A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1563.81. 



way for feare of Sholdes that lie in the chanell, and after 

 lade them into their shippes to goe for the Indies, and 

 this doe all small shippes that passe that way, but those 

 shippes that goe for the Indies Eastwardes, passe by the 

 coast of Coromandel, on the other side by the land of 

 Chilao which is betweene the firme land and the Hand 

 Manor : and going from the Indies to the coast of Coro- 

 mandel, they loose some shippes, but they bee emptie, 

 because that the shippes that passe that way discharge 

 their goods at an Hand called Peripatane, and there land 

 their goods into small flat bottomed boates which drawe 

 litle water, and are called Tane, and can run over every 

 Shold without either danger or losse of any thing, for 

 that they tarrie in Peripatane untill such time as it bee 

 faire weather. Before they depart to passe the Sholdes, 

 the small shippes and flat bottomed boates goe together 

 in companie, and when they have sailed sixe and thirtie 

 miles, they arrive at the place where the Sholdes are, 

 and at that place the windes blowe so forciblie, that they 

 are forced to goe thorowe, not having any other refuge 

 to save themselves. The flat bottomed boates goe safe 

 thorow, where as the small shippes if they misse the afore- 

 sayd chanell, sticke fast on the Sholdes, and by this 

 meanes many are lost : and comming backe from the 

 Indies, they goe not that way, but passe by the chanell 

 of Manar as is abovesayd, whose chanell is Oazie, and 

 if the shippes sticke fast, it is great chance if there be 

 any danger at all. The reason why this chanell is not 

 more sure to goe thither, is, because the windes that 

 raigne or blowe betweene Zeilan and Manar, make the 

 chanell so shalow with water, that almost there is not 

 any passage. From Cao Comori to the Hand of Zeilan 

 is 120. miles overthwart. 



Zeilan. 



ZEilan is an Hand, in my judgement, a great deale 

 bigger then Cyprus : on that side towards the Indies 

 lying Westward is the citie called Columba, which is a 



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