CHAP. IX.

End of Galal.

Difficulties of travellers in

the idea of being left to perish amongst barbarians. Suspicion fell upon Galal, the young Muhammadan servant from Persia, who was supposed by Della Valle to have become a convert to Catholic Christianity. The convert was searched, and a long purse of Spanish reals was found fastened to his waist. He had evidently intended to leave his master to the tender mercies of the heathen, and to squander the stolen money on sinful pleasures in some neighbouring territory. Della Valle discharged the thief, but being afraid lest he should relapse into Islam, he sent the boy to Goa in the charge of trusty persons, together with a letter explaining all that had happened.

The sequel of the story of Galal is told at a later period. He managed to leave his custodians behind, and to appear alone at Goa, feigning that he had been sent on to take a house, and make other preparations for the coming of his master. He kept back Della Valle's letter, pretending that he had lost it at sea, and was very importunate for money to provide all things necessary. Suspicions, however, were excited, and money was refused; and he then disappeared for ever. It was believed that he had escaped to some Muhammadan country, thrown off his Christianity, and returned to the faith in Islam.

Meanwhile Della Valle left Ikkeri and proceeded Hindu countries. to the territory of the queen of Olaza, which bordered on Mangalore. He found that travelling in Hindu countries was very difficult on the score of diet. Hindus were extremely fastidious in all such matters; neither fish nor flesh was to be obtained from them; nor would they supply inanimate things, such as rice, butter, or milk, excepting as a great favour. The people lived by cultivating rice, which was done

by overflowing the soil with water; but they complained of the large tribute they were obliged to pay to Venk-tapa, which reduced them to great poverty notwithstanding their hard labour.

CHAP. IX.

of Mangalore.

Della Valle made his way from Ikkeri to the Por- Portuguese port tuguese port of Mangalore, which stood between the territories of Olaza and Banghel. This port was situated at the mouth of two rivers; one running from the north through Banghel territory, and the other running from the south through Olaza territory. Both towns were within a mile or two of Mangalore.

meeting with the

Della Valle went to the town of Olaza, but found Della Valle's that the queen was not there; she had gone to a queen of Olaza. place much farther inland, named Manel. A day or two afterwards he went to Manel in a boat, accompanied by a Christian servant and a Brahman interpreter. He was going to the bazar to procure a lodging in some house, when he saw the queen coming on foot the same way. She was not attended by women, but only by soldiers. Six soldiers walked

before her with swords and bucklers, but without any clothing save a cloth round their loins and a kind of scarf over the shoulders. Other soldiers walked behind her in the same fashion, and one of them carried an umbrella of palm leaves to shade her from the sun.

Hindu queen.

The queen of Olaza was as black as an Ethiopian. Description of a She was corpulent and gross, but not heavy, for she walked nimbly enough. She appeared to be about forty years of age. She wore a plain piece of cotton cloth from her waist downwards; but nothing at all from her waist upwards, except a cloth about her head, which hung down a little upon her breast and shoulders. She walked barefooted, but that was the custom of all Hindu women, high and low, at home

CHAP. IX.

Conference between the Hindu queen

and the Roman gentleman.

Story of the queen of Olaza.

Marriage with the Raja of Banghel.

and abroad. Most of the men were unshod, in like manner; a few of the graver sort wore sandals, but very few wore shoes. The queen was more like a kitchen-maid or washerwoman than a noble princess; but her voice was graceful, and she spoke like a woman of judgment.

Della Valle and his party stood on one side to permit the queen to pass. She noticed his Roman habit, and spoke to his Brahman interpreter. She asked Della Valle through the Brahman what countries he had visited, and what had brought him to those woods of hers. Della Valle replied that he only came to see her; that he had lost a beloved wife, and was a Yogi in all his thoughts, caring but little what betided him. At last she told him to go and lodge at some house, and she would speak to him at some more convenient time. She then proceeded to the fields about a mile off to see some trenches that were being dug for conveying water to certain lands.

The queen of Olaza had come into possession of her kingdom in a peculiar manner. The succession went as usual to the son of a sister, and not to the son of a wife. But the last Raja of Olaza had died without leaving either son or nephew. Accordingly his wife succeeded him; and when she died, she was succeeded by her sister, the present queen.

After the queen of Olaza came to the throne, she married the Raja of Banghel, the man who was afterwards conquered by Venk-tapa Naik. The queen

and the Raja did not live together as man and wife, but met occasionally on the frontier of their respective dominions, and dwelt together for awhile in tents.33

33 It has already been pointed out in a former volume that the Malabar

The Raja had other wives, and the queen had other CHAP. IX. lovers; but they continued on good terms for years.

the queen and the Raja; inter"ference of the Portuguese and

At last there was a quarrel, but Della Valle did wars between not know the cause. The queen divorced the Raja, and sent him back all the jewels he had given her as Venk-tapa Naik. his wife. The Raja was much offended and made war upon her. One day the Raja carried her off prisoner; but she managed to make her escape, and then declared war against Banghel. The Raja called in the aid of the Portuguese, and the queen called in the aid of Venk-tapa Naik. In the end Venk-tapa Naik annexed the Raj of Banghel, defeated the Portuguese, and compelled the queen of Olaza to cede a considerable territory.

ing.

The queen had a son, aged twenty, who would suc- Reputed poisonceed to the kingdom after her death. She was said to have poisoned an elder son, because, when he had grown up, he tried to supplant her in the government of the kingdom.**

visit to the

Della Valle paid a visit to the palace in the absence Della Valle's of the queen, and was entertained with a Hindu palace. dinner, at which he astonished the queen's son by eating with a knife, fork, and spoon.35 A conversa

country was the land of Amazons. The legend is told in the Mahá Bhárata precisely as it is told in Herodotus. See "History of India," vol. i., Mahá

Bhárata.

34 Della Valle hesitated to believe the story, but such plots and poisonings have always been common to Hindu and Moghul history.

35 The dinner was cooked in Hindu fashion and served up on the floor in large fresh leaves instead of dishes. In those days the Portuguese in India followed the example of natives in eating their food with the right hand. Della Valle had been brought up in the refinements of Italy, and carried a knife, fork, and spoon with him. He railed against the barbarous custom of the Portuguese, declaring that the meanest Turkish soldier always fastened a spoon to the belt of his sword. Accordingly he sat cross-legged on the floor, and managed to eat a dinner in the Italian fashion, much to the wonderment and admiration of the Hindu prince, who had probably never seen a fork before.

CHAP. IX. tion ensued between the Hindu prince and the Italian

Muhammad in sovereigns.

Della Valle refuses to trade in

stranger. The prince asked questions about European affairs. Della Valle told him that the greatest sovereign in Europe was my Lord the Pope, to whom all other potentates owed obedience. Next to the Pope came the Emperor of Germany. France was the first nation in Europe. Spain had the largest territory and the most riches. Della Valle added that the king of Spain and Portugal, who was so much esteemed in India, paid tribute to the Pope, and held his kingdoms of his Holiness in homage. Accordingly the Hindu prince had a great conceit of the Pope.

He

The prince of Olaza also talked to Della Valle about the Muhammadan sovereigns in Asia. especially cried up the Moghul. Della Valle told him that in Europe the Moghul was held to be the richest in treasure, but that otherwise the Turk and the Persian were in higher esteem. The Moghul had more subjects than the two others, but they were not fitted for war, as appeared in a recent war with Persia. The Hindu prince professed to regard Shah Abbas, the sovereign of Persia, as a great soldier and captain; and Della Valle related how for a long time he had been familiar with Shah Abbas, and received from him many favours.

The prince also spoke concerning European comjewels or horses. modities, and especially of such as were brought to India. He asked Della Valle if he had any goods to sell or bargain, such as pearls or jewels. Like other Hindu princes, he had been accustomed to deal with the Portuguese, who were all engaged in trade from the very highest downwards. Della Valle stood on his nobility. "In his country," he said, "the nobles had nothing to do with traffic; they