{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 28,
  "chapterName": "1425-1430. Nicolo de Conti’s Visit to Mylapore",
  "pageFrom": 20,
  "pageTo": 20,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 20,
      "ocrText": "20\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nand\nSo the Apostle loosing the cord wherewith he was girt ordered\nhis slaves to tie it to the log and draw ashore. And this being\naccomplished with the greatest ease, the king was converted,\nand bestowed upon the saint as much land as he could ride round\nupon his ass. So during the day-time he used to go on building\nhis churches in the city, but at night he retired to a distance of three\nItalian miles, where there were numberless peacocks\nthus being shot in the side with an arrow such as is called friccia.\n(so that his wound was like that in the side of Christ into which\nhe had thrust his hand), he lay there before his oratory from the\nhour of compline, continuing throughout the night to preach,\nwhilst all his blessed blood was welling from his side; and in the\nmorning he gave up his soul to God. The priests gathered up\nthe earth with which his blood had mingled, and buried it with\nhim. By means of this I experienced a distinct miracle twice\nover in my own person, which I shall relate elsewhere.\nStanding miracles are, however, to be seen there, in respect\nboth of the opening of the sea, and and of the peacocks. Moreover,\nwhatever quantity of that earth be removed from the grave one day,\njust as much is replaced spontaneously again the next. And\nwhen this earth is taken in a portion it cures diseases, and in this\nmanner open miracles are wrought both among Christians and\namong Tartars and Pagans.\nThe king also gave St. Thomas a perpetual grant of the public\nsteelyard for pepper and all aromatic spices, and no one dares\ntake this privilege from the Christians but at the peril of death.\nI spent four days there in an excellent pearl fishery at the\nplace.\n28. NICOLO DE CONTI'S VISIT TO MYLAPORE\n(1425-1430 A.D.)\nNicolo de Conti visited the tomb of St. Thomas at Mylapore and\nmakes reference to Nestorian Christians living there. A. E. Medly-\ncott, India and the Apostle Thomas, p. 95.\nProceeding onwards the said Nicolo arrived at a maritime city,\nwhich he named Malepur, situated in the second gulf Beyond the\nIndus (Bay of Bengal). Here the body of St. Thomas lies honourably\nburied in a large and beautiful church; it is worshipped (vene-\nrated) by the heretics, who are called Nestorians, and inhabit this\ncity to the number of a thousand.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}