§. IIII. His Iourney to Agra: Obseruations by the way, and there; and of the Decan warres there.
[ 10]* 1.1THe second of Ianuary, I departed from Comuariaw (a small village three Cose from Surat) to Mutta a great Aldea 7 c. 21.8 c. to Carode, a great countrey Towne, by which on the North runneth Surat Riuer. It hath a Castle, with two hundred horse Pa••ans good souldiers, twentie two to Curka 12 c. it is a great Village with a Riuer on the South side.* 1.2 In the way 7 c. is Beca, a Castle with a great Tanke, and a pleasant Groue, 23.10 c. to Nacampore a great Towne vnder the Pectopshaw. In this way on the right hand beginneth a great ridge of mountaines, which come from Amadanar-wards, neare which Badur keepeth, holding diuers strong holds thereon, that the King with all his force cannot hurt him. These Mountaines runne to Bramport:* 1.3 on them are bred many wilde Elephants, 24. to Dayta, 8 c. a [ 20] great Towne. In the mid-way you passe a stony troublesome Riuer. This Towne hath a Castle, and is almost encompassed with a Riuer, seated in a fertile soyle. 25. to Badur, 10 c. a filthy towne and full of theeues: heere is made much wine of a sweete fruit called M••wa, but I found it not wholesome, except it be burnt. This Towne is the last of note in Pectopshaws Land, who is a small King or Raiaw, a Gentile, keeping on the top of inaccessible Mountaines, which beginne at Curka▪ and extend many Courses. He holdeth two faire Cities, Salere, and the other Mu∣liere,* 1.4 where the Mamudees are coyned, each hauing two mightie Castles, which haue way to them but for two men abrest, or for an Elephant at most to get vp; hauing also in the way eigh∣tie small Fortresses dispersed on the Mountaines to guard the way. Vpon the top of these Moun∣taines is good pasture, and abundance of graine, fountaines running thence into the Plaines. The [ 30] Acabar besieged him seuen yeeres, and in the end was forced to compound with him, giuing him Narampore, Dayta, and Badur, with diuers other Aideas, for the safe conducting of his Mer∣chants alongst this Plaine; so that he now remaineth this Kings friend, sends Presents yeerely, leaues one of his sonnes at Bramport, for pledge of his fealtie. He is said to haue alway in readi∣nesse foure thousand Mares of a strange breed and excellent:* 1.5 and one hundred Elephants. 26.7 c. to Nonderbar a Citie, short of which are many Tombes and houses of pleasure, with a Castle and a faire Tanke. seuen and twentie to Lingull, 10 c. a beastly Towne, with theeuish inhabitants, and a dirtie castle; a deepe sandie way neare the Towne. 28.10 c. to Sindkerry, a great dirtie Towne. In the way the Gouernour of Lingull (with others as honest as himselfe) would haue borrowed some money of me, but seeing it proue powder and shot, gaue ouer, and wee drew on [ 40] our Carts without trouble. On the further side of Sindkerry runneth a Riuer of brackish water, with drinking whereof, I got the bloody fluxe, which accompanied me to Bramport. 29.10 c. to Taulneere,* 1.6 a theeuish way, the Towne faire, with a Castle and a Riuer, in time of raine not pas∣sable without Boat. 30.15 c. to Chupra, a great Towne. I rested two dayes by reason of raine, in which time came the Gouernour of Nonderbar with foure hundred horse,* 1.7 without whose com∣pany I could not haue proceeded without danger, Can-Canna hauing been beaten, and retired to Bramport, after the losse of the strong and rich Towne of Ioulnapore, whereupon the Decanes grew so insolent,* 1.8 that they made roades into this way, and spoyled many passengers.
* 1.9The second of February, 6c. to Rawd, a countrey Village. The vnseasonable thunder, wind and raine, with my disease, almost made an end of me: which made vs make Mukom the third [ 50] and fourth, the fifth to Beawle 10c. a great towne, with a faire castle, 6. stayed by foule weather, 7.16 c. to Rauere, a great Towne, 8.10 c. to Bramport, where I pitched my Tent in the Armeni∣ans yard, not being able for money to get an house, the Towne was so full of souldiers. Some 2 c. short of this Citie lyeth Badurpore, a faire City, and betwixt these two Cities, the Campe of Can-Canna vnder Tents, 2 c. in length (hauing some fifteene thousand Horse, two hundred faire Elephants, an hundred peeces of Ordnance of all sizes) on the North side. On the other side, within twentie or thirtie course,* 1.10 lay Amberchapon, an Ab••shed, and Generall of the King of Decans Forces, with some ten thousand of his owne cost, all braue souldiers, and som forty thou∣sand Decanees: in so much that the Citie of Bramport had certainly been lost, had not the Prince Saltan Peruis, and Raiaw Manisengo, come instantly downe with great forces. For at this time [ 60] he had sent to the Can-Canna to yeeld vp the Citie vpon composition, deeming him not able to hold it against him.
This Citie is very great, but beastly, situate in a low, vnholsome aire, a very sickly place, cau∣sed especially by the bad water:* 1.11 On the North-east is the Castle on the Riuers bank (comming