Born about 1624.—Died 1688.
A native of Angers—Educated for the medical profession—Visits
Syria and Egypt—Is ill of the plague at Rosetta—Anecdote
of an Arab servant—Visits Mount Sinai—Sails down the Red
Sea—Mokha—King of Abyssinia—Bargains with a father for his
own son—Sails for India—Becomes physician to the Great
Mogul—Is in the train of Dara, brother to Aurungzebe, during
his disastrous flight towards the Indus—Is deserted by the
prince—Falls among banditti—Exerts the powers of Esculapius
among the barbarians—Escapes—Proceeds to Delhi—Becomes
physician to the favourite of Aurungzebe—Converses with the
ambassadors of the Usbecks, and dines on horse-flesh—Anecdote
of a Tartar girl—Description of Delhi—Mussulman music—Enters
the imperial harem blindfold—Description of the imperial
palace—The hall of audience, and the peacock throne—Tomb of
Nourmahal—The emperor departs for Cashmere—Bernier travels
in the imperial train—Plains of Lahore—Magnificent style
of travelling—Tremendous heat—Enters Cashmere—Description
of this earthly paradise—Shawls—Beautiful cascades—Fearful
accident—Returns to Delhi—Extravagant flattery—Effects
of an eclipse of the sun—Visits Bengal—Sails up the
Sunderbund—Fireflies—Lunar rainbows—Returns to France, and
publishes his travels—Character 205