2.66

Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

longed was about 18 inches, the fecond about 12, and the third about 8, but finallerin proportion than what is in India , and much {harper about the point. The mailerof the forenamed ihip brought alfo a black fowl, as big in the body as a large duck.It had a long, ftraight, thick, but pointed bill, and hollow eyes, its legs about 12 or 14inches long, but thick and ilrong ; it was very voracious after fleih or fiih, and was anexcellent frog and rat-catcher. As foon as he caught any living game, he toiled it upabout two yards high, and caught it on the point of his bill, and fo repeated histoffmgs till the animal died, and then greedily devoured it.

Between Delagoa and Mofambique is a dangerous fea-coaft; it formerly was knownby the names of Suffola and Cuama, but now by the Portugueze, who know thatcountry bell, it is called Sena. It finds dominions for many different princes, forthey are contented with fmall territories. The inhabitants are all negroes, and almoilall barbarians, except a few that the Portugueze have converted to Popery ; and they,by their converfion, are generally lefs humane to European ftrangers than theBarbarians.

Sena abounds in elephants teeth and low gold, of 18 or 19 carects finenefs ; but thepeople having plenty of all things convenient for them, are very fupine. They havelarge Ilrong bodies and limbs, and are very bold in war. They will have commercewith none but the Portugueze, who keep a few prielts along the fea-coalts, that over-awe the filly natives, and get their teeth and gold for trifles, and fend what they get toMofambique.

I have heard a Portugueze fay, who went from Mofambique thither, that, carryingfome fmall glafs-beads of divers colours for traffick, the natives made a hole in fomeclay ground, which would hold as many beads as they wanted, and taking the beadsout of the hole, filled it up with gold-dull. He alfo told me, that for fome coarfechequered cloth, called Cambaya Lungies, made of cotton-yarn, the natives wouldbring elephants teeth, and meafure the length of a tooth by the cloth, and bartered thetooth for fo much cloth as it meafured : but the Portugueze relations are hardly to becredited, for if gold and teeth were fo eafily purchafed, how can they be fo miferablypoor as they are, every where in their colonies, all over India ?

I rather believe, that this was the Ophir or Tarfhifh of the Jews , whither Solomonfent his Ihips out of the Red Sea, than Sumatra , where they could not poffibly go andreturn in three years along the fea-coalls, which might eafily be effefted to Sena.

Mofambique is an ifland belonging to the crown of Portugal , it is well fortified bothby art and nature, but is very unwholfome, in fo much, than when any Reynol, orEuropean Portugueze in the King of Portugal’s fervice in India commits any capitalcrime, inftead of punching him according to their national or martial laws, they arebanifhed to Mofambique, for as many years as the viceroy of Goa and his council {hallorder, and very few ever return from their exile, for 5 or 6 years is a long life there.It alfo ferves for a refrefhing place for the Portugueze {hips, that are bound from Eu-rope to India , where they generally Hay about 30 days to recruit their foldiers andfeamen, (not with frefh numbers, but frefh victuals and whores), who, by their in-activity and lazinefs at fea, cdntraCt the fcurvy and dropfy, which the acid fruits andnourifhing roots foon difpel. Their {hips are generally at fea the whole month ofAuguft, between Mofambique and Goa .

The inhabitants of Mofambique, as well as thofe on the continent, are all Negroes,of a large fize, handfome, and very well limbed, and make good {laves. The King’sfhips, as well as private traders, bring good {tore of them to India , both fexes being inhigh efteem with the Indian Portugueze, both having fervices proper to their fex al-lotted