The world surveyed, or The famous voyages & travailes of Vincent le Blanc, or White, of Marseilles ... containing a more exact description of several parts of the world, then hath hitherto been done by any other authour : the whole work enriched with many authentick histories / originally written in French ; and faithfully rendred into English by F.B., Gent.

CHAP. XV. Of Diu, her state and Forts, and the neighbour∣ing Countryes of Cambayette, of the fidelity of the Indian Sensalls, and of the marvelous ebbing and flowing of the Sea.

LEt us return to our voyage, and arrivall at Diu, which I shall treat more fully of here, as of Cambaye, Goa, Cochin, Calicut, and others, having seen them often since. Diu is a little neat Town, scituate in an Isle joyning unto the Continent of the King∣dom of Cambaye, whereof it is a part; there have the Portuguais a Fort, or Castle inexpugnable, no man being permitted entrance there, without a Cartaco, or passe from the Vice-Roy, and the ships pay Custom, if they are small vessells they may enter into Cambayette, which is the Haven of the Town. The Isle of Diu is by the Indians, called Marmayrdina, 60. miles from the mouth of the Gulf of Cambaye, and 100. from the Royall Town of Cam∣baye, she joyns almost to the Continent, in the 23^th. degree and a half of elevation, it abounds in cattell, vast trade, used by all the Indian Nations: for the abundance of all sorts of Commodities, which are there to be bought and sold, as Gold, Silver, Spices, Me∣dicinal drugs, Brasil, Jewels, Pearles, Perfumes, Amber, Musk, Mastick, Cloves, Safron, Corrall, Brass, Lead, Mercury, Vermilli∣on, and Lacca; the Town is as big as Marseills, little lesse then Goa; there are many fair Churches. The Hospitall is large, rich, and very well provided. The West Indians traffick here, come in a shorter time, and with more surety, thorough the sea of Sur, then by the Cape of Good Hope a very dangerous passage, occa∣sioned by the great winds, and frequent tempests, as you shall hear hereafter. The Portuguais having taken this Town out of the hand of Badurius, King of Cambaye, at their first settlemen there.

The Town of Diu was built by a King of Guzerate, and Cam∣baye, constituted Governour there of a Melique, As or Tas, that made the Haven, made himselfe Soveraign, and was guarded by Turks; since, in the yeare 1508. the Natives, assisted by Campson, Soldan of Aegypt, fell upon the Portuguais, defeated them, and stormed Diu severall times so fiercely, that it occasioned, Nonio A∣cugna the Vice-roy, in the year 1535, to build a strong Fort, with the consent of King Badurius, which they maintained against the Tartars and Mogors; the strength and importance of the place, drawing both hatred and envy from the Indians, The King

of Cambaye, and other neighbouring Kings, indeavoured to reco∣ver it by meer strength, but all in vain; for the gallant op∣position and defence of the Portugall, hath kept them masters of it to this day.

The Indians had some reason for what they did, for from thence depended the whole Trade of the Kingdom, and adjacent Coun∣treyes; and the Portuguais keep all that Countrey in subjection; from Diu to Goa, and the Cape Comarin, 270. leagues in length. The chiefest part of the East is furnished with commodities from hence, a place very rich, well peopled, and full of good Townes, and of great trade. In the adjacent parts, to Diu, upon the Continent, are the Kingdomes of Circan, and Reytenbura, where stands the Royall Town of Ardanat, then Campanell, capitall Town of Cambaye stands beyond the River Indus, and the Townes of Albiran, Casdar, Masura, Sudustan, Abedit; all great Townes rich, and well traded, and inhabited by many Mer∣chants, Gentills, Mores, Jewes, and Christians, in this Town Malefactors are put to death by poyson only, and not by the sword.

Beyond the River Araba stand many fair Townes, viz. Sava∣dir, Barca, Bermen, Patenisir, a fair haven, where divers of the rarest,* 1.1 and richest Carpets of the World are made in silke, and fi∣gured, which are transported to Bengale, Malaco, and Pegu, and o∣ther places; there are also made Calicoes, stained of divers colours, which is the chiefest and ordinary cloathing the Natives use, and there is brought of it into all parts of the world.

Halfe a dayes journey from Batenisir stands Diu, upon a creek of land, separate by a river from the Continent; there are paid great Customes upon all sorts of commodities, which brings in a great profit to the Inhabitants, the King of Spain having the least share in it, and what he hath imployed to the maintenance of the Garrisons, most of those payments fall to the Officers and re∣ceivers shares, who agree very well with the Vice-Roy: The King is often of a mind to quit the Countrey, but his Councill is not of the same opinion, the Countrey being too considera∣ble to their Prince, for strength and reputation; and besides 'twould indanger the losse of Christianity, that is so hopeful∣ly rooted in those parts, for the Turkes assault them often, and took and sack't the Castle of Diu twice, and had reduced the rest of the Town,* 1.2 but for the help of three ships that came into their assistance from Cochin, that preserved the rest, and beat the Turks out of what they had already got.

The Portuguais, in defence of them and the Nations, have built two strong Forts, the one in the sea, the other that commands all passages by Land; but the Natives having often fallen upon them, to their own losse, are now the Spaniards good friends, according unto Articles and Agreements made between them.

The Inhabitants of Cambaye are strict observers of many super∣stitious customs, they will not eat with a Christian although they visit them often; if you touch their meat they think themselves pol∣luted, and this they have from the Guzerates, in which they are more rigidly superstitious than the Jews themselves.

Those of any quality eat upon silken carpets diversly colour'd, and to preserve their silks serve the dishes upon green leaves, they are temperate in their diet, and drink of severall sorts of li∣quors, and they mingle some Areca to them all,* 1.3 a fruit very com∣mon in the India's, it is also held very wholesom, preserves them and cures them of several diseases: it preserves the teeth strange∣ly, for the Inhabitants are never troubled with any pains or aches in them; women are there in very great esteem, especially the great Ladies, who never stir out of their houses: some de∣light themselves never to see day light, and are served all by candle light.

The whole Countrey is inhabited by Gentills, and Guzerates; The justest, the most reasonable and religious of the East, accor∣ding to the ancient Pythagorean rule, they never feed upon any living Creature whatever: their chiefest food is rice, white and black, milk, cheese, garden stuffe, and the like; they do wrong to no persons, nay they spare the bloud and lives of their mor∣tallest enemies; the Countrey towards Rasigut produces great store of Turkey stones, of Storax, Cornelians red and white. This Kingdom extends it self towards South-east, and the Sea Southward, Westward it buts upon Guzerate, Eastward are the lands of Mandao, and Paleucate, and Northward it reaches unto Sangan, Dulcinde, and the Territories of the Grand Mogull: Through this kingdom runs the famous River of Indus, called Indus Inder, or Schind, and hath given her name to the whole Countrey, and chiefly to Indostan, and other neighbouring Coun∣tries; which make up the India citerior, her head springs forth of the Mountain Caucasus Paropamisus, called at this day Nau∣gracot and Ʋssonte, and taking her course thorough many great Kingdoms, is swel'd by many great Rivers, that lose themselves in her, and at last discharges her self into the Indian Sea at two several mouths near unto the Town of Cambaye.

Cambaye is a large and flourishing Town,* 1.4 seated upon a River called by the Inhabitants Amondoua, and separates the Provinces of Guzerate and Cambaye, both making one Kingdom: This Town stands a league from the Sea, and about the same distance from the River Indus, which affords her a haven in two places, the chiefest is in a corner of the Town Northward, and is so nar∣row that in case of necessity the ships may be chained in the har∣bour, the ships come and go with the ebbe and flow, and are often very numerous, and 'tis to be noted that the tides are weakest at the full of the Moon, which is wonderfull,* 1.5 and contrary

to ours, the reason thereof is not yet found out by any Natu∣ralist. The same happens in Pegu, as we shall speak of here∣after.

This Town is one of the richest of the Orient, built very stately at the Italian model, and the passages leading to her strengthened by many forts. The Portuguais have often endea∣voured to possesse themselves of it, being plentifully furnisht with all things necessary to mankind; and here are most excel∣lent fruits: Here Diu provides her self with what she wants at home, Cambaye and she being Confederates: she produces the best Turbith, Galanga, Nardus, Assa foetida, and other drugs, is rich in silks, cottons, rice, and all sorts of seeds, and abounds in precious stones and Jewels;* 1.6 The Prince that governs is a Maho∣metan, gives liberty of conscience to all his Subjects, to the Chri∣stians, Jews, Idolaters, his guard consists of 2000. horse, and 3000 foot, armed with bows and cimeters.

He keeps fifty Elephants taught to reverence him dayly, and are sumptuously trapped and caparisoned, upon dayes of pub∣lick shews or festivals, their stable well and neatly furnished, painted, and well set forth, and are fed in silver vessels, and their grooms or Governours dresse them with great respect and humility, without ever offering any rudenesse; they are animals approaching very near to reason, and want speech onely to ex∣presse themselves;* 1.7 they understand the language of the Country, and do very readily conceive what is taught them: The Prince feeds upon venemous Creatures, which he hath ever so used himself to, that he is become venemous himself, and a fly stinging of him immediately dies: he presently killed all the women that ever lay with him, infecting them with his breath, so that he had change daily.

The furniture within their houses is rich, which they have from the Portuguais, they ride in littars, and are great Lovers of Musick; their houses are sumptuously dressed at Diu, and Ormus, many of them beautified and enriched, with Calcedoni∣ans, Turkey-stones, Amarists, Topases, and other jewels. At Lymadura a village within three miles of the Town there is a mine of Calcedonians, whence they have of three sorts of them, white, red, and mingled, called Bazayora, Merchants from divers places furnish themselves with many of them, they saile with their ships into Nogar, a Port not far from the Mine, the commodities laded from this Town are transported into divers parts of the world, to Ormus, Ziden, Meka; others are transported through the mouth of Euphrates unto Bazora, Babylon, Byr, Aleppo, and Damas.

The imported commodities from Meka, are scarlets, velvets, fine woollen cloaths Iron ware, Amsian which is a drug like unto Opium, which the Indians frequently take, chiefly in their Armies,

it makes the Souldiers valiant and furious, fighting to the last drop of bloud: and is therefore a rich commodity, the Assa foetida, Turbith, Agathes, and other jewels are brought from Diu, where there are many Goldsmiths and Jewellers, thither the Merchants bring them to have them cut into several figures.

Silks, purslanes, sendals, velvets, ivory, brasile, mirabolans, confections, and preserves, of all sorts, spices, and all sorts of gro∣cery come from China, and from other places of the Levant: The Town affords you of the best Borrax in the world: Trade is very faithfully carried on there, for the Factors and Retalers are per∣sons of quality, and good reputation; and are as carefull in vent∣ing and preserving other persons wares, as if they were their own proper goods; they are also obliged to furnish the Merchants with dwelling houses, and ware-houses, diet,* 1.8 and oftentimes with di∣vers sorts of commodities: the houses are large and pleasant, where you are provided with women of all ages for your use, you buy them at certain rates, and sell them again when you have made use of them, if you like them not, you may choose the wholsomest and the most agreeable to your humour: all things necessary to livelihood maybe made your own at cheap rates, and you live there with much liberty, without great incoveniences; if you discharge the customs rated upon merchandizes, nothing more is exacted, and all strangers live with the same freedom and liberty as the Na∣tives, do, making open profession of their own Religions.

Ivory is in very great esteem in this place,* 1.9 and the neigh∣bouring Countries, and very much is consumed; Ladies of the best note wear bracelets of several fashions made thereof, and at the death of any friend or alliance they break them in many pieces, which is the greatest expression of sadnesse among their sex; as the shaving of beard close is to the men, and when their time of mourning is over, they make themselves new bracelets.

The Town of Cambaye is much of the bignesse of Roan, or ra∣ther bigger, besides the Suburbs, and not much unlike unto the Grand Caire, only that she is much lesse,* 1.10 the inhabitants call her Byr, Armadouar, Parents that are overcharged with children sell those they have supernumerary.

Here I will relate you an accident that happened to my Cama∣rade at Cambaye; Having spent some dayes there trading,* 1.11 he met a Countreyman of his born at Xaintonge, who feigned himself a Merchant, and a great dealer, but proved at last an impostor. This counterfeit, under the pretense of trading, stole from my Camarade a pack of wares worth 300. crowns, which by the op∣portunity of a Caravane bound for Ormus, there he imbarked himself to preserve his theft, timely notice being given my Compa∣nion, he pursued him in another ship, together with another Mer∣chant, who had formerly been the like served in a greater conse∣quence.

This diligence was a little rash, for I was immediately advised by our host, a rich broker or merchant, that my camarade had taken his journey in vain, having not with him a roll of his goods stoln, nor the Viceroy's Cartaco; I streight resolved to follow him with the papers and passe-port he stood in need of: Cassis overtook this venturer at Ormus, where he debauched at his charge, and for want of the list of wares nothing could be proved against him. The cheat put my companion to his wits, denying whatever was alledged against him, with an injurious insolence. The Judge or Al∣cade, to whom my friend had addressed himself for justice and sa∣tisfactiō, weighing the others confidence with the slender evidence my friend could bring against him, and having received a feeling in the case, was ready to commit our friends to prison for barrettors, and impostors, had I not come to town three dayes after with com∣fortable news, I shewed my self in Court, and giving information of the whole truth, my testimony and evidence was taken in the presence of the Alcade, and a Portugais Gentleman, named Seig∣nior Jacomo de Mendez, purposely sent by the Viceroy; he gave me charge to take great care of my self, telling me that if I were found a liar it concerned my life, being sworn, imposing my hand upon a Crosse held out to me upon the end of a Vare, or wand; I gave up my evidence at large, and informed the Judicature, that in the stoln pack there was a memorial of what was therein contain∣ed, besides I particularly named the chiefest goods therein, which Cassis had wholly forgotten.

Then I produced the Cartaco, and other notes, that witnessed the discharging of the excises and customes, as by advice received from our host Josepho Groyna, who witnessed the same: The cheat being examined in my sight whether he knew me or no, he begun his own defense injuring and abusing me, striving to break my evidence by multiplicity of words, with a strange boldnesse, or rather impudence practised by such persons, saying he had taken no exact account of his commodities, pretending him∣self a Gentleman and not used thereunto; his many words availed him little, for I pressing the pack might be opened, my evidence proved true, and the roll compared to my book of accounts, found answerable all was verified, and the miserable man having not a word left in his own excuse, was convicted, and condemned to the Galleys during life. Thus we found justice, and recovered our commodities with little losse, and returning thanks to Seignior Mendez we came back to Cam∣baye: This I have related to the faithfulnesse and integrity of our Landlord; and really their sincerity and integrity is such, that the Justices esteem their words and writings to equal sacred things; and when a Merchant happens to die, leaving his goods in one of these persons hands, they are very faithfully restored to his heir, or next of kindred.

From Diu and Cambaye, unto the Cape Comorin, by the Coast of Malabar, it is some 300 leagues sayle: and neer to Cambaye is the Kingdome of Jogues.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Batinisir and her Carpets.
• * 1.2

  Diu as∣saulted by the Tu••k.
• * 1.3

  Areca a fruit com∣mon in the Indies.
• * 1.4

  Cambaye Town.
• * 1.5

  A miracu∣lous tide;
• * 1.6

  The King at this time is tri∣butary to the Grand Mogull.
• * 1.7

  Prodigi∣ous food.
• * 1.8

  Women bought and sold.
• * 1.9

  Ivory:
• * 1.10

  Children sold by Parents.
• * 1.11

  An acci∣dent.