AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1563-81. 



importance, and of an hundreth and twentie miles, full 

 of thieves, being under the king of Calicut, a king also 

 Enimies to the of the Gentiles, and a great enemie to the Portugales, 

 kingofPortu- ^}|ich when hee is alwayes in warres, hee and his 

 ^ ' countrey is the nest and resting for stranger theeves, 



and those bee called Moores of Carposa, because they 

 weare on their heads long red hats, and these thieves 

 part the spoyles that they take on the Sea with the king 

 of Calicut, for hee giveth leave unto all that will goe 

 a roving, liberally to goe, in such wise, that all along 

 that coast there is such a number of thieves, that there 

 is no sailing in those Seas but with great ships and very 

 well armed, or els they must go in company with the 

 army of the Portugals. From Cranganor to Cochin is 

 15 miles. 



Cochin. 



iVithinCochin /^Ochin is, next unto Goa, the chiefest place that the 

 uthe kingdom \j^ Portugales have in the Indies, and there is great trade 

 oj epper. ^£ Spices, drugges, and all other sortes of merchandize 

 for the kingdome of Portugale, and there within the 

 land is the kingdome of Pepper, which Pepper the Por- 

 tugales lade in their shippes by bulke, and not in sackes : 

 The Pepper the Pepper that goeth for Portugale is not so good as 

 / f . • that which goeth for Mecca, because that in times past 

 not so good 'as ^he officers of the king of Portugale made a contract 

 that which with the king of Cochin, in the name of the king of 

 goeth Jor Portugale, for the prizes of Pepper, and by reason of 

 ^^^<^^^ '^hich ^^^ agreement betweene them at that time made, the 

 hither by xe price can neither rise nor fall, which is a very lowe and 

 streights. base price, and for this cause the villaines bring it to the 



Portugales, greene and full of filthe. The Moores of 

 Mecca that give a better price, have it cleane and drie, 

 and better conditioned. All the Spices and drugs that 

 are brought to Mecca, are stollen from thence as Contra- 

 banda. Cochin is two cities, one of the Portugales, and 

 another of the king of Cochin : that of the Portugales is 

 situate neerest unto the Sea, and that of the king of 



392 



