Whereas Is A Towne Called
Unto This Day The Soile Of The Chinos, For That They Did Reedifie And Make
The Same.
The like notice and memory is there in the kingdom of Calicut,
whereas be many trees and fruits, that the naturals of that countrie do
say, were brought thither by the Chinos, when that they were lords and
gouernours of that countrie." (Mendoza, Parke's transl.
P. 71.)] De
Barros says that the famous city of Diu was built by one of the Kings of
Guzerat whom he calls in one place Dariar Khan, and in another
Peruxiah, in memory of victory in a sea-fight with the Chinese who then
frequented the Indian shores. It is difficult to identify this King, though
he is represented as the father of the famous toxicophagous Sultan Mahmud
Begara (1459-1511). De Barros has many other allusions to Chinese
settlements and conquests in India which it is not very easy to account
for. Whatever basis of facts there is must probably refer to the
expeditions of Ch'eng-Tsu, but not a little probably grew out of the
confusion of Jainas and Chinas already alluded to; and to this I
incline to refer Correa's "sumptuous idol-temples."
There must have been some revival of Chinese trade in the last century, if
P. Paolino is correct in speaking of Chinese vessels frequenting
Travancore ports for pepper. (De Barros, Dec. II. Liv. ii. cap. 9, and
Dec. IV. Liv. v. cap. 3; Paolino, p. 74.)
[1] It appears from a paper in the Mackenzie MSS.
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