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JUNE, 1906.] THE TRAVELS OF RICHARD BELL (AND JOHN CAMPBELL).
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Assem Passhaw left his Queene wth his Brother wth an Army of 80000 horse but noe gunns. The Basshaw of Bagdat, of Kirkway,66 Neneveigh (Nineveh] & other Basshaws Weere in July last all draweing down theire Armies to Bossara to feight and beseige it.
This Bossara is the Chiefe port in the gulfe of Pertia, a place of great strenth & trade since Ormous was lost by y Portugalls to yo King of Pertia.67
The Turke had it last yeare from yo Arrabbs; yo Arrabbs retooke it. And now yo Turks resolve to have it againe, wch I feare they will, 58
The Magulls Pollicy in paying his Armies and hording vp every yeare a vast Tresure is thus:
He keeps 4 Armies constantly in pay, ye least 50000 horssemen & pays them Constantly well. He gives to such a great Lord 20000 horse, an other 10000, an other 5000 horase, And to pay them assignes such a Contreys Contrebution to them, woh they gather, & y Overplasse is brought into his tresury; Soe that he hath noe troble.
The Mogull Oram Zebb, now Emperor, at prayer in the Gousall Conna [ghusal-khāna) or privy Chamber, I psent, the Emperror was taken vp, 3 fathom from betwixt his throne & y' roofe of yo roome, his heeles vpwards, wthout apie vizable thinge to draw him vp, & soe by degrees lett downe, or fell downe before his golden Chaire on his throne On his bended knees in a prayeing posture; this he does when he pleases.
He taking notis of me after he had don his prayer, said to me, if yu will show me how to cast Gunns, I will show y' to hoyse yor selfe as y" haue seene me doe.
I Sa pat' shaw Sallem' mett ham to' mor' row Chacker [Ladshäh salamat ham tumhārā chākar), yt is, May it please yor Maitle to give me leave to speak to you. Caw [kaho], sa hej Speak. My pletion (profussion) is to serve ya but I am sworne in my Contrey never to teach anie but who will serve to y trade. Ho' dan' ne' Car' ra, [Khudā na karē],5 God forbid ya breake yo Oath.
But, Sd y• Emperror, will not yu tell this to yo King when you come into yo owne Contrey. He had then given me leave to goe home.60 S4 I, yes, wth leave. S1 y. Emperror, y have leave.
This Oram Zebb, haueing beheaded his Brother Dorrishaw Cour [Dära Shikoh), who desired to dies xpian, his head being Cat of, 6 Grees (ghari] or 3 bowers after it was cut of, it was posented at yo Emperrors feete on the throne in the Am Casa [am-khās] wheere theire was Thowsands of his subjects. The Emp. trode vppon it; The head laft à loud, ha, ha, ha, in yo beareinge of all, ** IJ: Cambell puent.
Tavernier (ed. 1688, Vol. I. p. 76) speaks of a "Basha of Karkou." It is the modern Korkuk, situated 8. E. of Moonl, midway between that place and Bagdad. Otter, Voyage on Thurquie et on Perse, vent, in 1734, from Mosul to Bagdad, via "Kiorkouk," which at that date, had still its Pasha. IT In 1622.
* Vide Chardin, The Coronation of Solyman III, p. 126, and Thevenot, ed. 1686, p. 151. ** The usual formula of precation.
"One Mr John Cambell ... served the King of India as a gunner seven or eight years and ... obtained licence to depart for his country." Letter from Gombroon to Surat, 21 Jan. 1669. Factory Records, Surat, Vol. 105.
An allusion to the unorthodox opinions of this pringe. Darā was the author of the Majma'ul-Bahrain, in which he endeavoured to reconcile the Brahman and Muhammadan religions. His Christian proolivities are mentioned by Catrou, ed. 1926, p. 198. Mr. Irvine tells me that, acoording to Manucci, Dar desired, while in prison, to se Father Bunel, but was refused.
8e Dow, History of Hindostan, Vol. III. p. 286, and Catrou, History of the Mogul Dynasty, d. 1886, p. 271, for varying accounts of this incident.
