[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 101 # Storia do Mogor 101: The Forests of Sunderi (the Sundarbans). Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 101 - **Language:** English ### The Forests of Sunderi (the Sundarbans). ### [101.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.101.1) These forests are renowned in Bengal for the ferocious tigers, the buffaloes, and rhinoceroses inhabiting them. In passing through them it is necessary to post sentinels at night, for often it happens that tigers swim out and enter the boats, picking out the most portly of the travellers and carrying him off to the jungle. A short time before there passed by this way a Portuguese from Chatigao (Chatganw), one of those Portuguese who know neither God nor eternity. His boat was the Julia, and his own name was Manoel Coelho. One day he said to his crew that they must land to cook food. They answered that it could not be done, by reason of the jungle being full of tigers capable of doing them injury. More ferocious than the very tigers, he flew into a passion and insisted absolutely on their landing. If any tiger came, let them tell it they were the men of Manoel Coelho, and it must therefore take good heed not to do them harm, otherwise such conduct would cost it dear. ### [101.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.101.2) Intimidated by the threats of their master, the sailors landed, and hardly had they reached the bank when a fierce tiger snatched up one of them and carried him into the jungle. The others did not count their steps on their way back to the Julia, where, arriving more dead than alive, they made complaint that the tiger had already killed one of them. Manoel Coelho inquired whether they told the tiger they were his men. They replied, 'Yes, but the tiger made no account of our shouts.' Manoel Coelho was courageous, and seized his shield with his left hand and his dagger (cris) with his right. The latter is a poignard made in the shape of a serpent (or bill-hook ?), the wound from which is usually incurable, they being tempered in poison. This is the usual weapon of the Malays. He (Manoel Coelho) entered the jungle boldly and alone. Following \[64\] the traces of blood, he saw the tiger tearing the dead man to pieces. He gave a shout, and the tiger, expecting to make a fresh prize, with one bound was upon him. He parried the attack with his shield, and plunged the dagger into its belly so that the tiger died, while Manoel Coelho, 'Tiger-slayer,' — for so he called himself thenceforth — returned to the boat and contemptuously ordered the men to skin the tiger, and of it he caused a drum-head to be made. ### [101.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.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. ### [101.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.101.4) In forty days we got through the forest and reached the waters of Hugli, not far from the sea. The friars made for the harbour of Balasor, where they wanted to beg for alms. I disembarked at Hugli, and went to see the Father Prior of St. Augustin's, named Frey Irao Bautista. Here I found the chief inhabitants of Hugli, all of them rich Portuguese, for in those days they alone were allowed to deal in salt throughout the province of Bengal. The father asked me at once if there had come with me two fugitive friars. I replied that two fathers had come, but they were not fugitives — on the contrary, they were religious persons much to be esteemed; that they had come to gather alms for their convent, and were gone \[65\] to Balasor. Thus did I repay the troubles they had caused me on the journey. But they did not equally return to me the good I had done them, as I shall relate (II. 67). The Father Prior placed trust in my words, and made ready two cells to receive the friars on their arrival, which came to pass a few days afterwards, when they were well received. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.101](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.101) · Pramāṇa