Bernier, François, Travels in the Mogul Empire A.D. 1656-1668

(Westminster, Eng. :  Constable,  1891.)

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OF THE GREAT MOGOL                     109

brother. Reinforcements continued to be sent to Emir-
Jemla, until the Prince, encompassed on all sides, was
compelled to fly for his personal safety to Dake,^ which is
the last town in Bengale, on the borders of the sea; and
this ends the whole tragedy.

The Prince being destitute of ships to put to sea, and
not knowing whither to fly for refuge, sent his eldest son,
Sidtan Banque, to the King of Racan, or Mog,^ a Gentile or
idolater, to ascertain if he would grant him a temporary
asylum, and a passage to Moka, when the favourable
season arrived; ^ it being his wish to proceed thence to
Meca, and afterward take up his residence in Turkey or
Persia. The King's answer was in the affirmative, and
expressed in the kindest terms. Sultan Banque returned
to Dake with a large number of galeasses* (as they call
the half galleys of this King) manned by Franks, for so
I would designate those fugitive Portuguese, and other
wandering Christians, who had entered into the King's
service, and whose chief occupation was to ravage this
part of Lower Bengale. On board these vessels, Sultan
Sujah embarked with his family, consisting of his wife, his
three sons and his daughters. The King [of Arakan] gave
them a tolerable reception, and supplied them with every
necessary of life. Month after month passed ; the favour¬
able season arrived, but no mention was made of vessels
to convey them to Moka, although Sultan Sujah required
them on no other terms than the payment of the hire ; for
he yet wanted not roupies of gold and silver, or gems. He
had indeed too great a plenty of them : his great wealth

' Dacca, on the Buriganga river, formerly the main s'ream of the
Ganges.

^ Arakan or Magh, the Rakhang of Khafi Khan.

^ ' La moisson du vent' in the original. Moisson is for the
Arabic word mausim, a season, which the Portuguese corrupted into
mon^ao ; our monsoon, the French moussojt.

* From the early Portuguese word geluas, which was the name for
a kind of half-decked craft used on the shores of the Red Sea, called
in Ar^^icjalba, from which is derived our English vcoxd jolly-boat.
  Page 109