A new account of East-India and Persia, in eight letters being nine years travels begun 1672 and finished 1681 : containing observations made of the moral, natural and artifical estate of those countries ... / by John Fryer ... ; illustrated with maps, figures and useful tables.

LETTER I.

CHAP. I.

Treats of Embarking, and Passage till past St. Iago.

THE Proem. Taking Ship at Gravesend, and falling down to the Buoy in the Nore. Number of our Ships, with Letters of Mart. War with Holland. The reason of going over the Flatts. Stay at the Downs. The Massenberg disabled. Leaving the Lizzard, we met with Ships from Cales. We cross the Bay of Biscay to the Main Atlantick. Why this Sea is always troubled. The St. Helens Fleet stand for the Madera. Little Credit to be given to the Log-board. Hercules-Pillar. We drop our Compani∣ons by degrees. The Island of Madera the largest in the Atlantick Ocean. The Advantage of understanding the Trade-Winds and Azimuth. The Meteor Castor and Pollux. The St. Helens Fleet overtake us. We cross the Tropic of Cancer. A Guinea Ship took leave of us last. We draw near the Sun. Flying Fishes, and their Pursuers. Sharks and Pilot-Fishes. The Men of War out-sail us. The Island Beunavista. Cape-Verd Islands, Nine in Number. Isle of Maio. Arriving at St. Ia∣go. Found three Anchors slipped in the Bay. The Natives accost us with their Wares. A stately Garden. Of the Coco-Tree. Other Fruits. Their Militia. Their Asses sure-footed. Their manner of En∣tertainment. A Rural Chappel. The Na∣ture of the Island; and Inhabitants. Del Fogo.

CHAP. II.

Passage to Johanna, and Relation of that Island.

NEcessity of knowing the Trade-Winds, by a Proof. Met the Tor∣nadoes near the Coast of Guinea. Crossed the Line. Outsailed the North-star. Rai∣sed the Crociers and Magellanian Clouds. A North Sun makes Noon, as a South Sun did before. The Calenture rages in the Fleet. Extent of the Atlantick. The Tro∣pic of Capricorn. The Course of the Sun through the Zodiac, Cause of the Seasons. Sea-Fishes for Food. The Dolphin. Stone-Bass. Gales from the West to reach the Cape. The Current of the Sea against the Wind. Cape-Birds. Winter at the Cape. Separated from the Fleet for two days. Soundings off the Cape Good Hope. Spoke with some English Ships homeward bound. Doubled Cape d' Angullis to gain St. Lawrence. The Eastern Sea. A Whale. We follow the Sun. Lost sight of St. Law∣rence. Arrival at Johanna. Care of the Sick. Situation of the Island. The Inland inaccessible. The Circuit. A Tree fourteen Fathom round the Body. Best Water, next Thames-Water. Their Town and Buildings. Two Mosques. The King's Court. Their Nobles. Their Priests. We Present them. Vassals to the Arabs. Vil∣lages. A pleasant Grove. The Hills fruit∣ful. Temper of the Inhabitants. Their Vessels for Sea. Active at climbing. Slaves, how known. Skill'd in Letters and Astro∣logy. Ape Printing. Their Speech. Reli∣gion. Women. Their Children troubled with the Navel-Rupture. Their way of killing Fowls, &c. Their Diet. Corn. Want Asses, Mules, and Horses. Fowls for Game. A Budgee. Their Hate to the Mohelians. We are called aboard to set sail.

CHAP. III.

Declares our Course from Johanna, to our landing at Mechlapatan.

WE repass the Equinoctial Line. The North-Star is raised again. The Maldivae Islands. Near Ceilon. A couple of Whales. A Fright occasioned by a Mi∣stake in the Night. Sight of Ceilon. Ceilon has the best Breed of Elephants. The Ter∣henoes. Three Country Junks. Catamarans. Sanderaslapatan on the Main. Resolved to sight the Flemmings. Put to Sea again, on Advice from the Agent. Saw a French Man of War. Dismissed the Junks. Met the Freshes caused by the Rains. Having quartered the World, anchor at Mechla∣patan.

CHAP. IV.

Takes up our Stay at Mechlapatan, to our landing at Fort St. George.

THE Treasure set ashore. The Boat∣men described. Peons to wait on us. Landing at Mechlapatan. The Fort and Town. Their Custom-house Keys. Pub∣lick Structures. The Bridges. They Story of this Place, and Kingdom of Gulconda. At first governed by their Tribes. How alter'd. Their King a Chias-Moor. All Noblemens Estates fall to the King. The barbarous Custom of poysoning among the Eastern Monarchs. Gulconda the Me∣tropolis gives Name to the Kingdom. The Prime Ministers are Eunuchs. Their Wealth, how rais'd. The Army, how paid. The Bigness of the Kingdom. The Governor of Mechlapatan. The Persians Favourites at Court. Their Port and Grandeur. The East-India Company's Factors. Their manner of living. The Populousness of the Gentues. Their At∣tire. The Gravity and Pride of the Moors. Their Jealousy. Strictness towards their Women. Contrary Freedom among the Gentues. Their fearful Disposition. Their Complexion. Execution in Cases Capi∣tal. The Post, and nature thereof. No Law-Disputes long depending. Their Re∣ligions. Their Doctors of Divinity, and their Tenets. Their Ceremonies. They marry young. Their Speech. The Maho∣metans bury, the Gentues burn their Dead. Christian Strangers. Coin current, and Commodities. Beasts wild and tame. Their hanging Coaches, and those that carry them. Beasts for War and Food. Reptiles. Fowls. Fishes. Corn. Fruits. The Water and Air bad. Rain causes In∣sects. The Air better up the Country. Twelve of the King's Elephants. Our repair aboard Ship, and coming to Fort St. George. The Massenberg given over for lost, we found here.

CHAP. V.

Gives a true Narrative of the Eng∣lish, French, and Dutch, on the Coast of Coromandel, conti∣nuing till we double the Cape for the Coast of Malabar.

WE went ashore in a Mussoola. Rowed by St. Thomas. Landed at Fort St. George. The Fort described. Neat Dwellings. The Portugal Chappel. The English Masters of the Place. Sir William Langham Agent. Diligence of the Friars. Number of English and Portugal. The City of Maderas. Visited a Pagod. The English Tombs. What Pawn is. Nature of the People and Country. A Chamelion. Our Ships return to Mechlapatan. The grow∣ing Power of the French at Sea. Twenty Sail of French, under a Viceroy. Sixteen arrive at Surat. War with Holland. The French take Trincomalai from the Dutch: St. Thomas from the Moors. Fortify it. The Dutch come against it. The Vice∣roy brings his Ship in by a Stratagem. The French sally out upon the Moors. The Dutch appear again. History of St. Tho∣mas. St. Thomas Christians. King of Gul∣conda weak at Sea. A Festival of the Gentues. Triblitore. Antilopes. The Queen of the South. We fight the Hollanders, and lose three Ships. The Bombaim and Lon∣don disabled Antilope sunk. President and Sampson taken. Dutch Forces march to raise the Siege of St. Thomas. The Wealth and Power of the Flemmings. Their Po∣licy. Our seven Ships dispatched to the Malabar Coast. The Monsoons on both Coasts. The Heats tempered by Art. The Rains more intermitting on the

Coasts of Coromandel. The cause of the Monsoons enquired into. The Tail of the Elephant. Water-Snakes. The difference on the Malabar Coast. A Rejoinder of the Seasons. Small Birds drove to Sea. Land-lock'd betwixt Ceilon and the Cape. Strange colour'd Fishes. The Mountain Gates. Tutticary, our danger here. Cape Comeri.

CHAP. VI.

Views the Malabar and Canatick Coasts, up to Bombaim.

A Dark Night enlightned by Fish. The Dutch grasp all the Spice-Trade. How far 'tis possible. Cochin. We left the bad Weather, but not the Dutch Practices. Went ashore at Tanore. Their Wares. Their Houses mean. Their Nation di∣stinguished. The Nairoes. The Husband∣men. Their Men, how clad. Their Wo∣men. Manners and Religion. Hospitals for Cows. St. Thomas Christians. Coins current. The Pepper. Blackamore Pul∣len. Intensely cold a-nights. Latitude of Tanore. Calicut. The Portugal Fort overflowed. The Story of Calicut. Its condition since the Portugals left it. Coins. The right Ascent of the Sun to the Me∣ridian. Malabar Coast harbours Pyrates. Phalapatan. The King. Crocodiles in the River. Cutticony. Its Prospect. The Gentiles loth to resign it to the English. The Fort. Unsafe travelling without a Nairo. Naughtiness of their Women. Coins. We left Malabar Coast. Onor the first Land we touched on the Canatick Coast. The Protector of Canora went aboard our Fleet at Mirja. His obstreporous Musick. Our Lading. Carwar in the hands of Seva. The People partly Moors, partly Gentues. Goa. The Portugal Armado. Light-Houses. Rajapour. Choul. Bombaim.