Fryer, John: A new account of East-India and Persia: in 8 letters being 9 years travels, begun 1672 and finished 1681 (London, 1698)

188 d. Sfechl Cborograpby and
Letter W. Lands: They are plentifully stored with Woods, and Increase of all
C/'WJ tilings, except Rivers, which are in some Places compensated by-
living Springs out of the Rocks, but every where by Water falling
in the Rains.
Riven, The Rivers are innumerable ; but those of greatest fame are In-
dus and Ganges, the latter not only for its many Navigable Streams
for some Hundreds of Leagues, but for its Purity in the esteem of
the mod Religious; besides all which, are great Tanks or Ponds of
Rain-Water, where it wants the other Benefits, with deep Wells, of
extraordinary Costs and Charges; some purely for Pomp, and to
transmit their Names to Posterity ; others for the good of Travellers,
but most for the sake of Religion, in which they are extravagantly
profufe,every great City striving to outvye each other; the most ad-
mirable whereof are those cut on high Hills and Fortresses thereon,
out of the main Rocks, seeming rather the Works of many Ages
than one to finish them : At Rajasore are Hot Baths; here are very
few other Mineral Waters.
The Country The Plain Country is Rich in all things necesiary; Pasturage, by
rich in in.. reason of the long Summers Drought, being the only lack; which
cwase. -m t],e ^a[ns ant] qjU Season they have Time and Store to provide
against. Cocoes grow all along the Sea-side round India, within
theTropicks, and Beetle-Nueisin great Request, not only for that ic
is the Courteous EntertainmentorFarewelat all Friendly Interviews,
but because wrapped in Pawn-Leaves with Chhmm, it exhilarates and
makes a kind of pleasant Drunkennefe, if much eaten, as the Na-
tives of any fashion are seldom without it in their Mouths; and these
arc peculiar to the Low-Countries as are Water-Melons; other Fruits,
as Grapes, Mangoes, and the like, are the common Growth of In-
dia : Rice thrives best in Watry Places, it swimming always there-
in till Harvest, when the Water is let out by Drains; allotherCorn
- rejoices better in drier Grounds; Cotton is a Lover of the same, from
whence comes all the Wealth to India, qua: essodiuntur opes, which
are dug for in other Places and laid up here.
Woods are every where., in which somerimes are met Inhabi-
tants not yet mentioned, andfortheir Solitariness called Menef the
Woods, or more truly Satyrs ; there are Nereids too, or Men of the
Rivers, but dye as soon as taken: A Couple of the former I saw
asseep in the day-time, in the Night they Sport and Eat; theywere
both in a Parrot-Cage, they had Heads like an Owl, Bodied like a
Monkey, without Tails; only the sirst Finger of the Right Hand
was armed with a Claw like a Birds, other wise they had Hands, and
Feet which they walk upright on, not pronely, as the other Beasts
do; they were coloured like a Fox, of the length of Half a Yard;
though they grow bigger till Twelve Years old, when they copulate.
Deseto Hereare Sandy Deserts near theGulph of Cambaja, and beyond
Bengala, towards Botan and Cochin China, whence they fetch Musk.
.^ Mines, besides those of Diamonds, Rubies, Agats, Cornelian,
Granats, Topazes, and Iron, none are discoursed of; which with
what else comes to Memory, mail be specified in their proper place.
Of Diamond-Mines there are two sorts, the Old and New Rock, the
latter