The Virginia Gazette

Mr. PARKS,

Finding, by some of your latter Gazettes, That there is a great Scarcity of foreign News with you, I thought it would not be amiss, to help you out a little with the Enclosed. It is a Letter from a Lady of nice Observation, now at Fort St. George, giving an elegant Account of an Interview, in which She had a Part, with one of the greatest Persons of the Female Sex, in the Mogul's Empire; and was communicated to the Public, in March 1743, soon after it got to England, by the Rev. Dr. Stukely, Author of Palæographia Britannica. It is a valuable Curiosity, as it acquaints us with certain Particulars of the Manners of the Eastern Grandees, which Travellers have never, or rarely, any Opportunity of receiving; because they are seldom, if at all, admitted into the Company of the great Eastern Ladies: And therefore none but a Lady could either have seen, or have recounted this memorable Interview, between the Sex of the Eastern and Western Worlds. It will, no doubt, be acceptable to the Ladies, and such of your Historian Readers, as have not seen it; and may be reckon'd no mean Appendage to the Modern History of the Indian Empire.

Surry, March 13, 1743

I am, Sir,

Your most humble Servant, &c.

From MADRASS.

We have had a great Man call'd the Nabob (who is next in Dignity to the Mogul) to visit the Governor, who, with the Counsellors and chief Gentlemen of Madras, went in great State to meet him. His Lady and all the Women came the Night before; all the Guns were fir'd off round the Fort, on her Arrival, as well as his; they are Moors, whose Women are never seen but by their Husbands. They stay'd here a Fortnight; his Lady still remains in the Black-Town. He had many thousand Attendants; the Governor waited on him at his House in Black-Town, and he return'd the Visit. All the Ladies went to see him go; it was a fine Procession of Palanquins, viz. Sedans. He is of a majestic Form, and the Magnificence of his Dress in Pearls, and Diamonds, is beyond Description; he sent the Governor a noble Present, in a large Silver Filigree Box, placed on the Back of a beautiful Moorish Horse (which are large, stately Creatures) adorned with Trappings of Velvet, richly embroider'd with Gold, and a thousand Horse and Foot to attend it. After he left Madras, Mrs. Bynion went to visit his Lady; your Sister and I went with her; we were as fine as possible. Mrs. Bynion look'd like a Queen. Mrs. Beard, who is Sister-in-Law to the Governor, and her eldest Daughter made the rest of the Company. We had all the Governor's Attendants and his Lady's, and Music plaid before us all the Way; you may guess we had many Spectators; it was about a Mile distant. When we arriv'd, Mrs. Bynion was led by a Lady, through two Halls, into a large Garden, with a Pavilion at the End of it, where the Nabob's Lady was Seated. A grand Moor Lady of her Retinue came to receive us in the Middle of the Garden, and presented Mrs. Bynion to the Nabob's Lady, who sat in the Middle of the Pavilion, on a Settee of Crimson Velvet embroider'd with Gold, and Carpets of the same hanging over it, and reaching under their Feet. She receiv'd us with the utmost Civility and good Breeding, and paid proper Compliments to all. Her Person is slim, genteel, middle Stature; her Complexion tawny (as the Moors all are) her Eyes black as possible, large and fine, and painted at the Edges (which is their Custom;) her Lips were colour'd red, and between every Tooth, which were white and regular, was painted black, to look like Ebony. All her Attendants, which were thirty Ladies, were the same in that Respect; her Face was done over with frosted Work of Leaf-Gold; the Nails of her Fingers and Toes, (for she was bare-foot,) were painted red, so were the Insides of her Hands; her Hair was black as Jet, very long and thick, comb'd neatly back, and braided; it hung much below her Waist; She had a Fillet of Diamonds round her Head, edg'd with Pearls of a large Size; her Ear-Rings were as broad as a large Hand, made of Diamonds and Pearls, so that they almost cover'd the Side of her Face; she had a Nose-jewel, which went thro' her left Nostril; round her Neck she had twenty Rows of large Pearl, most of 'em bigger than the Top of my biggest Finger; from her Necklace hung a great many Rows of huge Pearls, below her Waist, at the End of which hung a great Emerald, as broad as my Hand, and as thick; her Coat was of Gold Muslin, made close to her Shape, and a short Sleeve; a Gold Veil hung loose over her Head, and fell down in a careless Manner, the Fore-part was trim'd with a Row of large Pearl; she had a Girdle, or rather a Hoop of Diamonds, two Inches broad; several Strings of big Diamonds hung down to her Knees, with a great Knot of Pearls at the End of them; she had ten Rows of Pearls round her Wrists, and round her Arms above her Elbows; her Fingers were adorn'd with rich Rings of all Sorts and Colours; her Feet and Ankles were finer, if possible, than her Head and Hands; some of her Ladies were near as fine as herself. She had her little Son brought in to see us; he was loaded with Gold, Pearls, and Diamonds; the very Fan that was carried to keep the Sun from him (in Shape like a round Fire-Screen, only four times as big) was Crimson Velvet, set with Figures, of Pearls and Diamonds. I own I thought myself in a Dream the whole Time. The Pavilion was spacious, and all the Bottom and Sides cover'd with rich Carpets, and entirely hung round with Gold Muslin, and the same all over the Roof, with a deep Vallance all round it. In one Corner stood the Bed (or Cot, as they call it) the Frame-work and Pillars were of solid Gold, Gold Gauze Curtains, and a Counterpane of massy Gold. There were likewise several fine Dressing-Tables, with Gold Filigree Dressing-Plate, and huge Candlesticks of the same Metal upon them; at the Entrance of the Pavilion was a long embroider'd Cushion, with two Pillows of the same Work at each End; this was opposite to the Lady, for us to walk over. There was something like an Awning made of Crimson Velvet, which went all over the Outside of the Pavilion, and was supported by Pillars of Gold. We had two golden Censers of Incense and Sandal Wood, which almost suffocated us with it's Perfume. Our Entertainment was Tea, which seem'd to be made of Rose-Water and Cinnamon; every thing was serv'd in Gold Plate. We had Betel brought in Gold Filigree Boxes on great Sculpt Gold Waiters: The Betel is a large green Leaf, which the Indians chew, of an intoxicating Nature, very disagreeable to the English; but we complied in Complaisance. When this was over, there was a Silver Bason brought, cover'd with a work'd Carpet, and presented to Mrs. Bynion. When uncover'd, there was a fine Moor's Coat, and a Couple of exceeding rich Veils. The Nabob's Lady put Mrs. Bynion's Veil on her: Then we, in Compliment, put on ours, which she seem'd pleas'd with. We went back to the Governor's in them, where we din'd, and stay'd the Evening. She sent an Entertainment after us, of sixty Dishes, all under Silver Covers, and shut up in Scarlet-Cloth Bags made for this Purpose, Mrs. Bynion made a Present of an hundred Pagodas to her Attendants. The Nabob's Lady and her Company admir'd us all, but thought our Dress surprisingly odd. Two of them examin'd my Dress 'til they came to my Hoop, which they were astonish'd at: They admir'd my Tweezers and Trinkets: We were the first English Ladies they had ever seen, and it is not surprising we shou'd appear as odd to them, as they did to us. These immense Riches are all the Enjoyments they have; for they are not suffer'd to stir out all the Year round; and when oblig'd to travel, are cover'd up in their Palanquins, in such a Manner, that no Mortal can see them; and it wou'd be Death for any Man to attempt it.