Title
A Voyage to the East Indies: Page 74
Description
to them in Point of Ability. Indeed they may be said to be superior, as almost all the offices belonging to the Custom Master, Paymasters etc. are fill’d with Gentoo Clarks call’d Purvo’s, who accompt & write as well as Europeans. Besides the Persees and Gentoos, there are Moors, who adapt themselves for all Services, Merchants, Shopkeepers Sailors, Taylors etc. The Gentoo and Moor Languages are talk’d in common by all three, for the Persees retain Nothing of Persia but their Religion; they are totally ignorant of the persian Language. The same domestic Laws and Customs prevail amongst them, as in all other Parts inhabited by Gentoos. etc. & they are all punishable by the brittish Laws. Bombay Dock & marine Yard render this settlement an important one. The Dock will contain three Indiamen at a Time, where they are repair’d, clean’d etc. as well as in England. They build excellent ships, capable of carrying fifty Guns, and sheath them with Copper. The Timber they use for this purpose is call’d Teak; it is firmer and heavier than Oak & preserves those Qualities much longer. The ship and Boatbuilding is executed by the Persees who are remarkably clever in this Branch. One Advantage they have over us is that they have no Necessity to let the Timber lay any Time to season for it never shrinks. Besides European Bottoms are soon eat thro by Worms in the indian seas; these the Teak Bottoms resist, the wood being too hard for the worms to penetrate. . . European ships [end page 74]
