Travels in India (Tavernier) 5: BOOK I

5

Armenians, Muhammadans of India, and Banians also have vessels, upon which, however, one does not feel so safe as on those of the Franks, because necessarily the Indians do not understand the sea so well, and have not such good pilots.
Vessels sailing for Surat, which is the only port in the whole empire of the Great Mogul, steer for Diu and Point St. Jean, and then anchor in the roads at Suwali, which is only four leagues distant from Surat, and but two from the mouth of the river, bearing from it northwards. They carry the merchandise from one place to the other either by cart or by boat, because large vessels cannot enter the river at Surat, until after they are unloaded, on account of the sandbanks which are at the mouth. The Dutch return after having landed their goods at Suwali, and the English did the same, neither being permitted to enter into the Surat river; but since, some time back, the King has granted to the latter a place to winter in during the rainy season.
Surat is a city of moderate size, with a poor fortress, which you must pass, whether approaching it by water or by land. It has four towers at its four angles ; and as the walls are not terraced, the guns are placed upon scaffoldings. The Governor of the fortress merely commands the soldiers of the garrison, and possesses no authority in the city, which has its own separate Governor to receive the customs and the other revenues of the King throughout the extent of his Province. The walls of the city are of earth, and the houses of private persons are merely barns, being built of nothing but reeds, covered with cow-dung mixed with clay to fill the interstices, and to prevent those outside from seeing between the reeds that which is done inside. In the whole of Surat there are only nine or ten well-built houses, and the Shah-bandar, or chief of the merchants, has two or three of them. The others belong to the Muhammadan merchants, and those of the English and Dutch are not the least fine, every president and commander taking care to keep them in repair, the cost of which they charge against the accounts of their companies. These dwellings are, nevertheless, only hired houses, the King not permitting any Frank to possess a house of his own, fearing that he would have that of which he might make a fortress. The Reverend Capuchin Fathers have built a very commodious one upon the model of the houses of Europe, with a beautiful church, and I myself furnished a large portion of the money which it cost ; but the purchase had to be made under the name of a Maronite merchant of Aleppo named Chelebi, of whom I have spoken in my account of Persia.