[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Les six voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier) › [Travels in India (Ball)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball) › 106.1 # Travels in India (Tavernier) 106.1 Travels in India (Ball) 106.1 - **Language:** English ### [106.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.106.1) Musk and bezoar being included among the rarest articles of trade, and the most precious which Asia furnishes us with, I have considered it appropriate to devote a chapter to them, and present the reader with some remarks about these two articles. The best kind and the greatest quantity of musk comes from the Kingdom of Bhutan, from whence it is conveyed to Patna, the principal town of Bengal, to be sold to the people of that country. All the musk which is sold in Persia comes from thence, and the merchants who sell musk prefer that you give them in exchange yellow amber and coral, rather than gold and silver, because they make great profits out of these two commodities. I had the curiosity to take a skin of this animal, which is here represented, to Paris. After this animal has been killed, the bladder, which is situated under the belly, is cut off — it is of the size of an egg, and is closer to the genital parts than to the navel. The musk is then extracted from the bladder which contains it — it is then like coagulated blood. When the peasants wish to adulterate it, they insert some of the liver and the blood of the slaughtered animal mixed together, instead of the musk which they have withdrawn. This mixture generates in the bladders certain small worms which eat the good musk, so that when one opens them he finds that much has gone bad. - [Previous: 105.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.105.12) - [Next: 106.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.106.2) - [Up: 106](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.106) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.106.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.106.1) · Pramāṇa