'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎88] (407/1024)

88
Travels in India.
Part If.
i
CHAP. XVL
The Roadfrom Goa to Maflipatan through Cochin, here de^
fiory of the taking of that City ly the Hollanders.
in the
A Fter the Dutch had difpojdefs’d the Tortngah of whatever they had ia cv -
Un^ they call their eyes upon Cochin, in the Territories whereof gro^V
the Baftard Cinnamon, which hindered the utteranceof Ceylm Cinnamon 6 For
the Merchants feeing that the Hollanders kept np their Cinnamon fo dear bought
up that of Cochin, which they had very cheap $ and that coming into requeft
was tranfported to Gwoff, and diftributed there among the Merchants that
came from Ter fa from Tart ary, from Mofcovia, from Georgia, MingreU, and
all the places from the black Sea. It was alfo carried away in great quantities
by the Merchants of Balfara and Bagdat, who furnifh Arabia ; as allb by the
Merchants of Adefopotamia, Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. , ConBaminofle, Romania, Hungary y and JV
land. For in all thofe Countries, theyufeit either whole or beaten in molt
of their meats, to heighten the tafte thereof.
The Army which was commanded out of Batavia for the Siege of Cochin
landed at a place call’d Belli-Porto -, where the Hollanders had a Fort made of
Palm-Trees. It is near to Cranganor, a fmall City which the Hollanders took
the year before ^ not being able to take Cochin then, though they had made
fome attempts upon it. So foon as the Army landed, they march’d within
Cannon-fhot of the City, there being a River between them and the City.
That part where the Hollanders encamp’d, is call’d Belle-Epine, whzvQ after they
had fortifi’d themfelves, as well as the Nature of,the place would permit, they
rais’d fome Batteries, which could not much annoy the City, by reafon of the
diflance. They lay there till they had recruits of more men j for they had
but three Ships full, though he that commanded them were one of the braveft
Captains of his time. Some few days after, the Governour of Amboym ar
riv’d with two Ships more, and afterwards a Captain brought a great
number of Chinglas, who are the Natives of the Ifland of Ceylan. For the
Forces of the Hollanders would not be fo confiderable as they are, did they not
make ufe of the Natives^of the Country to fill up the Companies which they
bring out of iswoFe. The Natives of Ceylan, are good for digging Trenches,
and railing Batteries, but for a Storm they fignifie little. Thofe of Amboym are
good Soldiers, four hundred of which were left at Belle-Epine. The Body of
the Army took Shipping again, and landed near to Cochin,not far from a Church
dedicated to St. Andrew • where the Portugals, with certain Malavares, feem’d
to have ftay’d afhore for the Hollanders coming : But feeing the Enemy to land
with fo much refolution, they only gave them one Volly and retreated. In
c their March the Hollanders defery’d certain Companies of Ponuguefes near the
Sea-ihore, others fomewhat farther up in the Land, in a Church call’d St. Johns.
Thereupon they fent out fome Horfemen to difeover their number; but the
Portugals Hill retreated, after they had fet fire to the Church. Thereupon the
Hollanders made their approaches to the Town ^ and after they had belieg ’4
it for fome time, a French Soldier, who was under their pay, feeing a Pannier
ty’d at the end of a Cord, hanging over one of the Baftions, ventur’d not-
withftanding all the Bullets that flew about his Ears, to fee what was in it. But
he was ftrangely furpriz’d, to find nothing but a languilhing -Infant, which
the Mother had hung there, that (he might not fee it perifh for hunger. The
Soldier mov’d to compaflion, took the Infant and gave it fuch as he had to
eat j at which the Dutch General was fo incens’d, faying that the Soldier Ihould
have let the Infant perifii, that he call’d a Council of °War, where he would
have had the Soldier run the Gauntlet, which was very cruel j but the Coun
cil moderating the fentence, condemn’d him only to the Strappado.
The fame day ten Soldiers out of every Company were commanded tog 0
to oneof the Houfes of the King of Cochin i but thev found no body thete,
. • u. 7 having