Bernier’s voyage to the east indies.

201

And over and above all thefe, the Cotoual, who is, as it were, the great provoft, fendsout troops of guards every way, that pafs through all the Bazars , crying out andtrumpeting all night long. Yet for all this, fome robberies there are now and thencommitted ; and ’tis neceffary always to be upon one’s guard, to go to deep by times,that fo you may be awake the reft of the night, and not to truft your fervants too muchto keep guard for you.

But let us now fee, how many different ways the great Mogol is carried in thefield.

Ordinarily he caufeth himfelf to be carried on men’s Ihoulders, in a kind of fedanor litter, upon which is a Ta£t-ravan, that is, a field-throne, on which he is feated : andthis is like a magnificent tabernacle, with pillars painted and gilded, which may be {hutwith glafs, when ’tis ill weather ; the four branches of the litter are covered with fear-let or purpled gold, with great gold and filk fringes; and at each branch there aretwo robuft and well clothed porters, that change by turns with as many more thatfollow.

Sometimes, alfo, he goeth on horfeback, efpecially when ’tis a fair day for hunting.At other times he rideth on an elephant, in a Mik-dember, or Hauze; and this is thenioft fplendid appearance; for the elephant is decked with a very rich and magnificentharnefs; the Mik-dember, being a little fquare houfe or turret of wood, is alwayspainted and gilded; and the Hauze, which is an oval feat, having a canopy with pillarsover it, is fo likewife.

In thefe different marches he is always accompanied with a great number of Omrahsand Rajas following him clofe and thick on horfeback, without any great order: andall thofe that are in the army are obliged to be at the Am-kas at break of day, unlefshe do exempt them from it, upon account either of their peculiar office, or their greatage. This march is very inconvenient to them, efpecially on hunting days; for theymuft endure the fun and dull as the Ample foldiers, and that fometimes until three ofthe clock in the afternoon; whereas, when they do not attend the King, they go atfafe in their Palekys, clofe covered, if they pleafe, free from the fun and duft ; fleep-ln g in them couched all along as in a bed, and fo coming in good time to their tent,which experts them with a ready dinner, their kitchen being gone the night before,after fupper. About the Omrahs, and amongft them, there is always a good number°f horfemen well mounted, called Gourze-berdars, becaufe they carry a kind of filvertoace of arms. There are alfo many of them about the right and left wings, that precedethe perfon of the King, together with ftore of foot-men. Thefe Gourze-berdars arechoice men, of a good mien and a fair ftature, appointed to carry orders, and havinga ll of them great flicks in their hands, whereby they put people afide at a gpod dis-tance, and hinder that no body march before the King to incommode him.

After the Rajas marcheth a train mixed of a great number of timbals and trumpets.I have already faid in another place, that this train confifts of nothing but of figures offilver reprefenting ftrange animals, hands, feales, fifties, and other myfterious things,that are carried at the end of great filver flicks.

At laft, a great troop of Manfebaars, or little Omrahs, well mounted, and furnifhedt*uth fwords, arrows, and quivers, follow after all the former: and this body is muchtttore numerous than that of the Omrahs, becaufe, befides that all thofe that are°f the guard dare not fail to be at break of day, as the Omrahs, at the gate of theRing’s tent to accompany him, there are alfo many that come amongft them to maketheir court, and to become known there.

VOL. VIII.

DD

The