1874.] T. W. H. Tolhort—Portu^icese Settlements in India. 139 



or three soldiers appear to be kept on duty there. Over a doorway is the 

 inscription — Nos autem prsedicamus Christum crucifixum. 



In the suburb of Pannelly is a building of some architectural preten- 

 sions, but apparently of less antiquity than those previously mentioned, 

 which has served as the Archbishop's Palace. It is now going to ruin. 



The Library at Goa is worth a visit. It contains a large number of 

 volumes from the ruined and suppressed convent*, though probably it does 

 not contain all that they comprised. A great number of the books are in 

 Spanish or Portuguese, and, as may be supposed, theological and monastic 

 works predominate, though the number of other books is by no means small. 



To this account of existing Portuguese settlements we may append a 

 few notes regarding Bassein and Cochin, two places renowned in early Poi*- 

 tuguese History, though now held by the English. Bassein bears a general 

 resemblance to Daman. As at Daman, one gate faces an estuary or inlet 

 of the sea, while the other faces the land. The wall of the ancient fortress 

 is still well preserved, and the interior contains the venerable ruins of sever- 

 al ancient churches and monasteries. 



The ancient jurisdiction of Bassein (or, as the Portuguese spell it, Ba- 

 gaim) extended as far as Chaul, including Aga^aim, Manora, Asserim, Tana, 

 Bombay, Caranja and Elephanta. 



The bastions of the Bassein fortress are thus enumerated by Bocarro 

 (A. D. 1634), Cavalleiro, N. Sa. dos Bemedios, Reis Magos, Santiago, Sam 

 Gon9alo, Madre de Deos, Sam Joao, Elefante, Sam Pedro, Sam Paulo and 

 Sam Sebastiao. The number of guns is said to have been eighteen. Four 

 convents are enumerated, viz., those of the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the 

 Augustinians, and the Jesuits. There were two churches within the walls, 

 — the Cathedral and the Misericordia^, — and theie were numerous churches 

 in the suburbs. 



The author of the Chronista de Tissuary visited Bassein fifteen years 

 ago and says — " Almost the whole of the Portuguese wall there is preserved, 

 and in the circuit of the ancient city there still remain several buildings 

 more or less ruined. The gate on the sea side stands perfect with all its 

 nails and ironwork, but there is a modern temple close to the entrance of 

 this gate. In the street which leads from it, on the left, are the ruins of 

 a church, on a stone over the door of which the following inscription is 

 legible. " No anno de 1601 sendo Arcebispo Primaz o Illm°. Sr. D. Frei Aleixo 

 de Menezes e Vigario o P®. Pedro Galvao Pereira se reformon esta Matriz." 



Farther on, at the end of the street which runs along the wall, is a por- 

 tal which appears to have been the gate of the castle or citadel ; on the 

 ground is a fallen pillar with the inscription — " Governando o Estado da 

 India o Vice-Rei Dom Miguel de Noronha, Conde de Linhares se fez este 

 portal, em o qual se poz por padroeiro desta cidade a Sam Francisco Xavier. 

 A des de maio 1631." 



