Travels in India (Tavernier) 147.4

147.4

The Jesuit fathers and the Portuguese merchants were not recompensed by it for the disgrace which they had experienced at Macassar, and they sustained still another blow close to Goa. The Chief of the Dutch factory at Vengurla, which is only 8 leagues from that town, having heard of the ill-success of Dutch affairs in China, thought on his side of a means to avenge it. He was not ignorant of the fact that the Jesuit fathers of Goa and other places in India did a large trade in rough diamonds which they sent to Europe, whither they carried them when returning to Portugal. And in order to conceal this trade they used to send one or two from among their number in the garb of Fakirs or Indian pilgrims; this was easy for them to do, because there are fathers among them who are born in the country, and know the Indian language perfectly.