The Suburb of Sao Pedro. -Descending the Mount of the Rosary by a declivity close to the site of the New College of St. Paul, and crossing a small bridge, we reach the parish of São Pedro, the western suburb of the city. This parish comprises two villages, Banguenim and Panelim.
The Fountain of Banguenim.-Banguenim was famous for its pure water, which was supplied to the whole city.
Pyrard gives the following interesting description of this fountain, which according to another traveller represented Lucrecia, out of whose wound ran the water highly valued by people of all classes –
” With regard to the water which is ordinarily drunk in the city and its suburbs, the best and the most wholesome, as well as the lightest, in my opinion, is the one which is sought for at a quarter of a league’s distance from the city, where lies a great fountain of pure and limpid water called Banguenim, which issues from the rocks. The Portuguese enclosed it with a wall, and by means of pipes the water was brought down to large reservoirs, where a great number of men and women used to wash clothes They were called mainatos or washermen. There were other reservoirs for bathing purposes, so that the road was much trodden and frequented, although it was rugged, because one had to climb and descend three or four high mountains. Nothing else is seen here except people on their way to, and from, this fountain, even as late as ten o’clock at night. Many people go together to bathe there, armed with weapons, and dressed only in their shirts and pantaloons.
The water is also sold in the city; the slaves supply it in all quarters of the city in great earthen vessels, each of which contains two pots, and they sell the pot at five bazarucos, which is nearer six deniers. They stand with their vessels in fixed localities, while crying water in every street.
It would have been far better if the Portuguese had brought the water of the fountain to the city through pipes and aqueducts, but they say that their mode of bringing water gives at once profit and employment to their slaves, and that otherwise foreigners would use this good water without paying for it; because there are more foreigners than Portuguese and natives, and for these reasons they do not like to have the water conveyed to the city.”*
This fountain is now in a dilapidated state, but its water is still considered as wholesome.
One of the main buildings in the village is the college of St Thomas at Banguenium, Goa, the Church of St. Peter at Banguenim, Goa, The Casa de Polvora at Banguenim, Goa,
Ribandar.-Leaving Panelim and proceeding further, we arrive at the village of Ribandar, a pretty little town which forms at present the second division of Nova Goa. The famous buildings in Ribandar are
The Hospital of the Poor at Ribandar, The Church of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda at Ribandar, The Retreats of Nossa Senhora de Serra and Santa Maria Magdalena at Chimbel and the famous Causeway of Ribandar