reason of the wars, we returned to the city of Eri, where he entertained me most honourably in his house, and showing me his niece desired that she might immediately become my wife.  Being otherwise minded, yet not willing that I should appear to despise so friendly an offer, I thanked him for his goodness, yet begged the match might be delayed to a more convenient time.  Departing soon afterwards from Eri, we came in eight days journey to Ormuz, where we took shipping for India.

[Footnote 58:  Of Squilaz and Saint Bragant it is impossible to make any thing, even by conjecture—­E.]

SECTION VII.

Observations of the Author on various parts of India.

We arrived in India at a certain port named Cheo[59], past which flows the great river Indus, not far from the city of Cambay.  It is situated[60] three miles within the land, so that brigantines and foists can have no access to it except when the tide rises higher than ordinary, when it sometimes overflows the land for the space of four miles.  At this place the tides increase differently from what they do with us, as they increase with the wane of the moon, whereas with us while the moon waxes towards full.  This city is walled after our manner, and abounds in all kinds of necessaries, especially wheat and all manner of wholesome and pleasant fruits.  It has also abundance of gosampine or bombassine (cotton) and some kinds of spices of which I do not know the names.  Merchants bring here such quantities of cotton and silk, that sometimes forty or fifty vessels are loaded with these commodities for other countries.  In this region there is a mountain in which the onyx commonly called carneola is found, and not far from thence another mountain which produces calecdony and diamonds.  While I was there, the sultan of Cambay was named Mahomet, and had reigned forty years after having expelled the king of Guzerat.  The natives are not Mahometans, neither are they idolaters, wherefore I believe if they were only baptised they would not be far from the way of salvation, for they observe the pure rule of justice, doing unto others as they would be done by.  They deem it unlawful to deprive any living creature of its life, and never eat flesh.  Some of them go entirely naked, or only cover the parts of shame, wearing fillets of a purple colour round their heads.  Their complexion is a dark yellow, commonly called a leonell colour.

[Footnote 59:  This name is inexplicably corrupted; and nothing more can be said of it than is contained in the text, which indeed is very vague.—­E.]

[Footnote 60:  Verthema appears at this place to make an abrupt transition to the city of Cambay, taking no farther notice of Cheo.—­E.]