S y r a s t r e n a
R e g io ,
G u l p h o f
C u TCH.
G ü z e r a t .
a illy refembling that of an eel, fuited to a fpecies which is
entirely deftined to the watery element. They are met with
off moft of the coafts o f India, at the diftance o f twenty or thirty .
leagues from land; are never feen alive on the element o f earth,
but frequently call by the furges dead on the ihore. M. D ’ Ob-
fonville, who has given an account of them, fays, they are from
three to four feet long, and reputed to be very venomous. M.
Bougainville gives an inftance o f a failor who was bitten by one,
in hawling a feine on the coaft o f New Ireland. He was in-
flantly affedled with moft violent pains in all parts of his body.
The blood taken from him appeared diflolved; and the fide on
which he was bitten became livid, and greatly fwelled. - A t
length, by the afliftance of Venice treacle, with flower de luce
water, he fell into a great perfpiration, and was quite cured *.
On the weftern fide o f this gulph was the Syrajlrena regia
of Arrian, fertile in wheat, rice, oil of Sefamum, or Sefamum
orientale, Burnt. Zeyl. 87. tab. 38, and Gerard, p. 123a, Butyrum,
or Gbee, as it is called in India; Carpafus is a word I cannot
tranflate, but it appears to have been fome vegetable that was
ufed in making the Indian webs.
From Cape Jigat, the fouthern extremity of the gulph o f
Cutcb, the land trends to the fouth-weft, as far as Diu point. At
the former, commences the better known peninfula of Guzerat.
The weftern parts of which are mountanous and woody, the
reft extremely rich, and once famed for a very confiderable
commerce in their productions. The Ayeen Akberry, ii. p. 76,
fpeaks thus o f its manufactures: It is famous for painters,
* Bougainville's Voy. Eng-Tranf.
“ carvers*
H carvers, and other handicraftfmen. They cut out letters in
“ ihells, and inlay with them very curioufly. They alfo make
« beautiful inkftands, and imall boxes. They manufadture
“ gold and filver fluffs, velvets, 8cc.; and they imitate the
“ fluffs of Turkey, Europe, and Perjia. They alfo make very
“ good fwords, Jemdbers, Kewpwebs, and bows and arrows.
“ Here is likewife carried on a traffic in precious ftones. Silver
“ is brought hither from Room and Iraki'
A l o n g the coaft, quite from Cape 'Jigat, were a number o f
antient towns. Simylla, on the very cape, was once a confiderable
mart, in the days of Ptolemy.
T he famous Pagoda Jumnaut flood clofe to Puttan, on the P a g o d a Jum-
weftern fide o f Guzzerat. It was deftroyed in 1022, by the NAUT-
bigotted Mahmood*. The Hindoos believed that the fouls of
the departed went to this place, to be transferred into other
bodies, human or animal, according to their deferts. The
riches in gems, gold, 8cc. would be incredible, did we not
know the power of fuperftition in thofe remote and unenlightened
times.
On the Baonus infula ftands Diu, which long flourifhed un- Dot.
der its native owners. The judicious Albuquerque had caft his
eye on this ifland as a fit poft to enfure fafety and permanency
to the Portuguefe empire in India. He endeavoured to obtain
leave from the monarch of Cambaya to ereit a fort, but the
governor, as wife as himfelf, obftruCted the defign. In 1535,
Nugno d'Acugna fucceeded, and in forty-nine days made it
fo ftrong, as to baffie the attempts of the prince, who, repenting
of his conceffion, endeavoured to wreft it from the
* Feriihta, i. p. 71 to 86.
Portuguefe,