RALPH FITCH ad. 



1583-91. 

 were a sinne, therefore they will be burned. In Cambaia 

 they will kill nothing, nor have any thing killed : in the 

 towne they have hospitals to keepe lame dogs and cats, 

 and for birds. They will give meat to the Ants. 



Goa is the most principal citie which the Portugals Goa. 

 have in India, wherin the Viceroy remaineth with his 

 court. It standeth in an Hand, which may be 25. or 30. 

 miles about. It is a fine citie, and for an Indian towne 

 very faire. The Hand is very faire, full of orchards and 

 gardens, and many palmer trees, and hath some villages. 

 Here bee many marchants of all nations. And the Fleete 

 which commeth every yeere from Portugal, which be 

 foure, five, or sixe great shippes, commeth first hither. 

 And they come for the most part in September, and 

 remaine there fortie or fiftie dayes ; and then goe to 

 Cochin, where they lade their Pepper for Portugall. 

 Oftentimes they lade one in Goa, the rest goe to Cochin 

 which is from Goa an hundred leagues southward. Goa 

 standeth in the countrey of Hidalcan, who lieth in the 

 countrey sixe or seven dayes journey. His chiefe citie 

 is called Bisapor. At our comming we were cast into the "^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ 

 prison, and examined before the Justice and demanded ^^-v^oz'^m- 

 for letters, and were charged to be spies, but they could 

 proove nothing by us. We continued in prison untill 

 the two and twentie of December, and then we were set 

 at libertie, putting in sureties for two thousand duckats 

 not to depart the towne ; which sureties father Stevens 

 an English Jesuite which we found there, & another 

 religious man a friend of his procured for us. Our 

 sureties name was Andreas Taborer, to whom we paid 

 2 1 50. duckats, and still he demaunded more : whereupon 

 we made sute to the Viceroy and Justice to have our 

 money againe, considering that they had had it in their 

 hands neere five moneths and could proove nothing against 

 us. The Viceroy made us a very sharpe answere, and 

 sayd we should be better sifted before it were long, and 

 that they had further matter against us. Whereupon we 

 presently determined rather to seeke our liberties, then 



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