We
came next to Arras,[138] a town mostly inhabited by banians, and where
their superstition of not killing any thing occasioned us to have very
bad fare. On the 13th we came to Ahmedabad, whence we gave a commission
to Richard Steel and John Crowther to proceed on their journey to
Persia; and hence Mr Edwards departed from us for Agra.
[Footnote 137: On this part of the indicated route, between Broach and
Brodrab, no stations are to be found in our best maps resembling these
two names, unless Simlode may have been corrupted into Demylode by
typographical error. - E.]
[Footnote 138: No such name is now to be found in the road between
Brodrah and Ahmedabad, neither is it of much importance in any view, as
the route is so vaguely indicated in the text. - E.]
All this time, the merchants at Ahmedabad, being in hopes of peace with
the Portuguese, held up the price of their indigos, on which we resolved
to proceed for Sarques [Sarkess,] to make trial with the country
people who are the makers of that commodity. We did so on the 7th, and
found plenty of employment, packing in four days no less than 400 bales:
after which Mr Edwards returned to Ahmedabad, where he found the
merchants greatly more tractable.
