The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. XXII. Of Musk and Bezoar; and some other Medicinal Stones.

THE best sort, and the greatest quantity of Musk, comes from the Kingdom of Boutan, from whence they bring it to Patna, the chief City of Bengala, to truck it away for other Commodities. All the Musk that is sold in Persia comes from thence. And the Musk-Merchants had rather deal with you for Coral and Yellow-Amber, than for Gold or Silver; in regard the other is more in esteem among the Natives where they live. I was so curious as to bring the Skin of one to Paris, of which I caus'd the figure to be cut.

After they have kill'd the creature, they cut off the bladder that grows under the belly as big as an egg, neerer to the genital parts than to the navil. Then they take out the Musk that is in the bladder, which at that time looks like clotted∣blood. When the Natives would adulterate their Musk, they stuff the bladder with the liver and blood of the Animal slic'd together, after they have taken out as much of the right Musk as they think convenient. This mixture in two or three years time produces certain Animals in the bladder that eat the good Musk; so that when you come to open it, there is a great wast. Others, so soon as they have cut off the bladder, and taken out as much of the Musk, as that the deceit may not be too palpable, fill up the Vessel with little stones to make it weight. The Merchants are less displeas'd at this deceit than the former, by reason that they do not find the Musk to be eaten. But the deceit is harder to be discover'd, when they make little Purses of the skin of the belly of the Beast, which they sow up with strings of the same skin, which are like the true bladders; and then fill those Purses with what they have taken out of the right bladders, and the other fraudulent mixture which they design to put among it. True it is, that should they tye up the bladder so soon as they cut it off, without giving it air or time to lose its force, the strength of the perfume would cause the blood to gush out of the nose, so that it must be qualifi'd to render it acceptable, or rather less hurtful to the brain. The scent of the Beast which I carri'd to Paris, was so strong, that I could not keep it in my Chamber; for it made all peoples heads ake that came neer it. At length my Servants laid it in a Garret, and cut: off the bladder, and yet the scent remain'd very strong. This creature is not to be found in 65 degrees, but in 60 there are vast numbers, the Countrey being all over co∣ver'd with Forrests. True it is, that in the months of February and March, after these creatures have endur'd a sharp hunger, by reason of the great Snows that fall where they breed, ten or twelve foot deep, they will come to 44 or 45 de∣grees to fill them themselves with Corn and new Rice. And then it is that the Natives lay gins and snares for them to catch them as they go back: shooting some with Bows, and knocking others o'the heads. Some have assur'd me that they are so lean and faint with hunger at that time, that you may almost take them running. There must be surely a prodigious number of these creatures, none of them having above one bladder no bigger than a Hen's-egg, which will not yield above half an ounce of Musk: and sometimes three or four will not afford an ounce; and yet what a world of Musk is bought up?

The King of Boutan fearing that the cheats and adulterations of Musk would spoil the Musk-Trade, order'd that none of the Bladders should be fow'd up, but that they should be all brought to Boutan, and there, after due inspection, be seal'd up with his Seal. Yet notwithstanding all the wariness and care of the King, they will sometimes cunningly open them, and put in little pieces of Lead to augment the weight. In one Voyage to Patna I bought 7673 bladders, that weigh'd 2557 ounces and an half; and 452 ounces out of the bladder.

Bezoar comes from a Province of the Kingdom of Golconda toward the North∣east. It is found among the ordure in the paunch of a wild-Goat, that browzes upon a certain Tree, the name whereof I have forgot. This shrub bears little buds, round about which, and the tops of the boughs, the Bezoar engenders in

the maw of the Goat. It is shap'd according to the form of the buds or tops of the branches which the Goats eat: which is the reason there are so many shapes of Bezoar-Stones. The Natives, by feeling the belly of the Goat, know how many Stones she has within, and sell the Goat according to the quantity. This they will find out by sliding their hands under their bellies, and then shaking both sides of the paunch; for the Stones will fall into the middle, where they may easily count them all by their feeling.

The rarity of Bezoar is in the bigness; though the small Bezoar has the same vertue as that which is larger. But there is more deceit in the large Bezoar; for the Natives have got a trick to add to the bigness of the Stone, with a certain Paste compos'd of Gum, and something else of the colour of Bezoar. And they are so cunning too, to shape it just like natural Bezoar. The cheat is found out two ways; the first is by weighing the Bezoar, and then steeping it in warm wa∣ter; if neither the water change colour, nor the Bezoar lose any thing of its weight, the Stone is right. The other way is to thrust a red-hot Bodkin of Iron into the Stone; if the Bodkin enters, and causes it to fry, there is a mixture. Be∣zoar is dearer according to the bigness of the Stones, advancing in price like Dia∣monds. For if five or six Bezoars weigh an ounce, an ounce will be worth fifteen or eighteen Franks; but if it be a Stone of one ounce, that very ounce is well worth 100 Franks. I have sold one of four ounces and a half for 2000 Li∣vres.

I have been very curious to inform my self of all things that concern'd the nature of Bezoar; but could never learn in what part of the body of the Goat it was to be found. One time among the rest, having oblig'd several Native Mer∣chants by putting off for them a great quantity of Bezoar; upon my request, though it be death without mercy to transport any of these Goats out of the Countrey, they brought me six Goats by stealth to my lodging. When I ask'd the price of them, I was surpriz'd, when they told me one was worth but three Roupies; that the two other were worth four Roupies; and the three others four and three quarters a piece. I ask'd them why some were more worth than others; but I found afterwards that the first had but one Bezoar, that the rest had two, or three, or four. The six Goats had in all seventeen Bezoars in them, and a half one, as big as the half of a Hazel-nut. The inside was like the soft ordure of the Goat, the Bezoar lying among the dung, which is in the belly of the Goat. Some averr'd that they grew right against the liver, others right against the heart, but I could never find out the truth.

As well in the East, as West, there are a great quantity of Bezoars that breed in the same manner in Cows; of which there have been some that have weigh'd seventeen or eighteen ounces; For there was such a one that was giv'n to the Great Duke of Tuscany. But those Bezoars are little esteem'd, six grains of the other Bezoar working more powerfully than thirty of this.

As for the Bezoar which breeds in Apes, as some believe, it is so strong, that two grains work as effectually as six of Goat's-Bezoar: but it is very scarce, as being only sound in those Apes that breed in the Island of Macassar. This sort of Be∣zoar is round, whereas the other is of several fashions, as I said before. As the Apes Bezoar is stronger, and scarcer than the Goats, so it is dearer, and more sought after; a piece as big as a nut, being sometimes worth a hunder'd Crowns. The Portugals make great account of this Bezoar, standing always upon their guard for fear of being poison'd.

There is another Stone in great esteem, that is call'd the Porcupine's-Stone, which that creature is said to carry in its head, and is more precious than Bezoar against poison. If it be steep'd in water a quarter of an hour, the water becomes so bitter, that nothing can be more bitter. There is also a Stone sometimes found in the belly of that creature of the same nature; and as good as that which comes from the head; nevertheless with this difference, that being steep'd in water, it loses nothing of its weight nor bulk, as the other does. I have bought in my time three of those Stones. One of them cost me 500 Crowns, and I exchang'd it to advantage. I paid four-hunder'd Crowns for the other, which I keep: the other was sold me for 200 Crowns, which I presented to a friend.

There is the Serpent-Stone not to be forgot, about the bigness of a double; and some are almost oval, thick in the middle, and thin about the sides. The In∣dians report that it is bred in the head of certain Serpents. But I rather take it to be a Story of the Idolater's Priests, and that the Stone is rather a composition of certain drugs. Whatever it be, it is of excellent vertue to drive any venom out of those that are bit by venomous creatures. If the person bit be not much wounded, the place must be incis'd; and the Stone being appli'd thereto, will not fall off till it has drawn all the poison to it. To cleanse it, you must steep it in Womans-milk, or for want of that, in Cows-milk; after the Stone has lain ten or twelve hours, the milk will turn to the colour of an Apostemated matter. The Arch-Bishop of Goa carrying me to his Cabinet of Rarities, shew'd me one of these Stones: and after he had assur'd me of the rare qualities it had, he gave it me. Once as he cross'd a Mersh in the Island of Salseté where Goa stands, one of the men that carri'd his Pallequis, béing half naked, was bit by a Serpent, and heal'd at the same time. I bought several; but there are none but the Bramines that sell them, which makes me believe that they compound them. There are two ways to try whether the Serpent-Stone be true or false. The first is, by putting the Stone in your mouth, for then it will give a leap, and fix to the palate. The other is, by putting it in a glass full of water; for if the Stone be true, the wa∣ter will fall a boyling, and rise in little bubbles up to the top of the Glass.

There is another Stone, which is call'd the Serpent's-Stone with the hood. This is a kind of Serpent that has a kind of a hood hanging down behind the head, as it is represented in the Figure. And it is behind this hood that the Stone is found, many times as big as a Pullet's-egg. There are some Serpents both in Asia and America of a monstrous bigness, 25 foot long; as was that, the skin whereof is kept in Batavia, which had swallow'd a Maid of 18 years of age. These Stones are not found in any of those Serpents that are not at least two foot long. This Stone being rubb'd against another Stone, yields a certain slime, which be∣ing drank in water by the person that has the poison in his body, powerfully drives it out. These Serpents are no-where to be found but upon the Coasts of Mclinde; but for the Stones you may buy them of the Portugueze Mariners and Souldiers that come from Mozambique.

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