Travels in India (Tavernier) 28: Route from Surat to Goa, and from Goa to Golconda by Bijapur
Travels in India (Ball) 28
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Route from Surat to Goa, and from Goa to Golconda by Bijapur
28.1
You may go from Surat to Goa partly by land and partly by sea, but the road is very bad by land, especially from Daman to Rajapur. Most travellers take the route by sea, and taking an almadier, which is a row-boat, they go from point to point up to Goa, notwithstanding that the Malabaris, who are the pirates of India, are much to be feared along these coasts, as I shall presently say. The route from Surat to Goa is not counted by coss, but by gos, which are about equal to 4 of our common leagues. From Surat to Daman (Daman) . 7 gos. ,, Daman to Bassain (Bassein) . 10 „ ,, Bassain to Chaoul (Chaul) . 9 „ ,, Chaoul to Daboul (Dhabol) . 12 „ ,, Daboul to Rejapour (Rajapur) . 10 „ ,, Rejapour to Mingrela (Vengurla) . 9 „ ,, Mingrela to Goa . 4 „ This makes in all from Surat to Goa . 61 gos. The great danger which has to be encountered on these coasts is, as I have said, the risk of falling into the hands of the Malabaris, who are strict Muhammadans and very cruel towards Christians. I have seen a Barefoot Carmelite Father who had been captured by these pirates. In order to obtain his ransom speedily, they tortured him to such an extent that his right arm became half as short as the other, and it was the same with one leg. The commanders only pay wages to the value of two écus to each soldier for the six months which they generally spend at sea, and do not share with them the prizes taken; but they are allowed to keep the garments and the food of those whom they have captured.
28.2
It is true that the soldiers are permitted to leave then, and if the commanders desire them to remain they are obliged to pay them afresh. They seldom venture farther to sea than from 20 to 25 leagues, and whenever the Portuguese capture any of these pirates they either hang them straight off or they throw them into the sea. These Malabaris number 200 and sometimes as many as 250 men in each vessel, and they go in squadrons of from ten to fifteen vessels to attack a big ship, and they do not fear cannon. They at once come alongside and throw numbers of fire-pots on the deck, which cause much injury if care is not taken to provide against them. For as they know the habits of the pirates, immediately they see them they close all the scuttles on deck, and cover it with water, so that these pots, which are full of fireworks, cannot take effect. An English Captain named Mr. Clerc, when coming from Bantam to Surat, met, in the latitude of Cochin, a squadron of Malabaris, consisting of twenty-five or thirty vessels, which came forthwith and attacked him vigorously. Seeing that he could not withstand their first fury, he set fire to some barrels of gunpowder which he had had time to prepare, and the deck being blown up, he also blew into the sea a great number of pirates who were on it. Notwithstanding this, the others did not lose courage, and did not cease to come on board.
28.3
The English Captain, seeing no other resource left, sent all his crew into two boats and remained alone in his cabin, where the pirates were unable to reach him; he then set fire to a train which he had prepared, and which led to a magazine containing a large quantity of powder. At the same time he threw himself into the sea, where he was picked up by his crew, and the vessel being on fire, all the Malabaris who were on it jumped into the sea; but that did not prevent the two boats, which contained about forty Englishmen, being taken by the remaining Malabaris; and I was at breakfast at Surat with the English President, named Fremelin, when he received a letter from Captain Clerc, which informed him that he was enslaved by the Zamorin, who is the most powerful King on the Malabar coast. This Prince would not leave them in the possession of these savages, because they were in danger of their lives, on account of upwards of 1200 widows whose husbands were left behind on the two occasions that the ship was on fire. He was enabled to appease them by promising them two piastres each on account of the death of their husbands; this amounted to above 2400 écus, besides 4000 more required for the ransom of the Captain and the other Englishmen. The President immediately sent the money, and I saw them return, some of them in good health, and others broken down by fever. The Malabaris are such superstitious people that they touch nothing dirty or unclean with the right hand;
28.4
this they reserve for the left, allowing the nails on it, which serve as a comb, to grow, because they have long hair like women, which they twist round the head with a small cloth having three points tied above. Since I have mentioned Damán, I shall describe in a few words how this town was besieged by Aurangzeb, who reigns at present. Many believe that elephants have a great effect in war; this is undoubtedly true, but not always in the way which is imagined, for it often happens that, instead of ravaging the ranks of the enemy, they turn upon those who drive them, and who are expecting an altogether different result, as Aurangzeb experienced at the siege of this city. He had been twenty days before Daman, and had arranged to make the assault on a Sunday, believing that Christians, like Jews, would not defend themselves on their Sabbath. The Commandant in Daman was an old soldier who had served in France, with three of his sons whom he had with him then. There were in the place 800 men, both gentlemen and other brave soldiers, who had come from many places to take part in the defence and show their valour. For although the army of the Great Mogul consisted of more than 40,000 men, he was unable to prevent relief entering Daman from the sea, because he had no vessels and could not invest the place except by land.
28.5
On the Sunday that he intended to make the assault, the Governor of Daman, in accordance with what had been settled at the council of war, caused mass to be said immediately after midnight, and then ordered a sortie to be made with all the cavalry and a part of the infantry, who were at first to attack on the side where there were 200 elephants. They threw a quantity of fireworks among them, which frightened them so much in the darkness of the night that, without knowing whither they went, and their drivers not being able to restrain them, they turned against the besiegers with such fury that in two or three hours half the army of Aurangzeb was destroyed, and three days after the siege was raised. Since that time this Prince has not wished to have anything more to do with Christians. I have made two journeys to Goa — the first was at the end of the year 1641, the second at the beginning of the year 1648. The first time I only remained seven days, and I returned to Surat by land. From