Travels in India (Tavernier) 11.5

11.5

Outside the town, for the whole length of the highroad, there are a number of large trees which they call mengues, and in several places near these trees you see small pagodas, each of which has its idol at the entrance. This elephant, passing in front of one of these pagodas, near to which I was encamped, and where there were at the door three idols of about five feet in height, when he was close by took one with his trunk and broke it in two ; he then took the next, and threw it so high and so far that it was broken in four pieces ; while as for the third, he knocked off the head with a blow of his trunk. Some thought that the driver of the elephant had ordered him to do so, and had given him the signal ; this I did not observe. Nevertheless, the Banians regarded it with an evil eye, without daring to say aught, for there were more than 2000 men to conduct the guns, all of them in the king’s service, and Muhammadans, with the exception of the chief gunners, who were Franks , — French, English, and Dutch. The King was sending this artillery to the province of Deccan, where his army was opposed to the Raja Siva-ji, who had pillaged Surat the previous year, as I shall have occasion for describing elsewhere. From Collasar to Sansele (Sipri) . . 6 coss. ,, Sansele to Dongry (Dongri) . 4 „ „ Dongry to Gate . . . . 3 ,,