1808.) 
a fortieth as the duty. It is the custom 
at the other ports on the same coast, that 
when, constrained by the divine omnipo- 
tence, a vessel destined for one harbour 
is driven into. another, the cargo is seized 
and confiscated; but this is not the usage 
at Kalikut. All vessels which arrive 
there are well received, from whence so- 
ever they may have come; they depart 
whenever they please, and dispose of their 
merchandize on paying the mere custom- 
house duties, and nothing more. 
Abdulrizak beheld, on landing, a race 
of people so strange, that the most fanciful 
invagination could not eonceive the like ; 
he had never believed that there existed 
m this world beings rather resembling 
devilsthan men. ‘hey were all black 
and naked, or wore only, tied round their 
middle, a piece of linen descending to 
the knees, They held in one hand an In- 
dian javelin, brilbant as a drop of water, 
andin the other a buckler made of the 
skin of oxen; the king and the meanest 
of bis subjects observe the same simpli- 
city of appearance. ‘The Musulmans, 
however, are clothed in loag dresses, af- 
ter the Arabian fashion, and their man- 
ners are courteous and civil. As Abdul- 
rizak appeared amongst them in quality 
of ambassador to the King of Kalikut, 
he was received at his landing both by 
Musulmans and Infidels, and conducted 
to a lodging provided for him by the Mo- 
narch, and three days afterwards he had 
an audience. 
Shah Rokh sent to the King of Kalikut 
a horse with his harness, some delicious 
perfumes, and a cap of ceremony, be- 
cause his ambassadors returning from 
Bengal with the ambassadors of — this 
kingdom, had stopped at Kaijikut; from 
which circumstance, the Sovereign of this 
country had become acquainted with the 
power and maguiticence of Shah Rokh,. 
Abdulrizak was then ‘conducted to an 
audience of the King of Kalikut, and he 
beheld a man naked, according to the 
Indian custom. He was called Ka-Sa- 
mory, which signifies Padishah, in Per- 
sian, or King. 
When the King dies, he is succeeded 
by the son of his sister, and his throne is 
not possessed either by his sons, his bro- 
thers, or any other relations. 
These Infidels are divided into many 
sects, or casts: brahmans, religious per; 
sous called Joquis, or Yogis, and others. 
Although polytheists and idolators to the 
utmost degree, they vary amongst them- 
selves In certain customs. ‘There is one 
sect which allows several husbands to one 
Abdulrizak’s Travels from Persia to India. 
O35 
woman; they support her in common, 
and go to visit her by night or by day, 
every one at his fixed hour, so that whilst . 
one is engaged with her, another cannot 
be admitted. The Samorys or King, is 
of this sect. He had two or three thou- 
sand Indians about him, and the apart- 
ment was adorned with paintings. When 
Abdulrizak went to receive audience, 
some Mohammedans of distinction, who 
sat near the ambassador, read and trans- 
Inted ‘the letter of credence which Shah 
Rokh addressed to the King, and present- 
ed the harnessed horse, the pelisses the 
cap of ceremony, and the gold-embroi- 
dered stuff. The Samory did not accept 
these presents with suitable acknowledge~ 
ments, and the ambassador retired very 
much dissatisfied with his reception. In 
the mean while, those of his attendants 
whom the Prince of Hormuz had em- 
6b ked in a different vessel arrived, after 
hy .ae fallen into the hands of pirates, 
who robbed them of every thing but life, 
Abdulrizak remained at Kalikut frona 
the beginning of October (144) till April 
1443. This long stay occasioned him 
many troubles, and he suffered consider- 
able distress. One night Shah Rokh ap- 
peared to him ina dream, moving along 
in all imperial pomp: the Prince, ap- 
proaching his slave, laid his hand upon 
his face, and said, “ Be not disquieted.” 
In the morning, having performed his de- 
votions, he recollected his dream, and 
was filled with joy. Although he had not 
belief in dreams, he flattered himself with 
hopes that this might be ominous of good 
to him; and it so happened, that whilst 
he was relating what he had seen in his 
sleep to some friends, the news arrived 
that a messenger from the King of Bis- 
hagor*, one of the most powertul Sove- 
reiens of India, had brought a letter to 
the King of Kalikut, by which he begeed 
that the ambassador of Shak Rokh might 
be sent immediately to his court. Al- 
though the King of Kalicut is, in fact, 
not dependant on the King of Bisnagor, 
yet he dreads him as possessing power in- 
finitely superior. Abdulrizak, therefore, 
was permitted to set out for Bisnagor, the 
Sovereign of which, it is said, has in his 
dominions six hundred ports equal to 
Kalikut, and that his territories extend 
* Bidjangor was founded in the year of our 
zra 1544, by Belaldeo, King of the Carna- 
tic. Cesar Frederick, a celebrated Italian 
traveller, who visited India in 1567, describes 
the extent and opulence of this city,:and 
places it at eight days journey from Goa 
towards | 
