GOA, a celebrated city of Hindustan, in the province of Bejapoor, and the capital of all the Portuguese settlements in the East Indies. It is the residence of the viceroy, and of the chief Portuguese inhabitants; the seat of the supreme court of judicature, and the see of an archbishop, who is primate of the East. It is situated on the north side of an island, is about twelve miles long and six broad, and stands at the mouth of the Mandova river. Goa consists of two distinct cities. The old one is eight miles up the river, and is now almost deserted by the secular Portuguese, on account of its being unhealthy. It contains many magnificent churches, and exhibits specimens of architecture superior to any thing attempted by Europeans in other parts of India, particularly the church and convent of St Augustin. The city is large, the streets are straight, the houses regularly and handsomely built of stone in the European style, many of them large and magnificent, though they are now no longer inhabited. The viceroy and principal inhabitants reside in the new city, which is at the mouth of the river, and within the forts. It possesses two harbours, one on each side of the island, both of which are well defended by various castles and batteries mounting heavy cannon. The towns are also fortified, but they are of too great an extent to withstand a siege. Algoada Point, which is in longitude 67.73. 53. east, latitude 15. 29. north, forms the northern extremity of Goa Bay. It has a lighthouse and small fort on it; but the principal fort is situated close to the sea, on the south-east side of the headland, where there is a well of excellent water, from which the shipping are supplied. Nostra Senhora de la Cabo, a large monastery, of a white appearance, is situated on the summit of the bluff point of land, about two miles and a half south-east of Algoada, which forms the south side of the bay. The common anchorage is abreast of Algoada fort, the flag-staff bearing about north at half a mile distance from the shore. The bar at the entrance of the river is about two miles to the eastward of Algoada Point, having sixteen or eighteen feet on it at high-water of spring-tides. The bottom is hard and rocky; and the channel so winding and intricate, that a ship ought not to enter the river without a pilot. After the early part of May, when it is considered unsafe to remain at the anchorage in the roads, the Portuguese send their large ships, which cannot run into the river, to Marma-gon roads, four or five miles to the southward of Algoada fort, where they are sheltered from the south-west monsoon by mooring close under the north-east side of that peninsula. The colonial settlement at Goa seems now to be almost abandoned by the mother country, and the inhabitants scarcely retain the national language ar manners. The trade has also greatly fallen off, and the people are impoverished, so that the best families are reduced to gain a scanty subsistence by working at lace or muslin. Not more than three ships arrive from Portugal in the course of the year, and these generally proceed to the British settlements to complete their cargoes for Europe.
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The trade from Goa to China is carried on by one or two ' ships in the year, which are called China ships. These carry to Surat, and the ports to the northward, Chinese and European goods, and returning with cotton and other articles, call at Goa to complete their cargoes for China. They commence their trade at the most southern settlement, which is Ajengo, and thence they proceed to Cochin, Calicut, Tellicherry, and Mangalore, and then to Goa; at these different places they take in pepper, cardamoms, cassia, lignea, and other articles, which they resell at their northern settlements, and complete the voyage within the year. A coasting trade is harried on in small vessels with the different ports on the coast, whence they return to Goa with produce, which forms the home cargoes of their ships. With Macao and the British settlements an inconsiderable trade is carried on: the imports consisting principally of piece goods, raw silk, grain, sugar, woollens, and a few European articles, whilst the exports are piece goods, betel nut, hemp, and other articles of trifling amount.

Goa was taken from its Hindu rajahs of Bijanagur, by the Bhamence sovereigns of the Deccan. On the arrival of the Portuguese on the Malabar coast it was an opulent place, well fortified, and subject to Zabaim, a potent prince, from whom it was taken by the Portuguese general Albuquerque. It was retaken by the native prince, after which Albuquerque, having received reinforcements, again succeeded in 1510 in making himself master of the city after a bloody assault. He improved its defences, and constituted it the capital of all his conquests; and it has ever since remained in possession of the Portuguese, who during the sixteenth century extended their conquests, and obtained possession of numerous places on the sea-coasts of India. In the course of diese operations they were involved in hostilities with the Mahrattas; and advancing inland, laid siege to the town of Pondah. Here they were surrounded by a large Mahratta force, and effected their retreat with great difficulty and serious loss. Having formed an alliance with Aurungzebe, they succeeded in repulsing the Mahrattas, with whom they at length concluded a peace. In 1518 the Portuguese power in India was at its height, and from this period it began to decline. In 1580 the Portuguese possessed the following places in India, namely, Diu Damaun, Choul, Baheen, Salsette, Bombay, and Goa. They had factories at Dabu], Onore, Barcelore, Mangalore, Cananore, Calicut, Cranganore, Cochin, and Quilon. They had establishments on the coast of Ceylon, and factories in the Bay of Bengal, at Masulipatam, Negapatam, and St Thome, with commercial stations in Bengal. They possessed, besides, the city of Malacca, and factories on the coasts of the Burman empire and the province of Chittagong. They acquired possession of the Spice Islands in the Eastern Archipelago, and carried on a considerable intercourse with Japan and China. They did not acquire Macao until 1586. After the conquest of Portugal in 1580, by Philip II. of Spain, the intercourse of the colonies with the mother country was much abridged; and this eastern empire, composed of the loose materials of recent conquest, began to decay, from the vices of its internal administration, and from the power of the priests. It has now altogether declined, and forms a very inconsiderable appendage to the mother country. The travelling distance from Poonah is 245 miles, from Bombay 292, from Delhi 1158, and from Calcutta 1300 miles. Long. 73. 42. E. Lat. 15. 30. N. (Milburn, Oriental Commerce; Buchanan, Travels in Mysore ; Macpherson, History of the Trade of India ; &c.)