'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎343] (366/448)

Chomandel. (janges.^(egapatan.
w
better edge upon the appetite of the Pormgal, one day he invited tliem to fee him walk
upon a 1 arrafs arrayed in an imbroidered Coat thick powdered with Gold, Smaraeds
Pearl and Diamond, all together darting out rayes of wonderful luftre : to which albeit
the Sun wanted not to increafe the Iplendor, yet as if that were not enough, inthenieht
feafon five hundred Flambeauxes or Torches were (as Story fays) put in flames to make this
Prince feem a greater objed of aftonilhment: but it rather was as a Corpo Santo. For torth-
with Sthetra judging the coft and labour well worth his pains built a Gittadelther- under
pretence to aid them againft the Mallahar Junks, but rather to be his Jewel-keeper : for in
ftiort time he fo purfued the King that he became a Ravifher of what he had; and by a
forced nakednefs learned him a future better way of politick bravery.
Garcia* ah HomPhyfician to the Goan Vice-Roy reports, That the King ufed to b^ fer-
ved in dilhes of Loadftone; not onely for the rarity, but medicinable vertue thereof, as
having a power to difcover poyfon and continue Youth. Store of Pearl-Oyfters have
been taken 'twixt Cape Comryn and Zeyloon of good value: and here is no want of gold -
but the King thinks not that fo valuable as to be ferved in Porcellane dilhes and other
materials.
From Zeyloon we hoife failfor fome eminent Ports and Maritime parts of Lorded
by black but daring Pagans. The Mogul has incircled within his Diadem many of thofe
noble Kingdoms or Provinces therelt, the Deem, Samoreen, Narfmgan^ Feman, Sya-
mite and others: but the chiefeft liles neighbouring this we laft landed at are Sumatra,
the Java-, Borneo, the MamllU, thz Celebes, MokccoeSy Banda,Amboyn&y Fhilippmx or £o-
mjfa, &c. which I lhall briefly fpeak oh and in order thereunto, firlt of the Coaft of
CHORMANDEL (Ptolomy calls it Canagardamna ^ which ftretches above three
hundred leagues from Cape Comryn under eight degrees North towards the seftuarium of
Ganges or the Argark Gulph, which now we call the Gulph of Bengal a, Magnum Gangis
ofiium in Ptolomy, as far as Chatighan under 22 degr. North. Upon that Coait are fundry
Towns of note, viz.. Negapatan, Meliapore (the Burial-place of Saint Thomas the Apoftle
ot India, and of Saint Bartholomew fay tome, but miftaken in that Tradition, feeing Eccle-
fiaftical Story leaves him buried at Albanopohs in Armenia,) Poly cat, Armagun, ISfarfinga,
Meflipatan, Bipilipatan and fundry more^ in fome of which the Englijh, in others the
Dutch have Fadories. Here Straho places the AJJacanifiom which fbme from the congruity
of Name derive the Aftjfmi ^ whofe wicked Tenets have rendred them in more than
Name not to be mentioned. Now concerning Ganges, (which one ( how truly I know not)
fayes was called Chliaros j probably fome River running into Ganges', or as it may be
named in thofe or fome other obfeure places) amongft Rivers is iecond to none : For,
after a flux of three thoufand miles, having increafed her Channel by fifty other Rivers
that run into her, which for above an hundred miles double the brea'dth that Euphrates
bears at old Babylon, and thrice its depth, divides India in two, branches it felf into le-
veral ftreams^ and has many noted Towns built upon her banks, affording them Earth
and Water as good as any, and by thzBamyans held facred, as Luc an /. 3. albeit miftaken
in its courfe, takes notice.
Sacred Ganges onely crop doth run
Of any River to the Rifing Sun.
Qua colitur Ganges toto qui
folus in Orbe, &c
At length under the fame Tropick with the River Indus, in five great mouthes or Oftia,
of old called Camhyfum, Magnum, Cambericum, Pfeudofiomum and Antibolum, diiembogues
it felf into the Bengalan Gulph, as I have a little before mentioned *, and then into the
Indian Sea: the Sea being the ftore-houfe of all Rivers, In quo defmimm, & in quo curru
mm omnes, Ovid, de Ponto. The Bannyans have the water of Ganges in that divine; efteem,
that in deadly fits they covet to have their moutlis wet with it, imagining that the Rock
whence it firft flows bears the figure or fhape of a horned Cow, a creature with them
of a fingular refpedalbeit a fancy others are alfb taken with, as appears by the River
Po, according zs Virgil lib. ^.Georg. mentions and as might be inftanced of other places t
agreeable to what the ancient Poets feigned of the Ocean, which from the noife it makes
they refembled to a Bulls head, and thence called it Tauriceps.
NEGAPATANfz. a Town upon the River Nega) has 12 degrees latitude North,
odd minutes *, is in a Climat hot and unwholefome, both in regard the wind and rains
there are for fome part of the year high and unfeafonable. The Town neverthelefs has
good water, fruits well relilhed and no lefs nutritive : notwithftanding the People are
much vexed with Feavers, Fluxes and other diftempers*,' blockifh they be, and unapt for
Study or Exercice: Heat indeed here predominates, probably debilitates their appetite,
and
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