The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 478 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 478 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09.
although they were tyrants and a beastly people, they were soone brought vnder obedience. [Sidenote:  A maruellous fond delight in women.] During the time I dwelt in Cambaietta I saw very maruellous things:  there were an infinite number of artificers that made bracelets called Mannij, or bracelets of elephants teeth, of diuers colours, for the women of the Gentiles, which haue their armes full decked with them.  And in this occupation there are spent euery yeere many thousands of crownes:  the reason whereof is this, that when there dieth any whatsoeuer of their kindred, then in signe and token of mourning and sorrow, they breake all their bracelets from their armes, and presently they go and buy new againe, because that they had rather be without their meat then without their bracelets.

Daman.  Basan.  Tana.

Hauing passed Diu, I came to the second city that the Portugals haue, called Daman, situated in the territory of Cambaia, distant from Diu an hundred and twenty miles:  it is no towne of merchandise, saue Rice and corne, and hath many villages vnder it, where in time of peace the Portugals take their pleasure, but in time of warre the enemies haue the spoile of them; in such wise that the Portugals haue little benefit by them.  Next vnto Daman you shall haue Basan, which is a filthy place in respect of Daman:  in this place is Rice, Corne, and Timber to make shippes and gallies.  And a small distance beyond Bassan is a little Iland called Tana, a place very populous with Portugals, Moores, and Gentiles:  these haue nothing but Rice, there are many makers of Armesie, and weauers of girdles of wooll and bumbast blacke and redde like to Moocharies.

Of the cities of Chaul, and of the Palmer tree.

Beyond this Iland you shall finde Chaul in the firme land; and they are two cities, one of the Portugals, and the other of the Moores:  that city which the Portugals haue is situate lower then the other, and gouerneth the mouth of the harbour, and is very strongly walled:  and as it were a mile and an halfe distant from this is the city of Moores, gouerned by their king Zamalluco.  In the time of warres there cannot any great ships come to the city of the Moores, because the Portugals with their ordinance will sincke them, for that they must perforce passe by the castles of the Portugals:  both the cities are ports of the sea, and are great cities, and haue vnto them great traffique and trade of merchandise, of all sorts of spices, drugges, silke, cloth of silke, Sandols, Marsine, Versin, Porcelane of China, Veluets and Scarlets that come from Portugall and from Meca:  with many other sortes of merchandise.  There come euery yeere from Cochin, and from Cananor tenne or fifteene great shippes laden with great Nuts cured, and with sugar made of the selfe same Nuts called Giagra:  the tree whereon these Nuts doe grow is called the Palmer tree:  and thorowout all the Indies, and especially from this place to Goa there is great abundance

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