South America - A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 7 - By Robert Kerr
 -  About sixteen years before this, the Pagan king
of Orissa was defeated and slain and his kingdom conquered, by the - Page 152
South America - A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 7 - By Robert Kerr - Page 152 of 441 - First - Home

Enter page number    Previous Next

Number of Words to Display Per Page: 250 500 1000

About Sixteen Years Before This, The Pagan King Of Orissa Was Defeated And Slain And His Kingdom Conquered, By The

King of _Patane_[162], who was also king of the greatest part of Bengal. After the conquest of Orissa, this

King imposed a duty of 20 per centum on all trade, as had been formerly paid in his other dominions. But this king did not enjoy his acquisitions long, being soon conquered by another tyrant, who was the great Mogul of Delhi, Agra, and Cambaia, against whom the king of Patane made very little resistance.

[Footnote 161: Cuttack, at the head of the Delta of the Mahamuddy or Gongah river, in lat. 20 deg. 32' N. lon. 86 deg. 9' E. is probably here meant, It is only about 45 miles from the sea, but might have been six days journey from the port where the author took shelter, which probably was Balasore. - E.]

[Footnote 162: Probably so called from residing at Patna, called Patane in the text. - E.]

Departing from Orissa I went to the harbour of _Piqueno_ in Bengal, 170 miles to the east from Orissa. We went in the first place along the coast for 54 miles when we entered the river Ganges. From the mouth of this river to a place called _Satagan_, where the merchants assemble with their commodities, are 100 miles, to which place they row up the river along with the flood tide in _eighteen_ hours. This river ebbs and flows as it does in the Thames, and when the ebb begins, although their barks are light and propelled with oars like foists, they cannot row against the ebb tide, but must make fast to one of the banks of the river and wait for next flood. These boats are called _bazaras_ and _patuas_, and row as well as a galliot or any vessel I have ever seen. At the distance of a good tide rowing before reaching _Satagan_ we come to a place called _Buttor_, which ships do not go beyond, as the river is very shallow upwards. At _Buttore_ a village is constructed every year, in which all the houses and shops are made of straw, and have every necessary convenience for the use of the merchants. This village continues as long as the ships remain there; but when they depart for the Indies, every man goes to his plot of houses and sets them on fire. This circumstance seemed very strange to me; for as I passed up the river to _Satagan_, I saw this village standing, having a great multitude of people with many ships and bazars; and at my return along with the captain of the last ship, for whom I tarried, I was amazed to see no remains of the village except the appearance of the burnt houses, all having been razed and burnt.

Small ships go up to _Satagan_ where they load and unload their cargoes. In this port of _Satagan_ twenty-five or thirty ships great and small are loaded yearly with rice, cotton cloths of various kinds, lac, great quantities of sugar, dried and preserved mirabolans, long pepper, oil of _Verzino_, and many other kinds of merchandise.

Enter page number   Previous Next
Page 152 of 441
Words from 79105 to 79637 of 230997


Previous 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 Next

More links: First 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300
 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
 410 420 430 440 Last

Display Words Per Page: 250 500 1000

 
Africa (29)
Asia (27)
Europe (59)
North America (58)
Oceania (24)
South America (8)
 

List of Travel Books RSS Feeds

Africa Travel Books RSS Feed

Asia Travel Books RSS Feed

Europe Travel Books RSS Feed

North America Travel Books RSS Feed

Oceania Travel Books RSS Feed

South America Travel Books RSS Feed

Copyright © 2005 - 2022 Travel Books Online