35 s

Hamilton’s account of the east indies,

Chap. XXI. — Gives an Account of Goa , its Situation, Trade , Religion and Churchet ,

with the Fortifications about it, the Limits of the Portuguese Dominions there, as far

South as Cabo de Rama,

GOA, the metropolis of India, under the dominion of the crown of Portugal ,Hands on an ifland about 1 2 miles long, and fix broad. The city is built on the northfide of it, on a champaign ground, and has the convenieney of a fine fait water river,capable to receive fhips of the larged fize, where they lie within a mile of the town.The banks of the river are beautified with noble feructures of churches, cadles, andgentlemen’s houfes ; but, in the city, the air is reckoned unwholefome, which is onecaufe why at prefent it is not well inhabited. The viceroy’s palace is a noble edifice,Handing within piftol fliot of the river, over one of the gates of the city, which leadsto a fpacious noble ftreet, about half a mile long, and terminates at a beautiful church,called Mifericordia. The city contains many noble churches, convents and cloifters,with a ftately large hofpital, all well endowed, and well kept. The market-place (landsnear the Mifericordia church, and takes up about an acre fquare, where mod things ofthe produdl of that country are to be fold; and, in the (hops about it, may be hadwhat Europe, China , Bengal, and other countries of lefs note furnifh them with.Every church has a fet of bells, that one or other of them are continually ringing,and, being all chriftened, and dedicated to foitte faint, they have a fpecific powerto drive away all manner of evil fpirits, except poverty in the laity, and pride inthe clergy; but, to thofe that are not.ufed to nodlurnal noifes, they are verytroublefome in the nights. The viceroy generally refides at the powder-houfe, abouttwo miles below the city, on the river fide, the fprings of water there beingreckoned the bed on the ifland, which is a liquor very much efteemed by the Por-tugueze, except when they can get wine or fpirits cod free, and then they will drinkto excefs.

The religion, eftablifhed by law, is the Romifli, and here are the moll zealousbigots of it; and the laws of the church (but not of their country) are rigorouflyobferved, and there is a fevere mquifition court to punifh any whom the inquifitorshave the lead fufpicion of, which awes both clergy and laity to fuch a complacency,that I quedion if there is fuch a pack of notorious hypocrites in the world; and yettheir Indian converts, who go by the general name of Cannarians, retain fo muchof their ancient heathenifh fuperdition, that they abdain from eating cows flefh,becaufe of the veneration paid to that bead, above others, by the Gentows, whofeoffspring they are.

There are many Gentows dwell in the city, who cannot be brought to change theiridolatrous fuperdition for the religion of Rome ; but they are tolerated becaufe theyare generally more indudrious than the Chridians, efpecially in mechanical employmentsand agriculture; but the mercantile part of them are very fubject to the infults of theReynolds, or European Fidalgoes, who wall often buy their goods, and never payfor them; which cudom has alfo crept into fome countries better polifhed than thePortugueze, only with fome redriclions, that they dare not ufe force in taking whatthey have occafion for, as the Portugueze do, nor inflict corporal punilhments ontheir creditors, when they afk for their money, fo that it is dangerous for the pop 1 "indudrious merchant, either to refufe their goods, or alk for their money when it is

due.