spacious _moholl_, intended by the king for
his father's women to remain and end their days, deploring for their
deceased lord, each enjoying the lands they formerly held, the chief
having the pay or rents of 5000 horse. In the centre of this garden is
the tomb, a square of about three quarters of a mile in circuit. The
first inclosure is a curious rail, to which you ascend by six steps into
a small square garden, divided into quarters, having fine tanks; the
whole garden being planted with a variety of sweet-smelling flowers and
shrubs. Adjoining to this is the tomb, likewise square, all of hewn
stone, with spacious galleries on each side, having a small beautiful
turret at each corner, arched over head, and covered with fine marble.
Between corner and corner are four other turrets at equal distances.
Here, within a golden coffin, reposes the body of the late monarch, who
sometimes thought the world too small for him. It is nothing near
finished, after ten years labour, although there are continually
employed on the mausoleum and other buildings, as the moholl and gates,
more than 3000 men. The stone is brought from an excellent quarry near
Futtipoor, formerly mentioned, and may be cut like timber by means of
saws, so that planks for ceilings are made from it, almost of any size.
SECTION VII.
_Voyage of Captain David Middleton, in_ 1607, _to Bantam and the
Moluccas_.[263]
INTRODUCTION.
Captain David Middleton in the Consent, appears to have been intended to
accompany the fleet under Captain Keeling. But, setting out on the 12th
March, 1607, from Tilbury Hope, while Captain Keeling did not reach the
Downs till the 1st April, Middleton either missed the other ships at the
appointed rendezvous, or purposely went on alone. The latter is more
probable, as Purchas observes that the _Consent kept no concent with her
consorts_. By the title in Purchas, we learn that the Consent was a
vessel of 115 tons burden. This short narrative appears to have been
written by some person on board, but his name is not mentioned. It has
evidently suffered the pruning knife of Purchas, as it commences
abruptly at Saldanha bay, and breaks off in a similar manner at Bantam.
Yet, in the present version, it has been a little farther curtailed, by
omitting several uninteresting circumstances of weather and other
log-book notices.--E.
[Footnote 263: Purch. Pilgr. I. 226. Astl. I. 332.]
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