76 



6 Travels in India. Part II 



Mufcate, where they generally rake in frefh Water. _ If there be any Ships that 

 would not come to an "Anchor there, the Goveroour Cent for his Cultom, which 

 was four in the hundred ; and if they reftfs'd, the Governour had his Gateaffcs 

 ready to fink them. 



The fifth Government was that of the Iiland of Ceyldnd, to which belong'^ 

 all thofe places which the Portugal* had, as well upon the Coalr of Malavar 

 the Golf of Bengal^ and other parts of India ; the wdrft Of which employ.! 

 ments was worth ten thoufand Crowns per am. 



Bcfides thefe rive great Governments, which were at the dilpofal of the Vice- 

 Roy, he had abundance of other Offices in his Gift, as well in Goa, as in other 

 parts of India. The very day that he makes his Entry into Goa, the Captain 

 of his Guards gets above four thoufand Crowns. The three Offices of Engf. 

 neer Major, Vifiter of the Forts, and chief Matter of the Ordinance, yeikled 

 every year twenty thoufand Pardfe} every Par do being worth twenty-feven 

 Sous of our Money. The Poxtuguefes were then all very rich ; the Nobility 

 by reafon of their Governments and Commands, the Merchants by their Trade, 

 till the Engltjb and Hollanders cut them fhort. When thev had Ormus l they 

 would not' let any Merchant pais by Sea into India ; Co that they were fore'd 

 to go by Land through Candabar. Then, when the Turkf, Pc-ji.w, Arakm t 

 Muscovite, Poloman, and other Merchants arriv'd a r Bander- Abajfy, they ;oin 3 d 

 together, and deputed four of the molt experime'd perfbns am ong them, to 

 view all the forts of Commodities, and to underhand their quality and price. 

 After they have made their re) >ort,they agree upon tl^-ir price A and fetch away their 

 goods, which are diitributeJ to every one proportionally according to the number 

 of Merchants .It is alio the cuftom of all Afajtbisx there is nothing fbfd,bur a Bro- 

 ker has a hand in the Bargain. They make good the Money to thole that 

 have (bid, and receive it from them that boy ; and there are fome forts of 

 Commodities upon which there is due to them for Brokage, lbmetimes one in 

 in the Hundred , fbmerime one and a half, and two. 



At that time the Portugueses made great profit, without any lo'fs. For the 

 Vice-Roy took care to preferve them againlt the Pyrats. Who afloon as the 

 Rains are over, and that it was feafonable to put to Sea, always fent a fuffi- 

 cient convoy to guard the Merchants twenty-live or thirty Leagues to Sea, 

 the Malvaresmt daring to itir above fifteen or twenty. The Captains of the 

 Galiots, and the Soldiers drive a final! Trade a!fb in their Voyages, and in re- 

 gard they pay no cuftom, they gain enough to maintain thculclves handfome- 

 ly all the time they lye in Ganifon, which is during the Rains. There was alio 

 care taken for the advancement of the Soldiery; for every Soldier that came 

 from Port gal i after nine years fervice, had fome Command either by Sea or 

 Land bcltow \ upon him; and if he would not accept of it, they gave him 

 leave to Trade as a Merchant. So that if there happen d to be any perfon of 

 underftanding among them, he could not fail to raife his fortune, having all 

 the credit he could defire. For there were people enough that being glad to 

 let out their Money, would venture with him at Cent, per Cent, upon his re- 

 turn. If the Veffel be left, they that lend their Money } lofe either their 

 Money or their goods ; but if the Ship come fafc home, of one they make 

 three or four. 



The Natives of the Country , call'd Canarins , are not permitted to bear 

 any Offices among the Portugueses, but only in reference to the Law, that is 

 to fay, either as Advocates, or Solicitors, or Scriveners ; for they keep them 

 very much under. If one of thefe Canarins or Blacks, happen to itrike a White 

 or European, there is no pardon for him, but he muft have his hand cut off. 

 As well the Spaniards as Portuguefes, make ufe of them as Receivers, and to fol- 

 low their bufinefs. And in the Manilia's, or Philip pin Iflands, there are fome 

 of thefe Blacks Co rich, that many of them have orfer'd twenty thoufand Croi- 

 fats to the Vice-Roy, for liberty to wear Hofe and Shoo's, which they are not- 

 permitted to wear. Some of thefe Blacks have thirty Slaves attending upon 

 them, very richly habited ; but only they go barefoot. And had the Portngds 

 permitted them to itt out Ships of their own, and to have chofen Captains and 

 other Officers at their own pleafure, the Ponuguefts would not have made fuch 



large, 



