More Observations of Monsieur Taverniers Voyages; Promised in the Next Foregoing Tract

PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. December 14, 1676. The CONTENTS. More Observations of Monsieur Taverniers Voyages, promised in the foregoing Tract. Some Observations concerning the Lake of Mexico. An Account of a strange and very noxious sort of Rey, growing sometimes in certain parts of France. A Letter written by Dr. Lucas Hodgson, containing some Observations of his about a Subterranean fire in a Coal-mine near Newcastle. An Account of some Books: I. Roberti Boyle, Nobilissimi Angli & Soc. Regiae dignissimi Socii, OPERA VARIA; Geneva. II. An Account of several Travels through a great part of GERMANY in four Journeys, &c. By Edw. Brown, M.D., &c. III. Caspari Bartholini, Diaphragmatis structura nova, una cum Methodo praeparandi Viscera, &c. IV. Longitude found, by Henry Bond Senior. V. The Royal Almanack, by N. Stevenson. More Observations of Monsieur Taverniers Voyages; promised in the next foregoing Tract. The Second Volume of these Voyages treats of East-India, and the neighbouring Islands, in three Books: The first is of the Roads from Isfahan to Agra, and from Agra to Dehli, and Gehanabad, where the Court of the Great Mogol is at present; as also to the Court of the King of Golconda, and to that of the King of Visapour, and to divers other places of India. The second is an Historical and Political description of the Empire of the Great Mogol. The third, a narrative of the Religion of the Mahometans in those parts, and of that of the Indian Idolaters; together with an Account of the Authors voyage by Sea from Suratte to Batavia in Java major, and from thence into Holland; interspersing many particulars of divers kingdoms of the East. Among the many Observables, contain'd in this Tome, we take notice; 1. That the Author describes the Figures of the Golden, Silver and Copper-coins of the several Countries of Asia. This, as also of the Shells and other substances which there pass or mony. 2. That in the road from Suratte to Agra, by the way of Brampour and Seronge, there is a Village, called Navapoura, where the Rice, which is less than other rice, acquires the scent of Musk by boiling. 3. That there are to be met with admirable Juglers and Mounthanks in the road from Suratte to Agra by the way of Amalavat; by some of whom the Author affirms he saw done what follows: They kindled a great fire, and in it heated some Iron-chains red-hot, which they laid about their bodies, without receiving any apparent hurt thereby. They took also a little piece of wood, and having fix't it in the Earth, they demanded of the Spectators, what kind of fruit they would have grow upon it: It being answered, Mangos; one of the Juglers crew cover'd himself with a Linnen cloth, and stoop'd down to the ground five or six times. At which time one of the Spectators having placed himself so that he could observe what that Jugler did, saw, that with a Razor he cut his flesh under his arm-pits, and with the blood thence issuing, rubbed the said piece of wood. Whereupon every time that he raised himself from stooping, the planted stick of wood was visibly grown; and at his third rising, branches came forth with buds; at the fourth, the Tree was cover'd with leaves; and at the fifth, blossoms were seen upon it. But then a Minister of the English President being one of the Bystanders, when he saw, that out of a piece of dry wood those Juglers did in less than half an hour make grow up a Tree of four or five foot high, with leaves and blossoms, was by his zeal carried to stop the progress, and openly to declare, that he would never give the H. Communion to any one of those that should stay any longer there to see more of such (by him reputed Magical) things. Which spoiled the Juglers proceedings, and made the said President dismiss both the Company, and the Juglers together. 4. That in Amadavat, the wife of a rich Banian being barren, and yet extremely desirous of children, was told by a domestic, that if she would eat of a certain kind of living creature, she would assuredly be with child; and that that creature was nothing but a certain little Fish, of which she should eat but three or four. Now, the religion of the Banians not permitting them them to eat any thing that hath had life; this woman scrupled to comply with the advice given her. But the Adviser having told her, that he would so disguise the thing, that nobody should know it to be fish, she at last resolved to eat of it: Which done, the night following she had the company of her husband; and not long after perceived herself to be with child; though she was not so happy as to enjoy the life of her husband till she was deliver'd. He therefore being dead, before she was brought to bed, the Relations of her husband, pretending to his estate and goods, the widow opposed them, alleging that she was with child by him, and desiring they would have patience till she were deliver'd. They, being surprized hereat, told her, she jested with them as having been married to her husband 15 or 16 years without ever having been with child. The widdow being continually importuned by them, addressed herself to the Governour of the Country, acquainting him with the whole story: who ordered thereupon, that those Relations should stay till she was brought to bed. She being well deliver'd not long after, the kinsmen of the defunct, people of credit, would maintain that the child was not legitimate. The Governour, endeavouring to know the truth hereof, consulted with some Physicians, who desired, that the child might be brought into a bath, and that, if the remedy, by her used, were true, the sweat of the child would smell of fish. Which being done, the matter fell out according to what the Physicians had predicted: Whereupon the Estate was by the Governour adjudged to the child. But the Relations not being satisfied therewith, appealed to the Grand Mogol himself at Agra. Which made that Prince to command a Letter to be written to the Governour, enjoyning him that he should send to him the Mother and the Child, to make the aforementi-on'd Experiment in his presence. Which having been done, with the like success as before, the Relations of the deceased husband were obliged to desist, and the Mother and Child remained in the quiet possession of the Estate. 5. In Elephantorum familia, femellas jacere supinas in coitu; & libidinis astro percitas, coacervare omnis generis folia & herbas, ex quibus cubile quoddam sibi struant valde commodum, una cum pulvinari quodam herbaceo, 4 vel 5 pedes reliquâ lecti parte altiori. 6. That the Author affirms to have given us an exact List of all the Merchantable Commodities, furnish'd by the Empire of the G. Mogol, and the two kingdoms of Golconda and Visapour, and other neighbouring States; and of all what Nature and Art afford there: viz. Silks; various Cloths, white and painted; Cottons, spun and unspun; Indigo, Saltpeter, Spices (Cardamum, Ginger and Pepper,) Diamonds, Rubies, Pearls, Bezoar, Musk, Sugar; besides some Drugs, that indeed are found at Suratte, but are brought thither for sale from other Countries, as Salt, Armoniack, Borax, Gum-lac, Saffron, Cumin, Mirrhe, Frankincense, Opium, Lignum Aloes, Licorish, Cassia, Coffe. To all which he hath annexed an account of the Cheats used in divers of these commodities, especially in the Silks, Cloths, Cottons, Indigo. 7. That the penetrancy of the powder of Indigo is such, that whilst they are fearing it, or see it feared, they are obliged every half hour to drink a draught of Milk to wash it down; and that, all this notwithstanding, they yet often find, that having been for nine or ten days together busy about this work, whatever they spit for some while, is blewish. And that the Author hath often observ'd, that having in the morning put an Egg near these Fearers, it hath been found in the evening all blew within. 8. That 'tis certain, that the Nutmeg-tree is not planted, but the fruit of it sown by birds, said to swallow the Nutmegs whole, and voiding them whole without digestion, covered with a viscous matter; whereupon they take root and grow up to a Tree. Again, that the Birds of paradise eating this fruit, are intoxicated therewith, and fall down dead upon the place; whereupon Emmets come and eat off their legs, and other parts. 9. That Sugar being kept thirty years, becomes poison, and that there is hardly any thing more dangerous than that, when eaten of that age. 10. That the Author affirms to be the first of Europeans that hath been in the Diamond-mines; of which he saith there are four known and noted ones; two of them being Rivers, out of which those precious Stones are gotten, at one of which he saith he hath been, as well as in the other two that are in Rocky Mountains: Of which two the one is at Raolconda in the dominions of the king of Visapour; the other at Gani or Coloure in the kingdom of Golconda. The third is in the River, at Sommelpour or Gonel; in the sand of which River, when 'tis shallow, Diamonds are found. The fourth is in the Island of Borneo in the River River Succadon, where, it seems, the Author hath not been: Who observes, that round about the place where Diamonds are found, the ground is sandy and rocky, much like that of Fontainbleau in France: And that in those Rocks are many veins, sometimes half an inch broad, sometimes an inch; the Mine-men having little Iron-hooks, with which they fetch out the Diamantin-oar: Which veins, he saith, do not always run straight, but are sometimes ascending, sometimes descending. The Oar they wash two or three times, and in it seek the treasure. As to the flaws, often found in Diamonds, he saith, that they proceed from hence, that the Mine-men do often strike such forcible strokes with a great Iron-crow, that that stuns the Diamond and so flaws it. To know the value of Diamonds, if they be good every way, our Author gives this Rule: That if a good Diamond weigh one carat, 'tis worth 150 French livres; and then to know how much a good stone (e.g.) of 12 carats is worth, you are to multiply 12 in itself, which makes 144; which product is to be multiplied by 150 (the price of one of a single carat,) which will make 21600 such livres, the price of a Diamond of 12 carats. But if the Diamond be not perfect, then you are to allow but 80 livres for a carat; and if such a kind of Diamond should weigh 15 carats, then multiply 15 in itself, is 225, and this into 80, makes 20000 livres, the value of that Diamond. According to which rule, the Diamond of the G. Mogol (weighing 279½ carats, being perfect, and having been handled by our Author) will amount to 11723278 French livres. If it weighed but just 279 carats, it would be worth only 11676150 livres; the odd ½ coming to 47128 livres in such a Stone, as the Author computes it. 11. That Rubies, Topazes, Saphirs, Hyacinths and Amethists, are found in the kingdom of Pegu, in Mount Capellan; and also that some of them are found in a River in the Island of Ceylon. Concerning the rate of Rubies in particular, he saith, that when any of them exceeds 6 ratis (a ratis being ½ of a carat) and is perfect, they sell them at what price they please. 12. That Turkoises are nowhere found but in Persia, where he saith there are two Mines of them, the one called the Old rock, near Nichabourg, three days journey from Meched; the other, the New rock, five days journey from the former; and that those of the latter Mine, being of a faint and whitish blew, are but little esteem'd. 13. Of 13. Of Pearls he hath this remarkable observation, viz. that he had one Pearl-oyster in his hand, that had ten pearls in it, though of different bignesses; they being, in his opinion, bred in Oysters, as Eggs are in the belly of Fowl. Further, he takes notice of a Pearl in the Cabinet of the King of Persia, which cost him 32000 Timans, or 140000 French livres; the greatest that is known; as also of two Pearls, shap'd like a Pear, one of 70, the other of 56 ratis: and especially of a Pearl belonging to a Prince of Arabia, which, he saith, goes in beauty beyond all the Pearls in the world; it being perfectly round, and transparent, weighing 14 carats. 14. That Musk, when 'tis first drawn out of a certain bag of the Musk-deer, 'tis like Blood coagulated: That most of it comes out of the kingdom of Boutan, between 56 and 60 degr. Northern Latitude; but that Cochin-China also and Tunquin do furnish some quantity. Concerning the said Kingdom of Boutan (which is tributary to the G. Mogol) he notes, that people travel into it from Patna in Bengala, taking their march Northward, even to the 60th degree, fetching from thence not only excellent Musk, but choice Rhubarb, and an useful Seed, call'd Worm-seed. Of the People of this Kingdom he relates, that they have had the use of Muskets, Canon and Powder for several ages; they giving out, that they now have pieces of Canon, on which are found Cyphers or Letters demonstrating them to be above 500 years old. This is that very Kingdom (saith our Author) through which the Ambassadors of Muscovy passed A. 1659 into China, they taking their road all along the Great Tartary on the North of Boutan: Which Ambassadors, if they had complied with the customes and ceremonies of China, we might probably have at this day a beaten road by land from Muscovy to China, by the North of Tartaria Magna, and much more knowledge of the Kingdom of Boutan, which is neighbouring thereto; and of more other Countries, of which we hardly know the names: A thing, that might have proved a great advantage to all Europe. 15. That Bezoar is found among the excrement that is in the paunch of certain Goats, that feed on a plant, the name of which the Author saith he hath forgot. This plant is said to thrust out certain buttons, about which and the extremities of the branches, eaten by these Goats, the Bezoar is form'd in their belly. 'Tis added, that the Bezoar takes its form according to that of the buttons and the ends of the branches; whence come so many different figures. 'Tis further noted, that the Country-people by feeling the belly of the Animal that breeds the Bezoar, know what quantity it hath, and sell it accordingly. They slide both hands under the belly, and beat the paunch longwaies on both sides, whereby all the stones are said to fall into the middle of the paunch, whereby they are enabled to count their number. 'Tis further observ'd, that the Bezoar is very liable to be counterfeited, even by giving to the false ones as many coats as the true ones are wont to have. But to discern the cheat, you must either weigh it, and then lay it for some time in luke-warm water; and, if the water changes not its colour, and the Bezoar loses nothing of its weight, 'tis not counterfeit: Or, you must touch it with a pointed Iron heated red-hot; and if the Iron enters, and makes it brown like fried meat, 'tis not natural. Concerning the value of Bezoar, our Author affirms that it riseth as that of Diamond's doth: For, if five or six Bezoars together weigh one ounce, they are sold for 15 to 18 French livres; but if one Bezoar weighs one ounce, that ounce is worth 100 such livres. He saith, that he hath sold one of 4½ ounces, for 2000 Fr. livres. The Goat that breeds these Stones, is, by his description, a very fine and tall creature, having hair as fine as silk. 16. That there is also a sort of Bezoar, yielded by Cows of that Country, but not much esteemed. Another sort there is, bred by Apes, in Macassar, so strong, that two grains do as much as six of that of the Goats. This, he saith, is alwayes round, much rarer and therefore much dearer than the other. 17. That there is another Stone, highly esteem'd, called the Porcupin stone, which is in the head of this Animal, though sometimes also in its belly; said to be more sovereign against poyson than any Bezoar. Having been infus'd a quarter of an hour in water, 'tis here affirm'd to be as bitter as any thing in the world. 18. That the Serpentin-stone, is also held very excellent for drawing out poyson. NB. It was omitted above, in n.9. that the figure of that big Diamond of the G. Mogol is that of half a Hens-egg; as also, that the biggest Diamond of the G. Duke of Tuscany is of 139½ carats, tending somewhat to a Citron colour. At Golconda our Author saith to have seen one of 242½ carats, for which they asked 750000 French livres, or 500000 Roupies. He adds, that himself himself bought one of 157 carats, rude; and that, when cut, it retain'd 94 carats: And, that he bought another of 63 carats, &c. An Extract of some Observations, to be met with in the Journal des Scavans; concerning the Lake of Mexico; and a strange sort of Rey, growing sometimes in certain parts of France. 1. The Lake of Mexico hath this of extraordinary and perhaps peculiar, that part of its water is Sweet, and the other part Salt; which make it believed to be derived from two sources, whereof the one holds sweet water, the other comes from some mineral and salin Earth, found in the hills, through which this water passeth, and is impregnated with the salt which is dissolved in its course: Or, if it hath no peculiar source, it must be, that that, which makes part of the Lake salt, is the bottom or the Earth under the water, being in that place full of salt: which is confirm'd by Experience, much Salt being made of it every day, of which that City drives a great trade with remote parts, even the Philippines themselves, whether it is transported in considerable quantities. That part of the Lake which is sweet, is still and quiet; the salt part is agitated and moved according as the winds blow. The sweet water is very good and wholesome, breeding plenty of little fishes. That which is mow'd, is bitter-salt, breeding no fish at all. The sweet water is higher than the other, and falls into it. The water of the Salt part is seven leagues long, and as many leagues broad, and hath above 22 leagues in compass. That of the Sweet water is near as big; and the whole Lake contains about 50 leagues in compass. Formerly there were near 80 Towns seated round about this Lake, some of which contain'd 5000 Families, and some above 10000. At the present there may be a matter of thirty Burroughs and Villages, of which the greatest holds not above 500 Houses; all the rest having been ruined by the revolutions in that Country. 2. Some years since, M. Perrault related to the R. Academy of Paris, that travelling through Sologne, he had been informed by some Physicians and Chirurgions of that Country, that the Rey was there sometimes so corrupted, that those who did eat of the bread which had much of this corrupted grain in it, were seised on by a Gangrene, some in one part, some in another, some losing a finger, others a hand, others a nose, &c. and that this Gangrene was not preceded by any fever, nor inflammation, nor confide-