RALPH FITCH a.d. 



1583-91. 

 of cotton wooll, much sugar, & long pepper, great store 

 of butter & other victuals for India. Satagam is a faire Satagam. 

 citie for a citie of the Moores, and very plentifull of 

 all things. Here in Bengala they have every day in 

 one place or other a great market which they call 

 Chandeau, and they have many great boats which they 

 cal pericose, wherewithal! they go from place to place 

 and buy Rice and many other things : these boates have 

 24. or 26. oares to rowe them, they be great of burthen, 

 but have no coverture. Here the Gentiles have the 

 water of Ganges in great estimation, for having good 

 water neere them, yet they will fetch the water of Ganges 

 a great way off, and if they have not sufficient to drinke, 

 they will sprinkle a litle on them, and then they thinke 

 themselves well. From Satagam I travelled by the 

 countrey of the king of Tippara or porto Grande, with Tippara or 

 whom the Mogores or Mogen have almost continual! ^°^'^° Grande, 

 warres. The Mogen which be of the kingdom of Recon 

 and Rame, be stronger then the king of Tippara, so 

 that Chatigan or porto Grande is oftentimes under the 

 king of Recon. 



There is a country 4. daies journie from Couche or Bottanter a 

 Quicheu before mentioned, which is called Bottanter f^f'!'^'''' 

 and the citie Bottia, the king is called Dermain ; the 

 people whereof are very tall and strong, and there are 

 marchants which come out of China, & they say out ^^!'^^^^Ji ^-^ 

 of Muscovia or Tartaric. And they come to buy muske, ^J^^^l^^ °^~ 

 cambals, agats, silke, pepper and saffron like the saffron Tartaric. 

 of Persia. The countrey is very great, 3. moneths 

 journey. There are very high mountains in this 

 countrey, & one of them so steep that when a man is 

 6. daies journey off it, he may see it perfectly. Upon These seeme to 

 these mountains are people which have eares of a spanne ^^i^^Qfi^'^^ 

 long : if their eares be not long, they call them apes. ^^//^^ ^^ ^y 

 They say that when they be upon the mountaines, they people Cumao. 

 see ships in the Sea sayling to and fro ; but they know 

 not from whence they come, nor whether they go. There 

 are marchants which come out of the East, they say, 



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