New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09

for the travels of Jean Bap'iste Iavernier what
Colonel Yue accomplished so admirably lor me
hook of Ser Marco Polo some years ago Inc
work was we'll worth doing, for while the name
n Tavcrnier is encountered in various histories
and works on precious stones, 200 years have
nassed since an English translation OF his mar
ratiye was published This is the more singular
inasmuch as he deserves TO rank as the most DIS
tinruished traveller of the seventeenth century,
and his relation is full of interest of many kinds
T. is moreover one of those peculiarly attractive
books in which the individuality OF the author'
tboucb never consciously thrust forward by him
SELF is shown in thousand Innocent ana char-
acterstic remarks In this way the reader is
enabled TO form a clear and vivid picture of the
shrewd and adventurous old dealer in precious
stones. who carried great values on his person
between Paris and Persia, India. Ccylon and con-
tiqnous countries who frequentcd the court of the
Great Mogul who was now with the Portuguese
Inouistors at Goa, and anon with the Dutch
traders NJ Batavia who visited the famous dla-
mond mines of Golconda: witnessed the beginning
and completion of the aj-Mahal; knew its build
er Shah Jahan and his successor, Aurun9zepc'
saw the beginnings Of English power in Hindu
stan. and Of the first to relate the more
striking of those complicated histories which re-
cord the rise and fall of Indian dynastes
Taverners early years are scarcely mentioned
by him. All that is known of them Is that ne
was French Protestant, and that his father was
q merchant that Jean Baptiste showed strong
liking for travel before he was twelve years oiu'
and that when fifteen he had already visited
many parts of Europe. He must have lnheri'eo
considerable capital, for we find him dealing in
precious stones almost from the first. ana MS
transactions were frequently large, the value of
h,,b VARYING from 81 90. 900
TO 100000 He appears to have been first
rate man of business. and TO have mastered ORR
rntal WAYS completely. so that he was never
overcome in bargain. 1t is true that he
writes very cautiously about his personal trans
actions and rarely states the amount OF his
profit upon any sale. Occasionally. however, lie
LET'S remark slip which warrants the inference
that he secured handsome percentages 1or NM
self as indeed lie was obliged to do seeing that
il was indispensable to make many and costly
nrcsents TO the Princes, their vizierS and cher
servants, before he could obtain the privilege oil
exhibiting his jewels. In some instances these
preliminary gifts reached such consideranie
amounts as $40, 900 70 $4,000 To the Great
Mogul. for example, he presented number OF
costly pieces of French siversmiths work III the
highest style of the art of the period All the
rulers visited bv him appear to have purchased
from MIN eagerly anu ldi-'lSs tiV"--4 H''.'~
the payment was not readily forthcoming Once
he was the victim Of an intrigue conducted by
three principal court officers. who were offended
because ne had refused to sell his goods to them
and allow them to reap the higher profit by dis
posing OF them to the Sultan. In this case he
seems TO have sustained loss of at least ten
thousand rupees
Great difficulty has been experienced in identi-
fvng the places set down in Tavcmiers ltlnera-
ries: but the patient research OF Nr. Bail mas
resulted in the clearing up Of most obscullties'
though at the sacrifice Of the travellers reputa-
ton for exact measurements, for his tables OF
distances turn out TO be very loose and inaccurate
He Is not an easy writer TO follow, and the
difficulty is due as much to the way in which
his travels were recorded as to the lack OF
orderness in his mind Mr. Hall and Others,
including the late Colonel Yule twhose services
in assisting the calculations of the editor are
freely acknowledged in the preface, are OF
opinion that in all probability Tavernlcr did not
write tie narrative himself but that II was
compiled partly from his rough notes. ana partly
perhaps. from dictation. However this may be,
it is certain that his six voyages are mixed up IN
a very confusing manner that he digresses be-
wilderingly that he repeats himself; and winch
is worst of all. that he repeatedly con'radicis
sions of the same events. In modern book Of
travels such faults would be in;olerabc, but
Tavcrnier lived voyaged. and wrote in an age Of
literary laxities and carclessness, and when the
reading public thought little or nothing. OF dates
and distances and chronological accuracy, but
fixed their attention upon the story the writer
had to tell. If that were interesting, above all
if it aboundcd in marvels, everything else was
forgiven; and certainly the old Baron of Aubonne
cannot be accused Of neglecting the marvellous
though he relates many things the reality Of
which he is far too cautious to affirm. Among
the curious things seen by himself, the following
experience of the famous jugglers OF India Will
be found interesting. 1t was at Broach, III
Guiarat. that he witnessed what he describes
The first thing they 1.-The jugglers did was 10
kindle large fire, and heat iron chains 10 red
ress: these they wound around their bodies max
ing believe that they experienced some PAIN bu'
not really receiving any injury. Next havine
taken a small piece of stick, and having planted
ii in the ground, they asked one of the company
what fruit he wished to have. lie replied that
lie desired manages, ana then one Oh 'ne con IL
the ground five or six times j had the curiosity
10 ascend 20 a room in order 10 see from above
through an opening of the sheet what TINS mar
did and | saw that he cut himself under III
arm-pits with razor and anointed the piece 81
wood with his blood. At each time that hc ralsc'
himself the stick increased under the eye. ana a
the third time il put forth branches and buds
At the fourth time the tree was covered VIII
leaves and at the fifth we saw the flowers them
selves.
Unfortunately this early instance of the famous
mango trick was interfered with by an Engisl
chaplain, who smeed sorcery in the business. an'
was so Mortified that he was unable TO conscn
that Christians should he present al such spec
tacles": and as he proclaimed loudly that III
would never administer the communion to an,
one of those who remained longer to witness sucl
things" the show was stopped 1t may be oh
served that, as performed nowadays, no sheet il
employed by the better class of iuggers. the only
covering introduced being square of cotton abou
the size of pocket-handkerchief. which is thrown
over the plant between the several stages Of it
development.
Some idea of the state of civilization whicl
existed in the India of the seventeenth centur,