Book L 



Travels in India. 



This Kingdom was for Some time diSquieted by the revolt of Nair-ftva-gt t Cap- 

 tain of the King of Wfapopr's Guards j After which the young Seva-gi his Son 

 conceiv'd fo deadly a hatred againit the King, that he made himfclf the head 

 of certain Bandit i , and as he was both wife and libera!, he got together fo 

 many Horfe and Foot, as made a compleat Army; the Souldiers flocking to 

 to him from all parts, for the reputation of his Liberality. And he was jult 

 about to have led them to action, when the King of Fifap'our happened to 

 dye without Children, fo that with little or no trouble he got poiieffion of 

 one part of the Coa'ft of Malavarj taking Rejapour, Rafgar, Crapatek, Da- 

 boul, and other places. They report that upon his demolishing the fortifica- 

 tions of Rajigar, he found vaft Treafàres, which help'd him to pay his Soul- 

 diers, who were alwayes well paid. Some years before the death of the 

 King, the Queen perceiving no probability of having any Children, adopted a 

 little' Boy, upon whom fhe beftow'd all her affections, and caufed. him to be 

 brought up in the Doctrine of Half s Sert. The King upon his Death-bed 

 caus'd this Adopted Son to be Proclaimed King ; but Seva-gi having a nume- 

 rous Army continu'd the War, and much difturb'd the Regency of the Queen. 

 At length he made the firft propositions for Peace ; which was concluded 

 upon conditions, that he Should quietly enjoy the Territories; which he had 

 fubdu'd, that he Should become Tributary to the King, and pay him the half 

 of all his Revenue. The young King being thus hYd in his Throne, the Queen 

 Regent went in Pilgrimage to Mecca ; and I was at Ifpakan, when She pafs'd 

 through the Town in her return home. 



When I made my fécond Voiage to Goa, I embark'd in a Dutch VeSfel call'd 

 the Maefirick, which carry 'd me to Mingrela, where I landed the eleventh 

 day of January, 1648. 



Mingrcla is a large Town, extended half a League in length upon the Sea, 

 in the Territories of ViÇapour. It is one of the belt Roads in all India, where 

 the Hollanders take in freSh Provifions every time they fail to block up God; 

 as alfo when they are bound upon Trade for many other parts of India. For 

 at Mingrela there is both excellent Water, and excellent Rice. This Town 

 is alfo very famous for Cardamoms, which the Eaftern people efteem the beft of 

 Spices., not being to be had in any other Countrey ; which makes that fort 

 of Commodity very fcarce and very dear. There is alfo made great ftore of 

 courfe Calecuts, that are Spent in the Countrey ; beSides great quantities of 

 courfe Matting, that ferves to pack up goods. So that both in refpect of 

 Trade, as alfo for the furnishing their Ships with freSh Provifions , the Hol- 

 landers have a Factory in the Town. For , as I faid before, not only all Vef- 

 lels that come from Batavia, from Japon, from Bengala , Ceylan, and other 

 places, and thoSè that are bound for Swat, the Red Sea, Ormus, Balfara, &c. 

 both going and coming, come to an Anchor in the Road of Mingrela , but 

 alfo while the Hollanders are at Wars with the Portugais, and lye before the 

 Bar oif Goa, where they have ufually eight or ten Sail they fend their fmall 

 Barks to Mingrela for Provifions. For the Hollanders lye eight Months in a 

 year before the mouth of the Port of Goa, So that there can nothing pafs in- 

 to Goa by Sea all that time. You muft alfo take notice, that the Bar of Goa 

 is alfo ftopt up fome part of the year by the Sands which the South and 

 Weft-winds that precede the great Rains, call up; fo that there is not a- 

 bove a foot, or a foot and a half Water for very fmall Boats. But when the 

 great Rains come, the Water Swells and carrying away the Sands, opens a 

 palfage for the great VeSfels. 



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CHAP, 



