The times or seasonable windes called Monsons, wherein the ships depart from place to place in the East Indies.
NOTE, that the Citie of Goa is the principall place of all
the Orientall India, and the winter there beginneth the
15 of May with very great raine, and so continueth till
the first of August, so that during that space, no shippe
can passe over the barre of Goa, because through the
continuall shoures of raine all the sandes joyne together
neere unto a mountaine called Oghane, and all these
sandes being joyned together, runne into the shoales of
the barre and port of Goa, and can have no other issue,
but to remaine in that port, and therefore it is shut up
untill the first of August, but at the 10 of August it
openeth by reason of the raine which ceaseth, and the sea
doeth then scoure the sands away againe.
The monson from Goa to the Northward, to say, for Chaul, Diu, Cambaia, Daman
, Basaim, and other places.
The ships depart betwixt the tenth and 24 of August,
for the Northward places abovesayde, and to these places
they may saile all times of the yeere, except in the winter,
which beginneth and endeth at the times abovesaid.
The monson from the North parts, for Goa.
The ships depart from Chaul, Diu, Cambaia, and other
places Northwards for Goa, betwixt the 8 and 15 of
Januarie, and come to Goa about the end of Februarie.
The first monson from Diu for the straight of Mecca
.
The ships depart from Diu about the 15 of Januarie,
and returne from the straights to Diu in the moneth of
August.
The second monson from Diu for the straight of Mecca
.
The ships depart betwixt the 25 and first of September,
and returne from the straights to Diu, the first and 15
of May.
The monson from Secutra for Ormus.
The ships depart about the tenth of August for Ormus:
albeit Secutra is an Island and hath but few ships, which
depart as abovesaid.
The monson wherein the Moores of the firme land
come to Goa.
About the fifteenth of September the Moores of the
firme lande beginne to come to Goa, and they come from
all parts, as well from Balagvate, Bezenegar, as also from
Sudalcan, and other places.
The monson wherein the Moores of the firme land
depart from Goa.
They depart from Goa betwixt the 10 and 15 day of
November. Note that by going for the North is ment the
departing from Goa, for Chaul, Diu, Cambaia, Daman
,
Basaim, Ghassain, and other places unto Zindi: and by
the South is understood, departing from Goa, for Cochin,
and all that coast unto
Cape Comori.
The first monson from Goa for Ormus.
The shippes depart in the moneth of October from
Goa, for Ormus, passing with Easterly windes along the
coast of Persia.
The second monson from Goa to Ormus.
The ships depart about the 20 of Januarie passing by
the like navigation and windes as in the first monson,
and this is called of the Portugals and Indians, Entremonson.
The third monson from Goa to Ormus.
The ships depart betwixt the 25 of March, and 6 of
Aprill, having Easterly windes, till they passe Secutra,
and then they find Westerly windes, and therfore they set
their course over for the coast of Arabia
, till they come to
Cape Rasalgate and the Straight of Ormus, and this
monson is most troublesome of all: for they make two
navigations in the heigth of Seylan, which is 6 degrees
and somewhat lower.
The first monson from Ormus for Chaul
and Goa.
The ships depart from Ormus for Chaul, and Goa in
the moneth of September, with North and Northeast
windes.
The second monson from Ormus for Chaul
and Goa.
The second monson is betwixt the five and twentie
and last of December, with like winds as the former
monson.
The third monson from Ormus for Chaul,
and Goa.
The third monson the ships depart from Ormus, for
Chaul and Goa, betwixt the first and 15 of April, and they
saile with Southeast windes, East and Northeast windes,
coasting upon the Arabia
side from
Cape Mosandon unto
Cape Rasalgate, and having lost the sight of
Cape Rasalgate, they have Westerly windes, and so come for Chaul
and Goa, and if the said ships depart not before the 25 of
April, they are not then to depart that monson, but to
winter in Ormus because of the winter.
The first monson from Ormus for Zindi.
The ships depart for Ormus betwixt the 15 and 20 ofAprill.
The second monson from Ormus for Zindi.
The ships depart betwixt the 10 and 20 of October for Zindi from Ormus.
The monson from Ormus for the red sea.
The ships depart from Ormus betwixt the first and last of Januarie.
Hitherto I have noted the monsons of the ships departing
from Goa to the Northward: Now follow the monsons
wherein the ships depart from Goa to the Southward.
The monson from Goa for Calicut
, Cochin, Seilan,
and all that coast.
THE ships depart from those places betwixt the 1 and 15
of August, and there they find it navigable all the yeere
except in the winter, which continueth as is aforesaid,
from the 15 of May till the 10 of August. In like maner
the ships come from these places for Goa at every time
in the yeere except in the winter, but of all other the
best time is to come in November, December and
January.
The first monson from Goa, for Pegu
.
The ships depart from Goa, betwixt the 15 and 20 of
April, and winter at S. Thomas, and after the 5 of
August, they depart from S. Thomas for Pegu
.
The second monson from Goa for Pegu
.
The ships depart from Goa betwixt the 8 and 24 of
August, going straight for Pegu
, and if they passe the
24 of August, they cannot passe that monson, neither
is there any more monsons till April as is aforesaid.
Note that the chiefest trade is, to take money of S.
Thomas rials, and patechoni, and to goe to S. Thomas,
and there to buy Tellami, which is fine cloth of India,
whereof there is great quantitie made in Coromandel,
and brought thither, and other marchandise are not good
for that place except some dozen of very faire Emeraulds
orientall. For of golde, silver, and Rubies, there is
sufficient store in Pegu
.
The monson from Pegu
for the Indies.
The ships depart from Pegu
betwixt the 15 and 25 of
Januarie, and come to Goa about the 25 of March, or in
the beginning of April. Note, that if it passe the 10 of
May before the sayde ships be arrived in Goa, they
cannot come thither that monson, and if they have not
then fet the coast of India, they shall with great perill
fetch S. Thomas.
The first monson from Goa for Malacca.
The ships depart betwixt the 15 and last of September,
and arrive in Malacca about the end of October.
The second monson from Goa to Malacca.
The ships depart about the 5 of May from Goa, and
arrive in Malacca about the 15 of June.
The first monson from Malacca to Goa.
The ships depart about the 10 of September, and come
to Goa about the end of October.
The second monson from Malacca to Goa.
The ships depart from Malacca about the 10 of
February, and come to Goa about the end of March.
But if the said ships should stay till the 10 of May, they
cannot enter into Goa, and if at that time also they should
not be arrived at Cochin, they are forced to returne to
Malacca, because the winter and contrary windes then
come upon them.
The monson from Goa for China
.
The ships depart from Goa in the moneth of April.
The monson from China
for Goa.
The ships depart to be the 10 of May in Goa, and
being not then arrived, they turne backe to Cochin, and
if they cannot fetch Cochin, they returne to Malacca.
The monson from Goa to the Moluccaes.
The ships depart about the 10 or 15 of May, which
time being past, the shippes can not passe over the barre
of Goa for the cause abovesaid.
The monson of the ships of the Moluccaes arrivall
in Goa.
The ships which come from the Moluccaes arrive upon
the bar of Goa about the 15 of April.
The monsons of the Portingall ships for the Indies.
The ships which come from Portugall depart thence
ordinarily betwixt the tenth & fifteenth of March,
comming the straight way during the moneth of July to
the coast of Melinde, and Mosambique, and from thence
goe straight for Goa, and if in the moneth of July they
should not be at the coast of Melinde, they can in no
wise that yeere fetch Melinde, but returne to the
Isle of
Saint Helena, and so are not able, that time being past,
to fetch the coast of India, and to come straight for Goa.
Therefore (as is abovesaid) they returne to the Island
of Saint Helena, and if they cannot make the said Island,
then they runne as lost upon the coast of Guinea: but if
the said ships be arrived in time upon the coast of
Melinde, they set forwardes for Goa, and if by the
fifteenth of September they cannot fetch Goa, they then
goe for Cochin, but if they see they cannot fetch Cochin,
they returne to Mosambique to winter there upon the
sayd coast. Albeit in the yeere of our Lord 1580 there
arrived the ship called San Lorenzo, being wonderfull sore
sea-beaten, the eight of October, which was accounted as
a myracle for that the like had not bene seene before.
The monson from India for Portugall.
The shippes depart from Cochin betweene the fifteenth
and last of January, going on till they have sight of Capo
de buona speranza, and the
Isle of Saint Helena, which
Islande is about the midway, being in sixteene degrees
to the South. And it is a litle Island being fruitfull of all
things which a man can imagine, with great store of
fruit: and this Island is a great succour to the shipping
which returne for Portugall. And not long since the said
Island was found by the Portugales, and was discovered
by a shippe that came from the Indies in a great storme,
in which they found such abundance of wilde beastes, and
boares, and all sort of fruite, that by meanes thereof that
poore ship which had beene foure moneths at sea,
refreshed themselves both with water and meate very well,
and this Island they called S. Helena, because it was
discovered upon S. Helens days. And undoubtedly this
Island is a great succour, and so great an ayde to the
ships of Portugall, that many would surely perish if that
helpe wanted. And therefore the king of Portugall caused
a Church to be made there for devotion of S. Helena:
where there are onely resident Eremits, and all other are
forbidden to inhabite there by the kings commaundement,
to the ende that the ships may be the more sufficiently
furnished with victuals, because the ships which come
from India come but slenderly victualled, because there
groweth no come there, neither make they any wine:
but the ships which come from Portugall to the Indies
touch not in the sayd Island, because they set out being
sufficiently furnished with bread and water from Portugall
for eight moneths voyage. Any other people then the two
Eremites abovesaid, cannot inhabite this Island, except
some sicke man that may be set there a shore to remaine
in the Eremites companie, for his helpe and recovery.
The monson from Goa to Mosambique.
The ships depart betwixt the 10 and 15 of Januarie.
The monson from Mosambique to Goa.
The ships depart betweene the 8 and last of August,
and arrive in Chaul or Goa in the moneth of October, till
the 15 of November.
The monson from Ormus to Bengala.
The ships depart betwixt the 15 and 20 of June, and
goe to winter at
Teve and depart thence about the 15 of
August for Bengala.
