'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.' [‎142] (813/1024)

142
A Voyage to Kachemire,
I remember, I made once a voyage of ten days, from fipli to Ogottli, between thofe
Ifles and Channels i which I cannot forbear to relate to you, becaufe there paffed not
a day without fome extraordinary accident. My Chaloupe of feven Oars was no
fooner got out of the River Fipli, and advanced 3 or 4 leagues into the Sea along thd 1
coaft to gain the Ifles and the Channels, but we faw the Sea covered with Fiflies like
huge’ Carps, purfued by a Shole of Dolphins. I made my men row that way, and
faw that moft of thofc Fiflies lay along the Coaft as if they were dead i that fome
advanced a little, others played and tumbled as if they were drunk. We all la
boured to take fome of them, and we caught *24 with our hands without any difficul
ty. Viewing them I obferved, that out of all their mouths there came out a bladder
(like thofe that are in Carps, ) which was full of Air, andreddifli at the end. I ima
gined eafily, that this muft be the bladder which kept them from linking 4 but 1 could
not conceive, whyitftiould thus come out of their mouth, unlefs it were that they had
been long and clofely purfued by thofe Dolphins, and had made fo great an effort to
fly away as to make this bladder thus fwell, and colour, and to hang out of their
mouth. I afterwards told this thing to an hundred Sea-men, but they could not be
lieve it, and I never found but one Dutch Pilot, who told me, that failing once upon
the Coaft of China, he had met with the like, and that prefently they put out their
Boat to Sea, and took, as I did, with their hands abundance of Fifties.
The day after, about even, we came among thofe Ifles, and after we had look’d
fora place, where’twas likely no Tigers would come, we landed, made tire, dreffed
a couple of Pullets, and our Fifti, which was excellent. Prefently after Supper l made
my men row until night, and for fear of lofmg our way between thole Channels in
the dark, we retired out of the great Channel, and found a good flicker in forae
fmall Creek, where we fatten’d our boat to a thick branch of a Tree, far enough from
the Land, for fear of Tigers. In the night, when I was watching, there fell out a
Thilofophical accident, of which kind two had happen’d to me afore in Debit. I faw a
Rainbow of the Moon, which I ftiew’d to all my Company, and which very much fur-
prifed twoFortuguefe Pilots I had taken into my Boat at the deflre of 3 ftdend, who had
never feen nor heard of fuch a thing.
The third day we went aftray between theft Channels, and if w 1 aid not met with
fome Portuguefes making Salt in one of the Ifles, that diredied us in our way, I know
not what would have become of us. But behold another Philofophical accident. ^ In
the night, being got again under flielter in a little Channel, my Portuguefes th^t ftill
were concerned about the Rainbow ot the laft night, and whom that Obfervation had
made more curious to behold the Heavens, awaken’d me, and fliew’d me another, as
fair and as well form’d as that was, which I had ftiewed them. Mean time 1 would
not have you think, that I miftook an Iris or Rainbow for a Corona, or Crown. There
is no month almoft but at Dehli thefe Lunar Rainbows are feen in the feafon ot the
Rains, when the Moon is high above the Horizon : And I found that it muft be fo >
having feen of them three or four nights one after another, and fometimes double ones.
They were not Circles about the Moon, but oppofite to her, and in the like Pofition
with Solar Rainbows: And as often as I have feen them, the Moon was Weft ward, and
the Rainbow Eaftward. The Moon was alfo near full j which in my opinion, isne-
ceffary » becaufe at other times fhe would not have light enough to form any. Lafily,
thefe Rainbows were not fo white as the Crowns ufe to be, but much more coloured,
infomuch that there might be difeerned in them fome diftin<ftion oi Colours. And thus
you fee, how I have been more happy than the Ancients, who, according to Arijtctk,
had obferved none fuch before him. ,
The fourth day about evening we retired out of the great Channel, as we uled 0
do, into a very fair place of fafety j but had one of the moft extraordinary nights t at
ever I knew. There was not a breath of wind, and the Air wasfo hot and mining
that we could fcarce breath. The Bufhes round us were fo full of thofe little mining
worms, that they feem’d to be on fire * 5 and there arofe fires here and there, whic
were like flames, and frighten’d my Sea-men, who faid, they were D ev 'k*
the reft there arofe two, that were very extraordinary » one was a great Globe or r >
which in falling and fpinning lafted above the time of faying a P atcr nolier ’ an ^
other, which lafted about a quarter of an hour, was like a little Tree all in a n a J Tlc ‘
The night of the fifth day was terrible and dangerous. There arofe fo great a or ,
that though we were under the (belter of Trees, and that our fmall Boat was \\