A New Account of East India and Persia. Being Nine Years' Travels, 1672-1681, by John Fryer by William Crooke

Author:William Crooke [Crooke, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317187417
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2017-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

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OF

SURAT,

And Journy into DUCCAN.

LETTER III.

CHAP. I.

Animadversions on the City and People of Surat in the East-Indies. SIR,

GOING out to see the City of Surat, I passed without any Incivility, the better because I understood not what they said; for though we meet not with Boys so rude as in England, to run after Strangers, yet here are a sort of bold, lusty, and most an end,1 drunken Beggars, of the Musslemen2 Cast, that if they see a Christian in good Clothes, Mounted on a stately Horse, with rich Trappings, are presently upon their Punctilio’s with God Almighty, and interrogate him, Why he suffers him to go a Foot, and in Rags, and this Coffery (Unbeliever) to vaunt it thus?1 And hardly restrained from running a Muck2 (which is to kill whoever they meet, till they be slain themselves) especially if they have been at Hodge,3 a Pilgrimage to Mecca, and thence to Juddah,4 where is Mahomet’s Tomb; these commonly, like evil Spirits, have their Habitations among the Tombs : Nor can we complain only of this Libertinism, for the Rich Moormen themselves are persecuted by these Rascals.

As for the rest, they are very respectful, unless the Seamen or Soldiers get Drunk, either with Toddy,5 or Bang6 (a pleasant intoxicating Seed, mixed with Milk) then are they Monarchs, and it is Madness to oppose them; but leave them to themselves and they will vent that Fury, by breathing a Vein7 or two with their own Swords, sometimes slashing themselves most Barbarously.

The Town has very many noble lofty Houses, of the Moor-Merchants, flat at top, and Terassed with Plaster. There is a Parsy, Broker to the King of Bantam, has turned the outside of his Pockets on a sumptuous House, a spacious Fabrick, but ill contrived, as are many of the Banians. They, for the most part, affect not stately Buildings, living in humble Cells or Sheds. Glass is dear, and scarcely purchaseable (unless by way of Stambole, or Constantinople, from the Venetians, from whom they have some Panes of Painted Glass in Sash Windows) therefore their Windows, except some few of the highest Note, are usually folding Doors, skreened with Cheeks,1 or Latises, Carved in Wood, or Ising-glass, or more commonly Oister-shells.2 The greatest Commodity here is Air, which is to be admired in the Rich Banyans, how they stew themselves out of a penurious humour, crowding Three or Four Families together into an Hovel, with Goats, Cows, and Calves, all Chamber-fellows, that they are almost poysoned with Vermin and Nastiness; but surely they take delight in it, for they will fresh and fasting besprinkle themselves with the Stale of a Cow, as you behold a good Christian with Holy-water, or a Moorman slabber his Beard with Rose-water : Nay more, they use it as a Potion, or Philter, and bid the Devil do his worst after it;3 so stupid, that notwithstanding Chints, Fleas, and Muskeeto’s torment them every Minute, dare not presume to scratch where it itches, lest some Relation should be untenanted its miserable abode.

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