Volume 1

A new general collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language; comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

Date:: 1745-1747

Credit: A new general collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language; comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Source: Wellcome Collection.

63/764 (page 29)

$By the Portugueze. 1498. Pe Gama. Hither Pc- turfula. Coaft of L'ckan. Ctaft of Kanara. Coaft of Malabar. 29 (5.) Porka. (6.) Koulan. (7.) Travankor, near 1498. Cape Komorin, fubjeft to Narjinga. Of thefe, De Gama. three only were properly Kings and independent,'-v—■ Kananor, Kalekut, and •£?«/*« ; the reft being only nominal or dependent Kings. About 600 Years ago, Malabar v/as all Original of united under one Prince, whofe Name was Sa-Kalek>-t« rana Perimal. In his Time the Moon [Arabs'] of Mekka, difeovered the Indies; and coming to Koulan, which was then the Royal Seat, the King was fo taken with their Religion, that not con- ly conquered by the C hag a fays or Mogols) Bengala, a Orixa, Aland0, Chitor, and Guzarat, commonly 'called Kambaya a. The hither Peninfula ok Gan¬ ges, was divided into four great Parts, Dekan, Kanara, Malabar, and Narjinga, or Bifnagar, each fubdivided into many Sovereignties. The chief Countries in the farther Peninfula, were thofe of Ava, Brama, Pegu, Siam, Kambodia, • Champa, Kochin-china,^nd Pong-king, or Tonkin. The Charts will point out to the Reader the feveral Places of Note on the Coafts of India, b -# ~ , - , . , fas well as thofe along the Shores of Arabia and tent with turning Mohammedan, he determined to Pcrfia) to be met with in the following Voyages : go on Pilgrimage to Mekka, zx\d there fpend the However as the Weftern Coaft of the hither Remainder of his Life b. Before his Departure, Peninfula of the Indies, was the more immediate he divided his Dominions among his Kindred, re- Scene of the A&ions of the Portugueze, who fixed ferving only twelve Leagues of Land lying near their principal Settlements there ; and feveral Al- the Sea. This, juft before he embarked, he gave terations have happened fince Rien in the State of to his Page, who was a Relation ordering it to --- --- ■ ■* be inhabited, in Remembrance of ins embarking there. He alfo gave him his Sword and a Cap, as Enfigns of State; and commanded all the other Princes, among whom he had divided his Territories, to acknowledge him as their Samo- rin or Emperor, except the Kings of Koulan and Kananor \ but forbid all to coin Money but this Emperor. After this, he embarked where Kale- hit now ftands c: On which Account, the Moors took fo great Affe&ion to the Place, that thence¬ forward they deferted the Port of Koulan; and would never fince lade Goods at any other but that of Kalekut: Which, by this Means, became the greateft Mart in all India, for all Sorts of Spices, Drugs, Precious Stones, Silks, Calicoes* Silver, Gold, and other rich Commodities. KA L E KUT is feated on an open Shore, where there is no Shelter for European Ships, which are forced to ride it out at Anchor in the Road : But thofe of the Country, being made of Planks bound together with Ropes, and flat bottomed without Keels, are eafily brought on Land. The : City is large. The Houfes were made of Hurdles, excepting the Palaces of the King, and the Tem¬ ples, which were the only Buildings of Lime and Stone ; for none elfe, by their Laws, were per¬ mitted to be raifed with thefe Materials. b De Faria agrees nearly with this Account, only that Peninfula, it will not be amifs to mention the Towns along the Coaft, which fall within the feveral Divifions above-mentioned, proceeding from North to South. I n the Coaft of Dekan, which began at the River Bate, that falls into the Sea towards Bom- bairn, and ended Southward at the River Aliga, containing the Space of feventy-five Leagues, are the Cities of Chaul, Bandar, Dabul, Debet etc, Sintapori, Koropatan, Banda, Chapora, and Goa. To the Coaft of Kanara, extending from the River Aliga to Mount Belli, about forty-fix Leagues, belonged thefe Towns and Ports, Onor, Batik ala, Barfelor, B aqua lor, Mangalor, and others. From Mount Delli toGapeKomorin, are ninety- three Leagues, comprifing the Coaft of Malabar, in which were feven Kingdoms, governed by Princes, who are Bramens, or Gentile Priefts: (1.) Kananor, with twenty Leagues of Coaft, in which are the i owns of Kota, Koulam, Nili- chilam, Marabia, Bolapotam, Kananor the Capi¬ tal, Tremopatan, Cheba, Maim, and Purepatan. (2.) Kalekut, extending twenty-feven Leagues, has thefe Towns ; Kalekut the Metropolis, Kou- lete, Chale, Parangale, Tanor, (the Capital of a Kingdom, fubjedf to Kalekut) and Chatua.^ (3.) The little Kingdom of Kranganor. (4.) Kochin. a Or Kambay, and by the Natives, Kambaut. he fays/that the King, (Perimal) after turning Mohammedan, gave the Moors Leave to build Kalekut that in diftributing his Kingdoms among his Relations, he to the chief of them gave Koulan, where5 he placed the Head of the Religion of the Bramens, and called him. Kobritim ; which is the fam. as High Prieft, and was tranflated to° Kochin. To his Nephew he gave Kalekut, and all the Temporal Dominion calling him ZamrU, that is. Emperor. In another Place, our Author affirms this Voyage of Perima/ to Mekka, was a falfe Invention of the Moors; and fays, that being a Favourer of the Chnfhan of St Thomas at Kranganor, his Pilgrimage was to Melt afar: See Portugueze Afia, vol. I. p. 100 Is not this a falfe Invention eff the Portugueze Priefts, to rob the Mohammedans of a Convert? Very likely; for by another Relation, (he muft mean Portugueze Relation) he fays, this Perimal was one of the three Rings w 10 went to adore Chrifl at Bethlehem: See Portugueze Afia, vol. 2. p. 224. This is plainly a falfe Invention of the Portugueze, fince he began his Voyage at leaft 347 Years after Chrijl, according s °wn Account- Forgers are never fatisfied; and, by a certain Fatality, invent Stones to confute one another. Some thors fay, he was caft away in his Paffage to the Red-Sea, ^$