[Footnote 67:  Of a Swammy or Hindoo idol.—­E.]

From the island of Goga I went to the city of Dechan[68], of which the king or sultan is a Mahometan, and to whom the before mentioned captain of the Mamelukes at Goga is tributary.  The city is beautiful, and stands in a fertile country which abounds in all things necessary for man.  The king of this country is reckoned a Mameluke, and has 35,000 horse and foot in his service.  His palace is a sumptuous edifice, containing numerous and splendid apartments, insomuch, that one has to pass through 44 several rooms in a continued suite before getting to the presence-chamber of the sultan, who lives with wonderful pomp and magnificence, even those who wait upon him having their shoes or starpins ornamented with rubies and diamonds, and rich ear-rings of pearls and other precious stones.  Six miles from the city is a mountain from which they dig diamonds, which mountain is surrounded by a wall, and guarded by a band of soldiers.  The inhabitants of the city are mostly Mahometans, who are generally clad in silk, or at least have their shirts or lower garments of that fabric; they wear also thin buskin and hose or breeches like the Greek mariners, or what are called trowsers.  Their women, like those of Damascus, have their faces veiled.  The king of Deccan is almost in continual war with the king of Nursinga; most of his soldiers being white men from distant countries hired for war, whereas the natives are of a dark colour like the other inhabitants of India.  This king is very rich and liberal, and has a large navy of ships, but he is a great enemy to the Christians.  Having visited this country, I went in five days from thence to Bathacala or Batecolak, the inhabitants of which are idolaters, except some Mahometan merchants who resort thither for trade.  It abounds in rice, sugar, wheat, walnuts[69], figs, and many kinds of fruits and roots unknown to us, and has plenty of beeves, kine, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and other beasts, but no horses, asses, or mules.  From thence, at the distance of a days journey I came to Centacola? the prince of which has no great riches; but the district has plenty of flesh, rice, and such fruits as grow in India; and to this place many Mahometans resort for trade.  The king is an idolater, and is subject to him of Batecolah.  Two days journey from thence I came to Onore, the king of which is an idolater, subject to the king of Narsinga.  The prince or king of Onore has eight armed foists or barks, which make excursions by sea, and subsist by piracy, yet is he in friendship with the Portuguese.  The district produces plenty of rice, and has many kinds of wild beasts, as wild boars, harts, wolves, lions[70], and many kinds of birds, such as peacocks and parrots, besides others very different from ours.  It has likewise many cattle of a bright yellow colour, and fine fat sheep.  It has also abundance of flowers of all kinds.  The air is so temperate and healthy, that the natives live much longer than we do in Italy.  Not far from this place is another city named Mangalore, whence about sixty ships depart yearly with cargoes of rice.  The inhabitants are partly idolaters, and part Mahometans.