Doing much harm on that coast, and every year take many foists and
barks belonging to the Portuguese. Besides the nairs, many of the people
in these paraos are Moors. The dominions of the Samorin begin twelve
leagues from Cochin and reach to near Goa.
I remained in Cochin eight months, till the 2d of November, not being
able to procure a passage in all that time; whereas if I had arrived two
days sooner I should have got a passage immediately. From Cochin I went
to Goa, which is an hundred leagues; and after remaining three days I
went to Chaul, sixty leagues from Goa. I remained twenty-three days at
Chaul, making all necessary preparations for the prosecution of my
voyage. I then sailed for Ormus, four hundred leagues from Goa, where I
had to wait fifty days for a passage to Basora.
From Basora I went up the Euphrates and Tigris to Babylon or Bagdat,
being drawn up most of the way by the strength of men, hauling by a long
rope. From Bagdat I went by land to Mosul, which stands near the scite
of the ancient Nineveh, which is all ruinated and destroyed. From Mosul
I travelled to Merdin in Armenia, where a people called _Cordies_ or
Curds now dwell.
