90 PORTUGUESE IN BENGAL Lucretius might have well exclaimed "et etiatn perierunl ruinae." In the Dacca, Backarganj, and Noakhali Districts the Portuguese had numerous minor settlements where they did not erect factories or forts, though they carried on a considerable trade. Many of them were entirely Christian centres, where the Portuguese Missionaries built their churches and effected the conversions of the inhabitants. Most of the names of these places, once the scene of considerable activities are no longer current. But Dr. Wise and Beveridge, and latterly Fr. Hosten have thrown much light on the identification of the places that belonged to the twelve Bhuyas of Bengal. Sripur, situated according to Ralph Fitch six leagues below Sonargaon, has played an important part in the history of Bengal, being the seat of the kingdom of Chand Rai and Kedar Rai. De Barros, Blaev and Van den Broucke differ in the exact locality which they assign to it in their maps but all of them place it south of Sonargaon. De Barros and Blaev, whose map as far as relates to Bengal is almost a re-print of that of de Barrros, mark Sripur as Bunder. Van den Brouke calls it Sherpur Feringhi, which shows it was an important Portuguese settlement. Ralph Fitch says in 1586 that the Portuguese had sole autho- rity in Sripur. He speaks of having gone to Pegu from Sripur in a Portuguese ship belonging to one Alberto Carvalho.* Chandecan was another small settlement of the Portuguese, where the Jesuits built their first Church. Beveridge considers Chandecan to be identical with Dhumghat Chandecan. or Jessore after an elaborate discussion.f He has not however considered Van Linschoten's references , in his Le Grand Routier de Mer to the river of Chandecan which • Purchas, His Pilgr£mes % Ralph Fitch p. 185. t The District of Bdkarganj p. 176 ef seq.
