[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) › 13 # Travels in India (Tavernier) 13: Route from Surat to Agra by AhmadAbad Travels in India (Ball) 13 - **Language:** English ### Route from Surat to Agra by AhmadAbad ### [13.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13.1) From Surat to Baroche (Broach), 22 coss. All the country between these two towns is one of corn, rice, millet, and sugar-canes. Before entering Broach, you cross, by ferry, a river which runs to Cambay and discharges itself afterwards into the gulf of the same name. Broach is a large town, containing an ancient fortress which they have neglected to maintain; but it has been widely renowned from all time on account of its river, which possesses a peculiar property for bleaching calicoes, and they bring them for this reason from all quarters of the empire of the Great Mogul, where there is not the same abundance of water. In this place there is made a quantity of baftas or pieces of long and narrow calico; these are very beautiful and closely woven cloths, and the price of them ranges from 4 up to 100 rupees. Custom dues have to be paid at Broach on all goods, whether imported or exported. The English have a very fine dwelling there; and I remember that, on arrival one day when returning from Agra to Surat with the President of the English, some jugglers immediately came to ask him if he desired that they should show him some examples of their art, these he was curious to see. The first thing they did was to kindle a large fire, and heat iron chains to redness ; these they wound round their bodies, making believe that they experienced some pain, but not really receiving any injury. ### [13.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13.2) Next, having taken a small piece of stick, and having planted it in the ground, they asked one of the company what fruit he wished to have. He replied that he desired mangoes and then one of the conjurers, covering himself with a sheet, stooped to the ground five or six times. I had the curiosity to ascend to a room in order to see from above, through an opening of the sheet, what this man did, and I saw that he cut himself under his arm-pits with a razor, and anointed the piece of wood with his blood. At each time that he raised himself, the stick increased under the eye, and at the third time it put forth branches and buds. At the fourth time the tree was covered with leaves, and at the fifth we saw the flowers themselves. The President of the English had his clergyman with him, having taken him to Ahmadabad to baptize a child of the Dutch Commander, of whom he had been asked to be the godfather, for it should be remarked that the Dutch have no clergymen save in those places where they have both merchants and soldiers together. ### [13.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13.3) The English clergyman had at first protested that he was unable to consent that Christians should be present at such spectacles, and when he beheld that from a piece of dry wood these people in less than half an hour had caused a tree of four or five feet in height to appear, with leaves and flowers, as in springtime, he made it his duty to break it, and proclaimed loudly that he would never administer the communion to any one of those who remained longer to witness such things. This compelled the President to dismiss the jugglers, who travel from place to place with their wives and children, like those whom we in Europe commonly call Egyptians or Bohemians ; and having given them the equivalent of ten or twelve écus, they withdrew very well satisfied. Those who wish to see Cambay, in order to reach it, do not go out of their way for more than about five or six coss, or thereabouts ; and when you are at Broach, instead of going to Baroda, which is the ordinary route, you make directly for Cambay, from whence afterwards you reach Ahmadābād. Except for business, or out of curiosity, you do not take this route, not only because it is longer, as I have said, by five or six leagues, but principally on account of the danger which there is in passing the end of the gulf. ### [13.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13.4) Cambay is a large town at the end of the gulf which bears its name. It is where they cut those beautiful agates which come from India as cups, handles of knives, beads, and other objects of workmanship. There is made, also, in the vicinity of the town, indigo of the same kind as that of Sharkej; and it was celebrated for its traffic at the time when the Portuguese flourished in India. You still see to-day, in the quarter close to the sea, many fine houses, which they built and furnished richly, after the manner of Portugal; but at present they are uninhabited, and they decay from day to day. They maintained at that time such good order in Cambay, that at two hours after dark every street was closed by two gates, which are still to be seen, and they even now close some of the principal of them, especially those of the approaches to the market-places. One of the principal reasons why this town has lost a part of her commerce is, that formerly the sea came close to Cambay, and small vessels were able to approach it easily; but for some years past the sea has been receding day by day, so that vessels are unable to come nearer than four or five leagues to the town. There is an abundance of pea-fowl in India, and especially in the territories of Broach, Cambay, and Baroda. The flesh of the young bird is white and of good flavour, like that of our turkeys, and you see them throughout the day in flocks in the fields ; for during the night they perch in the trees. ### [13.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13.5) It is difficult to approach them by day, because if they see the sportsman they fly before him more rapidly than a partridge, and enter the jungle, where it is impossible to follow them, one’s garment being torn at every step. Hence, you are only able to capture them easily at night ; and this, in a few words, is the method. You approach the tree with a kind of banner, on which are painted life-like peacocks, on each side. On the top of the stick there are two lighted candles, the light of which alarming the peacock, causes him to stretch out his neck almost to the end of the stick, where there is a cord with a running noose, which he who holds the banner draws when he sees that the peacock has placed his neck in it. However, you must be careful not to kill a bird, or any other animal, in the countries of Rajas, where the idolaters are the masters ; it is not dangerous in the parts of India where the rulers of the country are Muhammadans, and permit sport to be free. It happened one day that a rich merchant of Persia, passing by the territory of the Raja of Dantivar, slew a peacock on the road by a shot from his gun, either out of bravado or from not knowing the customs of the country. The Banians, enraged by an act which is regarded among them as a horrible sacrilege, seized the merchant themselves, and also the money he had with him, which amounted to 300,000 rupees, and having tied him to a tree, whipped him for three days so severely that the poor man died of it. ### [13.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13.6) From Cambay you come to a village which is only three coss distant, where there is a pagoda to which the majority of the courtesans of India come to make their offerings. This pagoda contains numerous nude figures, and among others a large figure like an Apollo, which has the private parts all uncovered. When the old courtesans have amassed a sum of money in their youth, they buy with it young slaves, to whom they teach dances and lascivious songs, and all the tricks of their infamous trade. When these young girls have reached the age of eleven or twelve years their mistresses take them to this pagoda, and they believe that it will be good fortune to them to be offered and abandoned to this idol. From this pagoda to Chiidabad it is 6 coss. It is one of the most beautiful houses of the Great Mogul, and a vast enclosure, where there are extensive gardens and large tanks, with all the embellishments of which the genius of the Indians is capable. From Chiidabad to Ahmadabad it is but 5 coss. I return to Baroche and the ordinary route. From Baroche to Broudra (Baroda) . 22 coss. Baroda is a large town on a good soil, where there is a considerable trade in calicoes. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.tavernier~en-ball.13) · Pramāṇa