Storia do Mogor 101.3

101.3

In the forest many fires are to be seen at night, and the common opinion is they are the fires of witches, whom in Bengal they call sangueny (Sankhini) of whom there are many. It happened that in passing these forests a boat sent its people ashore to collect wood. A Portuguese youth, out of curiosity, penetrated into the interior, where there met him a beautiful woman, with whom he fell in love. The woman made him a sign with her hand, and he followed her. She took him to a place where, under the shelter of a great tree, stood a house. Every day she came to visit him, and brought him delicate viands. There he dwelt four years, when, upon the arrival of another boat, its crew landed to collect wood, and he was discovered by these travellers, who took him away from the tree, he being unable to speak. They took him on board, and two hours afterwards there was a great upheaval in the stream. This may have happened because his lady-love did not find him, and therefore attempted to wreck the vessel; but by the favour of God they reached Hugli. The boy, being devoted to her, always cherished a longing for his companion and the tree. This happened in my time, and although I never talked with the youth, I knew many to whom he had told the story.