Travels in India (Tavernier) 149: The Author pursues his journey in the East and embarks at Vengurla for Batavia; the danger which he runs on the sea, and his arrival in the Island of Ceylon
Travels in India (Ball) 149
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The Author pursues his journey in the East and embarks at Vengurla for Batavia; the danger which he runs on the sea, and his arrival in the Island of Ceylon
149.1.1
I LEFT Vengurla, a large town of the Kingdom of Bijapur, 8 leagues from Goa, on the 14th of April 1648, and embarked on a Dutch vessel which had just brought silks from Persia and was going to Batavia. It had orders to stop at Bakanor, en route, in order to take in rice, and we arrived there on the 18th of the same month. I landed with the captain, who went to see the King to ask his permission to take the rice; this he gave willingly. It was necessary for us to ascend by the river nearly 3 leagues, and we found the King close to the water, where there were only ten or twelve huts made of palm leaves. He had, in his own, a Persian carpet spread underneath him, and we saw there five or six women, some of whom fanned him with fans made of peacocks’ tails, and the Others gave him betel and filled his pipe with tobacco. The most important persons of the country were in the other huts, and we counted about 200 men, the majority of whom were armed with bows and arrows. They also had with them two elephants. It appeared as if they had some retreat elsewhere, and that they had merely come to this place to enjoy the coolness afforded by the trees and some streams. Having left the King and re-embarked on our boat, he sent us, as a present, a dozen fowl and five or six pots of palm wine. We slept the same evening, after having made a league of way, in a hamlet where there were but three or four houses, but we had taken with us ample provisions from our vessel.
149.1.2
In the morning when we were ready to leave we saw on the river one of our pilots with three or four young men, who came up to us and brought the necessaries for breakfast. When they were landed and we had commenced to eat they asked for some tári, or palm wine, and the owner of the hut where we had slept offered to bring us some, which was very good, but he told us that it was strong, and that it might send fumes to the head. Our sailors jeered at that because they drank it often, and some of them had even drunk much of it without being inconvenienced. But since you drink it as soon as it is drawn from the tree, and do not allow it to ferment, if you take too much you feel it ferment in the stomach. This peasant having then brought a pot of his palm wine, each drank of it as he felt inclined, one three glasses, another four or five, and for myself I was contented with only one, which might contain nearly half a pint. But to tell the truth, we all suffered such severe headaches from it that we were two days before we were able to cure ourselves. We asked the natives of the country why this wine had thus troubled us, and they said that it was caused by the fact that pepper was planted around the palms, and that it was that which gave so much strength to this wine. We were still somewhat giddy from it when we returned on board, where a governor of the country immediately arrived to meet us and settle the price of the rice and know the quantity of it which was required.
149.1.3
It had to be brought from some distance; this troubled us much, because the wind commenced to change, and the captain was unwilling to leave, as he had not all the cargo which he required. During the night, between the 28th and 29th, the wind began to change, and the pilots told the captain, who had never before sailed along the coasts of India, that he ought to hoist the anchor and set sail, although we had not received our full cargo; but the captain would not consent, replying that we wanted water. The wind having been strong throughout the night, on the following day it calmed a little, and loading up with the rice was continued. On the day after we strongly urged the captain to leave, and as he saw that all murmured he sent two boats to get water. But they had scarcely reached the mouth of the river when the wind became so furious that the sailors hastened to return without water, this they accomplished with much trouble and danger of being lost. When they came on board the two boats were tied astern of the vessel, according to custom, and fourteen men were put in the larger one in order to take care of her and to prevent the waves breaking her against the vessel. We desired then to begin to hoist the anchor, but the wind became still stronger and more adverse; of thirty or forty men who were about the winch more than twelve were injured by the bars, the violence of the wind driving them backwards.
149.1.4
The captain, wishing also to assist in the work in order to ease the cable, had his hand badly crushed. At length the sea became so rough that instead of hoisting the anchor it became necessary to put out others, as the wind was driving us on shore. Every one then commenced to examine his conscience, and prayed thrice in two hours' time. By midnight we had lost all our anchors, to the number of seven, so that not having more and not knowing what to do further, our pilots called out that each one should strive to save himself as soon as the vessel touched the land, and being exhausted they went to lie down on their beds. It was already a long time since the captain had taken to his, on account of the great pain which his hand gave him, as it was in a dreadful condition. As for me, as the moon was shining, I leant against the bulwarks of the vessel watching how the billows urged it towards the shore. While I was in this position the vessel touched land, and each one believed then that it would go to pieces. At this moment two sailors came to me to say that I need fear nothing, and they would take precautions to ensure our safety, but if God permitted us by His grace to reach the land I should reward them for their trouble. I exhorted them to do their best to save us, and told them there would be 500 écus ready for them as soon as we reached the land.
149.1.5
They were two Hamburghers, who had seen me previously at Bandar-Abbas and Surat, and they well knew that I carried all my goods on my person, without having need of camels or mules to carry them. As soon as I promised them this sum they took a spar of wood of the thickness of a man’s thigh and 8 or 10 feet long, attaching to it thick ropes in five or six places, to each of which they allowed a length of only 3 or 4 feet. As they worked at it I kept my eyes constantly fixed in the direction of the land, and I observed that the vessel did not go straight as it had done previously. I feared that it was only the darkness which made me think so, for the moon began to set. I hastened at once to the compass to assure myself, and I saw as a matter of fact that the wind had altogether changed and came from the land. Immediately I cried out to the sailors that the wind had become favourable, and at the same moment the boatswain, who directs all that appertains to the vessel, made a great noise and called all the sailors. He also hailed the fourteen men whom they had placed in the large boat, believing that they were there still; but no one replied, and we saw at daybreak that the cable had parted, and we were never able to ascertain what had become of them. As for the captain, he was unable to rise on account of a severe attack of fever which the pain in his hand had caused him.
149.1.6
At first every one took courage, although they were in difficulty as to how they should steer the vessel, the top of the rudder being broken. In order to remedy this evil the pilot set a small sail, which was set first on one side and then on the other as he directed, and a rope was tied to the rudder to make it work, for it was only the socket above which was broken, where they were consequently unable to fix the piece (tiller) which comes on board for the steersman. At length the wind blew from the north-east, and the darker night became, on account of the setting of the moon, the more the wind freshened and each one gave thanks to God. We were nevertheless not beyond all danger, because it was necessary for us to pass three great rocks which projected above the water, but which we were unable to see, the night being so dark. When ships come to this port where we had taken the rice, they do not generally pass (inside) these rocks ; but our captain, as he had but little time to spare for loading, brought his vessel as closely as possible to the mouth of the river for the convenience of those who carried the rice, who were in consequence able to make more frequent trips. At length by God’s grace we were, at daybreak, some 3 or 4 leagues from the land. Then we held a consultation in order to settle what direction we should take, because we had no anchors left.
149.1.7
Some advised that we should return to Goa to winter there, others that we should go to Point de Galle, which is the first town which the Dutch took from the Portuguese in the Island of Ceylon, for we were about equidistant from both, and the wind was equally favourable for both places. My opinion was that we should not take the route to Goa, but that for Point de Galle ; because it was to be feared that by going to Goa the sailors, who are much addicted to drink, would say or commit some folly which would give an occasion to the Inquisition for arresting them, joined to which there are in that town many facilities for dissipation, so that when it would be time to put to sea again, the captain would not find, it may be, a single man in his vessel. But by going to Point de Galle there would be no danger, it would be to go to friends, and we should be able to change to another vessel in order to continue the voyage; this in fact happened. However we were always in terror lest some tempest might not come and throw us on land, not having a single anchor left to moor the vessel with.
149.2.1
Among our sailors there was, by chance, one who had served for many years in the same vessel, who said that certainly there was at the bottom of the hold a very heavy anchor, but that it had only one arm. Although we desired to get it, we foresaw great difficulty on account of the quantity of goods which were in the vessel. Nevertheless it was resolved to move the whole, and four or five very skilful carpenters, who had worked at the house at Gombroon for the Company, and were returning to Batavia, said that if they could only get up the anchor they would fix it so as to work as well as if it had two arms. This they did, and in two days both the anchor and the rudder were in a condition to serve us. It cost three or four cases of Shiraz wine, which were distributed to all those who assisted in removing the goods and getting out the anchor—for the purpose of inciting them to work well.
149.2.2
Eight days afterwards we found that we were off Point de Galle, and we took in some of our sails in order to gain the port, one of the worst in all India, on account of the rocks, which are at a level with the water in many places. It is for this reason that as soon as a vessel is sighted at sea the Governor-General sends two pilots to direct and bring her into port. But as we had both weather and sea sufficiently favourable, the captain and pilots, who had never been there before, not realising that we had passed the reefs, which they thought were nearer to land, and seeing that no pilot came to bring the vessel into port, turned to sea again ; this caused much surprise to the Governor and the pilots, who did not come out because they saw that we had passed the danger. The wind then commencing to change, drove us 9 or 10 leagues out to sea, and consequently we were two or three days beating about before we could remake the port. If the wind had driven us a little farther to sea we should have been obliged to go to winter at Masulipatam, in the Gulf of Bengal. At length the pilots of Point de Galle having come out for us, we entered the port and landed on the 12th of May. I immediately went to visit the Governor Madsuere, who is at present General at Batavia, and he did me the honour to invite me to eat always with him during the sojourn which I made there.
149.2.3
I did not find anything remarkable in this town, and there remains scarcely anything but the ruins, and mines, and the marks which the cannons made when the Dutch besieged it and drove away the Portuguese. The Company gave land and sites for building to those who wished to dwell there, and had already erected two good bastions, which command the port. If it had accomplished the design which it then formed, it would have made of this town a fine place. The Dutch, before they had captured all the settlements which the Portuguese had in the Island of Ceylon, from whence they have been entirely driven, persuaded themselves that the trade of this island would yield them enormous sums if they were sole masters. This might have happened if they had kept to the agreement which they had made with the King of Kandy — who is the King of the country — when they began to make war with the Portuguese. But they broke faith with him, and that gave them a very bad character in these parts.
149.2.4
The treaty with the King of Kandy was so drawn that this King was always to be in charge of the passes, with 18,000 or 20,000 men, to prevent the reinforcements which might come from Colombo, Negombo, Manar, and many other places which the Portuguese held along the coast. And the Dutch were to bring in their large vessels as many troops as were sufficient to besiege Point de Galle both by sea and land. They agreed, also, with the King of Achin that he should hold the coast with a sufficient number of small armed frigates, as he always maintained a good number of them. The Dutch, having taken the town, began to repair some breaches, seeing which the King of Kandy sent to know when he might come there to receive possession of it. For it had been agreed in the event of the Dutch taking the town that they would give it back to the King, who by way of recompense was to give them a certain quantity of cinnamon every year, and, in case of necessity, to aid them as far as he was able. The Dutch replied to what the King had communicated to them, that they were willing to hand over the town to him provided he paid them the costs of the war, which they said amounted to many millions; but if he had possessed three kingdoms like his own he could not have paid half the sum. In truth money is scarce in that country, and I do not believe that the King has ever seen a sum equal to 50,000 écus at one time. His whole trade consisted in cinnamon and elephants;
149.2.5
but since the Portuguese have been in India he has derived no profit from either. As for the elephants, that is a small matter, for only five or six are captured in a year; but at the same time those of Ceylon are more highly esteemed than all the elephants of other countries, because they are more courageous in war; and there is not a King in India who does not desire to have one. There should be related here a thing which it is possible one may have a difficulty in believing, but it is nevertheless quite true; it is that when any king or noble possesses one of these Ceylon elephants, and when there is brought into its presence some other one from the places where the merchants obtain them, as Achin, Siam, Arakan, Pegu, the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Kingdom of Assam, the territories of Cochin and the coast of Melinda, as soon as these latter elephants see one of Ceylon, by a natural instinct they pay it reverence by placing the ends of their trunks on the ground, and then elevating them. It is true that the elephants which the great nobles keep, when brought before them to be examined whether they are in good condition, make a sort of salute thrice with their trunk. This I have often seen ; but they are trained to it, and their masters teach them to do so when young.
149.2.6
The King of Achin, with whom the Dutch failed to keep their promise, had other means for revenging himself than the King of Kandy, because the Dutch were not allowed to ship the pepper which comes from his territories ; for a long time he refused them permission, and even declared war upon them ; and without this pepper their trade could not prosper. It is the kind of pepper which we call “small,” and all Orientals prefer it, because without skinning or crushing they place it whole on their plates of rice, as I have elsewhere said. At length the Dutch were compelled to agree with the King of Achin, and ambassadors were sent from one side and the other for this purpose. He who arrived on behalf of the King at Batavia, was treated with much magnificence. When he was about to depart the General and all his Council entertained him splendidly, and the ladies sat at table — this surprised this Muhammadan ambassador very much, who was not accustomed to see women drink and eat with men. But that which astonished him still more was that at the end of the repast, after having drunk many healths, they drank that of the Queen of Achin, who ruled the state during the minority of the King, her son. And in order to honour him still more, the General desired Madame la Generale to kiss the ambassador. The King and Queen of Achin did not receive the ambassador who was sent to them from Batavia less well. He was M. Croc, who for fifteen years suffered from a languishing sickness ;
149.2.7
and it was believed that some one had administered to him some kind of slow poison. On the occasion of the third audience which he had with the King, who knew that he had lived for so long a time in languor and without appetite, he asked him if he had ever formerly kept any girl of the country, and how he had left her, if by mutual agreement or whether he had sent her away by force. He admitted that he had left one in order to get married in his own country, and that since that time he had always been languishing and indisposed, upon which the King said to three of his physicians, who were by his side, that having heard the cause of the ambassador’s sickness he would give them fifteen days to cure him, and that if they did not accomplish it in that time he would cause them all to be executed. These physicians having replied that they would answer to him for the cure of the ambassador, provided he consented to take the remedies which they would give him, M. Croc resolved to consent. They gave him in the morning a decoction, and in the evening a small pill, and at the end of nine days a great fit of vomiting seized him. It was thought he would die of the strange efforts which he made ; and at length he vomited a bundle of hair as large as a small nut, after which he was at once healed. Subsequently the King took him to a rhinoceros hunt, and invited him to give the mortal shot to the animal.
149.2.8
As soon as it was killed they cut off the horn, which the King also presented to the ambassador; and at the conclusion of the hunt there was a great feast. At the end of it the King drank to the health of the General of Batavia and his wife, and ordered one of his own wives to kiss the ambassador. On his departure he presented him with a pebble of the size of a goose’s egg, in which large veins of gold were to be seen as you see the tendons in the hand of a man, and it is thus that gold occurs in this country. M. Croc, when at Surat as chief of the factory, broke the pebble in two, and gave half to M. Constant, who, subordinate to him, held the highest authority there, to whom, when he was returning to Holland, I offered 150 pistoles for it in order to present it to the late Monseigneur le Due d’Orleans, but he would not consent to part with it.