,5a WESTERN HINDOO STAN. 



eltv, in a finale year loft every one of their pofTeffions in Mala- 

 bar to their antient foes, who fucceeded to their wealth and 

 power, fapported by wifdom, oeconomy, and valor. As foon 

 as they were matters of the place, they prohibited all boats or 

 veffels from entering at the tw^o channels, determined to pre- 

 vent furprife, and illicit trade. 

 Jews in India. This city was diftinguiflied by two moft remarkable circum-- 

 ftances : the one (to begin with the moft antient) was its having 

 been the refidence of a republic of 'jews, part of the tribe of 

 Manajjeb, who had been carried into captivity by Nebuchadnez- 

 zar, who fent numbers of them to this diftant place. Their 

 hiftory fays, that they amounted to twenty thoufand, and that 

 they were three years in travelling to this place,, from the time 

 of their fetting out from Babylon. When they arrived they 

 were treated with great humanity by the natives, and allowed 

 every indulgence in both religious and temporal concerns. 

 In procefs of time, they grew fo wealthy as to purchafe the 

 little kingdom of Cranganore. Hamilton, i, p. p. 321, 322, makes 

 them increafe to eighty thoufand families, but in his days they 

 were reduced to four thoufand. They eftabliflied a common- 

 wealth, and felefted the two fons of one of the firft families, emi- 

 nent for their wifdom, to govern them jointly. One of them, in- 

 ftigated by ambition, murdered his brother : after which the 

 commonwealth became a democracy; and their territory, many 

 centuries ago, returned into the hands of the natives. Power- 

 ful as they were, they are at prefent very poor, and few. Num- 

 bers of them had removed to Goa, where they were greatly 

 encouraged by the Zamorin of the time. They have to this 

 S, day 



