almer; which is the
profitablest tree in the worlde: it doth alwayes beare fruit, and doth
yeeld wine, oyle, sugar, vineger, cordes, coles, of the leaues are made
thatch for the houses, sayles for shippes, mats to sit or lie on: of the
branches they make their houses, and broomes to sweepe, of the tree wood
for shippes. The wine doeth issue out of the toppe of the tree. They cut a
branch of a bowe and binde it hard, and hange an earthen pot vpon it, which
they emptie euery morning and euery euening, and still it and put in
certaine dried raysins, and it becommeth very strong wine in short time.
Hither many shippes come from all partes of India, Ormus, and many from
Mecca: heere be manie Moores and Gentiles. They haue a very strange order
among them, they worshippe a cowe, and esteeme much of the cowes doung to
paint the walles of their houses. They will kill nothing not so much as a
louse; for they holde it a sinne to kill any thing. They eate no flesh, but
liue by rootes, and ryce, and milke. And when the husbande dieth his wife
is burned with him, if shee be aliue: if shee will not, her head is shauen,
and then is neuer any account made of her after. They say if they should be
buried, it were a great sinne, for of their bodies there would come many
wormes and other vermine, and when their bodies were consumed, those wormes
would lacke sustenance; which were a sinne, therefore they will be burned.
In Cambaia they will kill nothing, nor haue any thing killed: in the towne
they haue hospitals to keepe lame dogs and cats, and for birds. They will
giue meat to the Ants.

Goa is the most principal citie which the Portugals haue in India, wherein
the Viceroy remaineth with his court. It standeth in an Iland, which may be
25. or 30. miles about. It is a fine citie, and for an Indian towne very
faire. The Iland is very faire, full of orchards and gardens, and many
palmer trees, and hath some villages. Here bee many marchants of all
nations. And the Fleete which commeth euery yeere from Portugal, which be
foure, fiue, or sixe great shippes, commeth first hither. And they come for
the most part in September, and remaine there fortie or fiftie dayes; and
then goe to Cochin, where they lade their Pepper for Portugall. Oftentimes
they lade one in Goa, the rest goe to Cochin which is from Goa an hundred
leagues southward. Goa standeth in the countrey of Hidalcan, who lieth in
the countrey sixe or seuen dayes iourney. His chiefe citie