Book I. Travels in India. 7 



portunity ere they can dMpatch their mifchief; and that they cannot conveniently 

 meet the perfon to be murther'd, in the Fields or in the City, they arc no men 

 Saints, but they will kill him at the very Alrar, while he is at his devotions ; of 

 which I few two fatal prefidents, the one at Goa, the other at Daman. At Dat»An 

 three or four of theft black Slaves perceiving fome perfons whom they were to 

 niurther, at Mafs in the Church, difcharg'd their Muskets at them through the 

 window?, never confidering what other mifchief they might do to any other 

 perfons, againft whom they had no quarrel or defign. The fame thing happen'd 

 jt Q§*f where feven men were kilTd ciofe by the Altar, and the Prielt that faid 

 Mafs was dangeroully wounded at the fame time. Nor do their Courts of Juftice 

 take any cognizance of theie crimes, for generally the guilty perfons are the 

 chiefeftof theCountrcy. As for their Suits of Law, there is no end of them, 

 for they are manag'd by the Canarms, who are Natives of the Counrrey, whole 

 bufinefs it is to follow the Law -, the molt fubtil and crafty fort of people in the 



World. . . . , 



To return to, the ancient Power of the VottugaXs in India, molt certain it is, 

 that if the Hollanders had never come among them, you fhouid not have leen a 

 bit of Iron in any Portugal Merchant's Houfe y but all GoR or Silver 5 for they 

 needed no more than to make three or four Voyages to Japan, the Philippin, or 

 MoIhcc.i Iflands, or to Chin* to enrich themfelves j gaining at their return above 

 jive or fix for one upon rich Merchandizes. The very Souldiers as well as the 

 Captains and Governors enrich'd themfelves bv Trade. There was not any per- 

 fon, unlefs it be the Governor, who was not a Trader j or if he does Trade, it is 

 in another man's name, for he has Revenue enough without it. Formerly it was 

 one of the faireft employments of the World to be Vice-Roy of Goa : and there 

 are but few Monarchs, that have Governments at their difpofal. which are equal 

 in value to lb me of thofe which depend upon this Vice-Roy* The chief Command 

 is that of Mozambique for three years. In thofe three years the Governor gets 

 above four or five-hunder'd-thouiand Crowns, and ibmetimes more, if in all that 

 time they receive no lodes from the Cafres. Thefe Cafres are people that bring 

 Gold for the Commodities which they carry away ; and if any one of them 

 happen todve, going or coming, whatever you trufted them withall is loft with- 

 out redemption. The Governour of Moiamfiqw trades alio with the Negro's 

 that inhabit all along the Coaft of Melinda j and they ordinarily pay for the 

 goods they buy, either in Elephants Teeth, or Ambergreefe. When I was la'ft 

 hGoa, the Governour of Mozambique, who return d to Goa after he had been 

 three years in his Command, had by him only in Ambergreefe, two hundred 

 thoufand Crowns, not reckoning his Gold, and his Elephants Teetlr, which a* 

 mounted to a far larger dim. # • 



The fecond Government was that of MaUca, by reafon of theCuftom which 

 was there to be paid. For it is a Streight through which all Veffels that are 

 bound from Goa, for J if on, Coma, Cochrncbina, Java, M.ic.iffar, the Phillippm 

 Elands, and many other places, muft of neceffity pafs. They may fail another 

 way by the Ifland of Sumatra, toward the Weft, and fo through the Streight 

 of 'Sonde, or elfe leave the Ifland of Java to the North ; but when the Ships 

 return to Goa, they muft mew a difcharge from the Cuftom-Houfe of Malaca, 

 which obliges them to go that way. 



The third Government is that of Ormus, by reafon of the great Trade which 

 is there, and the Cuftom which all Ships are to pay that are bound in and 

 out of the Perfian Golf. The Governour of Ormus exacted great Tolls from 

 thofe that went to the Ifland of Bakren to fifh for Pearls, for if they did not 

 take a Licence from him, he would fink their VefTels. The Perfians at prefent 

 cxaft this Cuftom from the Englijh, who have a fmall (hare in that Trade, as 

 I have related in my Perfian Voyages. But though they are fevere enough to the 

 Merchants, their Cuftoms amount to nothing near fo much as what the Portv- 

 pejes made of it. The Hollanders are in the fame condition at Malaca, not re- 

 ceiving hardly fufficient to pay their Garrifon which they keep, there. 



The fourth Government is that of Mafcate, the revenue whereof was very 

 great. For all Veffels that are bound from India, from the Perfian Golf, from 

 the Red Sea, and from the Coaft of Melinda, muft come under the Point of 



* L z Muf- 



5 



