He Then, In A Most Minute And Accurate Manner, Describes The
Approach To The Harbour; The Extraordinarily High Tides, The Rapidity With
Which They Roll In And Again Recede, Especially At The New Moon, The
Difficult Pilotage Of The River, Are All Noticed.
On account of these
dangers and difficulties, he adds, that pilots were appointed by the
government, with large boats, well manned, who put to sea to wait the
approach of ships.
These pilots, as soon as they come on board, bring the
ship's head round, and keep her clear of the shoals at the mouth of the
river; if necessary, they tow the ship from station to station, where there
is good anchorage; these stations were called Basons, and seem to have been
pools retaining the water, after the tide had receded from other parts. The
navigation of the river was performed only as long as the tide was
favorable; as soon as it turned, the ships anchored in these stations.
The sovereign to whom Baragaza belonged is represented as so very anxious
to render it the only mart, that he would not permit ships to enter any of
his other harbours; if they attempted it, they were boarded and conducted
to Baragaza; at this place were collected all the produce and manufactures
of this part of India: some of which were brought down the river Nerbuddah;
others were conveyed across the mountains by caravans. The merchandize of
Bengal, and even of the Seres, was collected here, besides the produce of
Africa, and of the countries further to the south in India. The whole
arrangement of this place was correspondent to this extensive commerce, for
the author informs us, that such was the despatch in transacting business,
that a cargo could be entirely landed and sold, and a new cargo obtained
and put on board in the space of three days.
From Ozeni to the east of Baragaza, formerly the capital of the country,
there was brought to the latter place for exportation, chiefly the
following articles: onyx stones, porcelaine, fine muslins, muslins dyed of
the colour of the melon, and common cotton in great quantities: from the
Panjab there were brought for exportation, spikenard of different kinds,
costus, bdellium, ivory, murrhine cups, myrrh, pepper, &c. The imports were
wine, of all the three sorts already mentioned, brass, tin, lead, coral,
topazes, cloth of different kinds, sashes, storax, sweet lotus, white
glass, stibium, cinnabar, and a small quantity of perfumes: a considerable
quantity of corn was also imported; the denarius, both gold and silver,
exchanging with profit against the coin of the country, on account of its
greater purity.
From Baragaza the author proceeds to a description of the coast of the
Decan, which, as we have already mentioned, is remarkable for its accuracy,
as well as for its first mentioning the appellation Decan. At the distance
of twenty days' journey to the south lies Plithana, and ten days' journey
to the east of this is Tagara, both marts of great consequence, and the
latter the capital of the country.
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