84 Travels in India. Partll 



Fowl that feem'd to referable large Geefe, but fb fat, that they had very little 

 lean. The Feathers of thole Birds were very lovely, and thole upon (he belly 

 proper for Beds. One of the Portnguefe Mariners Ibid me a large Cufhion itutfc 

 with thole Feathers, and related to me what had happen'd to them in that 

 Bay, where they ftay'd feven and twenty days. They gave thole Cafres one 

 thing or other every foot, as Knives, Axes, falle Coral, and falfe Pearls, out 

 of hopes to have difcover'd fome Trade, and particularly whether they had 

 any Gold; for they obferv'd that fome of them wore pieces of Gold in their 

 Ears; fome beattn thin upon one fide, and others like the Nails of a Lock. 

 They brought two of the people to Goa ; and I (aw one of them that wore 

 feveral of thofe pieces of Gold in feveral parts of each Ear. The Mariner 

 told me, that there were fbme of their women that wore of thofe pieces of 

 Gojd under their Chins, and in their Noftrils. Eight or nine days after the 

 Porfftgals arriv'd iri that Bay, thofe Cafhs brought them little pieces of Am- 

 bergreefe, fbme Gold, but very little; fome Elephants teeth, but very fmulj; 

 fome Oltriches, and other Birds, fome Venifbn ; but for Fifh, there was abun- 

 dance. The Portugals endeavoured all they could by figns to know where they 

 found the Ambergreefe, for it was very good. The Vice-Roy fhew'd me a 

 a piece that weigh'd not above half an Ounce, but he allur'd me withall, that 

 he had never feen fo good. They alio labour'd to dilcover where they had 

 the Gold. After the Elephants teeth they made no great enquiry, feeing a great 

 number of Elephants that came to drink at a River that threw it felf into the 

 Bay. At length after they had ftay'd three weeks,the Poitvgals finding it impofTible 

 for them to difcover any thing more , becaule they underftood not one ano- 

 ther, refblv'd to fet fail with the firlt wind. And becaule they had always 

 fome of thefe Cafres aboard, in regard they were very liberal of their Tobacco, 

 Bisket, and ftrong Water, they thought good to bring two of them along in 

 the Veffel ; in hopes that they might learn the Portugucfi Language, or that 

 there might fome Child be found out that might underltand what they laid. 

 The Mariners told me, that when they fct fail, after the Cafres faw that they 

 had carri'd two of their people away, who perhaps were no ineonfiderable* 

 perfons, they tore their Hair, ftruck their Breatts as if they had been frantick, 

 and fet up a moft horrible yelling and howling. When they were brought to G'm, 

 they could never be brought to learn any thing of the Portugal Language. So that 

 they could gettout of them nothing of that further difcovery at which they 

 aim'd, of a Country from whence they only brought away two pound of Gold, 

 three pound of Ambergreefe, and thirty-rive or forty Elephants teeth. One of 

 the Cafres liv'd but fix months, the other fifteen ; but both languifh'd and pin'd 

 to death for grief to be fo trapann'd. 



From Goa I pafs'd to Mingrela, where there fell out an accident not to be 

 forgotten. An Idolater dying, and the Fire being ready prepar'd for the burn- 

 ing of the Body, his Wife who had no Children, by the permiffion of the 

 Governour, came to the Fire, and flood among the Priefts and her Kindred, 

 to be burnt with the Body of her deceas'd Husband. As they were taking 

 three turns, according to cuftom, about the place where the Fire was kindl'd, 

 there fell of a fudden fo violent a Shower, that the Priefts willing to get out 

 of the rain, thruft the Woman all along into the Fire. But the Shower was 

 fo vehement, and endur'd fo long a while, that the Fire was queneh'd, and the 

 Woman was not burn'd. About midnight (he rofe, and went and knock'd at 

 the door of one of her Kinfmens Houles, where Father Zenon and many Hol- 

 landers faw her, looking fo gbaftly and grimly, that it was enough to have 

 fcar'd them; however the pain that fhe endur'd did not fo far tcrririe her, but 

 that three days after accompany'd by her Kindred, fhe went and was burn'd 

 according to her firft intention. 



CHAP. 



