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. The nobles
were so bold as to put in their hands to help themselves, and so thick,
that they had soon left me none, if I had not pocketed up a remainder.
Till I had myself been present, I was told that he scattered gold on
this occasion, but found it to be only silver, and so thin, that all I
had at first, being thousands of small pieces, had not weighed sixty
rupees, of which I saved to the amount of twenty rupees, yet a good
dishful, which I keep to shew the ostentation of this display of
liberality; for, by my proportion, I think all he cast away could not
exceed the value of an hundred pounds. At night he drinks with his
nobles from rich plate, to which I was invited; but, being told that I
must not refuse to drink, and their liquors being excessively hot and
strong, I durst not stay to endanger my health, being already somewhat
indisposed with a slight dysentery.
On the 9th September the king rode out to take the air on the banks of
the river Darbadath, [Nerbuddah] a distance of five cosses. As he was
to pass my house, I mounted my horse to meet him; and, as it is the
custom for all men whose gates he passes, to make him some present,
which is taken as a good sign, and is called mombareck, or good news;
and as I had nothing to give, neither could go with nothing, nor stay
without offence, I ventured to take with me a fair book, well bound,
filleted, and gilt, being the last edition of Mercator's Maps of the
World, which I presented, saying, That I had nothing worthy the
acceptance of so great a king, but begged to offer him the world, in
which he had so great and rich a share. He accepted it in good part,
laying his hand repeatedly on his breast, saying, that every thing which
came from me was welcome. He asked about the arrival of our ships, which
I said we daily expected. He then said, he had some fat wild-hogs lately
sent him from Goa, and if I would eat any he would send me some at his
return, I made him due reverence, answering, that any thing from his
majesty was to me a feast.
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