rses
in it. All marchandise carried to Goa in a shippe wherein are horses pay no
custome in Goa. The horses pay custome, the goods pay nothing; but if you
come in a ship which bringeth no horses, you are then, to pay eight in the
hundred for your goods. The first citie of India that we arriued at vpon
the fift of Nouember, after we had passed the coast of Zindi, is called
Diu, which standeth in an Iland in the kingdome of Cambaia, and is the
strongest towne that the Portugales haue in those partes. It is but litle,
but well stored with marchandise; for here they lade many great shippes
with diuerse commodities for the streits of Mecca, for Ormus, and other
places, and these be shippes of the Moores and of Christains. But the
Moores cannot passe, except they haue a passeport from the Portugales.
Cambaietta is the chiefe citie of that prouince, which is great and very
populous, and fairely builded for a towne of the Gentiles: but if there
happen any famine, the people will sell their children for very little. The
last king of Cambaia was Sultan Badu, which was killed at the seige of Diu,
and shortly after his citie was taken by the great Mogor, which is the king
of Agra and of Delli, which are fortie dayes iourney from the country of
Cambaia. Here the women weare vpon their armes infinite numbers of rings
made of Elephants teeth, wherein they take so much delight, that they had
rather be without their meate then without their bracelets. Going from Diu
we come to Daman the second towne of the Portugales in the countrey of
Cambaia which is distant from Diu fortie leagues. Here is no trade but of
corne and rice. They haue many villages vnder them which they quietly
possesse in time of peace, but in time of warre the enemie is maister of
them. From thence we passed by Basaim, and from Basaim to Tana, at both
which places is small trade but only of corn and rice. The tenth of
Nouember we arriued at Chaul which standeth in the firm land. There be two
townes, the one belonging to the Portugales, and the other to the Moores.
That of the Portugales is neerest to the sea, and commaundeth the bay, and
is walled round about. A little aboue that is the towne of the Moores which
is gouerned by a Moore king called Xa Maluco. Here is great traffike for
all sortes of spices and drugges, silke, and cloth of silke, sandales,
Elephants teeth, and much China worke, and much sugar which is made of the
nutte called Gagara: the tree is called the p