'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎121] (792/1024)

The Paradife of Indoftan.
except Partridges, Quailes and Hares, which the Indians know to take with nets: So
that every where in thofe places there is very great.ftore of all kind of Gatac. This
being fo, the hunting guards, when they know that the King is in the field, and near
their quarters, give notice, to the Great Hunting-mafter, of the quality of the Game,
and of the place where moft of it is: then the Guards do line all the avenues of that
quarter, and that fometimes for above four or five Leagues of ground, that fo the whole
Amy may pafs by, either this or that way, and the King being in his march may at the
fame time enter into it with as many Omrahs, Hunters and other perfons as he fliall
pleafe, and there hunt at his cafe, now in one manner and then in another, according
tathe difference of the Game. And now behold firft, how he hunteth the Gazelles or
wild Fawns with tamed Leopards.
I think, I have elfe where told you, that in the Indies there is ftoreof Gazelles^ that
are in a manner fhaped as our Hinds or Fawns j that thefe Gazelles commonly go in
feveral troups, and that every troup, which never conhfts of above five or fix,is alwaies
follow’d by one only male, difcernable by the colour. One of fuch troups being dif-
cover’d, they endeavour to make the Leopard fee them, who is held chain’d upon a little
chariot. This crafty animal doth not prefently and dircdly run after them, but goes
winding and turning, flopping and hiding himfelf, fo to approach them with more ad
vantage, and to furpme them : And as he is capable to make five or fix leaps with an
almoll incredible fwiftnefs, when he finds he is within reach, he lanceth himfelf upon
them, worrieth them, and gluts himfelf with their blood, heart and liver: If he fail-'
eth ( which often happens ) he hands Hill, and it would be in vain for him to attempt
to take them by running after them, becaufe they run much fafier, and hbld out longer
than he. Then the Mailer comes gently about him, flattering him, and throwing him
fome pieces of flefh, and thus amulinghim, puts fomething over his eyes to cover them,
and fo chains him, and puts him upon the chariot again. One of thefe Leopards
gave us once in our march this divertifement, which frighted ftoreof people. A troup
of Gazelles appear’d in the midfl of the Army, as they will do every day j it chanced
that they paffed clofe to two Leopards thar were carried, as they ufe to be, upon their
little chariot. One <?f them not blinded, made fuch an effort that he burft his chain,
and darted himfelf after them, but without catching any of them: Yet the Gazelles^
not knowing which way to efcape, being purfued, cried after, and hunted on every
, lide, there was one of them that was forced to repafs again near the Leopard, who*’
notwithftanding the Camels and Horfes that peflred all the way, and contrary to what'
is commonly faid of this Beall, that it never returns to its prey when it hath once failed
of it, flew upon it and caught it.
The hunting of the Nilgaux or gray Oxen, which I faid were a kind of Kicks, hath
no great matter in it. They are inclofed in great Nets, that are by little and little
drawn dofer together, and when they are reduced to a (mail compafs of enclofure, the
King, the Omrabs, and the Hunters do enter and kill them atpleafure with Arrows,
Hall-pikes, Sables or Mufquets j and fometimes in fo great numbers, that the King
fends quarters of them for prefents to all the Omrahs.
TheGameof the Cranes hath fomething of divertifement. ’Tis a pleafure tofeethem
defend themfelves in the Air againll the Birds of prey i they fometimes kill fome of
them i but at length, not being nimble in turning, many flrong Birds mailer them.
Of all the Games that of the Lion is the moll Royal, becaufe there is none but the
King and the Princes that can exercife it ( unlefs it be by a very particular leaves.) but
it is alfo the moll dangerous. The manner of it is this. When the King is in the
held, and the Hunting-guards have difeover’d the place of the Lions retirement •, they
tye fall an Afs there-abouf, which the Lion foph comes to devour, and without caring
to look out for other prey, as Oxen, Cows, Mutton or Shepherds, he goes to feek for
drink, and returns to his ordinary lodging place, where he lyes down and fleeps until
next morning, when he finds another Afs in the feif-fame place, which the Hunters
have fallned there as the day before j and when they havte thus baited and amufed him
feveral dayes in the fame place, and now know that the King is nigh, they at length
tye fall another Afs, but whom they have made to fwallow a quantity of opium^ to the
end that his flelh may the better lull aflecp the Lion, and then all the Country-men of
the circumjacent Villages fpread large and hrong nets made for that purpofe, which
they alfp by degrees reduce to a fmall compafs, as is pradifed inthe hunting^of the
Nilgaux. All things thus prepar’d, the King mounted on an Elephant trap’d with