that were officers in the ship, that solde a small dish
full for a duckat, after this I sawe one that would haue giuen a barre of
Pepper, which is two quintalles and a halfe, for a litle measure of water,
and he could not haue it. Truely I beleeue that I had died with my slaue,
whom then I had to serue mee, which cost mee verie deare: but to prouide
for the daunger at hand, I solde my slaue for halfe that he was worth,
because that I would saue his drinke that he drunke, to serue my owne
purpose, and to saue my life.

Of the kingdome of Orisa, and the riuer Ganges.

Orisa was a faire kingdome and trustie, through the which a man might haue
gone with golde in his hande without any daunger at all, as long as the
lawefull King reigned which was a Gentile, who continued in the citie
called Catecha, which was within the lande size dayes iourney. This king
loued strangers marueilous well, especially marchants which had traffique
in and out of his kingdome, in such wise that hee would take no custome of
them, neither any other grieuous thing. [Sidenote: The commodities that go
out of Orisa.] Onely the shippe that came thither payde a small thing
according to her portage, and euery yeere in the port of Orisa were laden
fiue and twentie or thirtie ships great and small, with ryce and diuers
sortes of fine white bumbaste cloth, oyle of Zerzeline which they make of a
seed, and it is very good to eate and to fry fish withal, great store of
butter, Lacca, long pepper, Ginger, Mirabolans dry and condite, great store
of cloth of herbes, which is a kinde of silke which groweth amongst the
woods without any labour of man, [Marginal note: This cloth we call Nettle
cloth.] and when the bole thereof is growen round as bigge as an Orenge,
then they take care onely to gather them. About sixteene yeeres past, this
king with his kingdome were destroyed by the king of Patane, which was also
king of the greatest part of Bengala, and when he had got the kingdome, he
set custome there twenty pro cento, as Marchants paide in his kingdome: but
this tyrant enioyed his kingdome but a small time, but was conquered by
another tyrant, which was the great Mogol king of Agra, Delly, and of all
Cambaia, without any resistance. I departed from Orisa to Bengala, to the
harbour Piqueno, which is distant from Orisa towardes the East a hundred
and seuentie miles. [Sidenote: The riuer of Ganges.] They goe as it were
rowing alongst the coast fiftie and foure mil