whereas I thought I should not haue found so much goodnesse
in them: because they were payed their mony aforehand,
as is the vse, I had thought to haue seene them no
more. Before their comming I was determined to
plucke the Cane wherein my iewels were hidden, out
of my coutch, and to haue made me a walking staffe
to carry in my hand to Goa, thinking that I should
haue gone thither on foot, but by the faithfullness
of my Falchines, I was rid of that trouble, and so
in foure dayes they carried me to Goa, in which time
I made hard fare, for the theeues left me neither money,
golde, nor siluer, and that which I did eat was giuen
me of my men for Gods sake: and after at my comming
to Goa I payed them for euery thing royally that I
had of them. [Sidenote: Foure small fortes of
the Portugals.] From Goa I departed for Cochin, which
is a voyage of three hundred miles, and betweene these
two cities are many holdes of the Portugals, as Onor,
Mangalor, Barzelor, and Cananor. The Holde or
Fort that you shall haue from Goa to Cochin that belongeth
to the Portugals is called Onor, which is in the kingdome
of the queene of Battacella, which is tributary to
the king of Bezeneger: there is no trade there,
but onely a charge with the Captaine and company he
keepeth there. And passing this place, you shall
come to another small castle of the Portugals called
Mangalor, and there is very small trade but onely
for a little Rice: and from thence you goe to
a little fort called Bazelor, there they haue good
store of Rice which is carried to Goa: and from
thence you shall goe to a city called Cananor, which
is a harquebush shot distant from the chiefest city
that the king of Cananor hath in his kingdome being
a king of the Gentiles: and he and his are very
naughty and malicious people, alwayes hauing delight
to be in warres with the Portugales, and when they
are in peace, it is for their interest to let their
merchandize passe: there goeth out of this kingdom
of Cananor, all the Cardamomum, great store of Pepper,
Ginger, Honie, ships laden with great Nuts, great
quantitie of Archa, which is a fruit of the bignesse
of Nutmegs, which fruite they eate in all those partes
of the Indies and beyond the Indies, with the leafe
of an Herbe which they call Bettell, the which is
like vnto our Iuie leafe, but a litle lesser and thinner:
[Sidenote: Bettel is a very profitable herbe in
that countrey.] they eate it made in plaisters with
the lime made of Oistershels, and thorow the Indies
they spend great quantitie of money in this composition,
and it is vsed daily, which thing I would not haue
beleeued, if I had not seene it. The customers
get great profite by these Herbes, for that they haue
custome for them. When this people eate and chawe
this in their mouthes, it maketh their spittle to
bee red like vnto blood, and they say, that it maketh
a man to haue a very good stomacke and a sweete breath,
but sure in my iudgement they eate it rather to fulfill
their filthie lustes, and of a knauerie, for this