Perhaps Debil, near the western mouth of the Indus.
- E.]
[Footnote 75: Those names of sea port towns in the Guzerate are
miserably corrupted in the text: Only Puttan can be recognised among
them, and Mangalor must be a mistake; as that place is far to the south
of Guzerat on the coast of Canara. - E.]
[Footnote 76: The sea ports on this part of the coast now are Jaffrabad,
Cuttapour, Toolafee, Manuah, Gogo, Eawnagur, and Iotian. - E.]
The fourth division measures 290 leagues, being the most valuable part
of India and the most frequented by the Portuguese. This is subdivided
into three portions by two rivers which run from east to west. The first
of these separates the kingdom of the Decan from Guzerate on the north,
and the second divides the Decan from Canara which is to the south.
There are other rivers, all of which have their sources in the mountains
called Gaut; the chief among them being the Ganga, or Gangue, which
falls into the sea near the mouth of the Ganges, between the cities of
Angali and Pisolta, in about lat. 22 deg. N [77]. The river Bate, rising in
the Gauts, falls into the sea near Bombaim, dividing the kingdoms of
Guzerate and Decan, the mouth of that river being 70 leagues from the
city of Cambaya. From Chaul south of that river to the river Aliga, the
south boundary of the Decan, is 75 leagues, with these towns Bandor,
Dabul, Debitele, Cintapori, Coropatan, Banda, Chapora, and Goa the
metropolis and archiepiscopal see of Portuguese India.
[Footnote 77: The Guaga or Godavery is probably here meant, which falls
into the Bay of Bengal in lat. 16 deg. 16' N. at the S.W. extremity of the
Circars. The latitude indicated in the text gets beyond the Bay of
Bengal, and the cities between which the Ganga is said to fall into the
sea have no representatives in our best maps. - E.]
The fifth division begins where Canara parts from the Decan and ends
at Cape Comorin, containing above 140 leagues. From the Aliga to Mount
Delli or Dilly is about 46 leagues, with these towns, Onor, Baticale,
Barcalor, Baranor, and others of the province of Canara which is subject
to the king of Bisnagar. Below or south from Mount Delli to Cape Comorin
is Malabar, extending 93 leagues, and divided into three kingdoms which
own no superior. The kingdom of Cananor has 20 leagues of coast, in
which are the towns of Cota, Coulam, Nilichilam, Marabia, Bolepatam,
Cananor the metropolis in lat. 12 deg. N. Tremapatam, Cheba, Maim, and
Purepatam. At this place the kingdom of Calicut begins and extends 27
leagues, of which Calicut the metropolis is in lat. 11 deg. 17' N. besides
the following towns Coulete, Chale, Parangale, Tanor, the last of which
is the capital of a small kingdom subject to the zamorin of Calicut, and
Chatua the last in this kingdom. Next to Calicut to the south is the
small kingdom of Cranganor, which borders on Cochin, after which is
Coulan, and last of all Travancore, which is subject to Narsinga. Near
Travancore is the famous Cape Comorin, the southernmost point of the
continent of Indostan or India on this side the Ganges, in lat. 7 deg. 30' N
[78]. at which place the coast of Malabar ends, being the fourth of
the nine districts into which I have divided the coast of Asia.
[Footnote 78: The latitude of Cape Comorin is 7 deg. 54' N, or nearly
so. - E.]
From Cape Comorin in the west to Cape Cincapura in the east, which is
the southernmost point of the Aurea Chersonesus or Malacca, the
distance is 400 leagues, within which line is contained the great bay of
Bengal, sometimes called the Sinus Gangeticus, because the river
Ganges falls into this bay in about the lat. of 22 deg. N. after watering
the kingdom of Bengal. This river discharges a prodigious quantity of
water, and is esteemed holy by the neighbouring nations, who believe
that its water conduces to their salvation when at the point of death,
and are carried therefore that they may die with their feet in its
water, by which means the king of Bengal derives a considerable revenue,
no one being allowed to bathe in that river without paying a certain
tax. This river has many mouths, the two most remarkable of which are
Satigan on the west and Chatigan[79] on the east, near 100 leagues from
each other, and here ends the fifth of the nine districts, which may
be divided into three subordinate parts. In the first place the kingdom
of Bisnagar[80] contains 200 leagues, and the following towns,
Tarancurii, Manapar, Vaipar, Trechendur, Caligrande, Charcacale,
Tucucurii, Benbar, Calicare, Beadala, Manancort, and Cannameira, giving
name to a cape which stretches out into the sea in lat. 10 deg. N.[81] then
Negapatnam, Hahor, Triminapatnam, Tragambar, Trimenava, Colororam,
Puducheira, Calapate, Connumeira, Sadraspatnam, and Meliapour, now
called St Thomas because the body of that apostle was found there. From
St Thomas to Palicata is 9 leagues, after which are Chiricole, Aremogan,
Caleturo, Caleciro, and Pentepolii, where the kingdom of Bisnagur ends
and that of Orixa begins. The second part of this district, or Orixa,
contains 120 leagues and reaches to Cape Palmiras, with these towns,
Penacote, Calingan, Visgapatan, Bimilepatan, Narsingapatan, Puacatan,
Caregare and others. Here begins the third part of this district, or the
kingdom of Bengal, the coast of which extends about 100 leagues.
[Footnote 79: The western branch of the Ganges is now called the Hoogly
River. Satigan in the text may have some reference to what is now called
Sagar roads or anchorage. Chatigan certainly means what is now called
Chitigong: But the most easterly mouth is properly that of the great
Barhampooter, or Bramah-putra River, long confounded among the mouths of
the Ganges. The breadth of the Sunderbunds, or Delta of the Ganges and
Barhampooter, is about 195 English miles.
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