Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East-Indies Giving an account of the present state of those countries. As also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life-time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd The paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the grand seignior's seraglio, and also of all the kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian seas. Being the travels of Monsieur Tavernier Bernier, and other great men: adorned with many copper plates. The first volume.

Of their Silk.

KAsembasar, a Village in the Kingdom of Bengala, sends abroad every year two and twenty-thousand Bales of Silk; every Bale weighing a hunder'd pound. The two and twenty Bales make two millions and two-hunder'd-thousand pound, at sixteen ounces to the pound. The Hollanders usually carry away six or seven-thousand Bales, and would carry away more, did not the Merchants of Tar∣tary, and the Mogul's Empire oppose them: for they buy up as much as the Hol∣lander; the rest the Natives keep to make their Stuffs. This Silk is all brought into the Kingdom of Guzerat, the greatest part whereof comes to Amadabat, and to Surat, where it is wrought up.

In the first place they make Carpets of Silk and Gold, others of Silk and Silver, others all of Silk: For the Worsted Carpets are made at Vettapour, some twelve leagues from Agra.

In the second place they make Satins with streaks of Gold and Silver; others plain; with Tassata's after the same fashion.

In the third place they make Patoles, which are a sort of Silk-stuff very thin, but painted with all sorts of Flowers, the manufacture whereof is at Amadabat. They cost from eight Roupies to forty the piece. This is a Commodity wherein The Dutch will not suffer any one of the Hollanders to trade in particular: for they transport it to the Philippine-Islands, to the Islands of Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and other neighbouring Islands.

The raw-Silk of Kasembasar is yellowish, as are all the raw-Silks that come from Persia and Sicily; but the Natives of Kasembasar have a way to whiten it, with a Lye made of the Ashes of a Tree which they call Adam's Fig-tree; which makes it as white as the Palestine-Silk. The Hollanders send away all their Mer∣chandize which they fetch out of Bengala, by water, through a great Canal that runs from Kasembasar into Ganges, for fifteen leagues together; from whence it is as far by water down the Ganges to Ouguely, where they laid their Ships.