fruits, that the naturals of that countrie do say, were brought thither by the Chinos, when that they were lords and gouernours of that countrie.” (Mendoza, Parke’s transl. p. 71.)] De Barros says that the famous city of Diu was built by one of the Kings of Guzerat whom he calls in one place Dariar Khan, and in another Peruxiah, in memory of victory in a sea-fight with the Chinese who then frequented the Indian shores.  It is difficult to identify this King, though he is represented as the father of the famous toxicophagous Sultan Mahmud Begara (1459-1511).  De Barros has many other allusions to Chinese settlements and conquests in India which it is not very easy to account for.  Whatever basis of facts there is must probably refer to the expeditions of Ch’eng-Tsu, but not a little probably grew out of the confusion of Jainas and Chinas already alluded to; and to this I incline to refer Correa’s “sumptuous idol-temples.”

There must have been some revival of Chinese trade in the last century, if P. Paolino is correct in speaking of Chinese vessels frequenting Travancore ports for pepper. (De Barros, Dec.  II.  Liv. ii. cap. 9, and Dec.  IV.  Liv. v. cap. 3; Paolino, p. 74.)

[1] It appears from a paper in the Mackenzie MSS. that down to Colonel
    Mackenzie’s time there was a tribe in Calicut whose ancestors were
    believed to have been Chinese. (See Taylor’s Catal.  Raisonne,
    III. 664.) And there is a notable passage in Abdurrazzak which says
    the seafaring population of Calicut were nicknamed Chini
    bachagan, “China boys.” (India in XVth Cent. p. 19.)

CHAPTER XXVI.

CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF GOZURAT.

Gozurat is a great kingdom.  The people are Idolaters and have a peculiar language, and a king of their own, and are tributary to no one.  It lies towards the west, and the North Star is here still more conspicuous, showing itself at an altitude of about 6 cubits.[NOTE 1]

The people are the most desperate pirates in existence, and one of their atrocious practices is this.  When they have taken a merchant-vessel they force the merchants to swallow a stuff called Tamarindi mixed in sea-water, which produces a violent purging.[NOTE 2] This is done in case the merchants, on seeing their danger, should have swallowed their most valuable stones and pearls.  And in this way the pirates secure the whole.

In this province of Gozurat there grows much pepper, and ginger, and indigo.  They have also a great deal of cotton.  Their cotton trees are of very great size, growing full six paces high, and attaining to an age of 20 years.  It is to be observed however that, when the trees are so old as that, the cotton is not good to spin, but only to quilt or stuff beds withal.  Up to the age of 12 years indeed the trees give good spinning cotton, but from that age to 20 years the produce is inferior.[NOTE 3]