Travels in India (Tavernier) 13.4

13.4

Cambay is a large town at the end of the gulf which bears its name. It is where they cut those beautiful agates which come from India as cups, handles of knives, beads, and other objects of workmanship. There is made, also, in the vicinity of the town, indigo of the same kind as that of Sharkej; and it was celebrated for its traffic at the time when the Portuguese flourished in India. You still see to-day, in the quarter close to the sea, many fine houses, which they built and furnished richly, after the manner of Portugal; but at present they are uninhabited, and they decay from day to day. They maintained at that time such good order in Cambay, that at two hours after dark every street was closed by two gates, which are still to be seen, and they even now close some of the principal of them, especially those of the approaches to the market-places. One of the principal reasons why this town has lost a part of her commerce is, that formerly the sea came close to Cambay, and small vessels were able to approach it easily; but for some years past the sea has been receding day by day, so that vessels are unable to come nearer than four or five leagues to the town. There is an abundance of pea-fowl in India, and especially in the territories of Broach, Cambay, and Baroda. The flesh of the young bird is white and of good flavour, like that of our turkeys, and you see them throughout the day in flocks in the fields ; for during the night they perch in the trees.