Storia do Mogor 265.23
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 265.23
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265.23.1
When the nuts have become ripe, the rind hardens outside and the water inside changes into a pulp called coco, which lies inside a hard shell that is called chereta (chiratta), and is like a nut. When the rind has been drawn off, they use it to make ropes and cables. The coco, when out of its husk, has sixteen to twenty thumbs (pollegadas), which European physicians call Nos Indica (Indian nut). From the shells (chereta or chiratta) of these cocos are made dishes (porzulanos), vessels, spoons, handles, rings, rosaries, buckets to draw water, and many curiosities. The substance inside, which has about the thickness of an inch, is used for many dainties, being added to dishes in cooking. An oil is also made and usually applied by the women to their hair, which is their greatest delight. This oil is also employed for many medicinal purposes, such as in burns and ulcers, and an ointment is made with it. It serves for a purge to the lean and irascible, expels bile, and reduces adipose tissue. Usually these trees [234] yield four or five flowers, and in each flower are contained fifteen to twenty cocos. Every year it produces fruit three or four times, according to the strength of the soil ; in Goa I have seen it yield four crops.
265.23.2
Having finished talking of the palm-tree's fruit, I will now speak of its juice, called by the Indians sura. When they want to draw the liquid, it is first necessary to open the flower, it being then in its rind ; the end is cut, and then they begin to depress the whole flower in order to collect the juice, and fixing it, they attach to the end an earthen cup into which the substance drips. This is done twice a day, and each flower yields each time twenty ounces, more or less, of the distillation. When drunk fresh it is sweet and suave, but kept for twelve hours, it tastes like beer and goes to the head. It is used by the Indians in place of wine. From this liquid are manufactured aqua ardente, vinegar, and sugar. The Indians ascend and descend these trees by clinging to the trunk and putting round it a rope of fibre, and into its ends they place their feet.
265.23.3
There is another class of palm-tree which is called Palmeira brava (the wild palm), which takes many years to grow. This tree produces fruit in the month of March, and the yield lasts up to August. Inside each fruit there are ordinarily three lumps of soft pith which are very refreshing. Eating them is useful in clearing the sight of those unable to see at night. In the same season it yields a liquid called sura, and it has the same effects as, and some resemblance to, the palm-tree juice already described. The spirits distilled from this palm-juice are the best. From the leaves they make fans, mats, sunshades, small baskets, and other curiosities. After the fruit has ripened the pith hardens, and the juice is drawn from the shell ; leaving this for a few days in the sun, it becomes a sort of marmalade, eaten by many of the natives in place of bread. From all these palm-trees good returns are obtained. [Pages 235 and 236 : I omit here a Japanese story of true-love, it being neither Indian nor historical.] [237] In the year one thousand six hundred and ninety-four, eight years after my arrival in Madras, there was a love-story in which I am sure the reader cannot fail to be interested, so I will give a resumé of it in a few words. There was in Madras a young man, born in the country, of humble parentage but lofty thoughts ; his name was Joao da Cunha. He became enamoured of a young lady, and, as it seemed to him, Fortune could not favour him better than by making her his wife.
265.23.4
As the father never gave it a thought nor could the young lady imagine such a thing, he had not the courage to declare his concealed feeling. He came to the house every day, nursing a mystic passion, and anything required to be done at the house was carried out by him with exactitude. But now and again he would say that many marriage proposals were made to him, though he would not accept any one of these proposed brides, save one whom he strongly desired. Seeing the little progress he was making, he went one day to the old father of the damsel, saying : ' This morning they bribed me to make a marriage by offering a dowry of one thousand patacas (2,000 Rs.). The person is of some position and of good fame ; she is called Catharina da Silva. What advice does your Honour give me ?' Well might it be said of him what is sung in an Italian comedy : ' Ardo e languisco in un cotinuo foco Celato amante, e palesato amico. Le parlo, le discorro, burlo e gioco, E delle pene mie nulla glie dico. Così amando e temendo, a poco a poco Procuro di scubrirmi e mi disdico, Procuro desiamar, e piu me infoco.' (I burn and languish in continuous fire, A secret lover, an avowed friend. I speak to her, I discuss, joke and banter, And of my sufferings not a word I say. Thus loving and dreading, little by little I try to declare myself, but do the reverse ; I try to forget my love, and only burn the more).
265.23.5
The old man replied that it was quite certain that God had come to his aid; he must accept the proposal. They talked with such secrecy that the whole household heard what they said. Everybody congratulated him. He went on to say that he never meant to marry, if the woman were not to his liking. Some days elapsed, and they were continually asking him, by way of joke, when the wedding was to be. The man was put out, and not wishing to be counted a liar, made out a paper for the banns, showed it to them, and said he was going to the vicar to have the banns published. He delivered the paper to the vicar, who published the banns on two Sundays, the bridegroom, his sisters, and all his parents receiving everybody's congratulations. Everybody asked about the bride, and he said she was away from Madras and lying ill at Sao Thome, which is one league from Madras. Under this pretext he borrowed jewels from his relations and from the young lady's parents. The following Saturday he went to confession, and during the mass, when about to receive the host, he fell to the earth in a swoon just as if he were dead, and thus remained nearly two hours before recovering his senses (a just chastisement for his evil deeds). It was thus that God hindered him from receiving the sacrament.
265.23.6
At night he left secretly, and made off to Sao Thome, and thence sent word to his relations that he was now married, that his wife was ill, and growing always worse. A few more days passed, and he removed to Monte Grande, (Big Mount), a distance of two leagues from Sao Thome. There he hired a house, and with the greatest secrecy shut up one room, and said that in it was his suffering wife, whom he had brought to the Mount to recover health. From Madras his relations sent to ask whether they might come and see his wife. He sent back word not to trouble; he would send conveyances when the proper time arrived, for his wife was delirious, and it was not good for them to see her in that state. The inhabitants of the Mount, with the two hermits from Boa Vida, all went to visit him and give him a welcome, to which he in a very despondent tone answered: 'Cursed be the hour when I married, and cursed be the dowry paid me, for greed of money made me take a wife troubled with a thousand ailments, so that I was forced to transport her to this Mount to get her well, and I expect that here she will find a sepulchre.' They asked him what was the matter with her, to which he said not a word, but burst into tears and lamentation.
265.23.7
At this time a woman servant arrived; he had brought her with him on purpose, and she said the lady was very weak ; it was two days since she had eaten anything. He told the maid to see if the sufferer could not take some broth or medicated drink. The woman went inside before everybody with the bowl of food, and said such words from within that those outside imagined the wife to be really very ill. On the third day he made a figure of straw and enshrouded it so that it looked like a real corpse, and set up many candles which he had brought for the purpose. Then he sent a message to the vicar to have the bell tolled for his wife, Catharina da Silva, she being dead ; and in great haste dispatched an advice to his relations at Madras that his wife had died, and they must all come to attend her funeral. The vicar descended to the plain, very angry that they had not sent word to him, so that he might have confessed her and administered extreme unction. The would-be husband answered that she had already been confessed at Sao Thome.