88 Travels in India. Part II 



CHAP. XVI. 



The Road from Goa to Maflipatan through Cochin, here dcfcnlid in 

 the ffory of the taking of that City by the Hollanders. 



AFter the Dutch had difpofTefs'd the Portugals of whatever they had in Cty- 

 lan, they call their eyes upon Cochin, in the Territories whereof grows 

 the Baitard Cinnamon, which hinderM the utterance of Cejlan Cinnamon. For 

 the Merchants feeing that the Hollanders kei* up their Cinnamon fo dear, bought 

 up that of Cochin, which they had very cheap j and that coming into requeir 

 was tranfported to Gomron, and diftributed there among the Merchants that 

 came from Perfta, from Tartar?, from Mofcovia, from Georgia, MintreU, and 

 all the places upon the black Sea. It was alio carried away in great quantities 

 by the Merchants of Balfara and Bagdat, 'who furniih Arabia ; as alio by the 

 Merchants of Aicfopotamia, Anatolia, Confhintinople, Romania, Hungary, and in- 

 land. For in all thofe Countries, they ufe it either whole or beaten in nioffc 

 of their meats, to heighten the tafte thereof. 



The Army which was commanded out of Batavia for the Siege of Cochin 

 landed at a place calTd Belli-Porto ; where the Hollanders had a Fort made of 

 Palm-Trees. It is near to Cranganor, a finall City which the Hollanders took 

 the year before 3 not being able to tafoe Cochin then, though they had made 

 fome attempts upon it. ' So foon as the Army landed, they marchM within 

 Cannon-fhot of the City, there being a Paver' between them and the City. 

 That part where the HoWandert encamp'd, is cAVd Belle-Epmc, where after they 

 had fort ifi'd themfelves, as well as the Nature of the place would permit, they 

 rais'd fome Batteries, which could not much annoy the City, by reafon of the 

 diftance. They lay there till they had recruits of more men 5 for they had 

 but three Ships full, though he that commanded them were one of the braveft 

 Captains of his time. Some few days after, the Governour of Amboyna ar- 

 riv'd with two Ships more, and afterwards a Dutch Captain brought a great 

 number of Chinglas, who are the Natives of the Iiland of Ccyla*. For the 

 Forces of the Hollander would nor be fo considerable as they are, did they not 

 make ufe of the Natives of the Country to fill up the Companies which they 

 bring out of Europe, The Natives of CeyUn 3 are good for digging Trenche?, 

 and railing Batteries, but for a Storm they iignifie little. Thofeof Amboyna m? 

 good Soldiers, four hundred of which were left at BelU-Bfim, The Body of 

 the Army took Shipping again, and landed near loCpclnn, not tar from a Church 

 dedicated to St. Andrew, where the Ponugals, with certain Alalavares, ieem'd 

 to have ftay'd afhore for the Hollanders coming : But feeing the Enemy to land 

 With fo much refolution, they only gave them one Volly and retreated. In 

 their March the Hollanders defcry'd certain Companies of Portuguefes near the 

 Sea-more, others fomewhat farther up in the Land, in a Church call'd St. ?ok;, 

 Thereupon they fent out fome Horfemen to difcover their number ; but the 

 Ponugals ftill retreated, after they had fet fire to the Church. Thereupon the 

 Hollanders made their approaches to the Town 5 and after they had befieg'd 

 it for fome time, a French Soldier, who was under their pay, feeing a Pannier 

 ty d at the end of a Cord, hanging over one of the Baftions, ventur'd not- 

 withstanding all the Bullets that flew about his Ears, to fee what was in it. But 

 he was ftrangely furpriz'd, to find nothing but a languifhing Infant, which 

 the Mother .had hung there, that me might not fee it perifh for hunger. The 

 Soldier mov'd to compafTion, took the infant and gave it fuch as he had to 

 eat 5 at which the Dutch General was fo incens'd, faying that the Soldier mould 

 have let the Infant perifh, that he calfd a Council of War, where he would 

 have bad the Soldier run the Gauntlet, which was very cruel 5 bur the Coun- 

 civmoderanng the fenrence, condemned him only to the Strappado. 



Hie fame day ten Soldiers our of every Company were commanded to go 

 to one of the Houfes of the King of Cochin $ but they found no body there, 



having 



