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.
[Footnote 68: Dechan, Deccan, or Dacshin, is the name of a territory or
kingdom, and properly signifies southern India, or simply the south, in
reference to Hindostan proper, on the north of the Nerbuddah: But
Verthema almost always names the capital from the kingdom. - E.]
[Footnote 69: By walnuts, I suspect that coca-nuts are meant, and
rendered walnuts by some mistaken translation. - E.]
[Footnote 70: There are no lions in India, and tigers are certainly here
meant. - E.]
Departing from thence we went to the city of _Cananore_, where the king
of Portugal has a strong garrison, though the king of the city is an
idolater and no great friend to the Portuguese. At this port many horses
are imported from Persia, which pay a high duty. Departing from thence
into the inland we came to the city of _Narsinga_[71], which is
frequented by many Mahometan merchants. The soil in that country bears
no wheat, so that the inhabitants have no bread, neither hath it vines
or any other fruits except oranges and gourds, but they have plenty of
rice and such walnuts as that country _produces_[72]. It has likewise
plenty of spices, as pepper, ginger, mirabolans, cardamum, cassia, and
others, also many kinds of fruits unlike ours, and much sweeter. The
region is almost inaccessible, _for many dens and ditches made by
force_[73]. The king has an army of 50,000 _gentlemen whom they call
heroes_[74]. In war they use swords and round targets, also lances,
darts, bows, and slings, and are now beginning to use fire arms.
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