Canara, Region

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn.

CANARA is bounded on the North, with Decan (where of antiently it was a part) on the South, with Malabar; on the East, with Narsinga, from which separated by the Mountain Gates; on the West, with the Ocean. The reason of the name I find not; nor much worth the searching.

The Countrey hath a fair Sea-Coast, with many capacious Harbors to it, which cannot but adde much to the wealth thereof; as liberally furnished in the in-land parts, with Rice, Figs, and Sugars; but destitute of Wheat, Pulse, and Barley. Not much the poorer for that want, the people either not knowing or not regarding the use of bread; but living on such fruits as the earth produceth of it self without the charge or care of the husband-man. In other things, but little differing, if at all, from the rest of the 〈◊〉: their Religion for the most part Pagani•h; but intermixt with Mahometans.

Principall Towns and Cities of it, 1. Me•inde, a commodious Haven. 2. Onor, a Port-Town of good note, sometimes held by the Portugals. 3. Buicalia, situate in the richest part of all this Country; never possessed by the Portugals, but under contribution to them. 4. Mangalor, a town of great wealth and trade; fortified with a strong Castle, once destroyed by the Portugueze, but recovered and repaired by the King of Narsinga, who is Lord of this Country. 5. Mayendre, more within the land. And so is also 6. Lispar, famous for her Quarries of Adamant. 7. Solsette, in a Peninsula of 20 miles compass containing 36. Villages, and 80000 Inhabitants: the Town about 9 miles from Goa, and subject with the whole Peninsula to the Portugals.

This Country is now subject to the Kings of Narsinga; but formerly under the command of its own Princes:

the name of Canara, compreheading in those times all that Countrey also, which is now called Decan. Conquered by Sa Nosaradine and Abdessa, and by Mamudza cantoned into many Praefectures, this part reverting to its old name, fell to the Narsingan, who taking his advantages, in the minority of one of their Princes, became Master of it. And when the Idalcan, (for I take that not so much for the name of a man, as a Title of dignity) quarrelled his possession of it, as appertaining properly to the Kingdomes of Decan, Chrismarao then King of Narsinga, brought a powerfull Advocate to defend his right, that is to say, an Army of 606000 Foot, 29650 Horse, and 537 Elephants: every Elephant having a Tower on his back with four men in it, with which strong Argument the Idalean being confuted in the Schooles of war, with much difficulty saved himself, though he lost his cause: the Narsingan ever since continuing quiet in the possession of this Country; except onely some of the Sea-Towns in the power of the Portugals. Who in the year 1567 destroyed in those few places by them possessed no fewer than 200 of their Idol-Temples, with many of their Pagodes, or Idols in them; converting the Rents and Lands which belonged unto them, with the Revenues raised from the severall Ports which they hold herein, to the maintenance of a College of Jesuites in Salsette, and other Religious houses founded by them, in their other Cities.