The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c7.s4.55

c7.s4.55

The account given by Odoricus is as follows: "I passed over (from Ormuz) in 28 days to Thána, where for the faith of Christ four of our minor friars had suffered a glorious martyrdom. The city is excellent in position, and hath great store of bread and wine, and aboundeth in trees. This was a great place in days of old, for it was the city of king Porus who waged so great a battle with Alexander. The people thereof are idolators, for they worship fire and serpents and trees also. The land is under the dominion of the Saracens, who have taken it by the force of arms, and they are now subject to the Emperor of Delhi. Here be found sundry kinds of beasts, and especially black lions in very great numbers, besides monkeys and baboons and bats as big as pigeons are here. There be also rats as big as our dogs called scherpi. In this country there are trees which give wine which they call loahe, and which is very intoxicating. And here they do not bury the dead but carry them in great pomp to the fields, and cast them to the beasts and birds to be devoured. And they have here very fine oxen which have horns a good half pace in length, and have a hump on the back like a camel. And it was in this place called Tanna that the four minor friars suffered a glorious martyrdom for the sake of Christ."