CHAP. XXIV.

Of the kingdome of Coromandel and others his borderers, and of the citie of Salamina, whereas was and died the glorious apostle S. Thomas; and of the power and riches of the king of this kingdome, and the order of their buryinges, and other thinges of great curiositie.

Running alongest the coast from Vengala, is the kingdome of Masulapatar, and certaine other kingdomes nigh vnto the same: they be all gentiles, as the rest of their borderers, yet it is vnderstood, with great facilitie they would leaue their opinions. It is a kingdome that hath great abundance of prouision, and lacke of things of contractation or marchandice, which is the occasion that they are little knowen.

Trauailing a little forwardes, is the kingdome of Coromandel, whose chiefe citie is called Calamina, and nowe vulgarly Malipur,[103] and is there whereas was martyred the happie apostle S. Thomas. And they say that at this day there remaineth some of his relickes, by whom God did many myracles. The naturall people therefore haue a particular memory vntill this day of that saint.

This citie at this day is populared with Portingals and with the naturall people: there is in it a church, wherein is comprehended the house whereas was, and died, the holy apostle: this countrie belongeth vnto the king of Visnaga, who although he be a gentile, he hath great reuerence and respect vnto the house of the holy apostle, and for particular deuotion he doth giue euerie yeare a certaine charitie. There is in this citie two couentes of religious men, the one of the companie of Iesus, and the other of the order of S. Francis.

From this citie of Calamina to that of Visnaga there wheras the king is, it is fiue and thirtie leagues by land. This king is mightie, and his kingdome very great and full of people, and hath great rentes. They say that onely the rent he hath of fine gold, is worth vnto him three millions, of the which he spendeth but one onely, and doth keepe euerie yeare two millions in his treasorie, the which according vnto the report and fame, is at this day with many millions. He hath twelue principall or chiefe captaines, and euerie one of them hath the gouernement of an infinite number of people and hath great rent for the same, for he that hath least rent hath sixe hundred thousand ducats yearely. Euerie one of them are bound to giue the king to eate, and all the people of his house, one month in the yeare; so that by this account the twelue captaines which are the lordes of the kingdome (and as wee might say) dukes, doo beare his cost all the whole yeare. The million the which he doth spend, is in giftes and in extraordinarie thinges. The king hath in his house, what with wiues, seruants, and slaues, nigh about fourteene thousand persons, and in his stable ordinarily a thousand horse, and for his seruice and garde eight hundreth elephants, of whom he doth spend euerie day eight hundreth ducats. The garde of his person is foure thousand horsemen, to whom he giueth great wages. He hath also in his house three hundreth wiues, besides a great number of concubines: they goe all gallantly apparelled, and with rich iewels, of the which there are of great estimation in that kingdome, they do almost euerie three daies change newe colors of apparell. They do ordinarily vse colors of precious stones, such as are called in Spaine ojo de gato, cats eies. They haue great store of saphires, pearles, diamonds, rubies, and many other stones, that are in that kingdome in great abundance.

Amongest all these wiues there is one that is as legitimate, whose children doo inherite: and if it so fall out that she is barren, the first that is borne of any of the other doth inherite: which is the occasion that they neuer lacke a successor in that kingdome.

When the king of this kingdome doth die, they do carrie him foorth into a mightie fielde, with great sadnesse and mourning apparell, and there in the presence of those twelue peeres afore saide, they do burne his bodie with wood of sandalo, which is of a great smell, with the which they do make a great fire.

After that the bodie of the king is burned and consumed, they throwe into the same the wiues that hee best loued, with seruants and slaues, those that he most esteemed in his lifetime: the which they do with so great content, that euery one dooth procure to be the first for to enter into the fire, and they that are last do thinke themselues vnhappie. All these do say that they go to serue the king in the other life, whereas they shalbe with great ioy. This is the occasion that they goe with so good a will to die, and carrie with them the most richest and festiuall apparell they haue. Of this is gathered that they do beleeue the immortalitie of the soule, for that they doo confesse there is another life, and that thither they do returne and liue for euer without ende. They are people that would be conuerted with the like facilitie vnto the holy gospell as their neighbours, if there went any thether to preach.

Three score and tenne leagues from this citie, there is a pagode or temple of idols, whereas is a rich faire euery yeare: it is a very sumptuous building, and edified in a place so high, that it may be seene many leagues before you come vnto it.

It hath ordinarily foure thousande men of garde, who are paid with the rent of the temple, the which is rich and verye good. There is nigh vnto the same many mynes of golde and precious stones, and that is taken out of them is rent vnto the temple. There is in it a priest of the idolles, whom they call in their language Brama, and is as the high priest in that countrie. All the people of the land do come vnto him, to vnderstand the doubtes of their manner of liuing, and he doth dispence with them in many things that be prohibited by their lawes, the which he may do according vnto the sayd lawes, and manie times he doth dispence certaine of them. But here one to be laughed at, which is, that when a woman cannot suffer the condition of her husbande, or is wearie of him for other occasions, she goeth vnto this Brama, and giuing vnto him a peece of golde, which may be to the A strange custome. value of a ducat in Spaine, he doth vnmarry them, and setteth her at libertie that she may marry with an other, or with many if she please: and in token of this she is giuen a marke with an yron vpon her right shoulder, so that with that alone she remaineth at libertie, and her husband cannot do vnto her any harme for the same, neither compell her to returne againe to his company.

There are in this kingdome many mynes of verie fine diamonds, and are had in great estimation, and very well knowen in Europe. There hath beene found in them a stone of so fine and of so great value, that but few yeares past, the king did sell the same vnto an other mightie king his borderer, A diamond sold for a million of gold. called Odialcan, for a million of golde, besides other thinges of value that hee gaue him ouer and aboue.[104] It is a healthfull countrie, with very good and fresh ayres, rich of prouisions, and of all other necessaries, not only for the humane life, but also for curiositie and delightes that be therein. It is in fourteene degrees towardes the pole artico. All the people therein are faint-hearted and cowards, and for little trauaile, which is the occasion that they are nothing affectionate vnto warres, and is vnderstoode with great facilitie they would receiue the gospell.

Nigh vnto the same there is an other little kingdome called Mana, in the which there is a towne with Portingals, the which is called in their language Negapatan; there is in the same a conuent of the order of S. Francis, whose religious friers, although they are but few, do occupie themselues in the converting of the naturall people thereof, and it is to be beleeued that they shall reape much fruite and doo good, for they haue giuen showes of the same: for that about three yeares past the prince of that countrie was conuerted by the preaching of the same fryers, who went now to receiue the holy baptisme with great and incredible ioy vnto the Christians. All the rest of the kingdoms (as it is beleeued) will shortly imitate him. In this iland there are many pearls and aliofar, al very good, round, and fine.