Chap. II. through the greateft Part 
they go at home in their Hair only, with nothing over them 
but a Calicoe Smock, reaching down to the Navel, and a 
painted Calicoe Petticoat. Their Fare is not much better, 
being Rice foaked in Broth, Fifh, Mangoes, and fucH-like 
Food. They have certain black Earthen Drinking- Vef- 
fels called Gorgollets, which have Pipes coming up as high 
as the Brim, by which they fuck the Water out of the 
Bottles. As Chaftity is a Virtue here among the Women, 
produced rather by Neceffity than Inclination, fo their 
Hufbands are extreamly jealous of them ; notwithftanding 
which, they will contrive all poffible means to have their 
Satisfaflion, in fpite of the Danger that attends it. This 
muft be in a great meafure attributed to an idle Life, hav- 
ing, nothing to do to fpend their Time but in chewing 
of Beetle, Cloves, and Nutmegs. A remarkable Instance 
of this Affe&ion is the Love the Indian Women bear to the 
Children begotten by an European , which is fuch, that they 
would rather die than part with them. 
The Soldiers at Goa live at a very odd rate, being not 
lifted under any certain Companies, or Officers, unlefs in 
Time of War j but in Time of Peace at Liberty to feek 
their Fortune where they can, as having no other Pay but 
what perhaps their former Officers allow them voluntarily 
towards their Subfiftence, that they may keep them at 
hand upon all Occafions. You fhall fee ten or twelve of 
them live in a Hut, having not above two or three Suits 
of Cloaths among them all, which they wear by Turns, 
when they go abroad ■ a begging, or feeking their Liveli- 
hood where they can meet with it. The Portugueze 
fhew a deal of Magnificence in their Marriages and Chrift- 
enings. The Bridegroom, accompanied by all his Friends 
and Relations, goes to Church on Horfeback, the Bride 
following him in a Litter ; both have two Godfathers, who 
prefents them to the Prieft, after the Benediction is 
given, they return in the fame manner to the Houle; but 
none are permitted to enter with the young Couple except 
the Godfathers, who go all together into a Balcony to give 
the Company Thanks for this Favour. Their Chriftenings 
are performed with the fame Pomp, fave that they carry 
alfo an Ewer with a clean Napkin, a Saltfellar, a Silver 
Bafon, furrounded with Flowers, and a Wax-Candle, in 
which is put a Piece of Gold or Silver for the Prieft ; but 
the Godfather or Midwife are always carried in a Litter. 
The Portugueze entertain a great number of Slaves of 
both Sexes. Thefe they employ both in their Retinue, 
and about all other Bufinefs : As for inftance, in felling of 
Fruits and other things, when they will be fure to pitch 
upon handfome Wenches, which draw fooner the Cuf- 
tomers to them, and confequently fell at a dearer Rate, 
All that the Slaves get belong to their Matters, even their 
Children, whom they keep, or fell like Cattle, unlefs the 
Fathers redeem them within eight or ten Days after they 
are born. They keep them at a very eafy Rate, their 
Diet being miferable, and their Cloathing being only a 
little coarfe Calicoe to cover their privy parts. The In- 
habitants of the neighbouring Country are "Pagans , and ge- 
nerally Banjans , who dwell in ftraw Huts, with little 
Doors, which ferve alfo for Windows. Their whole Fur- 
niture confifts of little Mats made of Rufties, which ferve 
both for Beds and Tables, a Drinking-Cup and Pitcher 
made of Fig-leaves, their daily Food being Rice. They 
are fo fuperftitious, that if after they have laid their Pray- 
ers, they go abroad and meet with a Crow, they return 
home, and ftir no more abroad that Day. Upon the 
Roads they conftantly pay their Devotions to the Pagods, 
which the Portugueze connive at, their Inquifition going no 
farther than to Chriftians, or fuch as have been fo. 
_ Their Ceremonies and manner of Living are the fame 
with thofe of Decan. One thing is remarkable among 
them, that their Phyficians are in fo great Efteem at God, 
that they are generally preferred before the Portugueze 
themfelves, and are permitted to have their Umbrella’s 
carried along with them, a Priviledge allowed here to none 
but Perfons of Quality. T. hey will not eat with any bo- 
dy except their own Se£t, not even in a Journey, though 
they fhould be driven to the greateft Extremity. There 
lives at God many Decanins and Canarins , who keep Shops 
there, and exchange their Provifions and other Commodi- 
ties they bring, for Porcelain, Velvet, Damalk, China Com* 
N (f M 8. -~ 2 , 
of the EAST-INDIES. 777 
% 
modities, Silks and Calicoes, They have alfo many Jew* 
ellers, Goldfmiths, Gravers, and other Artizans of this 
kind at Goa, who exceed all the Europeans in that kind. 
The Canarins live either upon Hufbandry or Fifhing. 
Some maintain themfelves by managing the Cocoa Trees, 
fame by wafhing and whitening of Calicoes. The Huf 
bandmen furnifh the City with Fowl, Milk, Fruit and 
Eggs. Their Wives are fo hardy, that they never make 
ufe of a Midwife, and are no fooner delivered, but they 
waffi the Child themfelves, wrap it up in a few Fig-leaves, 
and go about their Bufinefs again as before; which makes 
them fo ftrong and healthy, that they frequently live to 
an hundred Years of Age. They are fo excellent at Swim- 
ming, that nothing is more common than to fee them over-- 
• turn in their Boats, which hold no more than one Perfon, 
and fwim afhore without any harm or lofs of the Boat. 
They bum their Dead, but their Women are under no 
Obligation to burn themfelves with their Hufbands, but 
only make a Vow of Widowhood. Here are two forts 
of Jews , either bom in the Indies both by Father and 
Mother-fide, or that come hither from Pakjiine , the laft of 
which commonly fpeak good Spanifto : They enjoy a per- 
fed Liberty of Confcience, and have their own Syna- 
gogues. 1 he Mohammedans here deal moft in Spices from 
the Red-Sea. 
The Portugueze traffick to Bengal , Pegu , Malacca , Chi- 
na, and Cambay a, in Guzarat. From Seven o’clock in 
the Morning till Nine, when the Heat begins to encreafe, 
you fee all Perfons of Quality and Gentry meet in the 
Market-place to divert themfelves, partly with hearing of 
News, or elfe to fee what is to be bought and fold there. 
Merchants and Tradefmen have their peculiar Streets, or 
Stations affigned them, according to their different Profef- 
fions ; but their greateft Profit is in exchanging and buy- 
ing or felling of Money, efpecially the Spanijh Rials, and 
Perfian Lari s ; alfo their Coin is of diverfe Sorts. 
Their fmalleft Money is of Tin, having a Globe on one 
Side, and on the other tv/o Arrows crofs-wife. EUht 
of thefe Bafiorinques make a Vent in , five whereof make a 
Lange ; five Langes make a Sera fin of Silver, which makes 
300 Reis ; fix Langes goes to a Pardai. The Sera fin has 
on one Side St. Sebajtian , and on the other a Quiver full of 
Arrows. There is alfo a Serafim of Gold, coin’d former- 
ly at Ormuz , the Metal of which exceeds in Finenefs any 
other Coin in the Indies. They have alfo Sant ernes of 
fix Langes , and Pagods of fourteen, fifteen and fixteen 
Langes. Foreigners are obliged to pay eight per Cent, on 
all Commodities exported or imported, but great Modera- 
tions are ufed in the Taxations ; befides, that if a Mer- 
chant happen to export the fame Commodities for want of 
Sale, they are allowed to export them without paying any 
further Cuftom. They have alfo a Way of entering die 
Commodities they buy at Goa under the Seller’s Name, 
and fo they pafs Cuftom free. 
The Viceroy who was there at our Time was one Don 
Pedro de Silva , who was of no great Afpefil, but was for the 
reft ferved in the fame State as a King. This Office is ne- 
ver continued above three Years in one Perfon, which is 
fufficient to enrich him even to a very high Degree; for 
he has the Management of the King’s whole Revenue, 
is at the Charge of keeping his Court, and, in the Progrefs 
he makes once a Year, for fixty or eighty Leagues round* 
he receives vaft Prefents from the neighbouring Princes 
and Governors'; for though he has his Council of State, 
and Courts of Law and Equity, yet is he the foie Judge 
of all civil Caufes, unlefs they be of very great Confe- 
quence, when an Appeal lies to the King ; but in criminal 
Caufes no Appeal is admitted, if the Perfon be under the 
Degree of a Gentleman ; for thefe muft be fent with the 
Information brought againft them to Portugal. The Vice- 
roy at his Arrival always lands firft in the lile of Bardes 
from whence he fends his Deputies to his Predeceffor, who 
thereupon quits the Place. 
. 5. On the 22d the Englijh Dire&or having fent away 
the two Ships that came along with us to, Surat, to carry 
thither the Money he had received at Goa, we folded 
fail. In the Evening we faw the whole Dutch Fleet under 
Sai l, whence we judged that the Admiral, whofe Name was 
Ceulon, would have come on Board us, as he had promifed 
9 ' he 
