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Richard Hakluyt - Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, 10
the Tartarie marchants.] These Northern merchants are apparelled with woollen cloth and hats, white
hosen close, and bootes which be of Moscouia or Tartarie. They report that in their countrey they haue
very good horses, but they be litle: some men haue foure, fiue, or sixe hundred horses and kine: they liue
with milke and fleshe. [Sidenote: Cowe tailes in great request.] They cut the tailes of their kine, and sell
them very deere, for they bee in great request, and much esteemed in those partes. The haire of them is a
yard long, the rumpe is aboue a spanne long: they vse to hang them for brauerie upon the heades of their
Elephantes: they bee much vsed in Pegu and China: they buie and sell by scores vpon the ground. The
people be very swift on foote.
From Chatigan in Bengala, I came to Bacola; the king whereof is a Gentile, a man very well disposed
and delighteth much to shoot in a gun. His countrey is very great and fruitful, and hath store of Rice,
much cotton cloth, and cloth of silke. The houses be very faire and high builded, the streetes large, the
people naked, except a litle cloth about their waste. The women weare great store of siluer hoopes about
their neckes and armes, and their legs are ringed with siluer and copper, and rings made of elephants
teeth.
From Bacola I went to Serrepore which standeth vpon the riuer of Ganges, the king is called Chondery.
They be all hereabout rebels against their king Zelabdim Echebar: for here are so many riuers and Ilands,
that they flee from one to another, whereby his horsemen cannot preuaile against them. Great store of
cotton cloth is made here.
Sinnergan is a towne sixe leagues from Serrepore, where there is the best and finest cloth made of cotton
that is in all India. The chiefe king of all these countries is called Isacan, and he is chiefe of all the other
kings, and is a great friend to all Christians. The houses here, as they be in the most part of India, are
very litle, and couered with strawe, and haue a fewe mats round about the wals, and the doore to keepe
out the Tygers and the Foxes. Many of the people are very rich. Here they will eate no flesh, nor kill no
beast: they liue of Rice, milke, and fruits. They goe with a litle cloth before them, and all the rest of their
bodies is naked. Great store of Cotton cloth goeth from hence, and much Rice, wherewith they serue all
India, Ceilon, Pegu, Malacca, Sumatra, and many other places.
I went from Serrepore the 28. of Nouember 1586. for Pegu in a small ship or foist of one Albert
Carauallos, and so passing downe Ganges, and passing by the Island of Sundiua, porto Grande, or the
countrie of Tippera, the kingdom of Recon and Mogen, leauing them on our left side with a faire wind at
Northwest: our course was South and by East, which brought vs to the barre of Negrais in Pegu: if any
contrary wind had come, we had throwen many of our things ouer-boord: for we were so pestered with
people and goods, that there was scant place to lie in. From Bengala to Pegu is 90. legues. We entred the
barre of Negrais, which is a braue barre and hath 4. fadomes water where it hath least. Three dayes after
we came to Cosmin, which is a very pretie towne, and standeth very pleasantly, very well furnished with
all things. [Ladders vsed to auoyd the danger of wild beasts.] The people be very tall and well disposed;
the women white, round faced, with little eies: the houses are high built, set vpon great high postes, and
they go vp to them with long ladders for feare of the Tygers which be very many. The countrey is very
fruitful of all things. Here are very great Figs, Orenges, Cocoes, and other fruits. [Dwelling in boats.] The
land is very high that we fall withall, but after we be entred the barre, it is very lowe and full of riuers, for
they goe all too and fro in boates, which they call paroes, and keepe their houses with wife and children
in them.
From the barre of Nigrais to the citie of Pegu is ten dayes iourney by the riuers. Wee went from Cosmin
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