is the driest Island in the world: for there is nothing growing in it but
onely salte; for their water, wood, or victuals, and all things necessary
came but of Persia, which is about twelue miles from thence. All the
Illands thereabout be very fruitful, from whence all kinde of victuals are
sent vnto Ormus. The Portugales haue a castle here which standeth neere
vnto the sea, wherein there is a Captaine for the king of Portugale hauing
vnder him a conuenient number of souldiers, whereof some part remaine in
the castle, and some in the towne. In this towne are marchants of all
Nations, and many Moores and Gentiles. Here is very great trade of all
sortes of spices, drugs, silke, cloth of silke, fine tapestrie of Persia,
great store of pearles which come from the Isle of Baharim, and are the
best pearles of all others, and many horses of Persia, which serue all
India; They haue a Moore to their king, which is chosen and gouerned by the
Portugales. Their women are very strangely attyred, wearing on their noses,
eares, neckes, armes and legges many rings, set with jewels, and lockes of
siluer and golde in their eares, and a long barre of golde vpon the side of
their noses. Their eares with the weight of theie [sic--KTH] iewels be
worne so wide, that a man may thrust three of his fingers into them. Here
very shortly after our arriuall wee were put in prison, and had part of our
goods taken from vs by the Captaine of the castle, whose name was Don
Mathias de Albuquerque; and from hence the eleuenth of October he shipped
vs and sent vs for Goa vnto the Viceroy, which at that time was Don
Francisco de Mascarenhas. The shippe wherein we were imbarked for Goa
belonged to the Captaine, and carried one hundred twentie and foure horses
in it. All marchandise carried to Goa in a shippe wherein are horses pay no
custome in Goa. The horses pay custome, the goods pay nothing; but if you
come in a ship which bringeth no horses, you are then, to pay eight in the
hundred for your goods. The first citie of India that we arriued at vpon
the fift of Nouember, after we had passed the coast of Zindi, is called
Diu, which standeth in an Iland in the kingdome of Cambaia, and is the
strongest towne that the Portugales haue in those partes. It is but litle,
but well stored with marchandise; for here they lade many great shippes
with diuerse commodities for the streits of Mecca, for Ormus, and other
places, and these be shippes of the Moores and of Christains. But the
Moores cannot passe, except they haue a passeport from the Portugales.
Cambaietta is the chiefe citie of that prouince, which is great and very
populous, and fairely builded for a towne of the Gentiles: but if there
happen any famine, the people will sell their children for very little. The
last king of Cambaia was Sultan Badu, which was killed at the seige of Diu,
and shortly after his citie was taken by the great Mogor, which is the king
of Agra and of Delli, which are fortie dayes iourney from the country of
Cambaia. Here the women weare vpon their armes infinite numbers of rings
made of Elephants teeth, wherein they take so much delight, that they had
rather be without their meate then without their bracelets. Going from Diu
we come to Daman the second towne of the Portugales in the countrey of
Cambaia which is distant from Diu fortie leagues. Here is no trade but of
corne and rice. They haue many villages vnder them which they quietly
possesse in time of peace, but in time of warre the enemie is maister of
them. From thence we passed by Basaim, and from Basaim to Tana, at both
which places is small trade but only of corn and rice. The tenth of
Nouember we arriued at Chaul which standeth in the firm land. There be two
townes, the one belonging to the Portugales, and the other to the Moores.
That of the Portugales is neerest to the sea, and commaundeth the bay, and
is walled round about. A little aboue that is the towne of the Moores which
is gouerned by a Moore king called Xa Maluco. Here is great traffike for
all sortes of spices and drugges, silke, and cloth of silke, sandales,
Elephants teeth, and much China worke, and much sugar which is made of the
nutte called Gagara: the tree is called the palmer; which is the
profitablest tree in the worlde: it doth alwayes beare fruit, and doth
yeeld wine, oyle, sugar, vineger, cordes, coles, of the leaues are made
thatch for the houses, sayles for shippes, mats to sit or lie on: of the
branches they make their houses, and broomes to sweepe, of the tree wood
for shippes. The wine doeth issue out of the toppe of the tree. They cut a
branch of a bowe and binde it hard, and hange an earthen pot vpon it, which
they emptie euery morning and euery euening, and still it and put in
certaine dried raysins, and it becommeth very strong wine in short time.
Hither many shippes come from all partes of India, Ormus, and many from
Mecca: heere be manie Moores and Gentiles. They haue a very strange order
among them, they worshippe a cowe, and esteeme much of the cowes doung to
paint the walles of their houses. They will kill nothing not so much as a
louse; for they holde it a sinne to kill any thing. They eate no flesh, but
liue by rootes, and ryce, and milke. And when the husbande dieth his wife
is burned with him, if shee be aliue: if shee will not, her head is shauen,
and then is neuer any account made of her after. They say if they should be
buried, it were a great sinne, for of their bodies there would come many
wormes and other vermine, and when their bodies were consumed, those wormes
would lacke sustenance; which were a sinne, therefore they will be burned.
In Cambaia they will kill nothing, nor haue any thing killed: in the towne
they haue hospitals to keepe lame dogs and cats, and for birds. They will
giue meat to the Ants.
Goa is the most principal citie which the Portugals haue in India, wherein
the Viceroy remaineth with his court. It standeth in an Iland, which may be
25. or 30. miles about. It is a fine citie, and for an Indian towne very
faire. The Iland is very faire, full of orchards and gardens, and many
palmer trees, and hath some villages. Here bee many marchants of all
nations. And the Fleete which commeth euery yeere from Portugal, which be
foure, fiue, or sixe great shippes, commeth first hither. And they come for
the most part in September, and remaine there fortie or fiftie dayes; and
then goe to Cochin, where they lade their Pepper for Portugall. Oftentimes
they lade one in Goa, the rest goe to Cochin which is from Goa an hundred
leagues southward. Goa standeth in the countrey of Hidalcan, who lieth in
the countrey sixe or seuen dayes iourney. His chiefe citie is called
Bisapor. [Sidenote: This wa the 20 of Nouember.] At our comming we were
cast into prison, and examined before the Iustice and demanded for letters,
and were charged to be spies, but they could prooue nothing by vs. We
continued in prison vntill the two and twentie of December, and then we
were set at libertie, putting in sureties for two thousand duckets not to
depart the towne; which sureties father Steuens an English Iesuite which we
found there, and another religious man a friend of his procured for vs. Our
sureties name was Andreas Taborer, to whom we paid 2150. duckats, and still
he demaunded more: whereupon we made sute to the Viceroy and Iustice to
haue our money againe, considering that they had had it in their hands
neere fiue moneths and could prooue nothing against vs. The Viceroy made vs
a very sharpe answere, and sayd we should be better sifted before it were
long, and that they had further matter against vs. Whereupon we presently
determined rather to seeke our liberties, then to bee in danger for euer to
be slaues in the countrey, for it was told vs we should haue the strapado.
Wherupon presently, the fift day of April 1585. in the morning we ranne
from thence. And being set ouer the riuer, we went two dayes on foote not
without feare, not knowing the way nor hauing any guide, for we durst trust
none. [Sidenote: Bellergan a towne.] One of the first townes which we came
vnto, is called Bellergan, where there is a great market kept of Diamants,
Rubies, Saphires, and many other soft stones. [Sidenote: Bisapor.] From
Bellergan we went to Bisapor which is a very great towne where the king
doeth keepe his court. Hee hath many Gentiles in his court and they be
great idolaters. And they haue their idols standing in the Woods, which
they call Pagodes. Some bee like a Cowe, some like a Monkie, some like
Buffles, some like peacockes, and some like the deuill. Here be very many
elephants which they goe to warre withall. Here they haue good store of
gold and siluer: their houses are of stone very faire and high. [Sidenote:
Gulconda.] From hence we went for Gulconda, the king whereof is called
Cutup de lashach. Here and in the kingdome of Hidalcan, and in the countrey
of the king of Decan, bee the Diamants found in the olde water. It is a
very faire towne, pleasant, with faire houses of bricke and timber, it
aboundeth with great store of fruites and fresh water. Here the men and the
women do go with a cloth bound about their middles without any more
apparell. We found it here very hote.
[Sidenote: Masulipatan.] The winter beginneth here about the last of May.
In these partes is a porte or hauen called Masulipatan, which standeth
eight dayes iourney from hence toward the gulfe of Bengala, whether come
many shippes out of India, Pegu, and Sumatra, very richly laden with
Pepper, spices, and other commodities. The countrie is very good and
fruitfull. [Sidenote: Seruidore.] From thence I went to Seruidore which is
a fine countrey, and the king is called, the king of Bread. The houses here
bee all thatched and made of lome. Here be many Moores and Gentiles, but
there is small religion among them. [Sidenote: Bellapore.] From thence I
went to Bellapore, and so to Barrampore, which is in the country of
Zelabdim Echebar. In this place their money is made of a kind of siluer
round and thicke, to the value of twentie pence, which is very good siluer.
It is marueilous great and a populous countrey. In their winter which is in
Iune, Iuly, and August, there is no passing in the streetes but with
horses, the waters be so high. The houses are made of lome and thatched.
Here is great store of cotton cloth made, and painted clothes of cotton
wooll: here groweth great store of corne and Rice. [Sidenote: Strange
mariages.] We found mariages great store both in townes and villages in
many places where wee passed, of boyes of eight or ten yeeres, and girles
of fiue or six yeeres old. They both do ride vpon one horse very trimly
decked, and are caried through the towne with great piping and playing, and
so returne home and eate of a banket made of Rice and fruits, and there
they daunce the most part of the night and so make an ende of the marriage.
They lie not together vntill they be ten yeeres old. They say they marry
their children so yoong, because it is an order that when the man dieth,
the woman must be burned with him: so that if the father die, yet they may
haue a father in lawe to helpe to bring vp the children which bee maried:
and also that they will not leaue their sonnes without wiues, nor their
daughters without husbands. [Sidenote: Mandoway a very strong town.] From
thence we went to Mandoway, which is a very strong towne. It was besieged
twelue yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before he could winne it. It standeth
vpon a very great high rocke as the most part of their castles doe, and was
of a very great circuite. [Sidenote: Vgini.] From hence wee went to Vgini
and Serringe, where we ouertooke the ambassadour of Zelabdim Echebar with a
marueilous great company of men, elephants, and camels. Here is great trade
of cotton and cloth made of cotton, and great store of drugs. From thence
we went to Agra passing many riuers, which by reason of the raine were so
swollen, that wee waded and swamme oftentimes for our liues. [Sidenote:
Agra a great citie.] Agra is a very great citie and populous, built with
stone, hauing faire and large streetes, with a faire riuer running by it,
which falleth into the gulfe of Bengala. It hath a faire castle and a
strong with a very faire ditch. [Sidenote: The great Mogor.] Here bee many
Moores and Gentiles, the king is called Zelabdim Echebar: the people for
the most part call him The great Mogor. From thence we went for Fatepore,
which is the place where the king kept his court. The towne is greater then
Agra, but the houses and streetes be not so faire. Here dwell many people
both Moores and Gentiles. The king hath in Agra and Fatepore as they doe
credibly report 1000. elephants, thirtie thousand horses, 1400. tame Deere,
800. concubines: such store of Ounces, Tigers, Buffles, Cocks and Haukes,
that is very strange to see. He keepeth a great court, which they call
Dericcan. Agra and Fatepore are two very great cities, either of them much
greater then London and very populous. [Sidenote: The like is reported of
the cities of China.] Betweene Agra and Fatepore are 12. miles, and all the
way is a market of victuals and other things, as full as though a man were
still in a towne, and so many people as if a man were in a market. They
haue many fine cartes, and many of them carued and gilded with gold, with
two wheeles which be drawen with two litle Buls about the bignesse of our
great dogs in England, and they will runne with any horse, and carie two or
three men in one of these cartes: they are couered with silke or very fine
cloth, and be vsed here as our Coches be in England. Hither is great resort
of marchants from Persia and out of India, and very much marchandise of
silke and cloth, and of precious stones, both Rubies, Diamants, and
Pearles. The king is apparelled in a white Cabie made like a shirt tied
with strings on the one side, and a litle cloth on his head coloured
oftentimes with red or yealow. None come into his house but his eunuchs
which keepe his women. Here in Fatepore we staied all three vntill the 28.
of September 1585. and then master Iohn Newberie tooke his iourney toward
the citie of Lahor, determining from thence to goe for Persia and then for
Aleppo or Constantinople, whether hee could get soonest passage vnto, and
directed me to goe for Bengala and for Pegu, and did promise me, if it
pleased God, to meete me in Bengala within two yeeres with a shippe out of
England. [Sidenote: Wil. Leades serued the king of Cambaia.] I left William
Leades the ieweller in seruice with the king Zelabdim Echebar in Fatepore,
who did entertaine him very well, and gaue him an house and fiue slaues, an
horse, and euery day sixe S. S. in money. I went from Agra to Satagam in
Bengala, in the companie of one hundred and fourescore boates laden with
Salt, Opium, Hinge, Lead, Carpets, and diuers other commodities, downe the
riuer Iemena. The chiefe marchants are Moores and Gentiles. [Sidenote: The
superstitious ceremonies of the Bramanes.] In these countries they haue
many strange ceremonies. The Bramanes which are their priests, come to the
water and haue a string about their necks made with great ceremonies, and
lade vp water with both their hands, and turne the string first with both
their hands within, and then one arme after the other out. Though it be
neuer so cold, they will wash themselues in cold water or in, warme. These
Gentiles will eate no flesh nor kill any thing. They liue with rice,
butter, milke, and fruits. They pray in the water naked, and dresse their
meat and eate it naked, and for their penance they lie flat vpon the earth,
and rise vp and turne themselues about 30. or 40. times, and vse to heaue
vp their hands to the sunne, and to kisse the earth, with their armes and
legs stretched along out, and their right leg alwayes before the left.
Euery time they lie downe, they make a score on the ground with their
finger to know when their stint is finished. The Bramanes marke themselues
in the foreheads, eares and throates with a kind of yellow geare which they
grind, and euery morning they doe it. And they haue some old men which go
in the streetes with a boxe of yellow poudre, and marke men on their heads
and neckes as they meet them. And their wiues do come by 10. 20. and 30.
together to the water side singing, and there do wash themselues, and then
vse their ceremonies, and marke themselues in their foreheds and faces, and
cary some with them, and so depart singing. Their daughters be marred, at,
or before the age of 10 yeres. The men may haue 7. wiues. They be a kind of
craftie people, worse then the Iewes. When they salute one another, they
heaue vp their hands to their heads, and say Rame, Rame. [Sidenote:
Ganges.] From Agra I came to Prage, where the riuer Iemena entreth into the
mightie river Ganges, and Iemena looseth his name. Ganges commeth out of
the Northwest, and runneth East into the gulfe of Bengala. In those parts
there are many Tigers and many partriges and turtledoues, and much other
foule. Here be many beggars in these countries which goe naked, and the
people make great account of them: they call them Schesche. Here I sawe one
which was a monster among the rest. He would haue nothing vpon him, his
beard was very long, and with the haire of his head he couered his
priuities. The nailes of some of his fingers were two inches long, for he
would cut nothing from him, neither would he speake. He was accompanied
with eight or tenne, and they spake for him. When any man spake to him, he
would lay his hand vpon his brest and bowe himselfe, but would not speake.
Hee would not speake to the king. We went from Prage downe Ganges, the
which is here very broad. Here is great store of fish of sundry sorts, and
of wild foule, as of swannes, geese, cranes, and many other things. The
country is very fruitfull and populous. The men for the most part haue
their faces shauen, and their heads very long, except some which bee all
shauen saue the crowne: and some of them are as though a man should set a
dish on their heads, and shaue them round, all but the crowne. In this
riuer of Ganges are many Ilands. His water is very sweete and pleasant, and
the countrey adioyning very fruitfull. From thence wee went to Bannaras
which is a great towne, and great store of cloth is made there of cotton,
and Shashes for the Moores. In this place they be all Gentiles, and be the
greatest idolaters that euer I sawe. [Sidenote: A pilgrimage of the
Gentiles.] To this towne come the Gentiles on pilgrimage out of farre
countreys. Here alongst the waters side bee very many faire houses, and in
all of them, or for the most part they haue their images standing, which be
euill fauoured, made of stone and wood, some like lions, leopards, and
monkeis, some like men and women, and pecocks, and some like the deuil with
foure armes and 4. hands. They sit crosse legged, some with one thing in
their hands, and some another, and by breake of day and before, there are
men and women which come out of the towne and wash themselues in Ganges.
And there are diuers old men which vpon places of earth made for the
purpose, sit praying, and they giue the people three or foure strawes,
which they take and hold them betweene their fingers when they wash
themselues: and some sit to marke them in the foreheads, and they haue in a
cloth a litle Rice, Barlie, or money, which, when they haue washed
themselues, they giue to the old men which sit there praying. Afterwards
they go to diuers of their images, and giue them of their sacrifices. And
when they giue, the old men say certaine prayers, and then is all holy. And
in diuers places there standeth a kind of image which in their language
they call Ada. And they haue diuers great stones carued, whereon they poure
water, and throw thereupon some rice, wheate, barly, and some other things.
This Ada hath foure hands with clawes. Moreouer, they haue a great place
made of stone like to a well with steppes to goe downe; wherein the water
standeth very foule and stinketh: for the great quantitie of flowers, which
continually they throwe into it, doe make it stinke. There be alwayes many
people in it: for they say when they wash themselues in it, that their
sinnes be forgiuen them, because God, as they say, did wash himselfe in
that place. They gather vp the sand in the bottome of it, and say it is
holy. They neuer pray but in the water, and they wash themselues ouerhead,
and lade vp water with both their handes, and turne themselues about, and
then they drinke a litle of the water three times, and so goe to their gods
which stand in those houses. Some of them will wash a place which is their
length, and then will pray vpon the earth with their armes and legs at
length out, and will rise vp and lie downe, and kisse the ground twentie or
thirtie times, but they will not stirre their right foote. And some of them
will make their ceremonies with fifteene or sixteene pots litle and great,
and ring a litle bel when they make their mixtures tenne or twelue times:
and they make a circle of water round about their pots and pray, and diuers
sit by them, and one that reacheth them their pots: and they say diuers
things ouer their pots many times, and when they haue done, they goe to
their gods, and strowe their sacrifices which they thinke are very holy,
and marke many of them which sit by, in the foreheads, which they take as a
great gift. There come fiftie and sometime an hundred together, to wash
them in this well, and to offer to these idols. They haue in some of these
houses their idoles standing, and one sitteth by them in warme weather with
a fanne to blowe winde vpon them. And when they see any company comming,
they ring a litle bell which hangeth by them, and many giue them their
almes, but especially those which come out of the countrey. Many of them
are blacke and haue clawes of brasse with long nayles, and some ride vpon
peacocks and other foules which be euill fauoured, with long haukes bils,
and some like one thing and some another, but none with a good face. Among
the rest there is one which they make great account of: for they say hee
giueth them all things both foode and apparell, and one sitteth alwayes by
him with a fanne to make wind towards him. Here some bee burned to ashes,
some scorched in the fire and throwen into the water, and dogges and foxes
doe presently eate them. The wiues here doe burne with their husbands when
they die, if they will not their heads be shauen, and neuer any account is
made of them afterward. The people goe all naked saue a litle cloth bound
about their middle. Their women haue their necks, armes and eares decked
with rings of siluer, copper, tinne, and with round hoopes made of Iuorie,
adorned with amber stones, and with many agats, and they are marked with a
great spot of red in their foreheads, and a stroke of red vp to the crowne,
and so it runneth three manor of wayes. In their Winter, which is our May,
the men weare quilted gownes of cotton like to our mattraces and quilted
caps like to our great Grocers morters, with a slit to looke out at, and so
tied downe beneath their eares. If a man or woman be sicke and like to die,
they will lay him before their idols all night, and that shall helpe him or
make an ende of him. And if he do not mend that night, his friends will
come and sit with him a litle and cry, and afterwards will cary him to the
waters side and set him vpon a litle raft made of reeds, and so let him goe
downe the riuer. When they be maried the man and the woman come to the
water side, and there is an olde man which they call a Bramane, that is a
priest, a cowe and a calfe, or a cowe with calfe. Then the man and the
woman, cowe and calfe, and the olde man goe into the water together, and
they giue the olde man a white cloth of foure yards long, and a basket
crosse bound with diuers things in it: the cloth he laieth vpon the backe
of the cowe, and then he taketh the cowe by the ende of the taile, and
saieth certaine wordes: and she hath a copper or a brasse pot full of
water, and the man doeth hold his hand by the olde mans hand, and the wiues
hand by her husbands, and all haue the cowe by the taile, and they poure
water out of the pot vpon the cowes taile, and it runneth through all their
hands, and they lade vp water with their handes, and then the olde man
doeth tie him and her together by their [Marginal note: This tying of new
maried folks together by the clothes, was vsed by the Mexicans in old
time.] clothes. Which done, they goe round about the cowe and calfe, and
then they giue somewhat to the poore which be alwayes there, and to the
Bramane or priest they giue the cowe and calfe, and afterward goe to diuers
of their idoles and offer money, and lie downe flat vpon the ground and
kisse it diuers times, and then goe their way. Their chiefe idoles bee
blacke and euill fauoured, their mouthes monstrous, their eares gilded, and
full of jewels, their teeth and eyes of gold, siluer, and glasse, some
hauing one thing in their handes and some another. You may not come into
the houses where they stand, with your shooes on. They haue continually
lampes burning before them. From Bannaras I went to Patenaw downe the riuer
of Ganges: where in the way we passed many faire townes, and a countrey
very fruitfull: and many very great riuers doe enter into Ganges, and some
of them as great as Ganges, which cause Ganges to bee of a great breadth,
and so broad that in the time of rain, you cannot see from one side to the
other. These Indians when they bee scorched and throwen into the water, the
men swimme with their faces downewards, the women with their faces vpwards,
I thought they tied something to them to cause them to do so: but they say
no. There be very many thieues In this countrey, which be like to the
Arabians: for they haue no certaine abode, but are sometime in one place
and sometime in another. Here the women bee so decked with siluer and
copper, that it is strange to see, they use no shooes by reason of the
rings of siluer and copper, which they weare on their toes. [Sidenote: Gold
found.] Here at Patanaw they finde gold in this maner. They digge deepe
pits in the earth, and wash the earth in great holies, and therein they
finde the gold, and they make the pits round about with bricke, that the
earth fall not in. Patenaw is a very long and a great towne. In times past
it was a kingdom, but now it is vnder Zelabdim Echebar, the great Mogor.
The men are tall and slender, and haue many old folks among them: the
houses are simple, made of earth and couered with strawe, the streetes are
very large. In this towne there is a trade of cotton, and cloth of cotton,
much sugar, which they cary from hence to Bengala and India, very much
Opium and other commodities. He that is chiefe here vnder the king is
called Tipperdas, and is of great account among the people. Here in Patenau
I saw a dissembling prophet which sate vpon an horse in the market place,
and made as though he slept, and many of the people came and touched his
feete with their hands, and then kissed their hands. They tooke him for a
great man, but sure he was a lasie lubber. I left him there sleeping. The
people of these countries be much giuen to such prating and dissembling
hypocrites.