bernier’s voyage to the east indies.

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not having place enough to pafs, we fhalLbe obliged to get our baggage carried by por-ters, and that fo my large tent would coft me much to carry. Adieu.

LETTER IV.

Sir,

I BELIEVED, that after we had overcome the heats of Moka, near Babel-mandel,I could defy thofe of the reft of the earth, but fince thefe four days that the army leftLahor , I find I come very fhort of my reckoning, and I have experimented, to the ha-zard of my life, that it is not without reafon, that the Indians themfelves did apprehendthe eleven or twelve days march of the army, from Lahor to Bamber, the entry of themountains of Kachemire. I proteft unto you, without any exaggeration, that the heatshave been fo exceffive, that fometimes they have reduced me to extremity, infomuchthat I knew not in the morning whether I lhould live till night. The caufe of this ex-traordinary heat is, that the high mountains of Kachemire being on the north of ourroad, keep from us all the cool wind that might come and refrelh us from that quarter,and do reflect the fun-beams upon us, and leave the field burnt up and choaking. Butto what purpofe to play the philofopher, and to feek reafons for that, which perhapswill kill me to-morrow.

LETTER V.

Sir,

I PASSED, yefterday, one of the greateft rivers of the Indies, called the Lchenau.The excellency of its water, of which the great Omrahs make provifion, in lieu ofthat of Ganges (whereof they have drunk hitherto), keeps me from believing this tobe fome river to pafs to hell, rather than to Kachemire, where they would make us be-lieve we lhould find fnow and ice: for I find it grow worfe and worfe every day, andthat the more we advance, the more heat we feel. It is true that I paffed the bridge atttoon-day, but I almoft knew not which was beft, to march in the field, or to keepone’s felf fluffed up-under a tent; at leaft, I have fucceeded in my defign, which was,to pafs the bridge with eafe, whilft all men did repofe themfelves, expecting to leave thecamp towards evening, when the heat is not fo violent: whereas if I had ftaid as the reft^d, fome mifchief perhaps might have befallen me. For it hath been, I hear, the inoftterrible confufion, and the greateft diforder that ever was in any the like former paflagefrom Dehli ; the entring upon the firft boat, and the going off from the laft, havingbeen made very difficult, becaufe it was mere moving fand, which as people marchedu pon it and ftirred it, did Hide away into the water, and left a pit; infomuch that a greathumber of camels, oxen and horfes were, in the crowd, overthrown and trampled underfoot, and ftore of blows diftributed befides. There are ordinarily, upon fuch occafions,fome officers and cavaliers of the Omrahs, who, to make way for their mafters and bag-8 a ge, are not fparing of them. My navab hath loft one of his camels, with the iron° Ve n it carried; which maketh me apprehend, I lhall be reduced to the bread of Bazar.

Farewell.

LETTER VI.

Sir,

IT is too much curiofity, it is folly, or at leaft temerity in an European to expofeoimfelf to fuch heats and dangerous marches. It is putting one’s felf into manifeft

peril

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