362 Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

In the fpace of three years no Englifli {hip from Europe had called there, and thegentlemen longing for one, and Moam But coming to vifit the chief, Mr. Walfelafked him if he could tell when a {hip from Europe would call there. He anfwered,he could tell, and mufing a little while, told, that on that fame day forty days, whichhappened to fall out on Sunday, one would arrive, and that {he was, at that time,at anchor at an ifland on this fide of the Cape of Good Hope , taking refreftiments.The chief told him, if he prophefied true, he would prefent him with as much fcarletcloth as would make him a coat. The But anfwered, that he thanked him, but thatneither of them would live to fee her arrive, and therefore advifed Mr. Walfel to fethis houfe in order; and that, to prove fome part of the prophecy true, the But himfelfihould die ten days after the day he prophefied, and that Mr. Walfel fliould die fomany days after. Accordingly the But died, which put the other’s mind out oforder, till the day of his death came, and that morning Mr. Walfel faid, he believedthe conjurer was out in his reckoning, for he never was in better health in his days ;but, after dinner, he had an apoplectic fit, that carried him off. And the {hip’spinnance came aftiore at the fadtory gate that noon that the But told {he fliould arrive.The {hip was the Mexico Merchant, commanded by Captain Roger Paxton, whom Iwell knew.

The pretty nimble female dancers at Carwar are not fo by choice; but all tradesand occupations being lifted into tribes, none can marry out of their own tribe ; and,as it fortuned, the originals of this tribe were ladies that could not be confined toone huiband, and fo would not marry. Their pofterity are not fuffered to marry, be-caufe there are no men in their tribe allowed. When the lafles bring forth children,the males are brought up foldiers, and the females are learned to dance, and whatthey earn by dancing goes to the Rajah, except a frnall {hare for the girl’s mainte-nance. What they get by their kindnefs to ftrangers is all their own 5 and I have feenfome have very fine clothes and jewels acquired by their trade.

The Portugueze have an ifland called Anjediva (before mentioned), about twomiles from Batcoal. They fortified it, for fear that Mulkat Arabs or the Savajeesfliould have fettled on it; if they had, they might have incommoded the Goa fleetthat goes yearly to Canara for corn.

At the mouth of Carwar river, are two fortified iflands called Shipe and Gur.One is fortified by walls built round it, and fome guns mounted on it. The other isfteril and dry, and not worth walling. They both belong to the Rajah of Sundab*There are fome iflands lie athwart the mouth of the bay, that make the harbour ofCarwar, but none inhabited. The bay has two large entrances for {hipping. Thatto the north is clear from danger; but the fouth channel has a {harp rock like a pyra-mid in the middle of it, that feveral large {hips have ftruck on, for there is too muchwater on it for frnall fliips to be frightened by it, having at leaft 15 feet water on its top*

There are feveral more little harbours in this Rajah’s dominions to the fouthwardof Carwar, viz. Ankla, Cuddermuddy and Merzee, whofe river terminates theSunda’s territories, and brings us on to a better country, viz. Canara.

Chap. XXIII. — Gives a Defcription of Canara,/hewing its Fertility, Produfl, Govern'metit, Religion , Cuftoms , and Temper of its Inhabitants.

ONOAR is its northermoft port, and has the benefit of a river, capable to receivefliips of two or three hundred tuns. It has a caftle on a low hill, about a mile withm