es, and then we enter into the
riuer Ganges: from the mouth of this riuer, to a citie called Satagan,
where the marchants gather themselues together with their trade, are a
hundred miles, which they rowe in eighteene houres with the increase of the
water: in which riuer it floweth and ebbeth as it doth in the Thamis, and
when the ebbing water is come, they are not able to rowe against it, by
reason of the swiftnesse of the water, yet their barkes be light and armed
with oares, like to Foistes, yet they cannot preuaile against that streame,
but for refuge must make them fast to the banke of the riuer vntill the
next flowing water, and they call these barkes Bazaras and Patuas: they
rowe as well as a Galliot, or as well as euer I haue seene any. A good
tides rowing before you come to Satagan, you shall haue a place which is
called Buttor, and from thence vpwards the ships doe not goe, because that
vpwardes the riuer is very shallowe, and litle water. Euery yeere at Buttor
they make and vnmake a Village, with houses and shoppes made of strawe, and
with all things necessarie to their vses, and this village standeth as long
as the ships ride there, and till they depart for the Indies, and when they
are departed, euery man goeth to his plot of houses, and there setteth fire
on them, which thing made me to maruaile. For as I passed vp to Satagan, I
sawe this village standing with a great number of people, with an infinite
number of ships and Bazars, and at my returne comming downe with my
Captaine of the last ship, for whom I tarried, I was al amazed to see such
a place so soone razed and burnt, and nothing left but the signe of the
burnt houses. The small ships go to Satagan, and there they lade.

Of the citie of Satagan.

[Sidenote: The commodities that are laden in Satagan.] In the port of
Satagan euery yeere lade thirtie or fiue and thirtie ships great and small,
with rice, cloth of Bombast of diuerse sortes, Lacca, great abundance of
sugar, Mirabolans dried and preserued, long pepper, oyle of Zerzeline, and
many other sorts of marchandise. The citie of Satagan is a reasonable faire
citie for a citie of the Moores, abounding with all things, and was
gouerned by the king of Patane, and now is subiect to the great Mogol. I
was in this kingdome foure moneths, whereas many marchants did buy or
fraight boates for their benefites, and with these barkes they goe vp and
downe the riuer of Ganges to faires, buying their commoditie