ancestors, descendants of Tamerlane, have reduced all the ancient
cities to ruin, dispeopling them and forbidding their restoration; I
know not wherefore, unless that they would have no monuments of
greatness remain, beyond their own commencement, as if they and the
world were co-equals in antiquity.
[Footnote 192: This is probably an error of the press in the Pilgrims
for the Ranna. - E.]
The 19th I proceeded twelve c. on my journey; the 20th ten c. the 21st
ten c. the 22d nine c. the 23d ten c. and arrived at Ajimere. The
first six days journeys from Burhanpoor towards Ajimere were west, or
northwest, to get round the hills; but after that northwards, so that
these two places bear nearly N. by W. and S. by E. from each other:
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