[136] The “Bay” is the Arabian Sea, which the “Strait” of Bab el Mandeb joins to the Red Sea. Cambay (Khambhat), in Gujarat, when the Portuguese first came to India, was one of the most flourishing marts of commerce. The silting up of the Gulf accounts, in a large measure, for its commercial decline since then. [137] The MS. says 17th, but Friday was the 18th. [138] From April 24 to May 18, both days inclusive, is twenty-five days; the African coast was within sight for several days. [139] Mount Eli (Dely) was probably the land first sighted, a conspicuous hill forming a promontory about 16 miles to the north of Cananor, and named thus from the Cardamoms which are largely exported from this part of Malabar, and are called Ela in Sanscrit (Yule’s _Marco Polo_, ii, p. 321). [140] The rains in Malabar begin about April or May, and continue until September or October. They are synchronous with the S.W. monsoon, and are heaviest in June, July, and August. The annual rainfall exceeds 150 inches! [141] Cotta Point, or Cape Kadalur, the “Monte Formosa”, of the Portuguese, 15 miles N.N.W. of Calecut. [142] Castanheda and Barros call this place Capocate. It was seven miles N.N.W. of Calecut, at the mouth of the Elatur River. [143] The MS. says “abaixo”, below, with reference no doubt to the latitude, which is less than that of Calecut. [144] Pandaramy (Pandarani) is Batuta’s Fandarain. Barros calls it Pandarane. It is identical with Pantharini Kollam, the northern Kollam or Quillan, and boasts one of the nine original mosques built on the Malabar coast by Malik Ibn Dinar. It is 14 miles N.N.W. of Calecut. The author of the MS. elsewhere spells Pandaramy and Pandarin. [145] According to Correa (Stanley’s _Vasco da Gama_, p. 159), his name was João Nunez. See Appendix E. [146] One of the “Moors” is frequently referred to as “Monçaide”. See Appendix E. [147] Castanheda (I, c. 15) retails the conversation which this Moor is supposed to have had with Gama on board ship, and says that the captain-major was much pleased with his offers of service. [148] The visitors thus became at once acquainted with the various castes constituting the population of Calecut, including the _Nairs_, or fighting caste of Malabar, who eat meat (which shows a servile origin), but wear the thread of the Dwija (twice-born), rank next to the Brahmans, and practise polyandry; and the turbulent _Moplah_, who are descendants of Arab fathers and native women. These latter are the “native” Moors. [149] Goes (I, c. 39) and Castanheda (I, c. 15) say that he was at Panane, a coast town, 28 miles to the south of Calecut. [150] One of these messengers was Fernão Martins. They were accompanied by Monçaide (Castanheda, I, c. 15). [151] Off Calecut there are banks and reefs which may endanger the safety of a ship, but the anchorage in the roadstead within them is perfectly safe.