7 'So The Voyages and Ohfervatiom of J. A. de Mandelfloe, 
isook 1. 
• Chapel for the performing of Devotion, which being 
itrongfy oppofed by the Pagan Priefts, it happened that a 
prodigious Piece of Timber being lodged at the very En- 
trance of the Plarbour of the City of Maliapour , which 
hindered the free PaiTage of all the Ships, a Trial was 
niade by Elephants, and all other Ways, even by confult- 
Ing the Magicians themfelves, to remove it thence, but in 
vain ; whereupon the King iffued his Proclamation, by 
which he offered a confiderable Reward to fuch as would 
undertake to clear the Harbour. St. Thomas offered his 
Service, referving to himfelf no other Reward than the 
Piece of Timber. The Day appointed for this Purpofe 
being come, and the Saint appearing without any other 
Inftrument to effed it than his Girdle, which he fattened 
to the Beam, all there prefent laughed at his Endeavours ; 
but he no fooner began to puli than that vaft Piece of Tim- 
ber, which could not be moved before by the Strength of 
of fo many Elephants, followed without the leaft "Diffi- 
culty •, at which the King being furprized to the higheft 
Degree, permitted him to build the Chapel according to 
his Requeft, which fo incenfed the Bramans that they fet 
certain People to murder him whilft he was at his Devo- 
tions in the faid Chapel. Majfeus fays, that by the fpecial 
Command of John King of Portugal , the Bones of this 
Saint was fearched for, and found on the Coaft of Coro- 
mandel, and thence transferred to Goa, where a very fine 
Church was ereded to his Memory. 
On the other hand, both Rufinus and Socrates affirm, 
that St. Thomas buffered Martyrdom at Edejfa in Mefopota- 
mia, and that they ufed to go on Pilgrimage to ins Se- 
pulchre there. The Town of St. Thomas , though none 
of the biggeft, yet is well built, moft of the Houfes being 
of Stone. The Church has no Steeple ; it contains about 
fix or feven hundred Inhabitants, Portugueze , and Mejlizes , 
and fome Armenian Merchants, the Indians , Pagans, and 
Mohammedans, living at a Place called Maliapour , feated 
upon a Rivulet two Leagues to the North of St. Thomas , 
which was formerly the capital City of the Kingdom, but 
is now reduced to a very indifferent Condition. 
9. From April to September , whilft the S. and S. W. 
Winds blow upon this Coaft, the Road here is very fafe, 
but all the remaining Part of the Year fmall Veffels are 
obliged to fhelter themfelves within the River of Paleacafie , 
and the greater in the Harbour of Negapatan ; there is 
five Fathom Water within Cannon-fhot of the Town, but 
makes a very ill Landing-place, by reafon of the Rough- 
nefs of the Sea. The Hutch have confiderable Traffick on 
this Coaft, but efpecially at Potlapouli, or Negapatan, and 
at Palecatte, where they have the Fort Gueldria. This 
whole Country was formerly divided into three feparate 
TZ * 1 0 O' /-I 1 1 1- - . _ 
Kingdoms, i. e. of Coromandel, Narfinga, and Bifnagar, 
which is now fubjefl to one Prince, whofe Refidence is at 
Bifnagar, and fometimes at Narfinga. The Kingdom of 
Qrixa begins above the Town of Mufilipatan, extending 
from the River of the fame Name to that of Guenga ; the 
Dutch include this in the Coaft of Coromandel. Mufili- 
patan and Colconda are its two chief Cities; the firft is 
confiderable for its Commerce, the laft for being the ordi- 
nary Refidence of its Kings. It produces abundance of 
Sait, and fome Diamonds, among which all that weigh 
above five Carats belong to the King. To the North of 
Orixa lies the Kingdom of Bengal, whence the Gulph, 
known to the Ancients by the Sinus Gangeticus , has got its 
Name. Their Traffick is Rice, Sugar, Cottons, Calicoes, 
but efpecially in Silk, which, for Goodnefs, exceeds all 
others in the Indies. Hence alfo are brought the fineft 
Canes ; and they have another fort of Canes, out of which 
they make Drinking-veffels, and being lacquered, will hold 
any Liquid as well as Cups of Metal. Here grows a certain 
Herb, the Stalk of which is of the Thicknefs of a Man’s 
i hurnb, having on the Top a large Button like a Taffel ; 
tnis is fpun out and furnifhes Materials for an excellent kind 
of Stuff, much efteemed by the PGrtugueze, who call this 
Shrub Herb a de Bengala. 
The Inhabitants are Pagans, leading a very barbarous 
kind of Life, 1 hieving and Adultery being their ordinary 
Vices, though feverely purtifhed. They worlhip the 
Ganges , out of an opinion, that its Water clean fes them 
from ail their Impurities, which is the Reafon that the King 
of Narfinga . fends for the Water he waffies himfelf with 
10m that River. The Kingdom of Pegu borders to the 
Laft upon Bengal, owing its Name to its Metropolis * 
there the King keeps his content Refidence. Gafpar 
BalbittW s us Wonders of this Kingdom, which I had not 
the Opportunity to fee ; and fince others alfo have ffiven 
us an Account of what they themfelves have obferved well 
I will only add, that the City is divided into two Parts' 
wz. the new and old City ; the firft of which is inhabited 
by Merchants, the fecond is properly the Refidence of the 
King and his Court, which is exa&ly four-fquare fur 
rounded with a broad Moat, in which Crocodiles are keot 
for its better Security. The Palace Royal is faid to be as bin* 
as Venice, and feparated from the City by its peculiar For- 
tifications, which have no more than two Gates ; he keeps 
above eight hundred Elephants within the Caftle, amono- 
which thofe for his own Ufe pay him Reverence, bein? 
trained to it. 
If we may rely on Balb ? s Teftimony, this Kino- is next 
to the Emperor of China the moft potent upon EarS, bein^ 
able to bring 1,500,000 Men into the Field, and eio ft 
hundred Elephants, who are for the moft part maintained 
at the Charge of his Lords. Among other Idols they have 
in their Temples, there is one of maffy Gold in the Chapel 
within the Palace, with a Crown fet with precious Stones 
on his Head, and one only of the Bignefs of a Plumb on 
.uis toiehead, with Pendants of an meftimable Value in his 
Ears » a Scarf about the Waift, and a Crofs on the rio-hc 
Shoulder, and under the left Arm a Chain made all of 
Diamonds, and other precious Stones. The fame Chapel 
has two Silver Idols of the fame Shape, but two Foot higher 
than the former, with Crowns fet with Gems, and a 
fourth, which exceeds all the reft, befides a fifth made of 
Copper and Brafs, valued at more than the other four. 
Pegu affords more Elephants than all the reft of the Indies ; 
they are taken by means of the Females, who entice them 
out of the Woods into the Stables, where they have Penn3 
tiiat hoid but one of thefe Beafts, where they are kept till 
the 7 aiC tamed. The Arms of the Peguans are generally 
Half-pikes made of Canes, fhort and Broad-Swords and 
Bucklers, and Helmets made of boiled Leather laid double, 
and gumed over with a certain Gum called Achiran. The 
People are Pagans , believe one fupream God, who has a 
great many Vicegerents under him, whom they alfo ac- 
knowledge for Gods; and that they are the Authors of all 
Good that happens to Mankind, as on the other hand the 
Devil is the Author of all Evil, whom for that Reafon they 
worfhip,_ to appeafe his Wrath. The Day on which they 
hold their Devotions is Monday ; they celebrate five Feafts 
in a Year, called by them Sap an. The firft, called Sapan 
Giacchi, is celebrated by a Pilgrimage, by the King and 
whole Court, twelve Leagues out of Town, with the utmoft 
Magnificence. The fecond, called Sapan Carana , is cele- 
brated in Honour of the Statues in the Royal Chapel ; as 
is alfo the third, called Sapan Graioma Segianon ; the fourth, 
called Sapan Daiche, is celebrated by the King and Court, 
by catting Rofe -water at one another ; and the fifth, called 
Sapan Donon, is a kind of Race of Boats upon the River, 
in the Prefence of the King and Queen. 
When the King dies they join two Boats together, and 
putting a 7 able in the Middle of one, they lay the Corps 
upon the Table, under which they make a Fire of Sandal 
Wood, Storax, Benjamin, and other fweet-fcented Woods 
and Gums, which being fent down the Stream, the Priefts 
attending, rejoice and fing, till the Flefh be burnt to Allies, 
which they mix with Milk into a Pafte, and fo caft it into 
the Sea at the Mouth of the River ; but the Bones they 
preferve and lay up in a Chapel built for that Purpofe, 
The Priefts carry an empty Bottle at their Girdle, are clad 
in red Veftments, coming down to their Fleels, with a 
Cloak reaching to their Hams, and wear a Hat to fhelter 
themfelves againft the Sun- beams, their Heads being 
fhaved. They go bare-footed, live by Alms, like our 
Mendicant Friars, eat but once a Day, and deep in the 
Forefts in hanging Mats fattened to the Boughs of Trees. 
They lead a very exemplary Life, and on Monday Morn- 
ing early go about to invite the People to their Devotions ; 
and in their Sermons they exhort their Auditors to Mora- 
lity, They have no Averfion to thofe who turn Chrifti- 
ans» 
