The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. XVII. The Passage by Sea from Ormus to Maslipatan.

I departed from Gomron to Maslipatan the eleventh of May, 1652, and went aboard a great Vessel of the King of Golconda's, which is bound every year from Persia, laden with fine Calicuts, Chites, or Calicuts painted with a Pencil, which makes them much more beautiful and dearer than those which are printed. The Holland Company are wont to allow to those Vessels which belong to any of the Kings or Princes of India, a Pilot, and two or three Gunners; neither the Indians nor Persians being expert in Navigation. In the Vessel where I was aboard, there were but six Dutch Mariners at most, but above a hundred Na∣tives. We sailed out of the Persian Golf with a pleasing and favourable Gale; but we had not sail'd very far before we found the Sea very rough, and the Winds at South-West, so violent, though full in our Stern, that we were not not able to carry out more than one small Sail. The next day, and for some days after, the Wind grew more violent, and the Sea more boist'rous; so that being in the sixteenth Degree, which is the elevation of Goa, the Rain, the Thunder, and Lightning, render'd the Tempest the more terrible; insomuch that we could not carry out any other than our top-sail, and that half furl'd. We pass'd by the Maldives Islands, but were not able to discern them, besides that the Ship had taken in very much water in the Hold. For the Ship had lain five months in the Road of Gomron, where if the Mariners are not very careful to wash the Planks that lye out of the water, they will be apt to gape, which causes the Ship to leak when she is loaden. For which reason the Hol∣landers wash the outside of their Ships morning and evening. We had in our Vessel five and fifty Horses, which the King of Persia had sent as a Present to the King of Golconda; and about a hundred Merchants, Persians and Armenians together, who were Traders to India. One whole day and night together there rose a cross Wind, so violent, that the Water rowl'd in from Stern to Stern, and the mischief was, that our Pumps were nought. By good fortune there was a Merchant that had two Bails of Russia Leather, besides four or five Sadlers that knew how to sow the Skins, who were very serviceable as well

to the whole Ship as to themselves. For they made great Buckets of the Skins, four Skins to a Bucket, which being let down from the Masts with Pullies, through certain great Holes which were cut in the Deck, drew up a vast quan∣tity of Water. The same day the violence of the Tempest continuing, there fell three Thunderbolts into the Ship. The first fell upon the Boltsprit, and split it quite in two; and running along upon the Deck kill'd three men. The second fell two hours after, and kill'd two men, shooting along as the other did from Head to Stern. The third follow'd presently after, the Master, the Masters Mate, and my self standing together near the main Mask. At what time the Cook coming to ask the Master whether he should take up the Victuals, the Thun∣derbolt took him in the lower part of his Belly, made a little hole, and took off all the Hair as clean as they dress a Pig with hot water and Rosin, without doing him any more harm. Only when they came to anoint the little hole with Oil of Coco's, he roar'd out through the sharpness of the pain which he endur'd.

The twenty-fourth of June in the morning, we discover'd Land; and ma∣king toward it, we found our selves before Ponte de Galle, the first Town in the Island of Ceylan, which the Hollanders had taken from the Portugals. From thence to the Road of Maslipatan we had very good weather; where we ar∣riv'd the second of July, an hour or two after Sun-set. There I went ashore, and was most civilly treated by the Dutch President, and Merchants, as also by the English.

The eighteenth and nineteenth of June, the Sieur Du Jardin and I, bought us two Palleki's, and six Oxen to carry our selves, our Servants, and our Luggage. Our design was to have gone directly to Golconda, there to have sold the King a parcel of long Pearls, the least whereof weigh'd thirty-four Carats, and the biggest thirty-five, with some other Jewels, the most part whereof were Emraulds. But the Hollanders assuring us, that our journey would be to no purpose, in regard the King would buy nothing that was rare, or of a high price, till Mir∣gimola, his General and prime Minister of State, had view'd the Commodity understanding therefore, that he was then at the Siege of Gandicot, in the Pro∣vince of Carnatica, we resolv'd to go thither to him.