Jan van Linschoten on Dutch business in the Indian Ocean
Jan Van Linschoten (1563-1611 CE) was a Dutch traveler and explorer. From 1583 to 1589, Linschoten served as secretary of the archbishop of Goa, a Portuguese colony. He wrote about his experiences in several books, in which he included valuable navigation information that the Portuguese had carefully guarded for years. The maps and prints in these publications, along with Linschoten's descriptions of the lands in the East Indies, stimulated English and particularly Dutch interest and involvement in that part of the world. Linschoten participated in expeditions with William Barents to find a northeast sea passage north of Russia to China. Source: Jan Van Linschoten, "Jan Van Linschoten On Extending Dutch Business into the Indian Ocean," To the East Indies (London: Hakluyt Society, 1902), pp. 46-71.
THE 9. CHAPTER. Of the kingdome and land of Cambaia [antique name for present-day Indian city of Khambhat, also known as Cambay]. The land of Cambaia is the fruitfullest [Countrie] in all India, and from thence provision of necessaries is made for all places round about it: whereby there is a great traffique [in the Towne], as well of the inhabitants, as other Indians and neighbors, as also of Portingals [Portuguese], Persians, Arabians, Armenians, etc. The King observeth the law of Mahomet, but most parte of the people that are dwellers and naturall borne Countrimen, called Gusarates and Baneanem, observe Pythagoras law35, and are the subtilest and pollitiquest Marchauntes of all India, whose counterfets and shapes are placed [in this booke] by those of India, with a description of their living, ceremonies and customes, as in time and place shall be shewed, This lande of Cambaia aboundeth in all kinde of victuals, as Come, Rice and such like grain, also of Butter and Oyle, wherewith they furnish all the Countries round about them, There is made great store of Cotton Linnen of divers sorts, which are called Cannequins, Boffetas, Ioriins, Chautares and Cotonias,36 which are like Canvas, thereof do make sayles and such like things, and many other sortes that are very good [and] cheape. They make some [thereof] so fine, that you can not perceyve the thréedes, so that for finenesse it surpasseth any Holland cloth, they make likewise many Carpets, called Alcatiffas,37 but they are neyther so fine nor so good as those that are brought to Ormus out of Persia, and an other sort of course Carpets that are called Banquays,38 which are much like the striped Coverlits that are made in Scotland, serving to lay upon chestes and cubbords: They make also faire coverlits, which they call Godoriins Colchas,39 which are very fair and pleasant [to the eye], stitched with silke, and also of Cotton of all colours and stitchinges: pavilions of divers sorts and colours; Persintos that are stringes or bands, wherewith the Indians bind and make fast their bedsteddes, thereon to lay their beds: all kind of bedsteds, stooles for Indian women, and other such like stuffes, costly wrought and covered with stuffes40 of all colours: also fine playing tables, and Chessebordes of Ivory, and shields of Torteur shelles, wrought and inlaide very workemanlike, many fayre signets, ringes, and other curious worke of Ivorie, and sea horse teeth, as also of Amber, whereof there is great quantitie: They have likewise a kind of mountain Christall, wherof they make many signets, buttons, beades, and divers other devises. They have divers sorts of precious stones, as Espinelle, Rubies, Granadis, Iasnites, Amatistes, Chrysolites, Olhos de gato, which are Cattes eyes, or Agats, much Jasper stone, which is called blond and milke stone, and other kindes [of stones]: also many [kindes of] Drogues, as Amfion, or Opium, Camfora, Bangue, and Sandale wood, whereof when time serveth, I will particularly discourse, in setting down the spices and fruites of India, Alluijn, Cane Sugar, and other merchandises, which I cannot remember, and it would be over long and tedious to rehearse them all: Annell or Indigo groweth onely in Cambaia,41 and is there prepared and made ready, and from thence carried throughout the whole world, whereof hereafter I will say more: but this shall suffice for the description of Cambaia, and now I will procéede. At the ende of the countrey of Cambaia beginneth India and the lands of Decam, and Cuncam, the coast that is the inwarde parte thereof on the Indian side stretcheth from Cambaia to the coast of India, where the said inward part hath the beginning, which coast stretcheth Westwardes, Southwest, and by South to the Islande lying on the coast or entry of the said place, called Insula das Vaquas, being under 20. degrées, upon the which corner42 and countrey; on the firme land standeth the towne and fortresse of Daman, which is inhabited by the Portingalles, and under their subjection, distant from the Towne of Diu East and by South fortie miles.
35 "Pythagoras law," i.e., are vegetarians, being Hindus.
36 "Cannequins" - this word occurs in old Portuguese documents, e.g., Lembran a das cousas da India of 1525 (pp. 48, 56) as "Quamdaquy." It seems to be the Mahr. Khandaki - a low-priced kind of cloth.
"Boffetas" - i.e., bafta (Persian-Hindust.) = cloth. Joriins? Mahr. "jhorya" = cotton cloth; see note 3 to the last chapter, p. 56
"Chautares" - "Chadar" = "a sheet" (Hind.) [No; it is a different word, chautar in Ain-i-Akbari, Blochmann, p. 94;
chowtar in Milburn.] "Cotonias" - Perhaps formed from the Hind. "Kattan" = a white cotton cloth or linen. "Cotonyas de leuamte" occurs in the Lembran?a das cousas da India of 1525 (p. 31) and "Cotonyas grandes," and...pequenas (pp. 48-49). This is, apparently, a Portuguese, not an Indian, word. Luillier (1705) has "cottonis," stuffs of silk and cotton [also in Milburn we have "Cuttannees" among piece-goods]. 37 Arabic adapted in Span.-Port., see Dozy and Engelmann's glossary, p. 88.
38 I cannot find any probable Indian word for this; the Hindustani Dictionaries give "baniga" and "bangha" as = cotton in the pod, and it may be a word derived from this. [Bank, H. and M. from Port. banco, "a bench", therefore banki, a "bench-cover."]
39 A Hindustani word - gudri = "a quilt" - with the equivalent in Portuguese-Colcha, which is from the Latin "cilcitra."
40 "Stuffes" should be "lacquer," i.e., varnish.