_Of the kingdome of Coromandel and others his
borderers, and of the citie of Salamina, whereas was
and died the glorious apostle S. Thomas; and of the
power and riches of the king of this kingdome, and the
order of their buryinges, and other thinges of great
curiositie._
Running alongest the coast from Vengala, is the kingdome of Masulapatar,
and certaine other kingdomes nigh vnto the same: they be all gentiles,
as the rest of their borderers, yet it is vnderstood, with great
facilitie they would leaue their opinions. It is a kingdome that hath
great abundance of prouision, and lacke of things of contractation or
marchandice, which is the occasion that they are little knowen.
Trauailing a little forwardes, is the kingdome of Coromandel, whose
chiefe citie is called Calamina, and nowe vulgarly Malipur,[103] and is
there whereas was martyred the happie apostle S. Thomas. And they say
that at this day there remaineth some of his relickes, by whom God did
many myracles. The naturall people therefore haue a particular memory
vntill this day of that saint.
[103] See note, p. 290.
This citie at this day is populared with Portingals and with the
naturall people: there is in it a church, wherein is comprehended the
house whereas was, and died, the holy apostle: this countrie belongeth
vnto the king of Visnaga, who although he be a gentile, he hath great
reuerence and respect vnto the house of the holy apostle, and for
particular deuotion he doth giue euerie yeare a certaine charitie. There
is in this citie two couentes of religious men, the one of the companie
of Iesus, and the other of the order of S. Francis.
From this citie of Calamina to that of Visnaga there wheras the king is,
it is fiue and thirtie leagues by land. This king is mightie, and his
kingdome very great and full of people, and hath great rentes. They say
that onely the rent he hath of fine gold, is worth vnto him three
millions, of the which he spendeth but one onely, and doth keepe euerie
yeare two millions in his treasorie, the which according vnto the report
and fame, is at this day with many millions. He hath twelue principall
or chiefe captaines, and euerie one of them hath the gouernement of an
infinite number of people and hath great rent for the same, for he that
hath least rent hath sixe hundred thousand ducats yearely. Euerie one of
them are bound to giue the king to eate, and all the people of his
house, one month in the yeare; so that by this account the twelue
captaines which are the lordes of the kingdome (and as wee might say)
dukes, doo beare his cost all the whole yeare. The million the which he
doth spend, is in giftes and in extraordinarie thinges. The king hath in
his house, what with wiues, seruants, and slaues, nigh about fourteene
thousand persons, and in his stable ordinarily a thousand horse, and for
his seruice and garde eight hundreth elephants, of whom he doth spend
euerie day eight hundreth ducats. The garde of his person is foure
thousand horsemen, to whom he giueth great wages. He hath also in his
house three hundreth wiues, besides a great number of concubines: they
goe all gallantly apparelled, and with rich iewels, of the which there
are of great estimation in that kingdome, they do almost euerie three
daies change newe colors of apparell. They do ordinarily vse colors of
precious stones, such as are called in Spaine _ojo de gato_, cats eies.
They haue great store of saphires, pearles, diamonds, rubies, and many
other stones, that are in that kingdome in great abundance.
Amongest all these wiues there is one that is as legitimate, whose
children doo inherite: and if it so fall out that she is barren, the
first that is borne of any of the other doth inherite: which is the
occasion that they neuer lacke a successor in that kingdome.
When the king of this kingdome doth die, they do carrie him foorth into
a mightie fielde, with great sadnesse and mourning apparell, and there
in the presence of those twelue peeres afore saide, they do burne his
bodie with wood of sandalo, which is of a great smell, with the which
they do make a great fire.
After that the bodie of the king is burned and consumed, they throwe
into the same the wiues that hee best loued, with seruants and slaues,
those that he most esteemed in his lifetime: the which they do with so
great content, that euery one dooth procure to be the first for to enter
into the fire, and they that are last do thinke themselues vnhappie. All
these do say that they go to serue the king in the other life, whereas
they shalbe with great ioy. This is the occasion that they goe with so
good a will to die, and carrie with them the most richest and festiuall
apparell they haue. Of this is gathered that they do beleeue the
immortalitie of the soule, for that they doo confesse there is another
life, and that thither they do returne and liue for euer without ende.
They are people that would be conuerted with the like facilitie vnto the
holy gospell as their neighbours, if there went any thether to preach.
Three score and tenne leagues from this citie, there is a pagode or
temple of idols, whereas is a rich faire euery yeare: it is a very
sumptuous building, and edified in a place so high, that it may be seene
many leagues before you come vnto it.
[Sidenote: A strange custome.]
It hath ordinarily foure thousande men of garde, who are paid with the
rent of the temple, the which is rich and verye good. There is nigh vnto
the same many mynes of golde and precious stones, and that is taken out
of them is rent vnto the temple. There is in it a priest of the idolles,
whom they call in their language Brama, and is as the high priest in
that countrie. All the people of the land do come vnto him, to
vnderstand the doubtes of their manner of liuing, and he doth dispence
with them in many things that be prohibited by their lawes, the which he
may do according vnto the sayd lawes, and manie times he doth dispence
certaine of them. But here one to be laughed at, which is, that when a
woman cannot suffer the condition of her husbande, or is wearie of him
for other occasions, she goeth vnto this Brama, and giuing vnto him a
peece of golde, which may be to the value of a ducat in Spaine, he doth
vnmarry them, and setteth her at libertie that she may marry with an
other, or with many if she please: and in token of this she is giuen a
marke with an yron vpon her right shoulder, so that with that alone she
remaineth at libertie, and her husband cannot do vnto her any harme for
the same, neither compell her to returne againe to his company.
[Sidenote: A diamond sold for a million of gold.]
There are in this kingdome many mynes of verie fine diamonds, and are
had in great estimation, and very well knowen in Europe. There hath
beene found in them a stone of so fine and of so great value, that but
few yeares past, the king did sell the same vnto an other mightie king
his borderer, called Odialcan, for a million of golde, besides other
thinges of value that hee gaue him ouer and aboue.[104] It is a healthfull
countrie, with very good and fresh ayres, rich of prouisions, and of all
other necessaries, not only for the humane life, but also for curiositie
and delightes that be therein. It is in fourteene degrees towardes the
pole artico. All the people therein are faint-hearted and cowards, and
for little trauaile, which is the occasion that they are nothing
affectionate vnto warres, and is vnderstoode with great facilitie they
would receiue the gospell.
[104] This is in all probability the great diamond mentioned by
Tavernier, vol. ii, p. 249, as being in the possession of the Great
Mogul. It was found in the washings near Caldore, to the east of
Golconda, about the year 1550. Professor Tennant, in his lecture on
"Gems" before the Society of Arts, expresses his opinion that the
Koh-i-noor formed a portion of this large diamond.
Nigh vnto the same there is an other little kingdome called Mana, in
the which there is a towne with Portingals, the which is called in their
language Negapatan; there is in the same a conuent of the order of S.
Francis, whose religious friers, although they are but few, do occupie
themselues in the converting of the naturall people thereof, and it is
to be beleeued that they shall reape much fruite and doo good, for they
haue giuen showes of the same: for that about three yeares past the
prince of that countrie was conuerted by the preaching of the same
fryers, who went now to receiue the holy baptisme with great and
incredible ioy vnto the Christians. All the rest of the kingdoms (as it
is beleeued) will shortly imitate him. In this iland there are many
pearls and aliofar, al very good, round, and fine.