them CHAP. VII What happened to me at Penaiu with the King of Batas expedition against the Tyrant of Achem and what he did after his Victory over him BY that time we had sailed seven or eight leagues up the River at the end we arrived at a little Town named Botterrendan not above a quarter of a mile distant from Panaiu where the King of Batas was at that time making preparation for the War he had undertaken against the Tyrant of Achem. This King understanding that I had brought him a Letter and a Present from the Captain of Malaca caused me to be entertained by the Xabandar who is he that with absolute power governs all the affairs of the Army This General accompanied with five Lanchares and twelve Ballons came to me to the Port where I rode at anchor Then with a great noise of Drums Bells and popular acclamations he brought me to a certain Key of the Town called Campalator There the Bendara Governor of the Kingdom stayed for me in great solemnity attended by many Ourâ—balons and Amborraias which are the noblest persons of his Court the most part of whom for all that were but poor and base both in their habit and manner of living whereby I knew that the Country was not so rich as it was thought to be in Malaca When I was come to the Kings Palace and had past through the first Court at the entrance of the second I found an old woman accompanied with other persons far nobler and better apparelled then those that marched before me who beckoning mâ— with her hand as if she had commanded me to enter Man of Malaca said she unto me Thy arrival in the King my Masters Land is as agreeable unto him as a sâ—owre of rain is to a crop of Rice in dry and hot weather Wherefore enter boldly and be afraid of nothing for the people which by the goodness of God thou seest here are no other then those of thine own Country since the hope which we have in the same God makes us believe that he will maintain us all together unto the end of the world Having said so she carried me where the King was unto whom I did obeysance according to the man-of the Country then I delivered him the Letter and the Present I had brought him which he graciously accepted of and asked me what occasion drew me thither Whereunto I answered as I had in commission that I was come to serve his Highness in the Wars where I hoped to 〈◊〉 the honor to attend on him and not to leave him till such time as he returned Conqueror of his Enemies Hereunto I likewise added that I desired to see the City of Achem as also the scituation and fortifications of it and what depth the River was of whereby I might know whether it would bear great Vessels and Gallions because the Captain of Malaca had a design to come and succor his Higness as soon as his men were returned from the Indiaes and to dâ—liver his mortal Enemy the Tyrant of Achem into his hands This poor King presently believed all that I said to be true and so much the rather for that it was conformable to his desire in such sort that rising out of his Thâ—one where he was set I saw him go and fall on his knees before the carcass of a Cows head set up against the wall whose horns were guilt and crowned with flowers Then lifting up his hands and eyes O thou said he that not constrained by any material love whereâ—nto Nature hath obliged thee dost continually make glad all those that desire thy milk as the own mother doth him whom she hath brought into the world without participating either of the miseries or pains which ordinarily she suffers from whom we take our Being be favorable unto the prayer which now with all my heart I offer up unto thee and it is no other but this that in the meadows of the Sun where with the payment and recompence which thou receivest thou art contented with the good that thou dost here below thou wilt be pleased to conserve me in the new amity of this good Captain to the end he may put in execution all that this man here hath told me At these words all the Courtiers which were likewise on their knees said three times as it were in answer How happy were he that could see that and then dye incontinently Whereupon the King arose and wiping his eyes which were all beblubbered with the tears that proceeded from the zeal of the prayer he had made he questioned me about many particular things of the Indiaes and Malaca Having spent some time therein he very courteously dismissed me with a promise to cause the Merchandise which the Mahometan had brought in the Captain of Malaâ—a's name to be well and profitably put off which indeed was the thing I most desired Now for as much as the King at my arrival was making his preparations for to march against the Tyrant of Achem and had taken order for all things necessary for that his Voyage after I had remained nine days in Panaiu the Capital City of the Kingdom of Batas he departed with some Troops towards a place named Turban some five leagues of where he arrived an hour before Sun-set without any manner of reception or shew of joy in regard of the grief he was in for the death of his children which was such as he never appeared in publique but with great demonstrations of sorrow The next morning the King of Batas marched from Turban towards the Kingdom of Achem being eighteen leagues thither He carried with him fifteen thousand men of War whereof eight thousand were Bataes and the rest Menancabes Lusons Andraguires Iambes and Bournees whom the Princes his neighbors had assisted him with as also forty Elephants and twelve Carts with small Ordnance namely Faulcons Bases and other field Pieces amongst the which there were three that had the Arms of France and were taken in the year 1526. at such time as Lopo Vaz dâ— Sampayo governed the State of the Indiaes Now the King of Batas marching five leagues a day came to a River called Quilem There by some of the Tyrants Spies which he had taken he learnt that his Enemy waited for him at Tondacur two leagues from Achem with a purpose to fight with him and that he had great store of strangers in his Army namely Turks Cambayans and Malabars Whereupon the King of Batas assembling his Councel of War and falling into consultation of this affair it was concluded as most expedient to set upon the Enemy before he grew more strong With this resolution having quit the River he marched somewhat faster then ordinary and arrived about ten of the clock in the night at the foot of a Mountain half a league from the Enemies Camp where after he had reposed himself a matter of three hours he marched on in very good order for which effect having
Malaca and that he saw there was so little utterance of that commodity as he could not meet with any Merchant that would deal for it he was fain to resolve for to spend the winter there until such time as he might meet with some opportunity to put it off Howbeit he was advised by some of the best experienced of the Country to send it unto Lugor which is a great Town in the Kingdom of Siam an hundred leagues lower towards the North for they alledged that this Port was very rich and of great vent by reason of a world of Junks that arrived there dayly from the Isle of Iaoa from Lava Taniampura Iapara Demaa Panaruca Sydayo Passarvan Solor and Borneo whose Merchants were used to give a good rate for such like commodities in exchange of gold or stone This advice was well approved of by Antonio de Faria who instantly went about to put it in execution To which end he took order for the providing of a vessel by reason the Foyst wherein he came was altogether unfit for a further voyage Matters thus disposed of he deputed one named Christovano Borhalho for his Factor a man exceeding well vers'd in business of Traffique with whom there imbarqued some sixteen men as well Soldiers as Merchants with a hope that one crown would yield them six or seven what in the commodities they should carry as in those they should return Hereupon wretched I being one of the sixteen we parted from the Port on a Saturday and sailed with a favorable wind along the coast till Thursday next in the morning that we arrived at Lugor Road and anchored at the mouth of the River There it was thought fit to pass the rest of the day to the end we might inform our selves of what was behoveful for us to do as well for the sale of our commodities as for the safety of our persons And to say truth we learnt such good news that we were confident of gaining above six times double and to be sure of freedom and liberty during all the month of September according to the Ordinance of the King of Siam because it was the month of the Kings Sumbayas Now the better to clear this you must know that all along this coast of Malaya and within the Land a great King commands who for a more famous and recommendable Title above all other Kings causeth himself to be called Prechau Saleu Emperor of all Sornau which is a Country wherein there are thirteen Kingdoms by us commonly called Siam to the which fourteen petty Kings are subject and yield homage that were anciently obliged to make their personal repair unto Odiaa the Capital City of this Empire as well to bring their Tribute thither as to do the Sumbaya to their Emperor which was indeed to kiss the Courtelas that he ware by his side Now because this City was seated fifty leagues within the Land and the Currents of the Rivers so strong as these Kings were oftentimes forced to abide the whole winter there to their great charge they petitioned the Prechau King of Siam that the place of doing this their homage might be altered whereupon he was pleased to ordain that for the future there should be a Viceroy resident in the Town of Lugor which in their language is called Poyho unto whom every three years those fourteen Kings should render that duty and obedience they were accustomed to do unto himself and that during that time they spent there in performing the same being the whole month of September both their own merchandize and that of all others as well natives as strangers that either came in or went out of the Country should be free from all manner of imposts whatsoever So that we arriving in the time of this freedom there was such a multitude of Merchants that flocked thither from all parts as we were assured there was no less then fifteen hundred Vessels in the Port all laden with an infinity of Commodities of very great value And this was the good news we learnt at such time as we arrived at the mouth of the River wherewith we were so well pleased that we presently resolved to put in as soon as the wind would permit us But alass we were so unfortunate that we could never come to see what we so much desired for about ten of the clock just as we had dined and were preparing to set sail we saw a great Junk coming upon us which perceiving us to be Portugals few in number and our Vessel small fell close with our prow on the larboard side and then those that were in her threw into us great Cramp-irons fastened unto two long chains wherewithall they grappled us fast unto them which they had no sooner done but straightway some seventy or eighty Mahometans came flying out from under their hatches that till then had lien lurking there who with a mighty cry cast so many stones darts and lances which â—ell as thick as hail upon us that of us sixteen Portugals twelve rested dead in the place together with six and thirty others as well Boys as Mariners Now for us four remaining Portugals after we had escaped so dreadful â—n incounter we leapt all of us into the Sea where one was drowned and we three that were left getting to land as well as we could being dangerously hurt and wading up to the wast in mud went and hid our selves in the next adjoyning wood In the mean time the Mahometans of the Junk entring into our Frigot not contented with the slaughter they had made of our men like mad dogs they killed six or seven Boys out-right whom they found wounded on the Dâ—ck not sparing so much as one of them That done they imbarqued all the goods of our Vessel into their Junk then made a great hole in her and so sunk her Immediately whereupon leaving their anchor in the Sea and the Cramp-irons wherewithall they had grappled us unto them they set sail and made away as fast as ever they could for fear of being discovered After this our escape seeing our selves all sore hurt and without any hope of help we did nothing but weep and complain for in this disaster we knew not what to resolve on so much were we amazed with that which had befaln us within the space of half an hour In this desolation we spent the rest of that sad day but considering with our selves that the place was moorish and full of Adders and Lizards we thought it our safest course to continue there all the night too as accordingly we did standing up to the middle in the Owze The next morning as soon as it was day we went along by the Rivers side until we came unto a little channel which we durst not pass as well for that it was very deep as for fear of a great number of Lizards that we saw in it so that in great pain we stayd not only that night there but five days
and cockering of my Mother brought me to this City of Lisbon where he put me into the service of a very honorable Lady To the which he was carried out of the hope he had that by the favor of her self and her friends he might attain to his desire for my advancement and this was in the same year that the funeral pomp of the deceased King Emanuel of happy memory was celebrated at Lisbon namely Saint Luces day the thirteenth of December 1521. which is the furtheâ—â— thing I can remember In the mean time my Uncles desâ—gâ— had a succes◠〈◊〉 contrary to that which he had promised to himself in favor of me For having been in the service of this Lady about a year and an half an accident befell me that cast me into manifest peril of my life so that to save my self I was constrained to abandon her house with all the speed that possibly I could Flying away then in very great fear I arrived before I was aware at the Ford of Pedra which is a small Port so called There I found a Carvel of Alfama that was laden with the horses and stuff of a Lord who was going to Setuval where at that instant King Ioana the Third kept his Court by reason of a great plague that raigned in divers parts of the Kingdom Perceiving then that this Carvel was ready to put to Sea I imbarqued my self in her and departed the next day But alas a little after we had set sail having gotten to a place named Cezmibra we were set upon by a French Pirate who having boarded us caused fifteen or sixteen of his men to leap into our Vessel who finding no resistance made themselves Masters of her Now after they had pillaged every one of us they emptied all the Merchandise wherewithall ours was laden which amounted to above six thousand duckets into their ship and then sunk her so that of seventeen of us that remained alive not so much as one could escape slavery for they clapped us up all bound hand and foot under hatches with an intent to go and sell us at La Rache in Barbary whither also as we found by being amongst them they carried Arms to the Mahometans in way of Trade for this purpose they kept us thirteen days together continually whipping us but at the end thereof it fortuned that about Sun set they discovered a ship unto which they gave chase all the night following her close like old Pirates long used to such Theeveries Having fetcht her up by break of day they gave her a volley of threâ— pâ—eces of Ordnance and presently invested her with a great deal of courage Now though at first they found some resistance yet they quickly rendred themselves Mâ—sters of her killing six Portugals and ten or eleven slaves This was a goodly Vessel and belonged to a Portugal Merchant of the Town of Conde named Silvestre Godinho which divers other Merchants of Lisbon had laden at Saint Tome with great store of Sugar and Slaves In such sort that those poor people seeing themselves thus taken and robbed fell to lament their loss which they estimâ—ted to be forty thousand Duckets Whereupon these Pirates having gotten so rich a booty changed their design for going to la Rache and bent their course for the Goast of France carrying with them such of ours for slaves as they judged fit for the service of their Navigation The remainder of us they left at night in the Road at a place called Melides where we were landed miserably naked our bodies covered with nothing but with the stripes of the lashes which so cruelly we had received the days before In this pitiful case we arrived the next morning at Saint Iago de Cacen where we were relieved by the inhabitants of the place especially by a Lady that was there at that time named Donna Beatrix daughter to the Earl of Villanova and wife to Alonso Perez Pantoia Commander and grand Provost of the Town Now after the sick and wounded were recovered each of us departed and got him where he hoped to find best assistance for my self poor wretch I went with six or seven that accompanied me in my misery to Setuval Thither I was no sooner come but my good fortune placed me in the service of Francisco de Faria a Gentleman belonging to the great Commander of Saint Iago who in recompence of four years service that I did him put me to the said Commander to wait on him in his chamber which I performed for an year and an half after But in regard the entertainment which was given at that time in Noble-mens houses was so small as I was not able to live on it necessity constrained me to quit my Master with a design to imbarque my self by his favor to go to the Indiaes for that I thought was the best way I could take to free me of my poverty So albeit I were but meanly accommodated I imbarqued my self notwithstanding submitting my self to whatsoever fortune should arrive unto me in those far Countries either good or bad CHAP. II. My departure from Portugal for the Indiaes and my imbarquing there for the Straight of Mecqua IT was in the year 1537. and the eleventh of March that I parted from this Kingdom in a Fleet of five Ships whereof there was no General for each of those Vessels was commanded by a particular Captain For example in the ship named the Queen commanded Don Pedro de Silva surnamed the Cock son to the Admiral Don Vasco de Gama In the ship called S t Rock commanded Don Fernando de Lima son to Diego Lopez de Lima grand Provost of the Town of Guimaranes who dyed valiantly in defence of the Fortress of Ormuz whereof he was Captain the year following 1538. In the S. Barba commanded Don Fernando de Lima who was to be Governor of the Town of Chaul Of that which was called the Flower of the Sea Lope Vaz Vagado was Captain And in the fifth and last ship named Galega commanded Martimde Freitas born in the Isle of Madera who the same year was slain at Damao together with five and thirty men that followed him These Vessels sailing different ways arrived at length at a good Port called Mozambique There we met with the S. Michel that wintered there and was commanded by Duart Tristao who parted thence richly laden for to return into Portugal Howbeit I beleeve she was taken or suffered shipwrack as it happens but too often in this Voyage to the Indiaes for he was never heard of since After our five Vessels were equipped with all that was necessary for them and ready to set sail from Mozambique the Lievtenant of the Fortress called Vincent Pegado shewed the Captains of the said five ships a Mandate from the Governor named Nunho de Cunha whereby he expresly commanded that all Portugal ships which did arrive in that Port this year should go to Diu and leave their men there for the guard of the
and Royal House of rich Achem the very day of this thy Embassadors arrival whom I have presently sent away without further seeing or hearing of him as he may tell thee upon his return to thy presence The King of Iantana's Embassador being dismissed with this Answer the very same day that he arrived which amongst them they hold for a mighty affront carried back the Present which the Tyrant would not accept of in the greater contempt both of him that sent and he that brought it and arrived at Compar where the King of Iantana was at that instant who upon the understanding of all that had past grew by report so sad and vext that his servants have vowed they have divers times seen him weep for very grief that the Tyrant should make so little reckoning of him Howbeit he held a Councel there upon the second time where it was concluded that at any hand he should make War upon him as on his mortal Enemy and that the first thing he should undertake should be the recovery of the Kingdom of Aaru and the Fort of Panetican before it was further fortified The King accordingly set forth a Fleet of two hundred Sails whereof the most part were Lanchares Calaluses and fifteen tall Juncks furnished with Munition necessary for the enterprize And of this Navy he made General the great Laque Xemena his Admiral of whose valor the History of the Indiaes hath spoken in divers places To him he gave two thousand Soldiers as also four thousand Mariners and gally slaves all choyce and trained men This General departed immediately with his Fleet and arrived at the River of Panetican close by the Enemies Fort which he assaulted five several times both with scaling ladders and divers artificial fires but perceiving he could not prevail that way he began to batter it with four hundred great Pieces of Ordnance which shot continually for the space of seven whole days together at the end whereof the most part of the Fort was ruined and overthrown to the ground whereupon he presently caused his men to give an assault to it who performed it so valiantly that they entered it and slew fourteen hundred Achems the most of which came thither but the day before the Fleet arrived under the conduct of a Turkish Captain Nephew to the Bassa of Caire named Mora do Arraiz who was also slâ—iâ—â— there with four hundred Turks he had brought along with him whereof Laque Xemena would not spare so much as one After this he used such diligence in repairing that which was fallen wherein most of the Soldiers labored that in twelve days the Fort was rebuilt and made as strong as before with the augmentation of two Bulwarks The news of this Fleet which the King of Iantana prepared in the Ports of Bintan and Compar came to the Tyrants ears who fearing to lose that which he had gotten put instantly to Sea another Fleet of fourteen hundred and twenty Sails Foists Lanchares Galiots and fifteen Galleys of five and twenty banks of oaâ—s a piece wherein he caused fifteen thousand men to be imbarqued namely twelve thousand Soldiers and the rest Mariners and such as were for the service of the Sea Of this Army he made the same Heredin Mahomet General who had before as I have already declared conquered the Kingdom of Aaru in regard he knew him to be a man of a great spirit and fortunate in War who departing with this Army arrived at a place called Aapessumhee within four leagues of the River of Panetican where he learnt of certain fishermen whom he took and put to torture all that had past concerning the Fort and the Kingdom and how Laque Xemena had made himself Master both of the Land and Sea in expectation of him At this news it is said that Heredin Mahomet was much perplexed because intruth he did not bâ—lieve the Enemy could do so much in so little time By reason whereof he assembled his Councel where it was concluded that since both the Fort and Kingdom were regained and all the men he had left there cut in pieces as likewise for that the Enemy was very strong both at Sea and Land and the season very unfit for their design therefore they were to return back Neverthâ—less Heredin Mahomet was of a contrary opinion saying that he would rather dye like a man of courage then live in dishonor and that seeing the King had made choyce of him for that purpose by the help of God he would not lose one jot of the reputation he had gotten wherefore he vowed and swore by the bones of Mahomet and all the Lamps that perpetually burn in his Chappel to put all those to death as Traytors that should go about to oppose this intent of his and that they should be boiled alive in a Cauldron of Pitch in such manner as he meant to deal with Laque Xemena himself and with this boiling resolution he parted from the place where he rode at anchor with great cries and noise of Drums and Bells as they are accustomed to do upon like occasions In this sort by force of oars and sails they got into the entry of the River and coming in sight of Laque Xemena's Navy who was ready waiting for him and well reinforced with a great number of Soldiers that were newly come to him from Pâ—ra Bintan Siaca and many other places thereabout he made towards him and after the discharging of their Oâ—dnance afar off they joyned together with as much violence as might be The fight was such that during the space of an hour and an half there could no advantage be discerned on either part until such time as Heredin Mahomet General of the Achems was slain with a great shot that hit him just in the brest and battered him to pieces The death of this Chieftain discouraged his people in such manner as laboring to return unto a Point named Baroquirin with a purpose there to unite and fortifie themselves until night and then by the favor thereof to fly away they could not execute their design in regard of the great currant of the water whâ—ch separated and dispersed them sundry ways by which means the Tyrants Army â—ell into the power of Laque Xemena who defeated it so that but fourteen Sails of them escaped and the other hundred threescore and six were taken and in them were thirteen thousand and five hundred men killed besides the fourteen hundred that were slain in the Trench These fourteen Sails that so escaped returned to Achem where they gave the Tyrant to understand how all had past at which it is reported he took such grief as he shut up himself for twenty days without seeing any body at the end whereof he struck off the heads of all the Captains of the fourteen Sails and commanded all the Soldiers beards that were in them to be shaved off enjoyning them expresly upon pain of being sawed asunder alive to go ever
iustice that conducted us they took their leaves of us in most courteous manner The next morning as soon as it was day they sent us the Letter sealed with three Seals in green Wax the Contents whereof were these Ye servants of that high Lord the resplendent mirrour of an uncreated light before whom our merits are nothing in comparison of his we the least servants of that holy house of Tauhinaâ—el that was founded in favour of the fifth prison of Nanquin with true words of respect which we owe unto you we give your most humble persons to understand that these nine strangers the bearers of this Letter are men of a far country whose bodies and goods have been so cruelly intreated by the furie of the sea that according to their report of ninety and five that they were they only have escaped shipwrack being cast by the tempest on the shore of the Isles of Tautâ—a upon the coast of the Bay of Sumbor In which pitious and lamentable case as we have seen them with our own eyes begging their living from place to place of such as charitie obliged to give them something after the manner of good folkes it was their ill fortune without all reason or justice to be apprehended by the Chumbin of Taypor and sent to this fifth prison of Faniau where they were condemned to be whipped which was immediatly executed upon them by the Ministers of the displeased arm as by their Process better appeareth But afterwards when as through too much crueltie their thumbs were to be cut off they with tears besought us for that Soveraign Lords sake in whose service we are imployed to be assisting unto them which presently undertaken by us we preferred a Petition in their behalf whereunto this Answer was made by the Court of the crowned Lyon That mercy had no place where justice lost her name whereupon provoked by a true zeal to Gods honour we addressed our selves to the Court of those four and twenty of the austere life who carried by a blessed devotion instantly assembled in the Holy House of the remedy for the poor and of an extream desire they had to succour these miserable creatures they interdicted that great Court from proceeding any further against them and accordingly the success was agreeable to the mercy of so great a God for these last Iudges revoking the others first Sentence sent the cause by way of Appeal to your Citie of Pequin with amendment of the second punishment as you may see more at large by the proceedings In regard whereof most reverend and humble Brethren We beseech you all in the Name of God to be favourable unto them and to assist them with whatsoever you shall thinke necessary for them that they may not be oppressed in thier right which is a very great sin and an eternal infamy to us who again intreat you to supply them with your Alms and bestow on them means to cover their nakedness to the end they may not perish for want of help which if you do there is no doubt but that so pious a work will be most acceptable to that Lord above to whom the poor of the earth do continually pray and are heard in the Highest of Heavens as we hold for an Article of Faith On which earth may it please that divine Majestie for whose sake we do this to preserve us till death and to render us worthy of his presence in the house of the Sun where he iâ— seated with all his Written in the Chamber of the zeal of Gods honour the ninth day of the seventh Moon and the three and twentieth year of the Raign of the Lyon crowned in the Throne of the World CHAP. XXVIII The Marvels of the Citie of Nanquin our departure from thence towards Pequin and that which hapned unto us till we arrived at the Town of Sempitay THis Letter being brought to us very early the next morning we departed in the manner before declared and continued our voyoge till Sun-set when as we anchored at a little Village named Minhacutem where the Chifuu that conducted us was born and where his Wife and Children were at that time vvhich vvas the occasion that he remained there three dayes at the end whereof he imbarqued himself vvith his family and so we passed on in the company of divers other Vessels that went upon this River unto divers parts of this Empire Now though we vvere all tyed together to the bank of the Lauteaa where vve rowed yet did we not for all that lose the view of many Towns and Villages that were scituated along this River whereof I hold it not amisse to make some descriptions To which effect I will begin with the Citie of Nanquin from whence we last parted This City is under the North in nine and thirty degrees and three quarters scituated upon the river of Batampina which signifies The flower of fish This river as we were told then and as I have seen since comes from Tartaria out of a lake called Fanistor nine leagues from the City of Lancama where Tamberlan King of the Tartarians usually kept his Court Out of the same lake which is eight and twenty leagues long twelve broad and of a mighty depth the greatest rivers that ever I saw take their source The first is the same Batampina that passing through the midst of this Empire of China three hundred and threescore leagues in length disimbâ—ques into the sea at the bay of Nanquin in thirty six degrees The second named Lechuna runs with great swiftness all along by the mountains of Pancruum which separate the Country of Cauchim and the State of Catebenan in the height of sixteen degrees The third is called Tauquida signifying the Mother of waters that going North-west traverseth the Kingdom of Nacataas a Country where China was anciently seated as I will declare hereafter and enters into the sea in the Empire of Sornau vulgarly stiled Siam by the mouth of Cuy one hundred and thirty leagues below Patana The fourth named Batobasoy descends out of the Province of Sansim which is the very same that was quite overwhelmed by the sea in the year 1556. as I purpose to shew else-where and renders it selâ— into the sea at the mouth of Cosmim in the Kingdom of Pegu The fifth and last called Leysacotay crosseth the Country by East as far as to the Archipelago of Xinxipou that borders upon Mocovye and fals as is thought into a sea that is not navigable by reaâ—on the clymate there is in the height of seventy degrees Now to return to my discourse the City of Nanquin as I said before is seated by this river of Batampina upon a reasonable high hill so as it commands all the plains about it The climate thereof is somewhat cold but very healthy and it is eight leagues about which way soever it is considered three leagues broad and one long The houses in it are not above two stories high and all built
of sinners so thou wilt be pleased to forgive us our offenceâ— that thereby we may become worthy to behold thy face in the glory of thy Kingdom where thou art sitting at the right hand of the Almighty Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name In the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen And so all of them kissing the Cross imbraced one another and thereupon returned every one to his own home Moreover she told us that her Father had left her many other prayers which the Chineses had stollen from her so that she had none left but those before recited whereunto we replyed that those we had heard from her were very good but before we went away we would leave her divers other good and wholsome prayers do so then answered she for the respect you owe to so good a God as yours is and that hath done such things for you for me and for all in general Then causing the cloth to be laid she gave us a very good and plentiful dinner and treated us in like sort every meal during the five days we continued in her house which as I said before was permitted by the Chifuu in regard of a present that this good woman sent his wife whom she earnestly intreated so to deal with her husband as we might be well intreated for that we were men of whom God had a particular care as the Chifuus wife promised her to do with many thanks to her for the present she had received In the mean space during the five days we remained in her House we read the Catechism seven times to the Christians wherewithall they were very much edifyed beside Christophoro Borhalho made them a little Book in the Chinese tongue containing the Pater Noster the Creed the Ten Commandments and many other good Prayers After these things we toâ—k our leaves of Inez de Leyria and the Christians who gave us fifty Taeis in Silver which stood us since in good stead â—s I shall declare hereafter and withall Inez de Leyria gave us secretly fifty Taeis more humbly desiring us to remember her in our Prayers to God After our departure from the Town of Sempitay we continued our course upon the River of Bataupina unto a place named Lequinpau containing about eleven or twelve thousand fires and very well built at least we judged so by that we could discern as also inclosed with good Walls and Curtains rouâ—d about it Not far from it was an exceeding long House having within it thirty Furnaces on each side where a great quantity of Silver was melted which was brought in carts from a Mountain some five leagues off called Tuxenguim The Chineses assured us that above a thousand men wrought continually in that Mine to draw out the Silver and that the King of China had in yearly Revenue out of it about five thousand Picos This place we left about Sun-set and the next day in the evening we arrived just between two little Towns that stood opposite one to another the River onely between the one named Pacau and the other Nacau which although they were little yet were they fairly builâ— and well walled with great hewed stone having a number of Temples which they call Pagods all guilt over and enriched with Steeples and Fanes of great price very pleasing and agreeable to the eye Now in regard of that they recounted unto us here of these two Towns I hold it not amisse to discourâ—e it in this place the rather for that I have heard it confirmed since and that thereby one may come to know the Original and Foundation of this Empire of China whereof ancient Writers have spoken little â—ill this present It is written in the first Chronicle of fourscore which have been made of the Kings of China the thirteenth Chapter as I have heard it many times delivered That six hundred thirty and nine years after the Deluge there was a Country called then Guantipocau which as may be judged by the height of the Climate where it is scituated being in sixty two degrees to the Northward abutts on the backside of our Germany In this Country lived at that time a Prince named Turbano whose state was not very great It is said of him that being a youth he had three children by a Woman called Nancaa whom he extreamly affected although the Queen his Mother then a Widow was exceedingly displeased at it This King being much importuned by the principal Persons of his Kingdom to marry always excused himself alledging some Reasons for it which they did not well allow of but incited by his Mother they pressed him so far that at length they perceived he had no intent to condescend unto them for indeed his minde was to legitimate the eldest Son he had by Nancaa and to resign his Kingdome unto him to which effect he not long after put himself into Religion in a Temple named Gison which seems to have been the Idol of a certain Sect that the Româ—â—s had in their time and that is still at this present in the Kingdomes of China Iappon Cauchenchina Cambaya and Siam whereof I have seen many Pagods in those Countries But first having declared his said â—on King the Queen his Mother would by no means approve of it saying That since the King her Son would needs profess himself into that Religion and leave the Kingdom without a lawful Heir she would labour to remedy so great a disorder as indeed she did by instantly marrying her self being fifty years of age to a Priest of hers called Silau that was but six and twenty whom she proclaimed King notwithstanding all opposition made to the contrary whereof Turbano being presently advertised and knowing that his Mother had done it of purpose to defeat his Son of the Crown he got him forthwith out of his Religion for to repossess himself of it and to that end used all the means and diligence he could whereupon the Queen Mother and Silau fearing that which might follow thereof to both their destructions if he were not in time and that speedily prevented they secretly assembled some of their partakers to the number of thirty Horse and fourscore Foot who going one night where Turbano was slew him and all his Company Howbeit Nancaa saved her self with her three Sons and accompanied with certain of her Domestical Servants she imbarqued her self in a small Lanteaa and fled away down the River to a place some seventy leagues from thence where she landed with those few followers she had There assisted with some others that resorted unto her she fortified her self in a little Island that was in the middest of the River and which she named Pilaunere that signifies The retreat of the poor with an intent there to end the rest of her days now having lived five years in that poor and miserable estate the Tyrant Silan whom the People hated doubting lest the three young Princes coming
time since it was discovered being above two hundred years it never failed but rather more and more was found Having past about a league beyond those twelve Hoâ—ses up the River we came to a place inclosâ—d with three ranks of Iron grates where we beheld thirty Houses divined into five rows six in each row which were very long and compleat with great Towers full of Bells of cast mettle and much carved work as also guilt Pillars and the Frontispieces of fair hewed stone whereupon many Inventious were engraved At this place we went ashore by the Chifâ—us permission that carried us for that he had made a Vow to this Pagod which was called Bigay potim that is to say God of an hundred and ten thousand Gods Corchoo fungané ginaco ginaca which according to their report signifies strong and great above all others for one of the Errors wherewith these wretched people are blinded is that they beleeve every particular thing hath its God who hath created it and preserves its natural being but thâ—t this Bigay potim brought them all forth from under his arm-pitâ— and that from him as a father they derive their being by a filial union which they term Biâ—â— Porentasay And in the Kingdom of Pegu where I have often been I have seen one like unto this named by those of the country Ginocoginans the God of all greatness which Temple was in times past built by the Chineses when as they commanded in the Indiaes being according to their supputation from the year of our Lord Iesus Christ 1013. to the year 1072. by which account it appears that the Indiaes were under the Empire of China but onely fifty and nine years for the successor of him that conquered it called Exiragano voluntarily abandoned it in regard of the great expence of mony and bloud that the unprofitable keeping of it cost him In those thirty Houses whereof I formerly spake were a great number of Idols of guilt Wood and a like number of Tin Lâ—tten and Pourcelain being indeed so many as I should hardly be believed to declare them Now we had not past above five or six leagues from this place but we came to a great Town about a league in circuit quite destroyed and ruinated so that asking the Chineses what might be the cause thereof they told us that this Town was anciently called Cohilouza that is The flower of the field and had in former times been in very great prosperity and that about one hundred forty and two years before a certain stranger in the company of some Merchants of the Port of Tanaçarim in the Kingdom of Siam chanced to come thither being as it seems an holy man although the Bonzes said he was a Sorcerer by reason of the wonders he did having raised up five dead men and wrought many other Miracles whereat all men were exceedingly astonished and that having divers times disputed with the Priests he had so shamed and confounded them as fearing to deal any more with him they incensed the Inhabitants against him and perswâ—ded them to put him to death affirming that otherwise God would consume them with fire from Heaven whereupon all the Townsmen went unto the House of a poor Weaver where he lodged and killing the Weaver with his son and two sons in Law of his that would have defended him the Holy man came forth to them and reprehending them for this uproar he told them amongst other things That the God of the Law whereby they were to be saved was called Iesus Christ who came down from heaven to the earth for to become a man and that it was needful he should dye for men and that with the price of his precious bloud which he shed for sinners upn the Crosse God was satisfied in his justice and that giving him the charge of Heaven and Earth he had promised him that whosoever professed his Law with Faith and good works should be saved and have everlasting life and withall that the gods whom the Bonzes served and adored with sacrifices of bloud were false and Idols wherwith the Devil deceived them Here at the Churchmen entred into so great furie that they called unto the people saying Cursed be he that brings not wood and fire for to burn him which was presently put in execution by them and the fire beginning exceedingly to rage the Holy man said certain Prayers by vertue whereof the fire incontinently went out wherewith the people being amazed cryed out saying Doubtlesse the God of this man is most mighty and worthy to be adored throughout the whole World which one of the Bonzes hearing who was ring-leader of this mutiny and seeing the Town-men retire away in consideration of that they had beheld he threw a stone at the holy man saying They which do not as I do may the Serpent of the night ingulf them into hell fire At these words all the other Bonzes did the like so that he was presently knock'd down dead with the stones they flâ—ng at him whereupon they cast him into the river which most prodigiously staid its course from running down and so continued for the space of five days together that the body lay in it By means of this wonder many imbraced the law of that holy man whereof there are a great number yet remaining in that country Whilest the Chineses were relating thishistory unto us we arrived at a point of land where going to double Cape we descryed a little place environed with trees in the midst whereof was a great cross of stone very well made which we no sooner espied but transported with exceeding joy we fell on our knees before our Conductor humbly desiring him to give us leave to go on shoar but this Heathen dog refused us saying that they had a great way yet to the place where they were to lodge whereat we were mightily grieved Howbeit God of his mercy even miraculously so ordered it that being gone about a league further his wife fell in labour so as he was constrained to return to that place again it being a Village of thirty or forty houses hard by where the Cross stood Here we went on land and placed his wife in an house where some nine days after she died in Child-bed during which time we went to the Cross and prostrating our selves before it with tears in our eyes The people of the Village beholding us in this posture came to us and kneeling down also with their hands lift up to heaven they said Christo Iesu Iesu Christo Maria micauvidau late impont model which in our tongue signifies Iesus Christ Iesus Christ Mary always a Virgine conceived him a Virgine brought him forth and a Virgine still remained whereunto we weeping answered that they spake the very truth Then they asked us if we were Christians we told them we were which as soon as they understood they carried us home to their houses where they entertained us with great affection Now all these
Tribunal fourteen steps high that was all overlaid with fine gold Her face was very beautiful and her hands were heaved up towards Heaven at her armpits hung a many of little idols not above half a finger long filed together whereupon demanding of the Chineses what those meant they answered us That after the waters of Heaven had overflowed the earth so that all mankind was drowned by an universal Deluge God seeing that the world would be desolate and no body to inhabit it he sent the goddess Amida the chief Lady of honour to his wife Nacapirau from the Heaven of the Moon that she might repair the loss of drowned mankind and that then the goddess having set her feet on a Land from which the waters were withdrawn called Calemphuy which was the same Island whereof I have spoken heretofore in the streight of Nanquin whereof Antonio de Faria went on land she was changed all into gold and in that manner standing upright with her face looking up unto Heaven she sweat out at her armpits a great number of children namely males out of the right and females out of the left having no other place about her body whence she might bring them forth as other women of the world have who have sinned and that for a chastisement of their sin God by the order of nature hath subjected them to a misery full of corruption and filthiness for to shew how odious unto him the sin was that had been committed against him The goddess Amida having thus brought forth these creatures which they affirm were thirty three thousand three hundred thirty and three two parts of them females and the other males for so say they the world was to be repaired she remained so feeble and faint with this delivery having no body to assist her at her need that she fell down dead in the place for which cause the Moon at that time in memory of this death of hers whereat she was infinitely grieved put her self into mourning which mourning they affirm to be those black spots we ordinarily behold in her face occasioned indeed by the shadow of the earth and that when there shall be so many years ran out as the goddess Amida brought forth children which were as I have delivered thirty three thousand three hundred thirty and three then the Moon will put off her mourning and afterwards be as clear as the day With these and such like fopperies did the Chineses so turmoil us as we could not chuse but grieve to consider how much those people which otherwise are quick of apprehension and of good understanding are abused in matter of Religion with such evident and manifest untruths After we were come out of this great place where we saw all these things we went unto another Temple of religious Votaries very sumptuous and rich where they told us the Mother of the then reigning King named Nhay Camisama did abide but thereunto we were not permitted to enter because we were strangers From this place through a street arched all along we arrived at a Key called Hichario Topileu where lay a great number of vessels full of pilgrims from divers Kingdoms which came incessantly on pilgrimage to this Temple for to gain as they believe plenary indulgences which the King of China and the Chaems of the Government do grant unto them besides many priviledges and franchises throughout the whole Country where victuals are given them abundantly and for nothing I will not speak of many other Temples or Pagodes which we saw in this City whilest we were at liberty for I should never have done to make report of them all howbeit I may not omit some other particulars that I hold very fit to be related before I break off this discourse whereof the first were certain houses in several parts of this City called Laginampurs that is to say The School of the poor wherein fatherless and motherlesâ— children that are found in the streets are taught to write and read as also some trade whereby they may get their living and of these houses or schools there are about some five hundred in this City Now if it happen that any of them through some defect of nature cannot learn a trade then have they recourse to some means for to make them get their living according to each ones incommodity As for example if they be blind they make them labour in turning of handmils if they be lame of their feet they cause them to make laces riband and such like manufactures if they be lame of their hands then they make them earn their living by carrying of burdens but if they be lame both of feet and hands so that nature hath wholly deprived them of means to get their living then they shut them up in great Convents where there are a number of persons that pray for the dead amongst whom they place them and so they have their share of half the offerings that are made there the Priests having the other half if they be dumb then they are shut up in a great house where they are maintained with the amerciaments that the common sort of women as oyster-wives and such like are condemned in for their scolding and fighting one with another As for old queans that are past the trade and such of the younger sort as by the lewd exercise thereof are becomâ— diseased with the pox or other filthy sickness they are put into other houses where they are very well looked unto and furnished abundantly with all things necessary at the charge of the other women that are of the same trade who thereunto pay a certain sum monthly and that not unwillingly because they know that they shall come to be so provided for themsâ—lves by others and for the collecting of this mony there are Commissioners expresly deputed in several parts of the City There are also other houses much like unto Monasteries where a great many of young maids that are Orpâ—ans are bred up and these houses are maintained at the charge of such women as are convicted of adultery for say they it is most just that if there be one which hath lost her self by her dishonesty there should be another that should be maintained by her vertue Other places there are also where decayed old people are kept at the charge of Lawyers that plead unjust causes where the parties have no right and of Judges that for favoring one more thâ—n another and corrupted with bribes do not execute justice as they ought to do whereby one may see with how much order and policy these people govern all things In the prosecution of my discourse it will not be amiss here to deliver the marvellous order and policy which the Kings of China observe in furnishing their States abundantly with provisions and victuals for the relief of the poor people which may very well serve for an example of charity and good government to Christian Kingdoms and Commonwealths Their Chronicles
Benan Prince of Pafua whom the death of her husband had made resolve to shut her self up in this Monastery with six thousand women that had followed her thither and she had taken upon her as the most honourable Title she could think on the name of the broom of the House of God The Ambassadors went to see this Lady and kissed her feet as a Saint she received them very courteously and demanded many things of them with great discretion whereunto they rendred such answers as became them but coming to cast her eye upon us who stood somewhat far off and understanding that never any of our Nation was seen in those parts before she enquired of the Ambassadors of what Country we were They answered that we were come from a place at the other end of the world whereof no man there knew the name At those words she stood much amazed and causing us to come nearer she questioned us about many things whereof we gave her such an account as greatly contented her and all that were present In the mean time the Princess wondring at the answers which one of ours made her They speak said she like men that have been brought up amongst people who have seen more of the world then we have So after she had heard us talk a while of some matters that shâ— had propounded unto us she dismissed us with very good words and caused an hundred Taeis to be given us in way of an alms The Ambassadors having taken their leave of her continued their voyage down along the river so that at the end of five days we arrived at a great Town called Rendacalâ—m scituated on the uttermost Confines of the Kingdom of Tartaria Out of this place we entred upon the State of the Xinalâ—ygrau and therein we proceeded on four days together until such time as we came to a Town named Voulem where the Ambassadors were very well entertained by the Lord of the Country and abundantly furnished with all things necessary for their voyage as also with Pilots to guide them in those rivers From thence we pursued our course for seven days together during the which we saw not any thing worthy of note and at length came to a straight called Catenâ—ur whereinto the Pilots entred as well to abridge their voyage as to avoid the encounter of a famous Pirot who had robbed those parts of most of their wealth Through this straight running East as also East North-east and somtimes East and by East according to the windings of the water we arrived at the Lake of Singapamor called by them of the Country Cunebetea which was as our Pilots affirmed six and thirty leagues in extent where we saw so many several sorts of birds that I am not able to recount them Out of this Lake of Singapamor which as an admirable Master-piece nature hath opened in the heart of this Country do four very large and deep rivers proceed whereof the first is named Ventrau that runneth Eastward through all the Kingdoms of Sornaâ— and Siam entring into the Sea by the Bâ—â— of Chiamtabuu in six and twenty dâ—grees The second Iangumaa that going South and South-east traverseth also the greatest part of this Country as likewise the Kingdom of Chiammay the Laos Gueos and another part of Danbambur disimboking into the Sea by the Bar of Martabano in the Kâ—ngdom of Pegu and there is in distance from the one to the other by the degrees of this Climate above seven hundred leagues The third called Pamphileu passeth in the same manner through all the Countries of Capimper and Sacotay and turning above that second river runs quite through the Empire of Monginoco and a part of Meleytay and Sovady rendring it self into the Sea by the Bar of Cosmim near to Arracaâ— The fourth which in all likelihood is as great as the rest is not known by any name neither could the Ambassadors give us any reason for it but it is probable according to the opinion of divers that it is Ganges in the Kingdom of Bengala so that by all the discoveries which have been made in these Oriental Countries it is conceived that there is not a greater river then it Having crossed this Lake we continued our course for the space of seven dayes till we came to a place named Caleyputa the inhabitants whereof would by no means permit us to land for the Ambassadors endeavouring to do so they entertained us with such store of darts and stones from the shore as we thought us not a little happy in that we could save our selves from the danger of it After we had gotten out of this place much vexed with the bad entreaty we had received there that which most afflicted us was to sâ—t our selves unprovided of things we were greatly in need of but by the counsel of our Pilots we sailed by another river far larger then the straight which we had left and that by the spâ—ce of nine dayes at the end whereof we arrived at a very good Town called Tarem the Lord of which was subject to the Cauchin who received the Ambassadors with great Demonstrations of love and furnished them abundantly with all that they wanted The next day we departed from thence about Sur-set and continuing our voyage down the river about seven days after we came to an Anchor in the Port of Xolor which is a very fair Town where all the enammelled purcelain which is carried to China is made There the Ambassadors stayed five days during which time they caused their ships that were very heavy to be haled ashore by the force of boats That done and provision made of all things nâ—cessary they went to see certain Mines which the King of Cauchin hath in that place from whence great store of silver is drawn and the Ambassadors being desirous to know how much silver those Mines yielded every year they were answerâ—d that the whole amounted to some six thousand Picos which make eight thousand Quintals of our weight After our departure from the Town of Xolor we still continued our course for five days together down that great river and saw all along that while a many of great Boâ—oughs and goodly Towns for in that Climate the Land is better then other where very well peâ—pled and full of riches withall the rivers are frequented with a world of vessels and the fields very well tilled and replenished with abundance of wheat rice all kind of pulse and exceeding great Sugar-canes whereof there is marvellous store in all that Country The Gentlemen there are ordinarily clothed in silk and mounted on horses handsomly furnishâ—d as for the women they are exceeding white and fair Now it was not without much labour pain and danger that we passed those two Channels as also the river of Ventinau by reason of the Pyrats that usually are encountred there nevertheless we at the length arrived at the Town of Manaquileu which is scituated at the foot of the Mountains
he imbaâ—qued in twelve thousand rowing Vessels whereof two thousand were Seroos Laulers Caturos and Foists Now all this great Fleet set forth from Pegu the ninth day of March 1545. and going up the River of Ansedaa it went to Danapluu where it was furnished with all such provisions as was necessary From this place following on their way through a great River of fresh water called Picau Malacou which was above a league broad at length upon the thirteenth of April they came within view of Prom. There by some whom they took that night they learned that the King was dead and how he had left for his successor to the Kingdom a son of his of thirteen years of age whom the King his Father before he dyed had marryed to his wives sister the Aunt of the said young Prince and Daughter to the King of Avaa This young King was no sooner advertised of the King of Bramaa his coming to besiege him in his City of Prom but he sent presently away to the King his Father-in-law for succor which he instantly granted and to that end speedily raised an Army of 30000 Mons Tarces and Chalems choyce men and trained up in the Wars of whom he made a son of his and brother to the Queen General In the mean time the Bramaa having intelligence thereof used all possible diligence for to besiege the City before so great a succor might arrive To which purpose having landed his Army in a plain called Meigavotau some two leagues below the City he continued there five days in making ready such preparations as were needful Having given order for all things he caused his Army to march one morning before day directly to the City with the sound of Drums Fifes and other such instruments of War where being arrived about noon without any opposition he began presently to settle his Camp so that before it was night the whole City was environed with Trenches and very great Ditches as also with six rows of Cannons and other Pieces of Ordnance CHAP. LIII That which passed between the Queen of Prom and the King of Bramaa together with the first Assault that was given to the City and the Success thereof THe King of Bramaa had been now five days before the City of Prom when as the Queen that governed the State in the place of her Husband seeing her self thus besieged sent to visit this her enemy with a rich jewel of precious stones which was presented unto him by a Talagrepo or religious man of above an hundred years old who was held amongst them for a Saint together with a Letter wherein this was written Great and mighty Lord more favoured in the House of fortune then all the Kings of the earth the force of an extream power an increasing of the Salt-seas whereinto all lesser rivers do render themselvos a Shield full of very fair devices Processor of the greatest States upon the Throne whereof thy feet do repose with a marvellous Majesty I Nhay Nivolau a poor woman Governess and Tutress of my Son an Orphan do prostrate my self before thee with tears in mine eyes and with the respect which ought to be rendred unto thee I beseech thee not to draw thy Sword against my weakness for thou knowest that I am but a silly woman which can but only cry unto God for the wrong that it done me whose property also it is to succour with mercy and to chastice with justice the States of the world be they never so great trampling them under his feet with so redoubted a power that the very Inhabitants of the profound house of smoak do fear and tremble before this Almighty Lord I pray and conjure thee not to take from me that which is mine seeing it is so small a thing as thou shalt not be the greater for it when thou hast it nor yet the less if thou hast it not whereas contrarily if thou my Lord wilt shew thy self pitiful to me that act of clemency will bring thee such reputation as the very Infants themselves will cease from sucking the white breasts of their Mothers for to praise thee with the pure lips of their innocency and likewise all they of my Country and Strangers will ever remember such thy charity towards me and I my self will cause it to be graven on the Tombs of the dead that both they and the living may give thee thanks for a thing which I do beg of thee with so much instance from the bottom of my heart This holy man Avenlachim from whom thou shalt receive this Letter written with mine own hand hath Power and Authority to treat with thee in the Name of my Fatherless Son concerning all that shall be judged reasonable touching the tribute and homage which thou shalt think fit to have rendred unto thee upon condition that thou wilt be pleased to let us enjoy our houses so that under a true assurance thereof we may bring up our children and gather the fruit of our labours for the nourishment of the poor Inhabitants of this paltry Town who will all serve thee and I to with a most humble respect in all things wherein thou shalt think good to imploy us at thy pleasure The Bramaa received this Letter and Ambassage with a great deal of authority and entertained the Religious man that delivered it to him with much honour as well in reguard of his age as for that he was held as a Saint amongst thâ—m with all he granted him certain things which were at first demanded as a Cessation of Arms till such time as Articles should be agreed on as also a permission for the Besieged to converse with the Besiegers and other such things of little consequence In the mean time judging with himself that all those offers which this poor Queen made him and the humble submissions of her Letter proceeded from weakness and fear he would never answer the Ambassadour clearly or to purpose Contrarily he caused all the places there abouts that were weak and unarmed to be secretly ransaked and the poor Inhabitants thereof to be unmercifully butchered by their barbarous enemies whose cruelty was so gâ—eat that in five dayes according to report they killed fourteen thousand persons the most part whereof were women children and old men that were not able to bear Arms. Hereupon the Rolim who brought this Letter relying no longer on the false promises of this Tyrant and discontented with the little respect he used towards him demanded leave of him to return to the City which the Bâ—amaa gave him together with this answer That if the Queen would deliver up her self her Treasure her Kingdom and her Vassals to him he would recompence her another way for the loss of her State but withall that she was to return him a peremptory answer to this proposition of his the very same day which was all the time I could give her that so he might upon the knowledge of her resolution determine upon
his men amongst the which were threescore and two Portugals Now whereas this City was very strong as well in regard of the scituation of it as of the Fortifications which were newly made there it had besides within it twenty thousand Mons who it was said were come thither some five days before from the Mountains of Pondalâ—u where the King of Avaa by the permission of the Siamon Emperor of that Monarchy was levying above fourscore thousand men for to go and regain the City of Prom for as soon as that King had received certain news of the death of his daughter and son-in-law perceiving that he was not strong enough of himself to revenge the wrongs this Tyrant had done him or to secure himself from those which he feared to receive of him in time to come namely the depriving him of his Kingdom as he was threatened he went in person with his wife and children and cast himself at the Siamons feet and acquainting him with the great affronts he had received and what his desire was he made himself his Tributary at threescore thousand Bisses by the year which amount to an hundred thousand Duckets of our mony and a gueta of Rubies being a measure like to our pynt therewith to make a jewel for his wife of which Tribute it was said that he advanced the payment for ten years beforehand besides many other precious stones and very rich Plate which he presented him with estimated in all at two millions in recompence whereof the Siamon obliged himself to take him into his protection yea and to march into the field for him as often as need should require and to re-establish him within a year in the Kingdom of Prom so as for that effect he granted him those thirty thousand men of succor which the Bramaa defeated at Meleytay as also the twenty thousand that were then in the City and the fourscore thousand which were to come to him over whom the said King of Avaa was to be the General The Tyrant having intelligence thereof and apprehending that this above all other things he could fear might be the cause of his ruine he gave present order for the fortifying of Prom with much more care and diligence then formerly howbeit before his departure from this River where he lay at anchor being about some leâ—gue from the City of Avaa he sent his Treasurer named Dioçory with whom we eight Portugals as I have related before remained prisoners Embassador to the Calaminhan a Prince of mighty power who is seated in the midst of this region in a great and spacious extent of Country and of whom I shall say something when I come to speak of him The subject of this Embassage was to make him his Brother in Arms by a League and Contract of new amity offering for that effect to give him a certain quantity of Gold and precious stones as also to render unto him certain Frontier Lands of his Kingdom upon condition that the Spring following he should keep the Siamon in war for to divert him from succoring the King of Avaa and thereby give him means the more easily to take his City from him without fear of that assistance which that King hoped should serve for an obstacle to his design This Embassador departed then after he had imbarqued himself in a Laulea that was attended on by twelve Seroos wherein there were three hundred men of service and his guard besides the Watermen and Mariners whose number was little less The Presents which he carryed to the Calaminhan were very great and consisted in divers rich pieces as well of Gold as of precious stones but above all in the Harness of an Elephant which according to reports was worth above six hundred thousand Duckets and it was thought that all the Presents put together amounted to a Million of Gold At his departure amongst other favors which the King his Master conferred on him this same was not the least for us that he gave us eight unto him for to be his perpetual slaves Having clothed us then very well and furnished us abundantly with all things necessary he seemed to be exceedingly contented with having us along with him in this Voyage and ever after he made more account of us then of all the rest that followed him CHAP. LV. Our going with the King of Bâ—amâ—a's Ambassadour to the Calaminham with the Course which we held until we arrived at the Temple or Pagod of Timagoogoo and a Description thereof IT seems fit unto me and conformable to that which I am relaâ—ing to leave for a while this Tyrant of Bramaa to whom I will return again when time shal serve for to intreat here of the way we held for to go into Timplan the capital City of the Empire of the Calaminham which signifies Lord of the world for in their language Cala is Lord and Minhan the world This Prince also entitles himself The absoluâ—e Lord of the indomptable force of the Elephants of the Earth And indeed I do not think that in all the world there is a greater Lord then he as I shall declare hereafter This Ambassadour then departing from Avaa in the month of October a thousand five hundred forty and five took his course up the râ—ver of Queitor steering West South-East and in many places Eastward by reason of the winding of the water and so in this diversity of â—hombâ—s we continued our voyage seven days together at the end whereof we arrived at a Channâ—l called Guampanoo through which the Rhobamo who was our Pilot took his course that he might decline the Siamons Country being so commanded to do by the express Order of the King A while after we came to a great Town named Gataldy where the Ambassadour stayed three days to make provision of certain things necessary for his voyage Having left this place we wâ—nt on still rowing up through his Channel eleven dayes longer during which time we met not with any place that was remarkable only we saw some small villages the houses whereof were covered with thatch and peopled with very poor folks and yet for all that the fields are full of Cattel which seemed to have no Master for we killed twenty and thirty of them in a day in the sight of those of the Country no man so much as finding fault with it but contrarily they brought them in courtesie to us as if they were glad to see us kill them in that sort At our going out of this Channel of Guampanoo we entred into a very great river called Angegumaa that was above three Leagues broad and in some places six and twenty fathom deep with such impetuous currents as they drove us often-times from our course This river we coasted above seven dayes together and at length arrived at a pretty little walled Town named Gumbim in the Kingdom of Iangromaa invironed on the Lands side for five or six â—â—agues space with Forrests of Bâ—njamin as alâ—o with
we departed from this Pagod of Tinagoogoo and continued on our way for thirteen days together at the end whereof we arrived at two great Towns scituated on the Bank of the river just opposite the one against the other about the distance of a stones cast one of the which was called Manavedéa and the other Singilapau in the midst of this same river which was there somewhat narrow there was an Island by nature formed round and in it a rock six and thirty fathom high and a Cros-bow shoot broad upon this rock was a Fort built with nine Bulwarks and five Towers without the rampire of the wall it was invironed with two rows of great iron gates and from the Bulwarks to the other side of the river ran a huge Chain of iron to keep vessels from passing along so that nothing could possibly enter there At one of these two Towns which was called Singilapau the Ambassadour landed where he was exceedingly well entertained by the Xemimbrum or Governour of it who likewise furnished all his Train with great store of refreshments The next morning we left this place accompanied with twenty Laulês wherein there were a thousand men and better and about evening we arrived at the Custom-houses of the Kingdom which are two strong places and from the one to the other run five mighty great chains of Latten all atwart the whole bredth of the river so that nothing can pass in and out without leave Hither came a man in a swift Seroo to the Ambassadour and told him that he was to go ashore at Campalagro which was one of the two Castles on the South-side for to shew the Letter which this King had sent by him to the Calaminham to see if it were written in the form that was required in speaking to him as was usually observed The Ambassadour presently obeyed and being come to land he was led into a great Hall where were three men 〈◊〉 a table with a great many Gentlemen who gave him good entertainment and demanded of him the occasion of his coming thither as they that knew nothing of it Whereunto the Ambassadour answered That he came thither from the King of Bramaa Lord of Tanguu and that he had a message to deliver unto the holy Calaminham concerning matters greatly importing his Estate Then having made further answer to other questions which were put to him in a way of ceremony by the three principal persons that were at the Table he shewed them the letter wherein they corrected some words which were not of the style wherewith they were accustomed to speak to the Calaminham together with this letter the Ambassadour shewed them the present which he had brought for him whereat they very much wondred especially when they saw the Chair for an Elephant of gold and precious stones which in the judgments of divers Lapidaries was worth above six hundred thousand Duckets besides the other rich pieces that he carried him also as I have before related After we had our dispatch from this first Custom-house we went to the other where we found more venerable men then the former who with another new Ceremony looked likewise on the Letter and the present and put to all the several parcels of it strings of wreathed carnation silk with three Seals in Lacre which was as the conclusion of the receiving of the Ambassy by the Calaminham The same day there came a man from the next Town of Questor sent by the Governour of the Kingdom to visit the Ambassadour with a present of refreshments of flesh fruit and other such things after their manner During nine dayes that the Ambassadour stayed in this place he was abundantly furnished with all things necessary both for his own Person and his Train and withall was entertained with sundry sports of hunting and fishing as also with Feasts accompaied with musick and Comedies represented by very beautiful women and richly attired In the mean time we Portugals went with the permission of the Ambassadour to see certain things which they of the Country had much commended unâ—o us namely veâ—y antique buildings rich and sumptuous Temples very fair Gardens Houâ—es and Castles that were all along the side of this river made after a strange fashion well â—ortified and of great charge amongst the which there was an Hospital for to lodge pilgrims in called Manicafaran signifying in our tongue The Prison of the Gods which was above a Lâ—ague in bredth Here we saw twelve streets all vaulted over and in every one of them two hundred and forty houses namely sixscore on each side which made in all two thousand eight hundred and fourscore all full of pilgrims who the whole year throughout came thither in pilgrimage from divers Countries for as they hold this pilgrimage ought to be of far greater merit then all others because that these Idols imprisoned by strangers have need of company All these pilgrims which as they of the Country say are all the year long without discontinuing above six thousand have meat given them the whole time of their abode there at the charge and out of the revenue of the house They are served by four thousand Priests of Manicafaran who with many others reside within the same inclosure in sixscore religious houses where there are also as many women that serve in the like manner The Temple of this Hospital was very great with three Isles after the fashion of ours in the midst whereof was a remarkable Chappel built round and invironed with three very big Ballistâ—rs of Latten within it there were fourscore Idols of men and women besides many other little gods that lay prostrated on the ground for the fourscore great Idols only stood upright and were all tied together with chains of iron As for the little ones they were as I said laid along on the pavement as the children of these greater and tied six to six by the middle with other slighter chains Moreover without the Ballisters in two Files there stood two hundred forty and four Giants of brass six and twenty spans high with their Halberds and Clubs upon their shoulders as if they had been set there for the Guard of the captive Gods There was over-head upon iron rods that traversed the Isles of the Temple great store of Lamps hanging having seven or eight Matches apiece in them in the fashion of Candlesticks like to them of the Indiaes all varnished without as also the walls were and every thing else that we saw there in token of mourning by reason of the captivity of these Gods Being amazed as well at that which I have recounted as at many other things which I pass over in silence and not able to comprehend what they meant by the imprisonment of these gods we demanded the signification of it of the Priests whereunto one amongst them that seemed of more authority then the rest made us this answer Since I see that being Strangers you desire to learn of me that
which I know very well and which you have never heard spoken nor read of in your Books I will declare the matter unto you as it past according as it is truly delivered by our Histories Know then that it now seven thousand three hundred and twenty Moons which make six hundred and ten years after the supputation of other Nations since the time that an holy Calaminham named Xixivarem Melentay commanding over the Monarchy of the six and twenty Kingdoms of this Crown waged wars with the Siamon Emperour of the Mountains of the Earth insomuch that there assembled what on the one part and the other threescore and two Kings who putting themselves into the Field fought so cruel and bloody a battail as it endured from an hour before day till night and there was slain on both sides sixteen Laquesaas of men each of which makes an hundred thousand At length the victory remaining to our Calaminham without any more resting alive of his Forces then two hundred and thirty thousand he ruâ—ned in four months space all the enemies Countries with such a destruction of people as if credit may be given to our Histories or to what any other besides have assured there died fifty Laquesaas of persons This battail was fought in the first of the said seven thousand three hundred and twenty Moons in the renowned Field Vitau where Quiay Nivandel appeared to the Calaminham sitting in a Chair of wood who acquired unto himself in this place a greater and more famous Title of honour then all the other Gods of the Mons and Siammes in regard whereof so often as they that inhabit the earth desire to make oath of things which pass the belief of men they use for the more authorizing thereof to swear by the holy Quiay Nivandel God of Battails of the field Vitau Now in a great City named Sarocatam where five hundred thousand persons were slain all these Gods which here you see before you were made prisoners in despight of the Kings that believed in them and the Priests that served them with perfumes in their sacrifices Thus by reason of so glorious a victory all those people became subject to us and tributaries to the Crown of the Calaminham who at this day holds the Scepter of this Monarchy whereunto he was not raised but with much labour and the shedding of a world of blood during the threescore and four rebellions made by the said people since that time until this present who not able to endure the captivity of their gods for that to say the truth it is a mighty affront unto them they do still in memory of so unhappy a success continue making great demonstrations of sorrow for it renewing every year the vow they have made not to celebrate any Feast nor to rejoyce in any kind of sort whatsoever until they have provided for the deliverance of these prisoners which also is the cause that no Lamps are seen in their Temples and that they are resolved to light up none during the captivity of their Idols Some of us seeming to doubt the verity hereof because it seemed strange unto them the Grepo swore that it was most true and that also there had been killed at sundry times about the deliverance of these Gods whom there we saw captive above three millions of men besides those that fell in precedent Battails whereby one may clearly see in what a strange manner the Devil keeps these poor blinded wretches subjected unto him and with how much abuse and extravagancy he precipitates them into hell When we had well observed all the singularities of this Temple we went to see another called Vrpanesendoo to speak of which I desire to be excused that I may not be forced to treat of infamous and abominable matters wherefore omitting the great abundance of riches and other things which we saw there it shall suffice me to say that this Temple is served by none but women who are all of them the daughters of Princes and of the principal Lords of the Kingdom which dedicates them from their infancy to offer up their honour in sacrifice there Now this filthy and sensual sacrifice is performed with so great charge that many of them bestow above ten thousand Duckets in it besides the offerings which are made to this Idol Vrpanesendoo to whom they sacrifice their honour This Idol is in a Chappel that is round and guilt all over it is made of silver and set upon a Tribunal in form of an Altar invironed over-head with a great number of Candlesticks which are all of silver likewise every light in them having six wieks Round about this Tribunal are many other Idols guilded over of very comely and well-favoured women who with their knees on the ground and hands lifted up adore this Idol These same as the Priests told us are the holy souls of certain young Ladies which finished their dayes there to the great honour of their parents who made more esteem of that then of all the King could give them They assured us that the Revenue belonging to the Idol was three hundred thousand Duckets by the year besides the offerings and rich ornaments of their abominable sacrifices which was yet worth more In this Diabolical Temple were shut up within many religious houses that we saw above five thousand women being all of them old and for the most part exceeding rich so that coming to dy they make a donation of all their wealth to the Pagode wherefore it is no marvel if it have the revenue I spoke of From this place we went to see the companies of the strangers which came thither in pilgrimage in the manner that I have declared These Companies were forty and six in number every one of an hundred two hundred three hundred four hundred or five hundred persons nay some of them were more and were all lodged along by the river as if it had been a Camp Amidst these troops of strangers we met by chance with a Portugal woman whereat we wondred more then at all we had seen before so that desiring to know of her the reason of so strange an accident she told us with tears who she was what occasion had brought her thither and how she was at that instant the wife of one of those Pilgrims to whom she had been married three or four and twenty years whereunto she further added that not daring to go and live amongst Christians because of her sin she continued still in her wickedness but that she hoped God would at length be pleased to bring her into some Country where before she ended her dayes she might repent her of her life past and that although we found her in the company of people devoted to the service of the Devil yet she left not for all that to be still a true Christian we remained much amazed at so strange a relation and not a little sorrowful also to see and understand to what a point of
misfortune this poor woman was reduced so that we told her our opinion and what we thought was fit for her to do whereupon she concluded to go along with us to Timplam and so to Pegu and from thence to set sail for Coromandel there to finish her days in the Island of St Thomé Having vowed unto us to do thus we quitted her not doubting that she would lose so good an opportunity to retire her self out of the errors wherein she was and to restore her self to an estate wherein she might be saved since it had pleased God to permit her to meet with us in a Country so far distant from that which she could hope for Howbeit she performed nothing for we could never see nor hear of her afterwards which made us to believe that either some thing was befallen her that kept her from coming to us or that through the obstinacy of her sins she deserved not to make her profit of the grace which our Lord had offered to her out of his infinite goodness and mercy CHAP. LVIII The Magnificent Reception of the King of Bramaa his Ambassadour at the City of Timplam and that which passed betwixt the Calaminham and him NIne dayes after the King of Bramaa his Ambassadour had reposed himself there by way of ceremony according to the fashion of the Coâ—try for the more honour of his Ambassage one of the Governours of the City called Quampanogrem came to fetch him accompanied with fourscore Seroos and Laulees very well eqipped and full of luâ—ty able men Throughout this Fleet they played on so many barbarous and ill accorded instruments as Belâ— Cymbals Drums and Sea-corners that the din thereof coming to joyn with the noise which the Rowers made terrified all those that heard it and indeed one would have thought it at first to be some inchantment or to say better a musick of hell if there be any there Amidst this stir we drew near to the City where we arrived about noon Being come to the first Key that was named Campalarraia we saw a great many men both Horse and Foot all richly accoutred as also a number of fighting Elephants very well harnessed having their chairs and forâ—-head pieces garnished with silver and their warlike Panores fastened to their teeth which rendred them very terrible The Ambassadour was no sooner come on shore but the Campanogrem took him by the hand and falling on his knees presented him to another great man that attended for him at the Key in great pomp This same was called Patedacan one of the chiefest of the Kingdom as we were told After he had with a new complement of courtesie received the Ambassadour he offered him an Elephant furnished with a Chair and harness of gold but whatsoever the Mandarin could do to make the Ambassadour accept of it he could by no means draw him thereunto whereupon he caused another almost as well furnished to be brought and gave it to him As for us nine Portugals and fifty or threescore Bramaas they provided Horses on which we mounted In this manner we departed from that place having his Chariots before us full of men that amidst the acclamations of the people played upon divers kinds of instruments namely on silver Cymbals Bells and Drums Thus we were conducted through many long Streets whereof nine were invironed with Ballisters of Lattin and at the entrance into them there were Arches very richly wrought as also many Chapters of pillars guilt and great Bells which like unto clocks struck the hours nay the quarters of the hour of the day whereby the people were ordinarily directed After that with much ado by reason of the great press of people that was in the streets we were come to the outward Court of the Calaminham's Pallace which was as long or little less as a Faulcons shot and broad proportionable thereunto we saw in it above six thousand Horses all trapped with silver and silk and those that were mounted on them were armed with Coâ—slets of Lattin and Copper head-pieces of silver carrying Ensigns in their hands of divers Colours and Targets at their Saddle-bowâ— The Câ—mmander of thâ—se Troops was the Quietor of Justice who is as the Super-intendent over all the other Civil and Criminal Ministers which is a Jurisdiction â—epeâ—ate by it self from whence there is no appeal The Ambassadour being come near unto him who was also advanced to receive him and the two Governours they all prostraâ—eâ— themselves on the ground three times which is amongst them a new kind of Compliment whereupon the Queitor spake not a word to the Ambassadour but onely laid his hand on his head and then gave him a rich Scymitar that he wore by his side which the Ambassadour accepted of very thankfully and kissed it thrice That done the Quieor set the Ambassadour on his right hand and leaving the two Mandarins a little behind they past along through two ranks of Elephants which made a kind of Street of the length of the outward Court they being fifteen hundred in number all furnished with Castles and rich Chairs of divers inventions as also with a great many of silk Banners and gorgeous Coverings round abouâ— were a great Company of Halberdiers and many other shews of Greatness and Majesty which made us believe that this Prince was one of the mightiest of the Country When we were come to a great Gate that stood between two high Towers two hundred men which guarded it no sooner saw the Quietor but they all fell down on their knees Through this Gate we entred into another very long outward Court where the Kings second Guard was composed of a thousand men who were all in guilt Arms their Swords by their sides and on their heads Helmets wrought with gold and silver wherein stuck gallant plums of several colours After we had past through the middle of all this Guard we arrived at a great Hall where there was a Mandarim Uncle to the King called the Monvagaruu a man of above seventy years of age accompanied with a great number of Nobity as also with many Captains and Officers of the Kingdom About him were twelve little boyes richly clad with great Chains of gold three or four times double about their necks and each of them a silver Mace upon his shoulder As soon as the Ambassadour was come near him he touched him on the head with a Ventiloo that he held in his hand and beholding him May thy entrance said he into this Palace of the Lord of the world be as agreeable to his eyes as the rain is to our fields of Rice for so shall he grant thee all that thy King demands of him From thence we went up an high pair of stairs and entred into a very long room wherein there were many great Lords who seeing the Monvagaruu stood up on their feet as acknowledging him for their Superiour Out of this room we entred into another where there were four Altars very well
have a good successe in the pleasure thou seemest to take in making war upon thine enemies The Ambassador having received this Letter departed from the Court the third day of November in the year one thousand five hundred forty and six accompanied with certain Lords who by the expresse commandement of the Calaminham went along with him to Bidor where they took their leave of him after they had made him a great feast presented him with divers gifts But before I intreat of the way which we held from this place till we came to Pegu where the King of Bramaa was I think it convenient and necessary to make a relation here of certain things which we saw in this country wherein I will acquit my self as succinctly as I can as I have done in all other matters whereof 〈◊〉 have spoken heretofore for if I would discourse in particular of all that I have seen and of that which hath past as well in this Empire as in other Kingdomes where I have been during my painfull voyages I had then need to make another volume far bigger then this same and be indued with a wit much above that I have howbeit that I may not wholly conceal things so remarkable I am contented to say so much thereof as my grosse stile will permit me to deliver The Kingdome of Pegu hath in circuit an hundred and forty leagues is scituate on the South side in sixteen degrees and in the hearâ— of the Country towards the rhomb of the East it hath an hundred forty leagues being invironed all above with an high ground named Pangavirau where the Nation of the Bramaas doth inhabit whose country is fourscore leagues broad and two hundred long This Monarchy was in times past one sole Kingdome which now it is not but is divided into thirteen estates of Soveraignes who made themselves masters of it by poysoning their King in a banquet which they made him in the City of Chaleu as their histories relate of these thirteen estates there are eleven that are commanded by other Nations who by a tract of another great country are joyned to all the bounds of the Bramaas where two great Emperors abide of which the one is called the Siamon and the other the Calaminham who is the same I purpose only to treat of According to report the Empire of the Prince is above three hundred leagues bredth and as much in length and it is said that antiently it contained seven and twenty Kingdomes the inhabitants whereof spake all one language within this Empire we saw many goodly Cities exceedingly well peopled and abounding with all provisions necessary for mans life as flesh fresh water fish corn pulse rice pastâ—res vines and fruits the chief of all these Cities is Tymphan where this Emperor the Calaminham with his Court commonly resides it is seated along by a great river named Pitâ—y and invironed all about with two broad walls of earth made up with strong stone on either side having very broad ditches and at each gate a Castle with high Towers certain Merchants affirmed unto us that this City had within it some four hundred thousand fires and albeit the houses are for the most part not above two stories high yet in recompense thereof they are built very stately and with great charge especially those of the Nobility and of the Merchants not speaking of the great Lords which are separated by great inclosures where are spacious outward Courts and at the entring into them arches after the manner of China as also gardens and walks planted with trees and great ponds all very handsomely accommodated to the pleasures and delights of this life whereunto these people are very much inclined We were also certified that both within the inclosure of the City and a league about it there were six and twenty hundred Pagodes some of which wherein we had been were very sumptuous and rich indeed for the rest the most of them were but petty houses in the fashion of Hermitages These people follow four and twenty Sects all different one from another amongst the which there is so great a confusion of errors and diabolicall precepts principally in that which concerns their bloudy Sacrifices as â—abhor to speak of them but the Idol which is most in vogue amongst them and most frequented is that whereof I have already made mention called Quiâ—y Frigau that is to say The God of the Meats of the Sun for it is in this false God that the Calaminham believes and does adore him and so do all the chiefest Lords of the Kingdome wherefore the Grepos Menigrepos and Talagrepos of this false god are honored far more then all others and held in the retation of holy personages their superiours who by an eminent title are called Cabizondos never know women as they say but to content their bruitish and sensuall appetites they want not diabolicall inventions which are more worthy of tears then recital during the ordinary Fairs of this City called by them Chanduâ—â—s we saw all things there that nature hath created as iron steel lead tin copper lattin saltpeter brimstone oyl vermillion honey wax sugar lacre benjamin divers sorts of stuffes and garments of silk pepper ginger cinamon linnen cloth cotton wool alum borax corâ—alines christall camphire musk yvory cassia rhubarbe turbith scamony azure woad incense cochenill saffron myrâ—he rich porcelain gold silver rubies diamonds emerauds saphirs and generally all other kind of things that can be named and that in so great abundance as it is not possible for me to speak that which I have seen and be believed women there are ordinarily very white and fair but that which most commends them is that they are of a good nature chast charitable and much inclined to compassion The Priests of all these four and twenty Sects whereof there are a very great number in this Empire are cloathed in yellow like the Roolims of Pegu they have no money either of gold or silver but all their commerce is made with the weight of cates casis maazes and conderins The Court of the Calaminham is very rich the Nobility exceeding gallant and the revenue of the Lords and Princes very great the King is feared and respected in a marvellous manner he hath in his Court many Commanders that are strangers unto whom he giveth great pensions to serve him for the safety of his person our Ambassador was assured that in the City of Timphan where most commonly the Court is there are above threescore thousand horse and ten thousand Elephants the gentlemen of the country live very hand somely and are served in vessels of silver and sometimes of gold but as for the common people they use porcelain lattin in summer they are apparrelled in sattin damask and wrought taffetiâ—s which come from Persia in winter in gowns furred with marterns there is no going to Law amongst them noâ— does any man enter into bond there but if there be any difference
through all the town accompanied with a great multitude of people that followed him at the sound of trumpets drums and other such instruments the Captain himself as also the Ambassador and the rest of us together with all the Bramaas marching on foot after him with boughs in our hands and two men before him on horseback that rode crying O all ye people praise with gladness the beams which proceed from the midst of the Sun who is the God that makes our rice to grow for that you have lived to see a man so holy that knowing how to drink better then all the men of the world hath laid on the ground twenty of the principall drinkers of our troop to the end his renown may be daily more and more augmented Whereunto all the crowd of people that accompanied him answered with such cries and acclamations as the very noyse thereof frighted all that heard it In this equipage they lead the Portugal to the Ambassadors house where they set him down with a great deal of respect and many complements then on their knees they rendred him to the Ambassador desiring him to have a care of him as of an holy man or the son of some great King for said they it cannot be otherwise seeing God hath bestowed so great a gift on him as to know how to drink so well Whereupon having made a gathering for him they got together above two hundred lingots of silver which they gave him and untill the time that we departed he was continually visited by the inhabitants whereof many presented him with rich pieces of silk and other gifts as if they had made an offering to some Saint upon a solemn day of his invocation After these we saw other men that were very white named Pavilens great archers and good horsemen apparrelled in caslocks of silk like those of Iapon and that carried their meat to their mouths with little sticks after the manner of the Chineses these same told us that their Coyntry was called Binagorem and that it was distant from thence about two hundred leagues up the river their merchandize was store of gold in powder like to that of Menancabâ— of the Island of Suâ—atra as also lacre aloes musk tin copper silk and wax which they exchanged for pepper ginger salt wine and rice the wives of these men which we saw there are very white of better conversation then all the rest of those countryes well natured and exceeding charitable demanding of them what was their Law and what was the divinity that they adored they answered us That their Gods were the Sun the heaven and the stars for that from them they received by an holy communication all the good that they enjoyed upon earth and furthermore that the soul of man was but a breath which ended in the death of the body and that afterwards tumbling up and down in the ayr she mingled her self with the clouds untill such time as coming to be dissolved into water she died again upon the earth as the body had done before I omit an infinite many of such extravagances which were told us and that gave us good cause to wonder at the blindness and confusion of these wretches and doth also oblige us to render thanks continually unto God for delivering us from these errors and this false belief Now from the diversity of these unknown Nations which we saw in these parts it is easie to infer that in this Monarchy of the world there are many countries yet undivided and unknown to us CHAP. LX. Our arrivall at Pegu with the death of the Roolim of Mounay COntinuing our course from this town of Pavel we came the next day to a village called Luncor invironed about the space of three leagues with a great number of trees of Benjamin which from this place is transported into the Kingdoms of Pegu and Siam From thence we sailed for nine daies together down that great river all alongst the which we saw many goodly towns and then we arrived at another river called Ventrau thorough the which we continued our voyage to Penauchin the first Borough of the Kingdome of Iangumaa where the Ambassador registred his vessells and all that were within them because such was the custom of the country Being departed from thence we went and lay that night at the Rauditens which are two strong places belonging to the Prince of Poncanor Five days after we came to a great town called Magdaleu which is the country from whence lacre is brought to Martabano the Prince thereof during the time that we stayed there shewed the Ambassador a generall muster of all the men of war that he had levied against the King of the Lauâ—os with whom he was at difference because he had repudiated a daughter of his which he had married three years before intending to espouse a gentlewoman by whom he had had a son that he had legitimated and made choice of for heir of his Kingdom thereby frustrating his Nephew by his daughter of his right Passing on then thorough the streight of Madur wherein we sailed five days we arrived at a village called Mouchell the first place of the Kingdom of Pegu there one Chalagâ—niâ— a famous Pyrat that went up and down robbing in this place with thirty Ceroos well equipped and full of warlike men assailed us one night and fighting with us till it was almost day he handled us in such sort as it was the great grace of God that we escaped out of his hands nevertheless it was not without the loss of five of the twelve vessells that we had together with an hundred and fourscore of our men whereof two were Portugals The Ambassador himself had a cut on one of his arms and two wounds besides with arrow shot which had almost cost him his life all of us likewise were cruelly hurt and the Present which the Calaminham sent to the King of Bramaa being worth above an hundred thousand duckats was taken by the Pyrat together with a great deal of rich merchandize that was in the five vessells whereof he had made himself master In this sad equipage we arrived three days after at the City of Martabano from whence the Ambassador wrote the King a letter wherein he rendred him an accompt of all that had happened to him in his voyage as also in his disaster Whereupon the King sent presently away a Fleet of sixscore Ceroos with a number of choice men amongst which were an hundred Portugals in quest of this Pyrat This Fleet having by good fortune discovered him found that he had put on shore his thirty Ceroos wherewith he had assailed us and was with all his forces retired into a fortress which was full of divers prizes that he had taken in severall parts thereabout our men immediately attacqued the place and carried it easily at the very first assault only with the loss of some few Bramaas and one Portugal howbeit many were hurt with
live without so much as the least appreheâ—sion of any fear or shame But you must know O ye blinded of the world that God hath made you Kings to use clemency towards men to give them audience to content to chastise them but not to kill them tyrannically Neverthelesse O ye bad Kings in the condition whereunto you are raised you oppose your selves to the nature which God hath indued you with and take upon you many other different forms in apparrelling your selves every hour with some such livery as â—â—â—ms best unto you to the end you may be to the one very bloud-suckers that incessantly suck from them their goods and their lives never leaving them so long as they have one drop of bloud in their veins and to others you are dreadfull roaring Lions who to give a â—aâ—k and a colour to your ambition and avarice cause supreme Laws of death to be published for the least faults and all for to confiscate other mens goods which is the main end of your pretensions Contrarily if there be any that you love and unto whom you or the world or I know not what have given the name of Grandees you are so negligent in chastising their proud humors and so prodigall in inriching them with the spoils and undoing of the poor whom you have left naked and even flayed to the very quick as you cannot doubt but that they will one day accuse you before God for all these things when you will have no excuse to make so that there will be nothing left you but a dreadfull confusion to trouble you and to put you into an horrible disorder To these he added so many other remonstrances in favour of the poor subjects cried out so mainly and shed so many tears in their behalf as the King remained almost besides himself and was touched â—o neerly therewith that he instantly called Brazagaran the Governor of Pegu unto him and commanded him without all delay to dismisse all the Deputies of the Provinces of the Kingdome whom he had caused to be assembled in the Town of Cosmin for to demand of them a great sum of money that he might set upon the Kingdom of Savady on which he had newly resolved to make war Withall he sware publikely on the ashes of the defunct that during his raign he would never charge his subjects with imposts nor would make them to serve by force as he had formerly done yea and that for the future he would have a most speciall care to hear the poor and to do them justice against the misdemeanours of the great ones conformable to the merit of every one together with many other things very just and good which might well serve for a lesson to us that are Christians This Sermon being finished the ashes of the defunct which had been gathered up was distributed as a relique into fourteen golden basons whereof the King himself took up one on his head and the Grepos of chiefest quality carried the rest so the Procession going from thence in the same order as it came thither those ashes were conveyed into a very rich Temple which might be some flight shot from that place and named Quiay Dâ—cco that is the god of the afflicted of the earth there they were put into a shallow grave without other pomp or vanity for so had Aixequendoo the late Roolim commanded This grave then was invironed about with three iron grates and with two of silver and one of latten and upon three iron rods that crossed the whole bredth of the chappell hung seventy and two lamps of silver namely four and twenty on each of them all of great value and fastened together with great silver chains Furthermore there were placed about the steps whereby one descended into the grave thirty and six little perfuming pots with Benjamin Aloes and other confections wherein was great store of Ambergreece all which was not finished till it was almost night by reason of the many ceremonies used in this funerall all that day long they freed an infinite number of birds which had been brought thither in above an hundred cages these Gentiles being of the opinion that they were so many souls of deceased persons which before times had passed out of this life and that were deposited as it were in the bodies of those birds till the day of their deliverance should come at which time they were in all liberty to accompany the soul of the defunct The like they did with a great many of little fishes which had been transported thither also in certain vessells full of water so that to set them at liberty they cast them into the river with another new ceremony to the end they might serve the soul of him whose ashes were then buried There was also brought thither all kind of venison and foul which was distributed as an alms to all the poore that were present there whereof the number was almost infinite These ceremonies and other such like which were performed in this action being finished the King in regard it was neer night retired into his quarter where he had caused tents to be pitched for to lodge in and that in sign of mourning the like did all the great ones so that all the Assembly by little and little withdrew The next morning as soon as it was day the King made it to be proclaimed that all persons of what condition soever they were should upon pain of death dislodge speedily out of the Island and that they which were Priests should return to the attendance of their cures with this penalty in care of contravention to be degraded from their dignity Whereupon all the Priests went preâ—ently out of the Island ninety of them excepted who were deputed for the election of him that was to succeed in the place of the defunct These same then assembled in the house of Gangsparo to acquit themselves of their charge and for that in the two first daies which was the term limited to make this election it could not succeed by reason of the diversity of opinions and great contrariety that was found amongst them which were to give their votes the King thought fit that out of those deputed ninety there should nine be chosen who alone should make the election This resolution being taken these nine continued five daies and as many nights together in continuall prayer in the mean time a world of offerings were made and alms given a great number of poor people were also cloathed and tables prepared where all men that would might eat of free cost and all this was accompanied with processions in every quarter At last these nine being agreed in conformity of votes elected for Roolim one Manichae Mouchan who at that time was a Capizondo or Prelate in the town of Digum of a Pagode called Quiay Figrau that is to say god of the atomes of the Sun of whom I have oftentimes spoken he was a man of about threescore and eight years of
every one of us besides with an hundred duckats and to each of the heirs of fourteen of ours which were slain in the war he gave three hundred which we accepted of as a very honorable reward and worthy of a most liberall and good natured Prince Thus went we presently away very well satisfied of him to the Port of Banta and there we remained twelve whole daies together during the which vve made an end of preparing our selves for our voyage After this vve set saile for China in the company of other four ships vvho vvere bound for the same place and vve took along vvith us the same Ioanâ— Rodriguez vvhom vve incountred at Passeruan as I have before declared that had made himself a Brachman of Pagode called Quiay Nacorel and as for him he had named himself Gauxitaâ— Facalâ—m vvhich is as much to say as the Councell of the Saint The same Ioane Rodriguez no sooner arrived at China but he imbarqued himselfe for Malaca vvhere through the grace of God he vvas reconciled anevv to the Catholike faith and after he had continued a year there he died vvith great demonstrations of a good and true Christian vvhereby it seems vve may believe that our Lord received him to mercy since after so many years profession of an infidell he reserved him to come and die in his service for vvhich be he praised for evermore Our five ships then vvith vvhich vve parted from Zunda being arrived at Chincheâ— vvhere the Portugals at that time traded vve abode three moneths and an half there vvith travell and danger enough of our persons for vve vvere in a country vvhere nothing but revolts and mutinies vvere spoken of Withall there vvere great armies afoot all alongst the Coast by reason of many robberies vvhich the Pyrats of Iapon had committed thereabout so that in this disorder there vvas no meanes to exercise any commerce for the Merchants durst not leave their houses to go to Sea By reason of all this vve vvere constrained to passe unto the Port of Chabaquâ—a vvhere vve found at anchor sixscore Iuneks vvho having set upon us took three of our five Vessells vvherein four hundred Christians vvere killed of which fourscore and two vvere Portugals As for the other tvvo Vessells in one of the vvhich I vvas they escaped as it vvere by miracle But because vve could not make to Land by reason of the Easterly vvinds vvhich vvere contrary to us all that same moneth vve vvere constrained though to our great grief to regain the Coast of Iaoa At length after vve had continued our course by the space of tvvo and tvventy daies vvith a great deal of travell and danger vve discovered an Island called Pullo Condor distant eight degrees and one third of heighth from the bar of the Kingdome of Camboya Whereupon as we were even ready to reach it so furious a storm came from the South Coast as we were all in jeopardy to be cast away Neverthelesse driving along we got to the Isle of Lingua where a tempest surprised us at West and South-West with so impetuous a wind as strugling against the billow it kept us from making use of our sails so that being in fear of rocks and shelves of sand which were on the Prow side we steered the other way untill that after some time the Forekeel of our Poup opened within nine hand-bredths of the water which was the cause seeing our selves so neer unto death that we were inforced to cut down our two masts and to cast all our Merchandises into the Sea whereby our Ship was somwhat eased This done vvhereas vve had left our ship the rest of the day and a good part of the night to the mercy of the Sea it pleased our Lord out of an effect of his divine justice that without knowing how or without seeing any thing our ship ran her self against a rock with the death of seventy and tvvo persons This miserable successe so deprived us of all our understanding and forces that not so much as one of us ever thought of any way saving himself as the Chineses whom we had for Mariners in our Junck had done for they had so bestirred themselves all the night long that before it was day they had made a raft of such planks and beams as came to their hands tying them together in such sort with the cordage of their sails that forty persons might abide upon it with ease Now whereas we were all in an imminent danger and in a time wherein as they say the father does nothing for the son nor the son for the father no man took care but for himselfe alone whereof we had a fair example in our Chinese-Mariners whom we accounted but as our slaves for Martin Esteuez the Captain and Master of the Junck having intreated his own servants vvho vvere upon the raft to receive him amongst them they ansvvered him that they could not do it at any hand vvhich coming to the ears of one of ours called Ruy de Moura whereas he could not indure that these persidious villains should use us with so much discourtesie and ingratitude he got him up on his feet from a place where he lay hurt â—nd made unto us a short speech whereby he represented unto us That we were to remember how odious a thing cowardice was and withall how absolutely it imported us to seize upon this rafâ— for the saving of our lives To these words he added many other such like which so incouraged us that with one accord and with one and the same resolution whereunto the present necessity obliged us being but eight and twenty Portugals we set upon the forty Chineses which were upon the raft We opposed our swords then to their iron hatchets and fought so lustily with them as we killed them all in the space of two or three Credoes It is true indeed that of us eight and twenty Portugals sixteen were slain and twelve escaped but so wounded that four of them died the next day This was an accident whereof no doubt the like hath seldome been heard of or seen whereby one may clearly perceive how great the misery of humane life is for it was not twelve hours before when as we all imbraced each other in the ship and behaved our selves like right brethren intending to die for one another and so soon after our sins carried us to such great extremity as hardly sustaining our selves upon four scuâ—vy planks tied together with two ropes we kissed one another with as much barbarisme as if we had been mortall enemies or something worse It is true that the excuse which may be alledged thereupon is that necessity which hath no law compelled us thereunto Whenas we were were Masters of this raft which had cost us and the Chineses so much bloud we set upon it eight and thirty persons of us that we were of which there were twelve Portugals some of their children our servants and the remainder of those that
fire was put to all that infinite number of Idolls just in the manner as they stood in the Barques and this was accompanied with so horrible a din of cries great Ordnance Harquebuzes Drums Bells Cornets and other different kinds of noyse as it was impossible to hear it without trembling This ceremony lasted not above an hour for whereas all these figures were made of combustible stuffe and the Vessells filled with pitch and rozen so dreadfull a flame ensued presently thereupon as one might well have said that it was a very pourtraiture of hell so that in an instant the Vessells and all that vvere in them vvere seen to be reduced to nothing Whenas this and many other very lively inventions which had cost a great deal of money vvere finished all the inhabitants vvhich vvere come thronging thither and vvhereof the number seemed to be infinite retired back to their houses where they remained with their doors and windows shut not one appearing in the streets for the space of ten daies during which time all places were unfrequented and none were seen stirring but some poor people who in the night went up and down begging with strange lamentations At the end of the ten daies wherein they had shut themselves up so they opened their doors and windows and their Pagodes or Temples were adorned with many Ensigns of rejoycing together with a world of hangings standards and banners of silk Hereupon there went through all the streets certain men on horseback apparelled in vvhite Damask who at the sound of very harmonious instruments cried aloud with tears in their eys Ye sad inhabitants of this Kingdomâ— of Siam hearken hearken to that which is made known to you from God and with humble and pure hearts praise ye all his holy name for the effects of his divine justice are great withall laying aside your mourning come forth of your aâ—odes wherein you are shut up and sing the praises of the goodnesse of your God since he hath been pleased to give you a new King who fears him and is a friend of the poor This Proclamation being made all the Assistants with their faces prostrated on the ground and their hands lifted up as people that rendred thanks to God answered aloud weeping We make the Angells of heaven our Attorneys to the end they may continually praise the Lord for us After this all the inhabitants of the City coming out of their houses and thinking of nothing but dancing and rejoycing went to the Temple of Quiay Fanarel that is to say the God of the joyfull where they offered sweet perfumes and the poorest sort fruits pullen and rice for the entertainment of the Priests The same day the nevv King shewed himself over all the City with a great deal of pomp and Majesty in regard whereof the people made great demonstrations of joy and gladnesse And forasmuch as the King was but nine years old it was ordained by the four and twenty Bracà loâ—s of the Government that the Queen his mother should be the Protector or Regent of him and that she should beare rule over all the Officers of the Crown Things past thus for the space of four moneths and an half during the which there was no manner of disorder but all was peaceable in the Kingdome howbeit at the end of that time the Queen coming to be delivered of a Son which she had had by her Purveyor being displeased with the bad report that went of her she resolved with her self to satisfie her desire which was to marry with the Father of this new Son for that she was desperately in love with him And further she wickedly enterprised to make away the new King her lawfull child to the end that by this means the Crown might passe to the bastard by right of inheritance Now to execute this horrible design of hers she made shew that the excesse of her affection to the young King her Son kept her always in fear left some attempt should be made upon his life so that one day having caused all the Councell of the State to be assembled the represented unto them that having but this only pearl enchaced in her heart she desired to keep it from being plucked from thence by some disaster for which effect she thought it requisite as well to secure her from her apprehensions as to prevent the great mischiefs which carelessenesse is wont to bring in such like cases that there should be a guard set about the Palace and the person of the King This affair was immediately debated in the Councell and accorded to the Queen in regard the matter seemed good of it self The Queen seeing then that her design had succeeded so well took instantly for the guard of the Palace and the person of her Son such as she judged were proper for the executing of her damnable enterprise and in whom she most confided She ordained a guard then of two thousand foot and five hundred horse besides the ordinary guard of her house which were six hundred Cauehins and Lequios and thereof she made Captain one called Tileubacus the cozen of the same Purveyor by whom she had had a child to the end that by this mans favour she might dispose of things as she pleased and the more easily bring to passe her pernicious design Whereupon relying on the great forces which she had already on her party she began to revenge her self upon some of the great ones of the Kingdome because she knew they despised her and held her not in that esteem she desired The two first whom she caused to be laid hands on were two Deputies of the Government making use of this pretext that they held secret intelligence with the King of Chiamway and were to give him an entry into the Kingdome thorough their lands so that under colour of justice she caused them to be both executed and confiscated their estates whereof she gave the one to her Favorite and the other to a brother-in-law of his who it was said had been a Smith But in regard this execution had been done precipitously and without any proof the greatest part of the Lords of the Kingdom murmured against the Queen for it representing unto her the merit of them whom she had put to death the services they had rendred to the Crown the qualitie of the persons and the nobility and antiquity of their extractions as being of the bloud royall and lineally descended from the Kings of Siam howbeit she made no reckoning thereof but contrarily a little after making show as if she had not been well she in a full Councill renounced her regency and conferred it on Vquumcheuiraa her Favorite to the end that by this means bearing rule over all others he might dispose of the affairs of the kingdom at his pleasure and give the most important charges thereof to such as would be of his party which he thought to be the most assured way for him to usurp this Crown and make
perceived a great many sails which invironed the Fort on all sides Some affirmed that it was the Governor newly come from Goa to make peace for the death of Sultan Bandur King of Cambaya that was slain a little before Others said that it was the Infant Brother to the King Dom Iovan lately arrived there from Portugal because he was every day expected in the Indiaes Some thought that it was the Patâ—marcaa with the King of Cabicuts hundred Foists of Camorin And the last assured us how they could justifie with good and sufficient reasons that they were the Turks As we were in this diversity of minds and terrified with that which we discerned before our eyes five very great Gallies came forth of the midst of this Fleet with a many of banners flags and streamers which we saw on the tops of their Masts and the ends of their sail-yards whereof some were so long that they touched even the very water These Gallies being come forth in this sort turned their prows towards us in such a couragious and confident manner that by their sailing we presently judged them to be Turks Which we no sooner knew to be so indeed but we clapt on all our cloth for to avoyd them and to get into the main Sea not without exceeding fear leâ—t for our sins we should fall into the like estate from whence I was so lately escaped These five Gallies having observed our flight took a resolution to pursue us and chased us till night at which time it pleased God that they tacked about and returned to the Army from whence they came Seeing our selves freed from so great a danger we went joyfully on and two days after arrived at the Town of Chaul where our Captain and the Merchants only landed for to visit the Captain of the Fort named Simon Guedez unto whom they reported that which had befallen them Assuredly said he you are very much bound to give God thanks for delivering you from one of the greatest perils that ever you were in for without his assistance it had been impossible for you ever to have declined it or to tell me of it with such joy as now you do Thereupon he declared unto them that the Army they had incountred was the very same which had held Antonio de Silveyra twenty days together besieged being composed of a great number of Turks whereof Solyman the Bassa Vice-roy of Caire was General and that those Sails they had seen were eight and fifty Gallies great and small each of which carried five Pieces of Ordnance in her prow and some of them were Pieces of Battery besides eight other great Vessels full of Turks that were kept in reserve to succor the Army and supply the places of such as should be killed Moreover he added that they had great abundance of victuals amongst the which there was twelve Basilisks This news having much amazed us we rendered infinite praise to the Lord for shewing us such grace as to deliver us from so imminent a danger We stayed at Chaul but one day and then we set sail for Goa Being advanced as far as to the River of Carapatan we met with Fernand de Morais Captain of three Foists who by the command of the Vice-roy Dom Garcia de Noronha was going to Dabul to the end he might see whether he could take or burn a Turkish Vessel which was in the Port laden with Victuals by order from the Bassa This Fernand de Morais had no sooner gotten acquaintance of our ship but he desired our Captain to lend him fifteen men of twenty that he had for to supply the great necessity he was in that way by reason of the Vâ—câ—-roys hastening him away upon the sudden which said he would much advance the service both of God and his Highness After many contestations of either part upon this occasion and which to make shorâ— I will pass under silence at length they were agreed that our Captain should let Fernand de Morais have twelve of fifteen men that he requested wherewithall he was very well satisfied Of this number I was one as being always of the least respected The ship departing for Goa Fernand de Morais with his three Foists continued his Voyage towards the Port of Dabul where we arrived the next day about nine of the clock in the morning and presently took a Patach of Malabar which laden with Cotton Wool and Pepper rode at anchor in the midst of the Port. Having taken it we put the Captain and Pilot to torture who instantly confessed that a few days before a ship came into that Port expresly from the Bassa to lade Victuals and that there was in her an Embassador who had brought Hidalcan a very rich Cabaya that is a garment worn by the Gentlemen of that Country which he would not accept of for that thereby he would not acknowledg himself subject to the Turk it being a custom among the Mahumetans for the Lord to do that honor to his Vassal and further that this refusal had so much vâ—xed the Embassador as he returned without taking any kind of provision of Victuals and that Hidalcan had answered he made much more esteem of the King of Portugals amity then of his which was nothing but deceit as having usurped the Town of Goa upon him after he had offered to ayd him with his favor and forces to regain it Moreover they said that it was not above two days since the ship they spake of parted from the Port and that the Captain of her named Cide Ale had denounced War against Hidalcan vowing that as soon as the Fort of Diu was taken which could not hold out above eight days according to the estate wherein hâ— had left it Hidalcan should lose his Kingdom or life and that then he should to his cost know how little the Portugals in whom he put his confidence could avail him With these news Captain Morais returned towards Goa where he arrived two days after and gave accompt to the Vice-roy of that which had past There we found Gonçallo vaz Coutinho who was going with five Foists to Onor to demand of the Queen thereof one of the Gallies of Solymans Army which by a contrary wind had been driven into her Ports Now one of the Captains of those Foists my special friend seeing me poor and necessitous perswaded me to accompany him in this Voyage and to that end got me five duckets pay which I very gladly accepted of out of the hope I had that God would thereby open me a way to a better fortune Being imbarqued then the Captain and Soldiers pitying the case I was in bestowed such spare clothes as they had upon me by which means being reasonably well pieced up again we parted the next morning from the Road of Bardees and the Monday following we cast anchor in the Port of Onor where that the inhabitants of the place might know how little account we made of that
all that possibly we could to hinder them from it and to make good that we had so bravely begun which the enemies perceiving as their last refuge they gave fire to a great Piece of Ordnance which charged with stones and other shot killed six of ours whereof the principal was Diego vas Coutinho the Generals son besides a dozen others were hurt that put us quite in disorder Whereupon the Enemies finding how they had spoiled us fell to shouting in sign of Victory and to rendring of thanks to their Mahomet at the naming of this their false Prophet whom they invoked our General the better to encourage his Soldiers Fellows in arms said he seeing these Dogs call upon the Devil to ayd them let us pray unto our Saviour Iesus Christ to assist us This said we once more assaulted the Trench which the Enemies no sooner perceived but they craftâ—y turned their backs and took their flight towards the Galley but they were instantly followed by some of ours who within a while made themselves Masters of all their Trenches in the mean time the Infidelâ— gave fire to a secret myne which they had made a little within their Trenches and blew up six of our Portugals and eight Slaves maiming many others besides Now the smoak was such and so thick as we could hardly discern one another in regard whereof our General fearing least some greater loss then the former should befall him retreated to the water side carrying along with him both the dead bodies and all the hurt men and so went where his Foists lay into the which every one being imbarqued we returned with strength of rowing to the place from whence we came where with extream sorrow he caused the slain to be interred and all that were hurt to be drest which were a very great number The same day that was so fatal to us a list being taken of all the surviving Soldiers that so it might be known how many had been lost in the lâ—st fight upon assaulting of the Trench we found that of fourscore which we were there was fifteen slain fifty four hurt and nine quite maimed for ever The rest of the day and the night following we kept very good watch to avoyd all surprizes of the Enemy As soon as the next morning appeared there came an Embassador from the Queen of Onor to the General Gonçallo with a Present of Hens Chickens and new layd Eggs for the relief of our sick men Now though we had great need of those things yet in stead of receiving our General utterly refused them and shewing himself very much displeased with the Queen he could not forbear lashing out some words that were a little more harsher then was requisite saying that the Vice-roy should ere long be advertised of the bad Offices she had rendred the King of Portugal and how much he was obliged to pay her that debt when occasion should serve Further he bid him tell her that for an assurance of that which he said he had left his son dead and buried in her Land together with the other Portugals who had been miserably slaughtered through her practises by assisting the Turks against them and in a word that he would thank her more fully another time for the Present she had sent the better to dissemble what she had executed against him for which he would one day return her a recompence according to her merit The Embassador very much terrified with this speech departed and being come to the Queen his Mistress he so throughly represented Gonçallo's answer unto her as she greatly doubted that this Galley would be an occasion of the loss of her Kingdom wherefore to decline so great a mischief she thought it necessary to seek by all means possible to maintain the League with our General to which end she assembled her Councel by whose advice she dispatched another Embassador unto him who was a Brachman a grave and reverent personage and her nearest kinsman At his arrival where our Foists lay our General gave him very good entertainment and after the ordinary ceremonies and complements the Brachman having demanded permission to deliver his Embassage Signior said he to our Governor if you will give me audience I will declare the cause of my coming hither from the Queen of Onor my Mistress Hereunto Gonçallo replyed That Embassadors had always assurance for their persons and permission freely to deliver the particulars of their Embassy so that he might boldly say what he would The Brachman having thanked him Verily continued he I am not able to express unto you how sensible the Queen my Mistress is of the death of your son and of those other Portugals that were yesterday slain in the fight And without lying I swear unto you by her life and by this string of a Brachman that I wear the mark of my Priestly dignity and only proper to those which are of that profession wherein I have been exercised from my youth that she was so exceedingly afflicted at the notice of your disaster and the unluckie success of your conflict as she could not have been more vexed if she had been made to eat Cows flesh which is the greatest sin committed amongst us at the principal gate of the Temple where her father is interred Whereby you may judg Signior what a share she bears of your sorrow But since there is no remedy for things done she desireth and very instantly beseecheth you to confirm the Peace unto her anew which other Governers have always granted her heretofore Whereunto she the rather intreats you because she knows of what power you are with the Vice-roy Now that confirmed unto her she assures you and faithfully promiseth within four days to burn the Galley that hath put you to so much pain and turn the Turks out of the limits of her Kingdom which is all that she can do and which you may be most confident she will not fail to execute accordingly Our General knowing of what importance this affair was presently accepted of the Brachmans offer and told him that he was contented that the League should be renewed betwixt them according whereunto it was instantly published on either part with all the ceremonies accustomed in such cases Thereupon the Brachman returned to the Queen who afterwards labored all she could to make good her word But because Gonçallo could not stay the four days which she had demanded in regard of the extream danger he should thereby have exposed our hurt men unto he resolved to be gone and so the same day after dinner we departed Howbeit he first left one namâ—d Georgio Neogueyra there with express order exactly to observe all that was done concerning that affair and thereof to give certain intelligence to the Vice-roy as the Queen her self had requested CHAP. VI. What passed till such time as Pedro de Faria arrived at Malaca his receiving an Embassador from the King of Batas with his sending me to that King
the victory against this Tyrant of Achem and to permit us to regain that from him which with such notable treachery he hath taken from us in those places of Jacur and Lingua we will always most faithfully and sincerely acknowledg thee according to the Law of the Portugals and according to that holy Verity wherein consists the Salvation of all that are born in the world Furthermore in our Country we will build fair Temples unto thee perfumed with sweet odours where all living Souls shall on their bended knees adore thee as it hath been always used to be done unto this present in the Land of Portugal And hear what besides I promise and swear unto thee with all the assuredness of a good and faithful servant that the King my Master shall never acknowledg any other King then the great Portugal who is now Lord of Malaca Having made this protestation he presently imbarqued himself in the same Lanchara wherein he came thither being accompanied with eleven or twelve Balons which are small Barques and so went to the Isle of Vpa distant not above half a league from the Port. There the Bandara of Malaca who is as it were chief Justicer amongst the Mahometans was present in person by the express commandment of Pedro de Faria for to entertain him And accordingly he made him a great Feast which was celebrated with Hoboys Drums Trumpets and Cymbals together with an excellent consort of voyces framed to the tune of Harps Lutes and Viols after the Portugal manner Whereat this Embassador did so wonder that he would often put his finger on his mouth an usual action with those of that Country when they marvel at any thing About twenty days after the dâ—parture of this Embassador Pedro de Faria being informed that if he would send some Commodities from the Indiaes to the Kingdom of Batas he might make great profit thereof and much more of those which should be returned from thence he to that effect set forth a Iurupango of the bigness of a small Carvel wherein he ventured a matter of some ten thousand duckets In this Vessel he sent as his Factor a certain Mahometan born at Malaca and was desirous to have me to accompany him telling me that thereby I should not only much oblige him but that also under pretext of being sent as Embassador thither I might both see the King of Batas and going along with him in his journey against the Tyrant of Achem which some way or other would questionless redound to my benefit Now to the end that upon my return out of those Countries I might make him a true relation of all that I had seen he prayed me carefully to observe whatsoever should pass there and especially to learn whether the Isle of Gold so much talked of was in those parts for that he was minded if any discovery of it should be made to write unto the King of Portugal about it To speak the truth I would fain have excused my self from this Voyage by reason those Countries were unknown to me and for that the inhabitants were by every one accounted faithless and treacherous having small hope besides to make any gain by it in regard that all my stock amounted not to above an hundred duckets But because I durst not oppose the Captains desire I imbarqued my self though very unwillingly with that Infidel who had the charge of the Merchandise Our Pilot steered his course from Malaca to the Port of Sorotilau which is in the Kingdom of Aaru always coasting the Isle of Samatra towards the Mediterranean Sea till at length we arrived at a certain River called Hicandure After we had continued five days sailing in this manner we came to an Harbor named Minhatoley distant some ten leagues from the Kingdom of Peedir In the end finding our selves on the other side of the Ocean we sailed on four days together and then cast anchor in a little river called Gaateamgim that was not above seven fathom deep up the which we past some seven or eight leagues Now all the while we sailed in this River with a fair wind we saw athwart a Wood which grew on the bank of it such a many Adders and other crawling creatures no less prodigious for their length then for the strangeness of their forms that I shall not marvel if they that read this History will not beleeve my report of them especially such as have not travelled for they that have seen little beleeve not much whereas they that have seen much beleeve the more All along this River that was not very broad there were a number of Lizards which might more properly be called Serpents because some of them were as big as an Almadia with scales upon their backs and mouths two foot wide Those of the Country assured us that these creatures are so hardy as there be of them that sometimes will set upon an Almadia chiefly when they perceive there is not above four or five persons in her and overturn it with their tails swallowing up the men whole without dismembering of them In this place also we saw strange kind of creatures which they call Caquesseitan They are of the bigness of a great Goose very black and scaly on their backs with a row of sharp pricks on their chins as long as a writing pen Moreover they have wings like unto those of Bats long necks and a little bone growing on their heads resembling a Cocks spur with a very long tail spotted black and green like unto the Lizards of that Country These creatures hop and fly together like Grashoppers and in that manner they hunt Apes and such other beasts whom they pursue even to the tops of the highest Trees Also we saw Adders that were copped on the crowns of their heads as big as a mans thigh and so venomous as the Negroes of the Country informed us that if any living thing came within the reach of their breath it dyed presently there being no remedy nor antidote against it We likewise saw others that were not copped on the crowns nor so venomous as the former but far greater and longer with an head as big as a Calves We were told that they hunt their prey in this manner They get up into a tree and winding their tails about some branch of it let their bodies hang down to the foot of the tree and then laying one of their ears close to the ground they harken whether they can hear any thing stir during the stillness of the night so that if an Ox a Boar or any other beast doth chance to pass by they presently seize on it and so carries it up into the tree where he devours it In like sort we descryed a number of Baboons both grey and black as big as a great Mastiff of whom the Negroes of the Country are more afraid then of all the other beasts because they will set upon them with that hardiness as they have much ado to resist
to be two thousand in number besides those that were killed which because they could not be so suddenly buried were thrown into the current of the River Hereupon the two Kings continued quiet for four days after at the end whereof one morning when nothing was less thought of there appeared in the midst of the River on Penaticans side a Fleet of fourscore and six Sails with a great noise of musick and acclamations of joy At first this object much amazed the Bataes because they knew not what it was howbeit the night before their scouts had taken five fishermen who put to torture confessed that this was the Army which the Tyrant had sent some two months before to Tevassery in regard he had War with the Sornau King of Siam and it was said that this Army was composed of five thousand Lussons and Sornes all choyce men having to their General a Turk named Hametecam Nephew to the Bassa of Cairo Whereupon the King of Batas making use of these fishermens confession resolved to retire himself in any sort whatsoever well considering that the time would not permit him to make an hours stay as well because his Enemies Forces were far greater then his as for that every minute they expected succors from Pedir and Pazen whence as it was reported for certain there were twelve ships full of strangers coming No sooner was the King fortified in this resolution but the night ensuing he departed very sad and ill contented for the bad suâ—cess of his enterprize wherein he had lost above three thousand and five hundred men not comprising the wounded which were more in number nor those that were burnt with the fire of the Mynâ— Five days after his departure he arrived at Panaiu where he dismissed all his Forces both his own subjects and strangers That done he imbarqued himself in a small Lanchara and went up the River without any other company then two or three of his Favorites With this small retinue he betook himself to a place called Pachissaru where he shuâ— himself up for fourteen days by way of pennance in a Pagod of an Idol named Giâ—nasserâ—d which signifies the God of Sadness At his return to Panaiu he sent for me and the Mahometan that brought Pedro de Faria's Merchandise The first thing that he did was to enquire particularly of him whether he made a good sale of it adding withall that if any thing were still owing to him he would command it to be presently satisfied Hereunto the Mahometan and I answered that through his Highness favor all our business had received a very good dispatch and that we were well payd for that we had sold in regard whereof the Captain of Malaca would not fail to acknowledg that courtesie by sending him succor for to be revenged on his Enemy the Tyrant of Achem whom he would inforce to restore all the places which he had unjustly usurped upon him The King hearing me speak in this manner stood a while musing with himself and then in answer to my speech Aâ— Portugal said he since thou constrainest me to tell thee freely what I think beleeve me not hereafter to be so ignorant as that thou mayst be able to perswade me or that I can be capable to imagine that he which in thirty years space could not revenge himself is of power to succor me at this present in so short a time or if yet thou thinkest I deceive my self tell me I pre thee now whence comes it that thy King and his Governors could not hinder this cruel King of Achem from gaining from you the Fort of Pazem and the Galley which went to the Moluâ—quaes as also three Ships in Queda and the Gallion of Malaca at such time as Garcia was Captain there besides the four Foists that were taken since at Salengor with the two Ships that came from Bengalâ— or Lopâ— Chanocâ— 's Iounk and Ship as likewise many other Vessels which I cannot now remember 〈◊〉 the which as I have been assured this Inhumane hâ—th put to death above a thousand Portugals and gotten an extream rich boâ—ty Wherefore if this Tyrant should happen to come once more against me how canst thou have me rely upon their word which have been so often overcome I must of necessity then continue as I am with three of my children murdered and the greatest part of my Kingdom destroyed seeing you your selves are not much more assured in your Fortress of Malaca I must needs confess that this answer made with so much resentment rendred me so ashamed knowing he spake nothing but truth that I durst not talk to him afterwards of any succor nor for our honor reiterate the promises which I had formerly made him CHAP. VIII What past between the King of Batas and me until such time as I imbarqued for Malaca my Arrival in the Kingdom of Queda and my return from thence to Malaca THe Mahometan and I returning to our lodging departed not in four days after employing that time in shipping an hundred Bars of Tin and thirty of Benjamin which were still on Land Then being fully satisfied by our Merchants and ready to go I went to wait upon the King at his Passeiran which was a great place before the Palace where those of the Country kept their most solemn Fairs There I gave him to understand that now we had nothing more to do but to depart if it would please his Majesty to permit us The entertainment that he gave me then was very gracious and for answer he said to me I am very glad for that Hermon Xabandar who was chief General of the Wars assured me yesterday that your Captains commodities were well sold but it may be that that which he told me was not so and that he delivered not the truth for to please me and to accommodate himself to the desire he knew I had to have it so wherefore continued he I pre-thee declare unto me freely whether he dealt truly with me and whether the Mahometan that brought them be fully satisfied for I would not that to my dishonor those of Malaca should have cause to complain of the Merchants of Panaiu saying that they are not men of their word and that there is not a King there who can constrain them to pay their debts and I swear to thee by the faith of Pagan that this affront would be no less insupportable to my condition then if I should chance to make peace with that Tyrant and perjured Enemy of mine the King of Achem. Whereunto having replyed that we had dispatched all our affairs and that there was nothing due to us in his Country Verily said he I am very well pleased to hear that it is so wherefore since thou hast nothing else to do here I hold it requisite that without any further delay thou shouldst go for the â—â—me is now fit to set sail and to avoyd the great heats that ordinarily are endured in passing the Gulph which is
the cause that ships are many times cast upon Pazem by foul weather at Sea from which I pray God deliver thee for I assure thee that if thy ill fortune should carry thee thither the men of Achem would eat thee alive and the Tyrant himself would have the first bite at thee there being nothing in the world these Inhumanes so much vaunt of as to carâ—y on the crest of their Arms the device of Drinkers of the troubled blood of miserable Caâ—sers who they say are come from the end of the world calling them Tyrannical men and Vsurpers in a soveraign degree of other mens Kingdoms in the Indiaes and Isles of the Sea This is the title wherein they glory most and which they attribute particularly to themselves as being sent them from Mecqua in recompence of the golden Lamps which they offered to the Alcoran of their Mahomet as they use to do every year Furthermore although heretofore I 〈◊〉 often advised thy Captain of Malaca to take careful heed of this Tyrant of Achem yet do not thou omit to advertise him of it once more from me for know that he never had nor shall have other thoughts then to labor by all means to expel him out of the Indiaes and make the Turk Master of them who to that end promiseth to send him great succors but I hope that God will so order it as all the malice and cunning of this disloyal wretch shall have a contrary success to his intentions After he had used this language to me he gave me a Letter in answer to my Embassage together with a present which he desired me to deliver from him to Captain de Faria this was six small Javelins headed with Gold twelve Cates of Calambuca Wood every one of them weighing twenty ounces and a box of exceeding value made of a Tortoise shâ—ll beautified with Gold and full of great seed pearl amongst the which there were sixteen fair pearls of rich account For my self he gave me two Cates of Gold and a little Courtelâ—â—â— garnished with the same Then he dismissed me with as much demonstration of honor as he had always used to me before protesting to me in particular that the amity which he had contracted with our Nation should ever continue inviolable on his part Thus I imbarqued my self with Aquarem Dabâ—lay his Brother-in-law who was the same he had sent Embassador to Malaca as I have related before Being departed from the Port of Panaiu we arrived about two hours in the â—ight at a little Island called Apofingua distant some league and an half from the mouth of the River and inhabited by poor people who lived by the fishing of Shadâ— The next morning leaving that Island of Apofingua we ran along by the coast of the Ocean Sea for the space of five and twenty leagues until such time as at length we entered into the Straight of Minhagaruu by which we came then passing by the contrary coast of this other Mediterranean Sea we continued our course along by it and at last arrived near to Pullo Bugay There we crost over to the firm Land and passing by the Port of Iunçalan we sailed two days and an half with a favorable wind by means whereof we got to the River of Parles in the Kingdom of Queda there we rode five days at anchor in expectation of a fit wind to carry us on During that time the Mahometan and my self by the counsel of certain Merchants of the Country went to visit the King with an Odiaa or Present of divers things that we thought were convenient for our design which was received with much demonstration of being very well pleased therewith When we came to his Court we found that with a great deal of pomp excellent musick dancing and largess to the poor he was solemnizing the funerals of his Father whom he himself had poynarded of purpose for to marry his own mother after he had gotten her with child Wherewithall not being contented to decline the murmur which so wicked and horrible an act might provoke unto he had made proclamation that on pain of a most rigorous death no person whatsoever should be so daring as to speak a word of that which had past and it was told us there how for that cause he had most tyrannically put the principal Personages of his Kingdom and a number of Merchants already to death whose goods he had confiscated to his own use and thereby enriched his Coffers with two millions of Gold So that upon our arrival we perceived such a general fear to be amongst the people as not the most hardy of them all durst so much as make the least mention in the world of it Now in regard the Mahometan my companion named Coia Ale was a man liberal of his tongue and that would say any thing which came into his head he perswaded himself in regard he was a stranger and the Captain of Malaca's Factor that he might with more liberty then those of the Country talk what he listed and the King not punish him for it as he did his Subjects But he found himself far short of his account and this presumption cost him his life For being invited to a feast by another Mahometan like himself a Merchant stranger born at Patana when as they were both of them high with wine and meat as I learned since they began to talk boldly and without any respect of the Kings Brutality and Parracide whereof the King being incontinently advertised by Spies which he had in every corner for that purpose he caused the house to be presently invested and all the guests to be apprehended to the number of seventeen persons These poor wretches were no sooner brought bound before him but immediately without observing any form of Justice or hearing what they could say for themselves either good or bad he commanded them to be put to a most cruel kind of death called by them Gregoge which is to saw off the feet hands and heads of them that are condemned to it as I beheld afterwards my self This execution done the King feaâ—ing lest the Captain of Malaca should be offended for that he had executed his Factor thus with the rest and therefore might arrest some goods that he had at Malaca sent the night following for me to the Iurupango where I was sleeping and altogether ignorant of that which had past understanding the Kings pleasure away I went and coming about midnight to the Palace I perceived in the outward Court a great many men in arms the sight whereof I must confess put me into a mighty amazement and mistrust because I could not imagine what should be the cause of it and doubting lest it might be some such Treason as at other times they had practised against us I would fain have returned but they that accompanied me judging that my fear proceeded from the Soldiers which I beheld there bid me be afraid of nothing for these
and gave it me as also a Letter directed to Pedro de Faria whereupon I took my leave of him with a promise that I would stay there a week longer howbeit getting speedily aboard my Iurupango I made not a minutes stay but instantly caused the Mariners to hoist sail and away still imagining that some were following to apprehend me by reason of the extream fear I was in having so lately escaped as I thought the danger of a most cruel death Being departed from the River of Parles on a Saturday about Sun-set I made all the speed that possibly I could and continued my course until the Tuesday following when it pleased God that I reached to the Isles of Pullo Sambalin the first Land on the Coast of Mallayo There by good fortune I met with three Portugal ships whereof two came from Bengala and the other from Pegu commanded by Tristan de Gaa who had sometimes been Governor of the person of Don Lorenzo son to the Vice-roy Don Francesco d' Almeda that was afterward put to death by Miroocem in Chaul Roade as is at large delivered in the History of the Discovery of the Indiaes This same Tristan furnished me with many things that I had great need of as tackle and Mariners together with two Soldiers and a Pilot moreover both himself and the other to ships had always a care of me until our arrival at Malaca where dis-imbarquing my self the first thing I did was to go to the Fortress for to salute the Captain and to render him an account of the whole success of my Voyage where I discoursed unto him at large what Rivers Ports and Havens I had newly discovered in the Isle of Samatra as well on the Mediterranean as on the Ocean Seas side as also what commerce the inhabitants of the Country used Then I declared unto him the manner of all that Coast of all those Ports and of all those Rivers whereunto I added the scituations the heights the degrees the names and the depths of the Ports according to the direction he had given me at my departure Therewithall I made him a description of the Rode wherein Rosado the Captain of a French ship was lost and another named Matelote de Brigas as also the Commander of another ship who by a storm at Sea was cast into the Port of Diu in the year 1529. during the raign of Sultan Bandur King of Cambaya This Prince having taken them all made fourscore and two of them abjure their â—aith who served him in his Wars against the great Mogor and were every one of them miserably slain in that expedition Moreover I brought him the description of a place fit for anchorage in Pullo Botum Roade where the Bisquayn Ship suffered shipwrack which was said to be the very same wherein Magâ—llan compassed the World and was called the Vittoria which traversing the Isle of Iooa was cast a way at the mouth of the River of Sonda I made him a recital likewise of many different Nations which inhabit all along this Ocean and the River of Lampon from whence the Gold of Menancabo is transported to the Kingdom of Campar upon the waters of Iambes and Broteo For the inhabitants affirm out of their Chronicles how in this very Town of Lampon there was anciently a Factory of Merchants established by the Queen of Sheba whereof one named Nausem sent her a great quantity of Gold which she carried to the Temple of Ierusalem at such time as she went to visit the wise King Solomon From whence some say she returned with child of a son that afterwards succeeded to the Empire of Aethiopia whom now we call Prester-Iohn of whose race the Abissins vaunt they are descended Further I told him what course was usually held for the fishing of seed pearl betwixt Pullo Tiquos and Pullo Quenim which in times past were carried by the Bataes to Pazem and Pedir and exchanged with the Turks of the Straight of Mecqua and the Ships of Iudâ—a for such Merchandise as they brought from Grand Cairo and the Ports of Arabia Foelix Divers other things I recounted unto him having learnt them of the King of Batas and of the Merchants of Panâ—iâ— And for conclusion I gave him an information in writing as he had formerly desiâ—ed me concerning the Island of Gold I told him how this Island is beyond the River of Calandor five degrees to the Southward invironed with many shelfs of sand and currents of water as also that it was distant some hundred and threescore leagues from the point of the Isle of Samatra With all which reports Pedro de Faria remained so well satisfied that he made present relation thereof to the King Don Iovan the Third of happy memory who the year after ordained Francesco d' Almeida for Captain to discover the Isle of Gold a Gentleman of merit and very capable of that charge who indeed had long before petitioned the King for it in recompence of the services by him performed in the Islands of Banda of the Molucques of Ternate and Geilolo But by ill fortune this Francesco d' Almeida being gone from the Indiaâ—s to discover that place dyed of a feaver in the Isles of Nicubar Whereof the King of Portugal being advertised he honored one Diego Cabral born at the Maderaes with that Command but the Court of Justice deprived him of it by express order from Martinez Alphonso de Sousa who was at that time Governor which partly proceeded according to report for that he had murmured against him Whereupon he gave it to Ieronimo Figuereydo a Gentleman belonging to the Duke of Braganca who in the year 1542. departed from Goa with two Foists and one Carvel wherein there were fourscore men as well Soldiers as Mariners But it is said that his Voyage was without effect for that according to the apparances that he gave of it afterward it seemed that he desired to enrich himself too suddenly To which end he passed to the Coast of Tanassery where he took certain Ships that came from Mecqua Adem Alcosser Iudaa and other places upon the Coast of Persia. And verily this booty was the occasion of his undoing for upon an unequal partition thereof falling at difference with his Soldiers they mutined in such fort against him as after many affronts done him they bound him hand and foot and so carried him to the Isle of Ceilan where they set him on Land and the Carvel with the two Foists they returned to the Governor Don Ioano de Castra who in regard of the necessity of the time pardoned them the fault and took them along with him in the Army which he led to Diu for the succor of Don Ioana Mascarenhas that was then straitly besieged by the King of Cambaya's Forces Since that time there hath been no talk of the discovery of this Island of Gold although it seems very much to import the common good of our Kingdom of Portugal if it would
great Ordnance twelve Harquebuzes forty sacks of stones threescore Headpieces and a Coat of guilt Mail lined with Crimson Sattin for his own person together with many other garments of divers sorts as also twenty pieces of Caracas which are stained linnen or Cotten Tapestry that come from the Indiaes and cloth of Malaya wherewith they usually apparel themselves in that Country as well for his wife as his daughters All these things being laden aboard a Lanchara with oars he desired me to conduct and present them from him to the King of Aaru adding withall that this business greatly concerned the King of Portugals service and that at my return besides the recompence I should receive from him he would give me an extraordinary pay and upon all occasions employ me in such Voyages as might redound to my profit whereupon I undertook it in an ill hour as I may say and for a punishment of my sins in regard of what arrived unto me thereupon as shall be seen hereafter So then I imbarqued my self on Tuesday morning the fifth of October 1539. and used such speed that on Sunday following I arrived at the River of Panetican upon which the City of Aaru is scituated I no sooner got to the River of Panetican but presently landing I went directly to a Trench which the King in person was causing to be made at the mouth of the River for to impeach the Enemies dis-imbarquing Presenting my self unto him he received me with great demonstration of joy whereupon I delivered him Pedro de Faria's Letter which gave him some hope of his coming in person to succor him if need required with many other complements that cost little the saying wherewith the King was wonderfully contented because he already imagined that the effect thereof would infallibly ensue But after he saw the Present I brought him consisting of Powder and Ammunitions he was so glad that taking me in his arms My good friend said be unto me I assure thee that the last night I dreamt how all these things which I behold here before me came unto me from the King of Portugal my Masters Fortress by mâ—ans whereof with Gods assistance I hope to defend my Kingdom and to serve him in the manner I have always hitherto done that is most faithfully as all the Captains can very well testifie which have heretofore commanded in Malaca Hereupon questioning me about certain matters that he desired to know as well concerning the Indiaes as the Kingdom of Portugal he recommended the finishing of the Trench to his people who wrought very earnestly and chearfully in it and taking me by the hand on foot as he was attended only by five or six Gentlemen â—e led me directly to the City that was about some quarter of a league from the Trench where in his Palace he entertained me most magnificently yea and made me to salute his wife a matter very rarely practised in that Country and held for a special honor which when I had done with abundance of tears he said unto me Portugal here is the cause that makes me so much to redoubt the coming of mine Enemies for were I not withheld by my wife I swear unto thee by the Law of a good and true Moor that I would prevent them in their designs without any other ayd then of my own Subjects for it is not now that I begin to know what manner of man the perâ—idious Achem is or how far his power extends Alas it is the great store of Gold which he possesseth that covers his weakness and by means whereof he wageth such forces of strangers wherewith he is continually served But now that thou mayst on the other side understand how vile and odious poverty is and how hurtful to a poor King such as I may be come thee along with me and by that little which I will presently let thee see thou shalt perceive whether it be not too true that Fortune hath been exceeding niggardly to me of her goods Saying so he carried me to his Orsenal which was covered with thatch and shewed me all that he had within it whereof he might say with reason that it was nothing in comparison of what he needed for to withstand the attempts of two hundred and thirty Vessels replenished with such warlike people as the Achems and Mulabar Turks were Moreover with a sad countenance and as one that desired to discharge his mind of the grief he was in for the danger was threatened him he recounted unto me that he had in all but six thousand men Aaruns without any other forraign succor forty Pieces of small Ordnance as Falconets and Bases and one cast Piece which he had formerly bought of a Portugal named Antonio de Garcia sometimes Receiver of the Toll and Customs of the Ports of the Fortress of Pacem whom Georgio â— ' Albuqurque caused since to be hanged and quartered at Malaca for that he treated by Letters with the King of Bintham about a plot of Treason which they had contrived together He told me besides that he had also forty Muskets six and twenty Elephants fifty Horsemen for the guard of the place eleven or twelve thousand staves hardened in the fire called Salignes whose points were poysoned and for the defence of the Trench fifty Lances good store of Targets a thousand pots of unslack'd Lime made into Powder and to be used in stead of pots of Wild-fire and three or four Barques full laden with great flints In a word by the view of these and such other of his miseries I easily perceived he was so unprovided of things necessary for his defence that I presently concluded the Enemy would have no great ado to seize on this Kingdom Nevertheless he having demanded of me what I thought of all this Ammunition in his Magazin and whether there were not enough to receive the guests he expected I answered him that it would serve to entertain them but he understanding my meaning stood musing a pretty while and then shaking his head Verily said he unto me if your King of Portugal did but know what a loss it would be to him that the Tyrant of Achem should take my Kingdom from me doubtless he would chastise the little care of his Captains who blinded as they are and wallowing in their avarice have suffered my Enemy to grow so strong that I am much afraid they shall not be able to restrain him when they would or if they could that then it must be with an infinite expence I labored to answer this which he had said unto me with such resentment but he confuted all my reasons with so much truth as I had not the heart to make any farther reply withall he represented divers foul and enormous actions unto me wherewithall he charged some particulars amongst us which I am contented to pass by in silence both in regard they are nothing pertinent to my discourse and that I desire not to discover other mens faults
deal of blood Having buried him in the owze the best we could the other three Mariners and my self resolved to cross the River for to go and sleep on certain great Trees that we saw on the other side for fear of the Tygers and Crocodiles whereof that Country is full besides many other venomous creatures as an infinite of those copped Adders I have spoken of before in the sixth Chapter and divers sorts of Serpents with black and green scales whose venom is so contagious as they kill men with their very breath This resolution being thus taken by us I desired two of them to swim over first and the other to stay with me for to hold me up in the water for that in regard of my great weakness I could hardly stand upon my legs whereupon they two cast themselves presently into the water exhorting us to follow them and not be afraid But alas they were scarce in the midst of this River when as we saw them caught by two great Lâ—zards that before our faces and in an instant tearing them in pieces dragged them to the bottom leaving the water all bloody which was so dreadful a spectacle to us as we had not the power to cry out and for my self I knew not who drew me out of the water nor how I escaped thence for I was gone before into the River as deep as my waste with that other Mariner which hâ—ld me by the hand CHAP. X. By what means I was carried to the Town of Ciaca and that which befell me there my going to Malaca with a Mahometan Merchant and the Tyrant of Achems Army marching against the King of Aaru FInding my self reduced to that extremity I have spoken of I was above three hours so besides my self as I could neither speak nor weep At length the other Mariner and I went into the Sea again where we continued the rest of that day The next morning having discovered a Baâ—que that was seeking the mouth of the River as soon as it was near we got out of the water and falling on our knees with our hands lift up we desired them to come and take us up whereupon they gave over rowing and considering the miserable state we were in they judged immediately that we had suffered shipwrack so that coming somewhat nearer they asked us what we desired of them we answered that we were Christians dwelling at Malaca and that in our return from Aaru we were cast away by a storm about nine days before and therefore prayed them for Gods sake to take us away with them whithersoever they pleased Thereupon one amongst them whom we guessed to be the chiefest of them spake to us thus By that which I see you are not in case to do us any service and gain your meat if we should receive you into our Barque wherefore if you have any mony hidden you shall do well to give it us aforehand and then we will use towards you that charity you require of us for otherwise it is in vain for you to hope for any help from us Saying so they made shew as though they would be gone whereupon we besought them again weeping that they would take us for slaves and go sell us where they pleased hereunto I added how they might have any ransom for me they would require as having the honor to appertain very nearly unto the Captain of Malaca Well answered he then we are contented to accept of thy offer upon condition that if that which thou sayst be not true we will cast thee bound hand and foot alive into the Sea Having replyed that they might do so if they found it otherwise four of them got presently to us and carried us into their Barque for we were so weak at that time as we were not able to stir of our selves When they had us aboard imagining that by whipping they might make us confess where we had hid our mony for still they were perswaded that we had somâ— they tyed us both to the foot of the Mast and then with two double coards they whipped us till we were nothing but blood all over Now because that with this beating I was almost dead they gave not to me as they did to my companion a certain drink made of a kind of Lime â—â—eepâ—d in Urine which he having taken it made him fall into such a furious vomiting as he cast up both his lungs and his liver so as he dyed within an hour after And for that they found no gold come up in his vomit as they hoped it pleased God that that was the cause why they dealâ— not so with me but only they washed the stripes they had given me with the said liquor to keep them from festering which notwithstanding put me to such pain as I was even at the point of death Being departed from this River which was called Arissumhea we went the next day after dinner ashore at a place where the houses were covered with straw named Ciaca in the Kingdom of Iambes there they kept me seven and twenty days in which time by the assistance of Heaven I got my self throughly cured of all my hurts Then they that had a share in my person who were seven in number seeing me unfit for their Trade which was fishing exposed me to sale three several times and yet could meet with no body that would buy me whereupon being out of hope of selling me they turned me out of doors because they would not be at the charge of feeding me I had been six and thirty days thus abandoned by these Inhumanes and put a grasing like a cast Horse having no other means to live but what I got by begging from door to door which God knows was very little in regard those of the Country were extream poor when as one day as I was lying in the Sun upon the sand by the Sea side and lamenting my ill fortune with my self it pleased God that a Mahometan born in the Isle of Palimban came accidentally by This man having been sometimes at Malaca in the company of Portugals beholding me lie naked on the ground asked me if I were not a Portugal and willed me to tell him the truth whereunto I answered that indeed I was one and descended of very rich parents who would give him for my ransom whatsoever he would demand if he would carry me to Malaca where I was Nephew to the Captain of the Fortress as being the son of his sister The Mahometan hearing me say thus If it be true replyed he that thou art such as thou deliverest thy self to be what so great sin hast thou committed that could reduce thee to this miserable estate wherein I now see thee Then I recounted to him from point to point how I was cast away and in what sort the fishermen had first brought me thither in their Barque and afterwards had turned me out to the wide world because they could not find any body
it was threescore Jaos about each Jao containing three Leagues all along the which there were many Mynes of Silver Copper Tin and Lead from whence great quantities thereof were continually drawn which the Merchants carryed away with Troops of Elephants and Rhinoceroses for to transport it into the Kingdoms of Sornau by us called Siam Passiloco Sarady Tangu Prom Calamniham and other Provinces that are very far within land and distant from these Coasts two or three months journey Further they told us that these Countries were divided into Kingdoms and Regions inhabited with people that were white tawny and others somewhat blacker and that in exchange of those commodities they returned Gold Diamonds and Rubies Having thereupon demanded of them whether those people had Arms they answered none but staves hardened in the fire and daggers with blades two spans long They also assured us that from hence one could not go thither by the River in less then half two months or two months and an half by reason of the impetuosity of the waters descending with a great and â—trong current the most part of the year and that one might return in eight or ten days at the most After these demands Antonio de Faria made them divers others wherein they also gave him good satisfaction and reported many other particulars unto him whereby it may be gathered that if the Country could be taken it would without so much labor and loss of blood be of greater profit and less charge then the Indiaes The Friday following we left this River of Tinacoreu and by our Pilots advice we went to find out Pullo Champeiloo which is an inhabited Island scituate in the entrance to the Bay of Cauchenchina in forty degrees and a third to the Northward Being come to it we cast anchor in an Haven where there was good and safe riding and there we remained three days accommodating our artillery in the best manner we could That done we set sail towards the Isle of Ainan hoping to meet with the Pyrat Coia Acem there whom we sought for and arriving at Pullo Capas which was the first land that we saw of it we sailed close to the shoar the better to discover the Ports and Rivers on that side and the entries into them Now because the Lorch wherein Antonio de Faria came from Paâ—ana leaked very much â—e commanded all his Soldiers to pass into another better Vessel which was immediately performed and arriving at a River that about evening we found towards the East he cast anchor a league out at Sea by reason his Junk was great and drew much water so that fearing the sands which he had often met withall in this Voyage he sent Christovano Bâ—rralho with fourteen Soldiers in the Lorch up the River to discover what fires those might be that he saw Being gone then about a league in the River he incountred a Fleet of forty very great Junks whereupon fearing leâ—t it was the Mandarims Army whereof we had heard much talk he kept aloof off from them and anchored close by the shoar now about midnight the tyde began to come in which Bâ—rralho no sooner perceived but he presently without noise weighed â—nchor and declining the Junks he went on to that part where he had seen the fires that by this time were almost all out there being not above two or three that gave any light and which served to guide him So continuing his course very discreetly he came to a place where he beheld a mighty company of great and small Ships to the number as he guessed of thousand Sails passing through the which very stilly he arrived at a Town of above ten thousand housholds enclosed with a strong wall of Brick with Towers and Bulwarks after our manner and with Curtains full of water Here five of the fourteen Soldiers that were in the Lorch went on shoar with two of those Chineseâ—es that were saved out of Similaus Junk who had left their wives as hostages with us for their return These having spent three hours in viewing and surveying the Town on the outside reimbarqued themselves without any notice taken of them at all and so went back very quietly as they came to the mouth of the River where they found a Junk riding at anchor that was come thither since their departure in the evening Being returned to Antonio de Faria they related unto him what they had seen particularly the great Army that lay up in the River as also the Junk which they had left ridâ—â—g at anchor at the entrance into it telling him that it might well be the Dog Coia Acem whom he sought for These news so rejoyced him that instantly he weighed anchor and set sail saying his mind gave him that it was undoubtedly he and if it proved so he assured us all that he was contented to lose his life in fighting with him for to be revenged of such a Rogue as had done him so much wrong Approaching within sight of the Junk he commanded the Lorch to pass unto the other side of her to the end they might board her both together at once and charged that not a Piece should be shot off for fear they should be heard of the Army that lay up in the River who might thereupon come to discover them As soon as we were come to the Junk she was presently invested by us and twenty of our Soldiers leaping in made themselves Masters of her without any resistance for the most of her men threw themselves into the Sea the rest that were more couragious valiantly made head against our people but Antonio de Faria presently getting in with twenty Soldiers more made an end of defeating them killing above thirty of theirs so as there remained none alive but those which voluntarily cast themselves into the Sea whom he caused to be drawn up to serve for the Navigation of his Vessels and for to learn who they were and from whence they came to which purpose he commanded four of them to be put to torture whereof two chose rather to dye so then to confeâ—â— any thing and as they were about to do the like to a little boy an old man his father that was layd on the deck cryed out with tears in his eyes for to give him the hearing before they did any hurt to the child Antonio de Faria made the Executioner stay and bade the old man say what he would provided he spake truth for otherwise he vowed that both he and the boy should be thrown alive into the Sea whereas on the contrary if he dealt truly he promised to set them both at liberty on shoar and restore unto him whatsoever he would take his oath did appertain unto him Whereunto the old Mahometan answered I accept of the promise which thou makest me and I very much thank thee for sparing the life of this child for as for mine as a thing unprofitable I make no reckoning of it and I
Chifuu which conducted us that if he did not chastise us in such manner as those gods might be well contented with the punishment inflicted on us for our mockery of them both the one and the other would assuredly torment his soul and never suffer it to go out of hell which threatning so mightily terrified this dog the Chifuu that without further delay or hearing us speak he caused us all to be bound hand and foot and commanded each of us to have an hundred lashes given him with a double cord which was immediately executed with so much rigour as we were all in a gore bloud whereby we were taught not to jeer afterwards at any thing we saw or heard At such time as we arrived here we found twelve Bonzoes upon the place who with silver censors full of perfumes of aloes and beniamin censed those two divelâ—sh Monsters and chanted out aloud Help us even as we serve thee whereunto divers other Priests answered in the name of the Idol with a great noise So I promise to do like a good Lord In this sort they went as it were in procession round about the place singing with an ill tuned voice to the sound of a great many bels that were in Steeples thereabouts In the mean time there were others that with Drums and Basins made such a dinne as I may truly say put them all together was most horrible to hear CHAP. XXIX Our Arrival at Sempitay our encounter there with a Christian woman together with the Original and Foundation of the Empire of China and who they were that first peopled it FRom this place we continued our voyage eleven days more up the river which in those parts is so peopled with Cities Towns Villages Boroughs Forts and Castles that commonly they are not a flight shot distant one from another besides a world of houses of pleasure and temples where Steeples were all guilt which made such a glorious shew as we were much amazed at it In this manner we arrived at a Town named Sempitay where we abode five days by reason the Chifuus wife that conducted us was not well Here by his permission we landed and chained together as we were we went up and down the streets craving of alms which was very liberally given us by the Inhabitants who wondering to see such men as we demanded of us what kind of people we were of what Kingdom and how our countrey was called Hereunto we answered conformably to that we had often said before namely that we were natives of the Kingdom of of Siam that going from Liampoo to Nanquin we had lost all our goods by shipwrack and that although they beheld us then in so poor a case yet we had been formeâ—ly very rich whereupon a woman who was come thither amongst the rest to see us It is very likely said she speaking to them about her that what these poor strangers have related is most true for daily experience doth shew how those that trade by sea do oftentimes make it their grave wherefore it is best and surest to travel upon the earth and to esteem of it as of that whereof it hath pleased God to frame us saying so she gave us two mazes which amounts to about sixteen pence of our mony advising us to make no more such long voyages since our lives were so short Hereupon she unbottoned one of the sleeves of a red Satin Gown she had on and baring her left arm she shewed us a crosse imprinted on it like to the mark of a slave saying Do any of you know this signe which amongst those that follow the way of truth is called a crosse or have any of you ever heard it named To this falling down on our knees we answered with tears in our eyes that we know exceeding well Then lifting up her hands she cried out Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name speaking these words in the Portugal tongue and because she could speak no more of our language she very earnestly desired us in Chinese to tell her whether we were Christians we replyed that we were and for proof thereof after we had kissed that arm whereon the cross was we repeated all the rest of the Lords prayer which she had left unsaid wherewith being assured that we were Christians indeed she drew aside from the rest there present and weeping said to us Come along Christians of the other end of the world with her that is your true Sister in the faith of Jesus Christ or peradventure a kinswoman to one of you by his side that begot me in this miserable exile and so going to carry us to her house the Hupes which guarded us would not suffer her saying that if we would not continue our craving of alms as the Chifuu had permitted us they would return us back to the ship but this they spake in regard of their own interest for that they were to have the moitie of what was given us as I have before declared and accordingly they made as though they would have lead us thither again which the woman perceiving I understand your meaning said she and indeed it is but reason you make the best of your places for thereby you live so opening her purse she gave them two Taeis in silver wherewith they were very well satisfied whereupon with the leave of the Chifuu she carried us home to her house and there kept us all the while we remained in that place making exceeding much of us and using us very charitably Here she shewed us an Oratory wherein she had a cross of wood guilt as also candlesticks and a lamp of silver Furthermore she told us that she was named Inez de Leyria and her Father Tome Pirez who had been great Ambassadour from Portugal to the King of China and that in regard of an insurrection with a Portugal Captain made at Canton the Chineses taking him for a Spye not for an Ambassodor as he termed himself clapped him and all his followers up in prison where by order of Justice five of them were put to torture receiving so many and such cruel stripes on their bodies as they died instantly and that the rest were all banished into several parts together with her father into this place where he married with her mother that had some means and how he made her a Christian living so seven and twenty years together and converting many Gentiles to the faith of Christ whereof there were above three hundred then abiding in that Town which every Sunday assembled in her house to say the Catechisme whereupon demanding of her what were their accustomed prayers she answered that she used no other but these which on their knees with their eyes and hands lift up to heaven they pronounced in this manner O Lord Iesus Christ as it is most true that thou art the very Son of God conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgine Mary for the salvation
report that a certain King great Grandfather to him that then raigned in China named Chausi-Zarao Panagor very much beloved of his people for his good disposition and vertues having lost his sight by an accident of sickness resolved to do some pious work that might be acceptable to God to which effect he assembled his Estates where he ordained that for the relief of the poor there should be Granaries established in all the Towns of his Kingdom for wheat and rice that in the time of dearth which many times happened the people might have wherewithall to nourish themselves that year and to that purpose he gave the tenth part of the Duties of his Kingdom by a Grant under his hand which when he came to signe accordingly with a golden stamp that he ordinarily used because he was blind it pleased God to restore him perfectly to his sight again which he enjoyed still as long as he lived By this example if it were true it seemed that our Lord Jesus Christ would demonstrate how acceptable the charity that good men exercise towards the poor is to him even though they be Gentiles and without the knowledge of the true Religion Ever since there have been always a great many of Granaries in this Monarchy and that to the number of an hundred and fourteen thousand As for the order which the Magistrates observe in furnishing them continually with corn is such as followeth A little before reaping time all the old corn is distributed â—orth to the inhabitants as it were by way of love and that for the term of two months after this time is expired they unto whom the old corn was lent return in as much new and withall six in the hundred over and above for waste to the end that this store may never fail But when it falls out to be a dear year in that case the corn is distributed to the people without taking any gain or interest for it and that which is given to the poorer sort who are not able to repay what hath been lent to them is made good out of the Rents which the Countries pay to the King as an alms bestowed on them by his special grace Touching the Kings Revenues which are paid in silver Picos they are divided into three parts whereof the first is for the maintenance of the King and his State the second for the defence of the Provinces as also for the provisions of Magazines and Armies and the third to be laid up and reserved in a Treasury that is in this City of Pequin which the King himself may not touch unless it be upon occasion for defence of the Kingdom and to oppose the Tartars Cauchins and other Neighbouring Princes who many times make grievous war upon him This Treasure is by them called Chidampur that is to say The wall of the Kingdom for they say that by means of this treasure being well imployed and carefully managed the King needs lay no impositions upon the people so that they shall not be any ways vexed and oppressed as it happens in other Kingdoms for want of this providence Now by this that I have related one may see how in all the great Monarchy the Government is so excellent the Laws so exactly observed and every one so ready and careful to put the Princes Ordinances in execution that Father Navier having well noted it was wont to say that if ever God would grant him the grace to return into Portugal he would become a Suter to the King for to peruse over the rules and ordinances of those people and the manner how they govern both in time of war and peace adding withall that he did not think the Romans ever ruled so wisely in all the time of their greatest prosperity and that in matter of policy the Chineses surpassed all other Nations of whom the Ancients have written CHAP. XXXVII The great number of Officers and other people which are in the King of China's Pallace with our going to Quincay to accomplish the time of our Exile and what befell us there OUt of the fear I am in left coming to relate in particular all those things which we saw within the large inclosure of this City of Pequin they that shall chance to read them may call them in question and not to give occasion also unto detractors who judging of things according to the little world they have seen may hold those truths for fables which mine own eyes have beheld I will forbear the delivery of many matters that possibly might bring much contentment to more worthy spirits who not judging of the riches and prosperity of other Countres by the poverty and misery of their own would be well pleased with the relation thereof Howbeit on the other side I have no great cause to blame those who shall not give credit to that which I say or make any doubt of it because I must acknowledge that many times when I call to mind the things that mine eyes have seen I remain confounded therewith whither it be the Grandeurs of this City of Pequin or the magnificence wherewith this Gentile King is served or the pomp of the Chaems and Anchacys of the Government or the dread and awe wherein all men are of these Ministers or the sumptuousness of their Temples and Pagodes together with all the rest that may be there for within the only inclosure of the Kings Pallace there are above a thousand Eunuchs three thousand women and 12 thousand men of his Guard unto whom the King gives great entertainment and pentions also twelve Tutons dignities that are Soveraign above all others whom as I have already declared the vulgar call The beams of the Sun Under these twelve Tutons there are forty Chaems or Vice-roys besides many other inferiour dignities as Judges Majors Governours Treasurers Admirals and Generals which they term Anchacys Aytaos Ponchacy Lauteas and Chumbims whereof there are above five hundred always residing at the Court each of them having at the least two hundred men in his train which for the most part to strike the greater terror are of divers Nations namely Megores Persians Curazens Moems Calaminhams Tartars Cauchins and some Braamas of Chaleu and Tanguu for in regard of valour they make no account of the Natives who are of a weak and effeminate complection though otherwise I must confess they are exceeding able and ingenious in whatsoever concerneth Mechanick Trades Tillage and Husbandâ—y they have withall a great vivacity of spirit and are exceeding proper and apt for the inventing of very subtle industrious things The women are fair and chaste and more inclined to labour then the men The Country is fertile in victual and so rich aboundâ—ng in all kind of good things as I cannot sufficiently express it such is their blindness as they attribute all those blessings to the only merit of their King and not to the Divine Providence and to the goodness of that Soveraign Lord who
lost in the Gallion where Manael de Souzad Sepulveda also perished A little further to the Northward of this Island of Lequio there is a great Archipelago of small Islands from whence is drawn a great quantity of silver which in my opinion by what I gathered out of a petition which Ray Lopez de Vilhalobos General of the Castillians presented to Iorge de Castro at that time Captain of Ternate should be those whereof the Inhabitants had some knowledge and which they called the Islands of Silver and yet I cannot see with what reason that may be because both by what I have observed and read as well in the writings of Ptolomie as other Geographers not any one of them hath pierced into the Kingdom of Siam and the Island of Sumatra only our Cosmographers since the time of Alphonso d' Albuquerque have passed a little further and treated of the Selebres Pasuaas Mindanaus Champas as also of China and Iapon but not of the Lequios or other Archipelagoes which are to be discovered within the vast extent of that Sea From this brief relation which I have made of the Island of Lequios may be inferred both out of what I have heard and â—een that with two thousand men only this Island might be taken together with all the rest of these Archipelagoes whence more profit might be drawn then from the Indiaes and they might be conserved with less charge as well in regard of men as otherwise for we spake there with Merchants who assured us that the sole Revenue of three Custom houses and of the Island of Lequios amounted unto one million and an half of gold not comprising therein either the Mass of the whole Kingdom or the Mynes of Silver Copper Iron Steel Lead and Tin which are of a far greater revenue then the Customs I will not speak further of other particularities of this Island which I might here insert for that I hold this sufficient to awaken the courages of the Portugals and incite them to an Enterprise of so much service for our King and profit for themselves CHAP. XLIX My sayling from Liampoo to Malaca from whence the Captain of the Fortress sent me to the Chaubainhaa at Martabano and all that befâ—l us in our voyage thither BEing arrived at Liampoo we were very well received by the Portugals that lived there From whence within a while after I imbarqued my self in the Ship of a Portugal named Tristano de Gaa for to return unto Malaca with an intention once more to try my fortune which had so often been contrary to me as may appear by that which I have delivered before This Ship being safely arrived at Malaca I went presently unto Pedro de Faria Governour of the Fortress who desiring to benefit me somewhat before the time of his Government was expired he caused me to undertake the voyage of Martaban which was usually very profitable and that in the Junck of a Mahumetan named Necoda Mamude who had wife and children at Malaca Now the principal designe of this voyage was to conclude a peace with the Chaubainhaa King of Martabano as also to continue the commerce of those of that Country with us because their Juncks did greatly serve for the provâ—sions of our Fortress which at that time was unfurnished thereof by reason of the success of the Wars of Iaoa Besides I had a designe in this my voyage of no less consequence then the resâ— which was to get one called Lancarote Guâ—rreyro to come thither who was then on the Coast of Tanaucarim with an hundred men in four Foists under the name of a Rebel or Mutiner I was to require him to come to the succour of the Fortress in regard it was held for certain that the King of Achem was suddainly to fall upon it so that Pedro de Faria seeing himselfe destitute of all that was necessary for him to sustain a Siege and of men likewise found it fit to make use of these hundred men the rather for that they were nearest and so might be the sooner with him In the third place he sent me upon another important occasion namely to give advice to the Ships of Bengala that they should come all carefully in consort together left their negligence in their Navigation should be the cause of some distaster This voyage then I undertook very unwillingly and parted from Malaca upon a Wednesday the ninth day of Ianuary in the year one thousand five hundred forty and five being under Sail I continued my course with a good wind to Pullo Pracelar where the Pilot was a little retarded by means of the Shelves which cross all that Channel of the firm Land even unto the Island of Sumetra When we were got forth with much labour we passed on to the Islands of Pullo Sambillam where I put my self into a Manchua which I had very well equipped and sayling in it the space of twelve days I observed according to the order Pedro de Faria had given me for it all the Coast of that Country of Malaya which unto Iuncalan contains an hundred and thirty leagues entring by all the Rivers of Bartuhaas Salangor Panaagim Quedâ—m Parles Pendan and Sambilan Siam without so much as hearing any news at all of his enemies in any of them So continuing the same course nine days more being the three and twentieth of our voyage we went and cast anchor at a little Island called Pisandurâ—a where the Necoda the Mahometan Captain of the Junck was of necessity to make a cable and furnish himself with wood and water With this resolution going on shore every man applyed himself so the labour he was appointed unto and therein spent most part of the day Now whilest they were thus at work the Son of this Mahometan Captain came and asked me whither I would go with him and see if we could kill a Stag whereof there was great plenty in that Island I answered him that I would accompany him with all my heart so that having taken my Harquebuse I went along with him athwart the wood where we had not walked above an hundred spaces but that we espied a many of wild boars that were rooting in the earth near to a pond Having discovered this game we got as near to them as we could and discharging amongst them we carried two of them to the ground Being very glad of this good success we presently gave a great shout and ran straight to the place we had seen them rooting But so dreadful to behold in this place we found above a dozen bodies of men digged out of the earth and some nine or ten others half eaten Bâ—ing much amazed at this object we withdrew a little aside by reason of the great stanch which proceeded from these dead bodies Hereupon the Sarrazin told me that he thought we should do well to advertise his father of this to the end we might instantly surround this Island all about for to see whether
Plains of Lacre wherewith they ordinarily traded to Marâ—abanâ— and do also lade there many vessels with those commodities for to transport them into dâ—vers Countries of the Indiaes as to the Streight of Mecqua to Alcoçer aâ—d Iudaa There is also in this Town great store of Musk far better then that of China which from thence is carriâ—d to Martâ—bano and Pegu where those of our Nation buy of it therewith to traffiqâ—e at Narâ—ingua Orixaa and Masulepatan The women of this Country are all very white and well-â—avoured They apparel themselves with Stuffs made of Silk and Cotten-wool wear links of gold and silver about their legs and rich Carcanets about their necks The ground there is of â—t self exceeding fertile in Wheat Rice Millets Sugar Wax and Cattel This Town with ten leagues of circuit about it yields every year to the King of Iangomaa threescore Altars of gold which are seven hundred thousand Duckets of our mony From thence we coasted the river Southward for the space of above seven dayes and arrived at a great Town named Catammâ—â— which in our language signifies the golden Crevice being the Patrimony of Raudâ—avâ—a Tinhau the Calaminhams second Son The Naugator of this Town gave good entertainment to the Ambassadour and sent him many sorts of refreshments for his followers withall he gave him to understand that the Calaminham was at the City of Tâ—mplan We dâ—parted from this place on a Sunday morning and the day after about evening we came to a Fortress called Campalagor built in the midst of the river in the form of an Island upon a rock and invironed with good free-stone having three Bulwarks and two Towers seven stories high wherein they told the Ambassador was one of the four and twenty Treasures which the Calaminham had in this Kingdom the most part whâ—reof conâ—â—sted â—n Lâ—ngâ—ts of silver of the weight of six thousand Caudins which are four and twenty thousand Quintals and it was said that all this silver was buried in wells under ground After this we still continued our course for the space of thirteen days during the which we saw on both sides of the river many very goodly places whereof the most were fair Towns and the rest stately high Trees delicate Gardens and great Plains full of Corn as also much Cattel red Deer Shamoises and Rhinocerots under the keeping of certain men on horsback who looked to them whilest they â—ed On the river there were a great number of vessels where in much abundance was all things to be sold which the earth produceth wherewith it hath pleased God to enrich these Countries more then any other in the world Now forasmuch as the Ambassadour fell sick here of an Impostume in his stomack he was councelled to proceed no further till he was healed so that he resolved to go with some of his Train for to be cured to a famous Hospital some twelve Leagues from thence in a Pagode named Tinagoogoo which signifies the God of thousand Gods and so departing at the same instant he arrived there on Saturday about night The Ambassadour being set on shore was the next day led to an Hospital called Chipanocan whither the greatest Lords used to repair when they were sick and where there were two and forty several Lodgings very neat and convenient in one of the which he was placed by the express command of the Puitaleu who was as it were Governour of the Hospital There care was taken that he wanted for nothing but was furnished in abundance with all that was necessary for him I will omit the odours the neatness the care of attendance the vessels the robes the exquisite meats the delicacies and all the delights that may be imagined which were to be had there with as much perfection and curiosity as more cannot be desired Thither likewise came twice a day to him exceeding fair women who sung to the Tune of Instruments of Musick and at certain hours represented Playes or Comedies before him that were very pleasant and finely set forth Now that I may not trouble my self in recounting here at length the infinite number of things which I could speak of concerning this Subject I will pass over many of them in silence whereof other persons that could better express them then my self would peradventure make great esteem After we had been eight and twenty days there by which time the Ambassador was perfectly cured we departed from thence for to go to a Town named Meidur twelve leagues further up the river of Angeguma But that I may not be blamed for failing in the promise which I made heretofore of speaking of this Pagods of Tinagoogoo I will here leave the Ambassadour to his Voyage and return me to the Pagode that of so many things which we saw there I may deliver some one for to shew how little we Christians do to save our souls in comparison of that much these wretches do to lose theirs During the eight and twenty dayes which the Ambassadour imployed in recovering his health we nine Portugals that waited on him not knowing what to do or how to bestow our time in the mean while no more then the rest we past it away in divers things according to each ones fancy and delight for to that purpose we wanted no commodities Thus some applied themselves to the hunting of Stags and Wild-boars whereof there is great store in that Country Some to the pursuing of Tygers Rhinocerots Ounces Zeores Lions Buffles Wild-bulls and of many other such kind of beasts which we have not heard spoken of in our Europe some to shooting at Wild-ducks Geese and such like Water-fowl some to hawking with Vultures and Faulcons and some to fishing for Trowts Mackarels Chevins Mullets Soles and many other sorts of fish whereof there is great abundance in all the rivers of this Empire In this manner we bestowed our time now in one thing and then in another but that which we gave our selves most unto was to hear and see as also to enquire after the Laws of the Country the Pagodes and Sacrifices which we beheld there with much terrour and astonishment Howbeit I purpose not to make any relation here more then of a few of them which I conceive may suffice to draw out the consequences of those that I shall not discourse of I say then that one of those sacrifices was made on the day of the new Moon of December namely on the ninth of that Month which is a time wherein these blinded people are accustomed to celebrate a Feast called by those of the Country Massunterivoo by those of Iappon Ferioo by the Chiâ—eses Manâ—ioo by the Lequios Champas and Cauchins Ampatilor by the Siamens Bramaas Pâ—fuas and Sacotays Sansaporau so that though all these names through the diversity of those languages are different yet do they in our tongue signifie all one thing that is The memorial of all the dead This was then the Feast which we saw celebrated
here with so much diversity of things that we never dreamt of as I know not where to begin for such a multitude of people of all the Nations of these Countries came flocking to this place as is not to be expressed howbeit the chiefest cause of their repair thither in such numbers is a Fair which is kept all the time of the Feast being fifteen dayes namely from the new to the full Moon In this Fair are all things to be sold which Nature hath created on the earth or in the Seâ— and that in so high a degree of abundance as there is not any one kind of thing whereof there are not whole Streets of Houses Cabbins or Tents so long that one can hardly see from one end to the other All these streets are replenished with very rich Merchants besides an infinite company of other people who are lodged all along the River which is above two Leagues broad and planted about with several sorts of Trees as Walnuts Chesnuts Cocos and Dates whereof every one takes what he pleaseth because it doth all belong to the Pagode The Temple of this Idol is a very sumptuous Edifice scituated in the midst of a Plain upon a little round hill more then half a league in circuit It is built all slope fifteen fathom high and from thence upward it hath a wall of free-stone of some three fathom with its Bulwarks and Towers after the fashion of ours Within the inclosure of this wall there is a platform made level with Battlements a stones cast in bredth which together with the wall extends round about the hill so that at first sight one would take it for a Gallery There are likewise all along an hundred and threescore Hospitals in each whereof are above an hundred houses which are low but very neat and convenient where the Pilgrimes Fucatous and Daroezes are entertained which come thither in troops like the Gipsies in our Europe with their Captains each company of them having two or three thousand persons some more some less according as the Kingdoms from whence they resort are nearer or further off now it is known of what Country they are by the devices which they carry in their Banners From the top to the bottom it is all invironed with Cypress-trees and Cedars where many fountains of most excellent water do continually flow forth and on the highest part of this hill almost a quarter of a league in circuit there are four Convents and in them very sumptuous and rich Temples namely two of men and as many of women in each of which as we were assured were very near five hundred persons In the midst of these four Monasteries there is a Garden compassed about with three inclosures of Ballisters of Lattin having very fair Arches of curious Masons-work and Steeples guilt all over with a number of little silver bels in them which â—ing continually with the moving of the air This Chappel of the Idol Tinagoogoo is of a round form all overlaid on the in-side with plates of silver wrought in flowers and garnished with a great many Branches for lights of the same mettal This Monster of whom we could not judge whether he were gold wood or copper guilt stood upright on his feet with his hands lifted up to Heaven and a rich Crown on his head round about him were many other little Idols on their knees and beholding him as it were amazed Below were two men made of brass in the fashion of Gyants seven and thirty spans high and very ugly and deformed whom they held for the Gods of the twelve months of the year Without this place also there were an hundred and forty Gyants who ranked in two Files inclosed it round about and were made of cast iron holding Halberds in their hands as if they had been the Guard of it so that all the Marvels of this Edifice put together made it appear so stately that looking upon it one could not sufficiently esteem the riches â—nd sumptuousness thereof But setting aside for this present the relation I could make of the buildings of this Pagode because that which I have said of it may me thinks suffice for the understanding of the rest I will intreat here of the Sacrifices which we saw to be made there on a festival day called by them Xipatilâ—â— signifâ—ing The refreshing of good people CHAP. LVI The great and sumptuous Procession made in this Pagode together with their Sacrifices and other particularities WHilest this Feast of these Gentiles as also the Fair which was kept all the time thereof endured for the space of fifteen days with an infinite concourse of Merchants and Pilgrims that came flocking thither from all parts as I have declared before there were many Sacrifices made there with different ceremonies not a day passing without some new thing or other For amongst many of great charge and very worthy of observation one of the chiefest was a Iubile after their manner which was published the fifth day of the Moon together with a Procession that was above three leagues in length as we could guess It was the common opinion of all that in this Procession there were forty thousand Priests of the four and twenty Sects which are in this Empire most of them were of different dignities and called Grepos Talagrepos Roolims Neepois Bicos Sacareus and Chanfarauhos Now by the ornaments they wear as also by the devices and ensigns which they carry in their hands they may be distinguished and so every of them is respected according to his dignity Howbeit these went not on foot as the other ordinary Priests for that they were as this day forbidden upon pain of great sin to â—read upon the ground so that they caused themselves to be born in Pallaquins or Arm-chairs upon the shoulders of other Priests their inferiors apparelled in green Sattin with their Stoles of Carnation Damask In the midst of the ranks of this Procâ—ssion were all the inventions of their Sacrifices to be seen as also the rich Custodes of their Idols for the which each of them had a particular Devotion They that carryed them were clothed in yellow having each of them a big wax candle in his hand and between every fifteen of those Custodes went a triumphant Charet all which Charets put together were in number an hundred twenty and six All these Charets were four and some five stories high with as many wheels on either side In each of them there were at the least two hundred persons what with the Priests and the Guards and on the top of all an Idol of Silver with a Miter of Gold on its head and all of them had rich chains of Pearl and precious stones about their necks round about every Charet went little Boys carrying Silver Maces on their shoulders and behind them were a many of Caskets full of exquisite perfumes as also divers persons with Censors in their hands who ever and anon censed
accommodated with Idols of silver upon one of these Altars we saw the Statue of a woman as big as a Giant being eighteen spans high and with her arms all abroad looking up to Heaven This Idol was of silver and her hair of gold which was very long and spread over her shoulders There also we saw a great Throne incompassed round about with thirty Giants of brass who had guilded Clubs upon their shoulders and faces as deformed as those they paint for the Divel From this room we past into a manner of a Gallery adorned from the top to the bottom with a number of little Tables of Ebony inlayed with Ivory and full of mens heads under every one of the which the name of him to whom it belonged was written in letters of gold At the end of this Gallery there were a dozen of iron Rods guilt whereon hung a great many silver Candlesticks of great value and a number of persuming Pans from whence breathed forth a most excellent odour of Amber and Calambuco or Lignum Aloes but such as we have none in Christendom There on an Altar invironed all about with three rows of Ballisters of silver we saw thirteen Kings vissages of the same mettal with golden Mitars upon their heads and under each of them a dead mans head and below many Candlesticks of silver with great white wax lights in them which were stuffed ever and anon by little boys who accorded their voyces to those of the Grepos that sung in form of a Letany answering one another The Grepos told us that those thirteen dead mens heads which were under the vissages were the skulls of thirteen Calaminhams which in times past gained this Empire from certain strangers called Roparons who by Arms had usurped the same upon them of the Country As for the other dead mens heads which we saw there they were the skâ—ls of such Commanders as by their Heroick deeds had honourably ended their dayes in helping to recover this Empire in regard whereof it was most reasonable that though death had deprived them of the recompence which they had merited by their action yet their memory should not be abolished out of the world When we were gone out of this Gallery we proceeded on upon a great Bridg that was in the form of a Street rayled on either side with Ballisters of Lattin and beautified with a many of Arches curiously wrought upon which were Scutchions of Arms charged with several devices in gold and the Crâ—â—ts over them were silver Globes five spans in circumferences all very stately and majestical to behold At the end of this bridge was another building the doors whereof we found shut whereupon we knocked four times they within not deigning to answer us which is a ceremony observed by them in such occasions At the length after we had rung a bell four times more as it were in haste out comes a woman of about fifty years of age accompanied with six little girls richly attired and Scymitars upon their shoulders garnished with â—lowers wrought in gold This anciâ—nt woman having demanded of the Monvagaruu why he had rung the bell and what he would have he answered her with a great deal of respect That he had there an Ambassadour from the King of Bramaa the Lord of Tanguu who was come thither to treat at the feet of the Calaminham about certain matters much importing his service By reason of the great authority which this woman was in she seemed little to regard this answer whereat we wondred much because he that spake to her was one of the chiefest Lords of the Kingdom and Uncle to the Calaminham as it was said Nevertheless one of the six girls that accompanied her spake thus in her behalf to the Monvagaruu My Lord may it please your Greatness to have a little patience till we may know whether the time be fit for the kissing of the foot of the Throne of this Lord of the World and advertising him of the coming of this stranger and so according to the grace which our Lord will shew him therein his heart may rejoyce and we with him That said the door was shut again for the space of three or four Credoes and then the six Girls came and opened it but the anciant woman that at first came along with them we saw no more howbeit in stead of her there came a Boy of about nine years of age richly apparelled and having on his head an hurfangua of Gold which is a kind of Myter but that it is somewhat more closed all about and without any overture he had also a Mace of Gold much like a Scepter which he carryed upon his shoulder this same without making much reckoning of the Monvagaruu or of any of the other Lords there present took the Embassador by the hand and said unto him The news of thy arrival is come unto the feet of Binaigaa the Calaminhan and Scepter of the Kings that govern the Earth and is so agreeable to his ears that with a smiling look he now sends for thee to give thee audience concerning that which is desired of him by thy King whom he newly receives into the number of his brethren with a love of the son of his entrals that so he may remain powerful and victorious over his Enemies Thereupon he caused him together with the Kings Uncle and the other Governors that accompanyed him to come in lâ—aving all the rest without the Embassador then seeing none of his Train follow him looked three or four times back seeming by his countenance to be somewhat discontented which the Monvagaruu perceiving spake to the Queitor who was a little behind that he should cause the strangers to be let in and none else the doors being then opened again we Portugals began to go in with the Bramaas but such a number of others came thrusting in amongst us as the Gentlemen Ushers who were above twenty had much ado to keep the doors striking many with Battouns which they had in their hands and of those some that were persons of quality and yet could they not therewith neither with their cries nor menaces stop them all from entering Thus being come in we past along through the midst of a great garden made with such art and where appeared so many goodly things so divers and so pleasing to the eye as words are not able to express them For there were there many Alleys environed with Ballisters of Silver and many Arbors of extraordinary scent which we were told had so much sympathy with the Moons of the year that in all seasons whatsoever they bare flowers and fruits withall there was such abundance and variety of Roses and other flowers as almost passeth belief In the midst of this Garden we saw a great many young women very fair and well clad whereof some past away their time in dancing and others in playing on sundry sorts of Instruments much after our manner which they performed with
neer a moneth in this Port of Zunda where a good number of Portugals were assembled together so soon as the season to go to China was come the three Vessells set sail for Chincheo no more Portugals remaining ashore but only two who went to Siam in a Junck of Patana with their Merchandise I bethought me then to lay hold on this occasion and put my self into their company because they offered to bear my charges in this voyage yea and to lend me some money for to try fortune once more and see whether by the force of importuning her she would not use me bâ—tter then formerly she had done Being departed then from this place in six and twenty daies we arrived at the City of Odiaa the Capitall of this Empire of Sarnau which they of this country do ordinarily call Siam where we were wonderfully well received and intreated by the Portugals which we found there Now having been a moneth and better in this City attending the season for the voyage to China that so I might passe to Iapon in the company of six or seven Portugals who had imbarqued themselves for that purpose I made account to imploy in commodities some hundred duckats which those two with whom I came from Zunda had lent me In the mean time very certain news came to the King of Siam who was at that time with all his Court at the said City of Odiaa that the King of Chiammay allied with the Timocouhos Laaos and Gueos people which on the North East hold the most part of that country above Capimpâ—r and Passilâ—â—o and are all Soveraignes exceeding rich and mighty in Estates had laid siege to the Town of Quiteruan with the death of above thirty thousand men and of Oyaa Capimper Governor and Lievtenant Generall of all that Frontire The King remained so much appalled with this news that without further temporising he passed over the very same day to the other side of the river and never standing to lodge in houses he went and incamped under Tents in the open field thereby to draw others to do the like in imitation of him Withall he caused Proclamation to be made over all the City That all such as were neither old nor lame and so could not be dispensed with for going to this war should be ready to march within twelve daies at the uttermost upon pain of being burned alive with perpetuall infamy for themselves and their descendants and confiscation of their Estates to the Crown To the which he added many other such great and dreadfull penalties as the only recitall of them struck terror not into them of the country but into the very strangers whom the King would not exempt from this war of what Nation soever they vvere for if they would not serve they were very expresly enjoyned to depart out of his Kingdome within three daies In the mean time so rigorous an Edict terrified every one in such sort as they knew not what counsell to take or what resolution to follow As for us Portugals in regard that more respect had alwayes been carried in that country to them then to all other Nations this King sent to desire them that they would accompany him in this voyage wherein they should do him a pleasure because he would trust them onely with the guard of his person as judgiâ—g them more proper for it then any other that he could make choice of and to oblige them the more thereunto the message was accompanied with many fair promises and very great hopes of pensions graces benefits favours and honors but above all with a permission which should be granted them to build Churches in his Kingdome which so obliged us that of an hundred and thirty Portugals which we were there were sixscore of us that agreed together to go to this war The twelve daies limited being past the King put himself into the field with an Army of four hundred thousand men whereof seventy thousand were strangers of divers Nations They imbarqued all in three hundred Sâ—roos Lauleas and Iangâ—s so that on the nineth day of this voyage the King arrived at a Frontire Town named Suropisâ—â— some twelve or thirteen leagues from Quitiruan which the enemies had besieged There he abode above seven daies to attend four thousand Elephants which came to him by Land During that time he was certified that the Town was greatly prest both on the rivers side which the enemies had seized upon with two thousand Vessels as also towards the Land where there were so many men as the number of them was not truly known but as it was judged by conjecture they might be some three hundred thousand whereof forty thousand were horse but no Elephants at all This news made the King hâ—sten the more so that instantly he made a review of his forces and found that he had five hundred thousand men for since his coming forth many had joyned with him by the way as also four thousand Elephants and two hundred carts with field pieces With this Army he parted from Suropisem and drew towards Quitiruan marching not above four or five leagues a day At the end of the the third then he arrived at a valley called Siputay a league and an half from the place where the enemies lay Then all these men of War with the Elephants being set in battell array by the three Masters of the Camp whereof two were Turks by Nation and the third a Portugal named Domingâ—s de Sâ—ixas they proceeded on in their way towards Quitiruan where they arrived before the Sun appeared Now whereas the enemies were already prepared in regard they had been advertised by their Spies of the King of Siaâ—s forces and of the design vvhich he had they attended him resolutely in the plain field relying much on their forty thousand horse As soon as they discovered him they presently advanced and with their vant-guard which were the said forty thousand horse they so charged the King of Siams rearward composed of threescore thousand foot as they defeated them in lesse then a quarter of an hour with the losse of three Princes that were slaine upon the place The King of Siam seeing his men thus routed resolved not to follow the order which he had formerly appointed but to fall on with the whole body of his Army and the four thousand Elephants joyned together With these forces he gave upon the battalion of the enemies with so much impetuosity as at this first shock they were wholly discomfited from whence ensued the death of an infinite company of men for whereas their prinâ—â—s â—ll strength consisted in their horse as soone as the Elephants sustained by the harqueâ—uses and the field pieces fell upon them they were defeated in lesse then an half hour so that after the routing of these same all the rest began instantly to retreat In the meane time the King of Siam following the honor of the victory pursued them to the rivers side
which the enemies perceiving they formed a new Squadron of all those that remained of them wherein there were above an hundred thousand men as well sound as hurt and so past all the same day there joyned together in one entire body of an Army the King not daring to fight with them by reason he saw them fortified with two thousand ships wherein there were great numbers of men Neverthelesse as soon as it was dark night the enemies began to march away with all speed all along by the river wherewith the King was nothing displeased because the most part of his souldiers being hurt they were necessarily to be drest as indeed that was presently executed and the most part of the day and the night following imployed therein After the King of Siam had obtained so happy a victory the first thing that he did was to provide with all diligence for the fortifications of the town and whatsoever els he thought to be necessary for the security thereof After that he commanded a generall muster to be made of all his men of war that he might know how many he had lost in this battell whereupon he found that some fifty thousand were wanting all men of little reckoning whom the rigor of the Kings Edict had compelled to serve in this war ill provided and without defensive arms As for the enemies it was known the next day that an hundred and thirty thousand of them had been slain As soon as the hurt men were recovered the King having put into the principall places of this frontier such guards as seemed requisite to him was counselled by his Lords to make war upon the Kingdom of Guibem which was not above fifteen leagues from thence on the North side to be revenged on the Queen of Guibem for having given free passage thorough her dominions to those of Chiammay in regard whereof he attributed to her the losse of Oyaa Capimper and the thirty thousand men that had been killed with him The King approving of this advice parted from this town with an army of foure hundred thousand men and went and fell upon one of this Queens towns called Fumbacor which was easily taken and all the inhabitants put to the sword not one excepted This done he continued his voyage till he came to Guitor the capitall town of the Kingdom of Guibem where the Queen then was who being a widdow governed the State under the title of Regent during the minority of her son that was about the age of nine years At his arrivall he laid siege to the Town and forasmuch aâ— the Queen found not her self strong enough to resist the King of Siams power she fell to accord with him to pay him an annuall tribute of five thousand Turmes of silver which are threescore thousand Duckats of our money whereof she paid him five years advance in hand Besides that the young Prince her son did him homage as his vassall and the King led him away with him to Siam Hereupon he raised his siege from before the Town and passed on towards the North-East to the Town of Taysiran where he had news that the King of Chiammay was fallen off from the league aforesaid In the mean time whereas he had been six daies march in the enemies territories he sacked as many places as he met withall not permitting the life of any male whatsoever to be saved So proceeding onward he arrived at the Lake of Singipamor which ordinarily is called Chiammay where he stayed six and twenty daies during the which he took twelve goodly places invironed with ditches and bullworks after our fashion all of brick and mortar without any stone or lime in them because in the country it is not the custome to build so but they had no other Artillery then some Faulconets and certain muskets of brasse Now forasmuch as winter began to approach and that it was very rainy weather the King too feeling himself not very well he retired back again to the Town of Quitiruan where he tarried three and twenty daies and better in which space he made an end of fortifying it with walls and many broad and deep ditches so that having put this Town into an estate of being able to defend it self against any attempt he imbarqued his Army in the three thousand vessells which brought him thither and so returned towards Siam Nine daies after he arrived at Odiaa the chiefe City of his whole Kingdome where for the most part he kept his Court. At his arrivall the inhabitants gave him a stately reception wherein they bestowed a 〈◊〉 of money upon divers inventions which were made against his entry Now whereas during the six moneths of the Kings absence the Queen his wife had committed adultery with a Purveyor of her house named Vquuâ—cheâ—iraa and that at the Kings return she found her selfe gone four moneths with-child by him the fear she was in left it should be discovered made her for the saving of her self from the danger that threatned her resolve to poyson the King her husband as indeed without further delaying her pernitious intention she gave him in a messe of milk which wrought that effect as he died of it within five daies after during which time he took order by his Testament for the most important affairs of his Kingdome and discharged himself of the obligation wherein he stood ingaged to the strangers which had served him in this war of Chiammay In this Testament whenas he came to make mention of us Portugals he would needs have this clause added thereunto It is my intent that the sixscore Portugals which have alwayes so faithfully watched upon the guâ—rd â—f my person shall â—eceive for a recompence of their good services half a years tribute which the Queen of Guâ—bem gives me and that in my custome houses their Merchandise shall pay no custome foâ— the space of three years Moreover my intent is that their Priests may throughout all the Townes of my Kingdome publish the Law whereof they mâ—ke profâ—ssion namely of a God made man for the salvation of mankind as they have many times assured me To these things he added many others such like which well deserve to be reported here though I passe them under silence because I hope to make a more ample mention of them hereafter Furthermore he desired all the Grandees of his Court which were present with him that they would give him the consolation before he died to make his eldest Son be declared King which was incontinently executed For which effect after that all the Oyaas Conchalis and Montâ—os which are Soveraign dignities over all the rest of the Kingdome had taken the oath of Allegeance to this young Prince they shewed him out at a window to all the people who were in a great place below and they set upon his head a rich Crovvn of gold in the form of a Miter and put a svvord into his right hand and a pair of balances into
himself absolute Lord of the Empire of Sâ—rnaâ— whereof the revenue was twelve millions of gold besides other comings in which amounted to as much more With all these inventions this Queen used so great diligence for the contenting of the desire which she had to raise her Favorite to the Royalty to marry her self to him and to make the illegitimate son which she had bad by him successor of the Crown as within the space of eight moneths fortune favouring her designes and hoping more fully to execute her wicked plot shee caused most of the great men of the kingdom to be put to death and confiscated all their lands goods and treasures which she distributed amongst such of her creatures as she daily drew to her party Now forasmuch as the young King her son served for the principall obstacle to her intentions this young Prince could not escape her abominable fury for she her self poysoned him even as she had poysoned the King his father That done she married with Vquumcheniraa who had been one of the Purveyors of her house and caused him to be crowned King in the city of Odiaa the eleventh of November in the yeare one thousand five hundred forty five But whereas Heaven never leaves wicked actions unpunished the year after one thousand five hundred forty and six and on the fifteenth day of January they were both of them slain by Oyaa Passilico and the King of Cambaya at a certain banquet which these Princes made in a Temple that was called Quiay Figrau that is to say the god of the atoms of the Sun whose solemnity was that day celebrated So that as well by the death of these two persons as of all the rest of their party whom these Princes also killed with them all things became very peaceable without any further prejudice to the people of the kingdom onely it is true that it was despoyled of the most part of the Nobility which formerly it had by the wicked inventions and pernicious practices whereof I have spoken before CHAP. LXIX The King of Bramaa's enterprize upon the Kingdom of Siam and that which past untill hiâ— arrivall at the city of Odiaa with his besieging of it and all that ensued thereupon THe Empire of Siam remaining without a lawfull successor those two great Lords of the Kingdom namely Oyaa Passiliâ—â— and the King of Cambaia together with four or five more of the trustiest that were left and which had been confederate with them thought fit to chuse for King a certain religious man named Pretiâ—m in regard he was the naturall brother of the deceased Prince husband to that wicked Queen of whom I have spoken whereupon this religious man who was Talagrepo of a Pagodâ— called Quiay Mitrau from whence he had not budg'd for the space of thirty years was the day after drawn forth of it by Oyaa Passilico who brought him on the seventeenth day of January into the city of Odiaa where on the nineteenth he was crowned King with a new kind of ceremony and a world of magnificence which to avoid prolixity I will not make mention of here having formerly treated of such like things Withall passing by all that further arrived in this Kingdom of Siam I will content my self with reporting such things as I imagine will be most agreeable to the curious It happened then that the King of Bramaa who at that time reigned tyrannically in Pegu being advertised of the deplorable estate whereinto the Empire of Sâ—rnau was reduced and of the death of the greatest Lords of the Country as also that the new King of this Monarchy was a religious man who had no knowledge either of arms or war and withall of a cowardly disposition a tyrant and ill beloved of his subjects he fell to consult thereupon with his Lords in the town of Anapleu where at that time he kept his Court. Desiring their advice then upon so important an enterprize they all of them told him that by no means he should desist from it in regard this Kingdome was one of the best of the world as well in riches as in abundance of all things thereunto they added that the season which was then so favourable for him â—romised it to him at so good a rate as it was likely it would not cost him above the revenue of one only year what expence soever he should make of his treasure besides if he chanced to get it he should remain Monarch of all the Emperors of the world and therewithall he should be honored with the soveraign title of Lord of the whiâ—e Elephant by which means the seventeene Kings of Capimper who made profession of his Law must of necessity render him obedience They told him moreover that having made so great a conquest he might thorough the same territories and with the succour of the Princes his Allies passe into China where was that great City of Pequin the incomparable pearl of all the world and against which the great Cham of Tartaria the Siamon and the Calaminham had brought such prodigious Armies into the field The King of Bramaa having heard all these reasons and many others which his great Lords alledged unto him wherein his interest was especially concerned which alwayes works powerfully on every man was perswaded by them and resolved to undertake this enterprise For this effect he went directly to Martabano where in lesse then two moneths and an half he raised an Army of eight hundred thousand men wherein there were an hundred thousand strangers and amongst them a thousand Portugals which were commanded by Diego Suarâ—z d' Albergaria called Galego by way of nick name This Diego Suarez departed out of the Kingdome of Portugal in the year one thousand five hundred thirty and eight and went into the Indiaes with the Fleet of the Vice-Roy Don Garcia de Noronha in a Junck whereof Ioano de Sepulveda of the town of Euora was Captain but in the time of which I speak namely in the yeare one thousand five hundred forty and eight he had of this King of Bramaa two hundred thousand duckats a yeare with the title of his brother and Governor of the Kingdome of Pegu. The King departed then from the Town of Marâ—abano the Sunday after Easter being the seventh of April 1548. His Army as I have already said was eight hundred thousand men whereof only forty thousand were horse and all the rest foor threescore thousand of them being Harquebuziers there were moreover five thousand warlike Elephants with whom they fight in those countries and also a world of baggage together with a thousand pieces of Canon which were drawn by a thousand couple of Buffles and Rhinocerots withall there was a like number of yoke of oxen for the carriage of the victualls Having taken the field then with these forces he caused his Army to march still on untill at length he entred into the Territories of the King of Siam where after five days he came to a
fortresse called Tapurau containing some two thousand fires commanded by a certain Mogor a valiant man and well verst in matters of war The King of Bramaa having invested it gave three assaults to it in the open day and laboured to sâ—ale it with a world of ladders which he had caused to be brought thither for that purpose but not being able to carry it in regard of the great resistance of them within he retreated for that time But having by the counsell of Diego Suarez who was Generall of the Camp and by whom he was wholly governed caused forty great pieces of Ordnance whereof the most of them shot bullets of iron to be planted against it he fell to battering it with so much fury as having made a breach in the wall twelve fathom wide he assaulted it with ten thousand strangers Turks Abyssinâ— Moors Malauares Acâ—ems Iaaos and Malayes whereupon ensued so terrible a conflict between the one and the other that in lesse then half an hour the besieged vvhich vvere six thousand Siamites were all cut in pieces for not so much as one of them would render himself As for the King of Bramaa he lost above three thousand of his men vvhereat he vvas inraged as to be revenged for this losse he caused all the women to be put to the sword vvhich no doubt vvas a strange kind of cruelty After this execution he drevv directly tovvards the Tovvn of Sacoâ—ay vvhich vvas nine leagues beyond desiring to make himself master of that as vvell as of the other He arrived in the sight of this Tovvn one Saturday about Sun-set and incamped all along the river of Lebrau vvhich is one of the three that issue out of the Lake of Chiammay vvhereof I have formerly made mention vvith a design to march thorough it directly to Odiaa the Capitall City of the Empire of Sornau for he had already been advertised that the King vvas there in person and that he vvas making preparation to fight vvith him in the field he no sooner received this advice but his Lords counselled him to make no tarrying in any place as vvell that he might not lose time as that he might keep himself from insensibly consuming his forces in lying before places vvhich he pretended to take that vvere so vvell fortified as they vvould cost him dear if he amused himself about them so that at his arrivall at Odiaa he vvould find the most part of his men vvanting and his victualls quite spent The King having approved of this advice caused his Army to march avvay the next day thorough vvoods that vvere cut dovvn by threescore thousand Pioners vvhom he had sent before to plane the passages and vvays vvhich vvith much ado they performed When he vvas come to a place called Tilaâ— vvhich is besides Iuncalaâ— on the South-East Coast neere to the Kingdome of Quedea an hundred and forty leagues from Malaca he took guides that were very well acquainted with the way by whose means in nine daies journey he arrived in the sight of Odiaa where he pitched his Camp which he invironed with trenches and strong Pallisadoes During the first five daies that the King of Bramaa had been before the City of Odiaa he had bestowed labour and pains enough as well in making of trenches and Pallisadoes as in providing all things necessary for this siege in all which time the besieged never offered to stir whereof Diego Suarez the Marshall of the Camp being aware as also of the little reckoning which the Siamites made of so great a power as was there assembled and not knowing whereunto he should attribute the cause of it he resolved to execute the design for which he came to which effect of the most part of the men which he had under his command he made two separated Squadrons in each of which there were six battalions of six thousand a piece After this manner he marched in battell array at the sound of many instruments towards the two points which the City made on the South-side because the entrance there seemed more facile to him then any other where So upon the nineteenth day of Iune in the year one thousand five hundred forty and eight an hour before day all these men of war having set up above a thousand ladders against the walls endeavoured to mount up on them but the besieged opposed them so valiantly that in lesse then half an hour there remained dead on the place above ten thousand on either part In the mean time the King who incouraged his souldiers seeing the ill successe of this fight commanded these to retreat and then made the wall to be assaulted afresh making use for that effect of five thousand Elephants of war which he had brought thither and divided into twenty troops of two hundred and fifty apiece upon whom there were twenty thousand Moeâ—s and Chaleâ—s choice men and that had double pay The wall then was assaulted by these forces with so terrible an impetuosity as I want words to expresse it For whereas all the Elephants carried wooden Castles on their backs from whence they shot with muskets brasse culverins and a great number of harquzes a crock each of them ten or twelve spans long these guns made such an havock of the besieged that in lesse then a quarter of an hour the most of them were beaten down the Elephants withall setting their trunks to the target fences which served as battlements and wherewith they within defended themselves tore them down in such sort as not one of them remained entire so that by this means the wall was abandoned of all defence no man daring to shew himself above In this sort was the entry into the City very easie to the Assailants who being invited by so good successe to make their profit of so favourable an occasion set up their ladders again which they had quitted and mounting up by them to the top of the wall with a world of cries and acclamations they planted thereon in sign of victory a number of Banners and Ensigns Now because the Turks desired to have therein a better share then the rest they besought the King to do them so much favour as to give them the vantguard which the King easily granted them and that by the counsell of Diego Suarez who desired nothing more then to see their number lessened always gave them the most dangerous imployments They in the mean time extraordinarily contented and proud to see themselves preferred before so many other Nations as were in the Camp resolved to come off with honor from this service which they had undertaken For which purpose having formed a Squadron of twelve hundred men wherein some Abyssius and Ianizaries were comprised they mounted with great cries by those ladders up to the top of the wall which as I have declared was at that time in the power of the King of Bramaaes people These Turks then whither more â—ash or more infortunate then the rest sliding
wherewith all the rivers and all the harbors are full The King naturally is no way given to tyranny The customs of all the Kingdome are charitably destinated for the maintenance of certain Pagodes where the duties that are paid are very easie for whereas the religious men are forbidden to trade with money they take no more of Merchants then what they will give them out of almes There are in this Country twelve Sects of Gentiles as in the Kingdome of Pegu and the King for a soveraigne title causeth himself to be called Prechau Saliu which in our tongue signifies A holy member of God He shewes not himself to the people save only twice in the year but then with so much riches and majesty as he hath power and greatnesse and yet for all this that I say he less not to acknowledge himself the vassall and tributarie to the King of China to the end that by means thereof his subjects Juncks may be admitted into the port of Combay where ordinarily they exercise their commerce There is also in this Kingdome a great quantity of Pepper Ginger Cinamon Camphire Allume Cassia Tamarinds and Cardamon so as one may truly affirm that which I have often heard say in those parts namely that this Kingdom is one of the best countries in the world and easier to be subdued then any other Province how little soever I could here report likewise many more particularities of things which I have seen only in the city of Odiaa but I am not minded to make mention of them that I may not beget in them that shall read this the same grief which I have for the losse which we made of it through our sins and the gain we might make in conquering this Kingdom CHAP. LXXI A continuation of that which happened in the Kingdome of Pegu as well during the life as after the death of the King of Bramaa TO return now unto the history which heretofore I have left you must know that after the King of Bramaa had obtained that memorable victory neer to Pegu as I have declared heretofore by means whereof he remained peaceable possessor of the whole Kingdom the first thing he imployed himself in was to punish the offendors which had formerly rebelled for which effect he cut off the heads of a great many of the Nobility and Commanders all whose estates were confiscated to the Crown which according to report amounted unto ten millions of gold besides plate and jewells whereby that common Proverb which was common in the mouths of all was verified namely That one mans offence cost many men very deare Whilest the King continued more and more in his cruelties and injustice which he executed against divers persons during the space of two moneths and a half certain newes came to him that the city of Martabano was revolted with the death of two thousand Bramaas and that the Chalogomin Governour of the same city had declared himself for the Xemindoo But that the cause of this revolt may be the better understood by such as are curious I will before I proceed any further succinctly relate how this Xemindoo had been of a religious order in Pegu a man of noble extraction and as some affirmed neer of kin to the precedent King whom this Bramaa had put to death twelve years before as I have already declared This Xemindoo had formerly to name Xoripam Xay a man of about forty five years of age of a great understanding and held by every one for a Saint he was withall very wel verst in the Laws of their Sects false Religion and had many excellent parts which rendered him so agreeable unto all that heard him preach as he was no sooner in the Pulpit but all the assistants prostrated themselves on the ground saying at every word that he uttered Assuredly God speaks in thee This Xemindoo seeing himself then in such great credit with the people spurred on by the generosity of his nature and the occasion which was then so favourable unto him resolved to try his fortune and see to what degree it might arrive To this end at such time as the King of Bramaa was fallen upon the kingdom of Siam and had laid siege to the city of Odiaa the Xemindoo preaching in the temple of Conquiay at Pegu which is as it were the Cathedrall of all the rest where there was a very great assembly of people he discoursed at large of the losse of this Kingdom of the death of their lawfull King as also of the great extortions cruell punishments and many other mischiefs which the Bramaas had done to their Nation with so many insolencies and with so many offences against God as even the very houses which had been founded by the charity of good people to serve for Temples wherein the Divine Word might be preached were all desolated and demolished or if any were found still standing they were made use of either for stables lay-stalls or other such places accustomed to lay filth or dung in These and many other such like things which the Xâ—mindoo delivered accompanied with many sighs and tears made so great an impression in the minds of the people as from thenceforward they acknowledged him for their lawfull King and swore allegeance unto him so that instead of calling him as they did before Xoripam Xay they named him Xemindoo as a soveraigne title which they gave him above all others Seeing himself raised then to the dignity of King the first thing during the heat and fury of this people was to go to the King of Bramaas palace where having found five thousand Bramaas he cut them all in pieces not sparing the life of one of them the like did he afterwards to all the rest of them that were abiding in the most important places of the State and withall he seized on the Kings treasure which was not small In this manner he slew all the Bramaas that were in the Kingdom which were fifteen thousand besides the women of that Nation of what age soever and seized on the places where they resided which were instantly demolished so that in the space of three and twenty dayes onely he became absolute possessor of the Kingdom and prepared a great Army to fight with the King of Bramaa if he should chance to return upon the bruit of this rebellion as indeed he fought with him to his great damage being defeated by him as I have heretofore declared And thus having methinks said enough for the intelligence of that which I am to recount I will come again to my first discourse This King of Braâ—aa being advertised of the revolt of the Town of Martabano and of the death of those two thousand Bramaaes gave order immediately to all the Lords of the Kingdome for their repair unto him with as many men as they could levy and that within the teâ—m of fifteen daies at the furthest in regard the present necessity would not indure a longer
and untunably and the Grepo Capizondo set on his head a rich Crown of gold and precious stones of the fashion of a Miter wherewith the King made his entry into the City with a great deal of state and tryumph causing to march before him all the spoile of the elephants and chariots as also the statue of the Xemindoo whom he had vanquished bound with a great yron chain and forty Colours trayled on the ground As for him he was seated on a very mighty elephant harnessed with gold and invironed with forty Serjeants at armes bearing Maces there marched likewise all the great Lords and Commanders on foot with their Scymitars covered with plates of gold which they carried on their shouldiers and three thousand fighting elephants with their Castles of divers inventions besides a world of other people as well foot as horse which followed him without number CHAP. LXXIV The finding of the Xemindoo and bringing of him to the King with the manner of his execution and death and other particularities concerning the same AFter that the King of Bramaa had continued peaceably in this Citie of Pegu for the space of six and twenty daies the first thing he did was to make himself Master of the principal places of this Kingdome which not knowing the defeat of the Xemindoo held still for him To this purpose having given Commission to some Commanders for it hee wrote to the inhabitants of those places divers courteous Letters wherein he called them his dear children and gave them an abolition of all that was past He also promised them by a solemn oath to maintain them in peace for the time to come and alwayes to minister justice to them without any Imposts or other oppression but that hee would contrarily do them new favours as to the very Bramaas which served him in the Warres To these words hee added many others very well accommodated to the time and his desire for the better crediting whereof they that were already reduced under his obedience wrote their Letters also unto them wherein they made an ample relation of the Franchises and Immunities which the King had granted to them All this accompanied with the same which ran thereof in all parts wrought so great an effect as all those places rendred unto him and put themselves under his obedience so that in imitation of them all the other Cities Towns States and Provinces that were in the Kingdom did the like For my part I hold that this Kingdome whereof the King of Bramaa made at this time a new Conquest is the best the most abundant and richest in Gold in Silver and precious Stones that may be found in any part of the world Things being thus accomplished to the great advantage of the Bramaa he dispatches divers Horsemen with all speed into all parts to go in quest of the Xemindoo who as I have already declared had escaped from the past Battel and was so unhappy that he was discovered in a place named Fauleu a league from the Town of Potem which separates the Kingdom from Aracam Presently whereupon he was lead with great joy by a man of base condition to this King of Bramaa who in recompence thereof gave him thirty thousand Duckats of yeerly rent Being brought before him bound as he was with an iron coller and manacles he said unto him in way of derision Thou art welcome King of Pegu and maist well kisse the ground which thou seest for I assure thee I have set my foot on it whereby thou mayest perceive how much I am thy Friend since I do thee an honour which thou couldst never imagine To these words the Xemindoo made no answer so that the King falling to jeer this miserable man anew vvho lay before him with his face on the ground said unto him What means this Art thou amazed to see me or to see thy self in so great honour Or what is the matter that thou dost not answer to that which I demand of thee After this affront the Xemindoo whether it were that he was troubled with his misfortunes or ashamed of his dishonour answered him in this sort If the clouds of Heaven the Sun the Moon and the other creatures which cannot expresse in words that which God hath created for the service of man and for the beautifying of the Firmament which hides from us the rich treasures of his power could naturally with the horrible voice of their dreadfull Thunder explain to them which now look upon me the estate whereunto I see my self reduced before thee and the extreme affliction which my soul doth suffer they would answer for me and declare the cause I have to be mute in the condition wherein my sins have set me and whereas thou canst not be Iudg of that which I say being the party that accusest me and the minister of the execution of thy designe I hold my self for excused if I do not make thee an answer as I would do before that blessed Lord who how faulty soever I could be would have pitie on me moved with the least tear that I should shed This said he fell down with his face on the ground and twice together asked for a little water Whereupon the King of Bramaa the more to afflict him commanded that the Xemindoo should receive this water from the hand of a Daughter of his held by him as a slave whom he exceedingly loved and had at that time of his defeat promised to the Prince of Nautir Son to the King of Avaa The Princesse no sooner saw her Father lying in that manner on the ground but she cast her self at his feet and straitly embracing him after shee had kissed him thrice she said to him with her eyes all bathed in tears O my Father my Lord and my King I intreat you for the extreme affection which I have alwayes born you and for that also which you have at all times shewed to me that you will be pleased to lead me with you thus imbracing you as I do to the end that in this sad passage you may have one to comfort you with a cup of water now that for my sins the world refuses you that respect which is due unto you It is said that the Father would fain have answered to these words yet could not possibly do it so much was he oppressed with grief and anguish of minde to see this Daughter whom he so dearly loved in such a taking but fell as it were in a swoun and so continued a good vvhile vvherewith some Lords that were there present vvere so moved as the tears came into their eyes vvhich observed by the King of Bramaa and that they vvere Pegues vvho had formerly been the Xemindoo's Subjects fearing lest they should betray him in time to come he caused their heads to be presently strucken off saying vvith a disdainfull and fierce countenance Seeing you have so great pitie of the Xemindoo your King get you before and prepare a
said he unto him I pray thee by the great goodness of that God in whom thou believest to pardon me that for which thou accusest me and to remember that it is not the part of a Christian in this painful estate wherein I see my self at this present to put me in mind of that which I have done heretofore for besides that thou canst not thereby recover the loss which thou sayest thou hast sustained it will but serve to afflict and trouble me the more Pacheco having heard what this fellow said commanded him to hold his peace which immediately he did whereupon the Xemindoo with a grave countenance made shew that this action pleased him so that seeming to be more quiet it made him to acknowledge that with his mouth which he could not otherwise requite I must confess said he unto him that I could wish if God would permit it I might have one hour longer of life to profess the excellency of the faith wherein you Portugals live for as I have heretofore heard it said your God alone is true and all other gods are lyers The Hangman had no sooner heard these words but he gave him so great a buffet on the face that his nose ran out with bloud so that the poor Patient stooping with his handsâ—downward Brother said he unto him suffer me to save this bloud to the end thou maist not want some to fry my flesh withall So passing on in the same order as before he finally arrived at the place where he was to be executed with so little life as he scarcely thought of any thing When he was amounted on a great Scaffold which had been expresly erected for him the Chirca of Justice fell to reading of his Sentence from an high Seate where he was placed the contents whereof were in few words these The living God of our heads Lord of the Crown of the Kings of Avaa commands that the perfidious Xemindoo be executed as the Perturbator of the people of the earth and the mortal enemy of the Bramaa Nation This said he made a sign with his hand and instantly the Hangman cut off his head at one blow shewing it to all the people vvhich vvere there vvithout number and divided his body into eight quarters setting his bovvels and other interior parts vvhich vvere put together in a place by themselves then covering all vvith a yellovv cloth vvhich is a mark of mourning amongst them they vvere left there till the going dovvn of the Sun at vvhich time they vvere burnt in the manner ensuing The eight quarters of the Xemindooes body vvere exposed from mid-day till three of Clock in the afternoon to the view of all the people whereof there was an infinite company there for every one came thronging thither as well to avoid the punishment wherewith they had been threatned as to gain in so doing the Plenary indulgence called by them Axiperan which their Priests gave them of their sins without restitution of any thing of all the Theeveries by them formerly committed After then that the tumult was appeased and that certain men on horseback had imposed silence on the people by making certain publications whereby the Transgressors therein were threatned with terrible punishments a bell was heard to toll five several times upon this signal twelve men clothed in black robes spotted all over with bloud having their faces covered and bearing silver Maces on their shoulders came out of a house of wood made expresly for that purpose and distant some five or six paces from the Scaffold after them followed twelve Priests which they call Talagrepos being as I have said the most eminent Dignities amongst these Pagans and held by them as Saints then appeared the Xemin Pocasser the King of Bramaaes Uncle who seemed to be near an hundred years old and was as the rest all in mourning and invironed with twelve little boyes richly apparelled carrying on their shoulders Courtelasses curiously Damasked After that the Xemin had with a great deal of Ceremonie prostrated himselfe three times on the ground in way of extraordinary reverence O holy flesh said he which art more to be â—steâ—med then all the Kingdomes of Avaa thou orient Pearle of as many Carats as there be Atomes in the beams of the Sun whom God hath placed in an height of Honour with a Scepter of Soveraign power above that of Kings I that am the least of thy meiny and so unlike thee through my baseness as I can scarcely see my self so little I am do most humbly beseâ—ch thee O thou Lord of my head by the fresh Meadow where thy soul doth now recreat thy self to hear that with thy sorrowful ears which my mouth sayes to thee in publick to the end thou maist remain satisfied for the offence which hath been done thee in this world Oretanan Chaumigrem thy brother Prince of Savady and Tanguu sends to intreat thee by me thy slave that before he departs out of this life thou wilt pardon him that which is past if he have given thee any discontent and withall that thou wilt take possession of all his Kingdomes because he doth even now yeild them up unto thee without reserving the least part thereof for himself withall he protests unto thee by me thy vassal that he makes this reconciliation with thee voluntarily to the end that the complaints which thou maiest prefer against him there above in heaven may not be heard of God Moreover for a punishment of the displeasure he hath done thee he offers to be for thee during this pilgrimage of life the Captain and Guardian of this thy Kingdome of Pegu for which he does thee homage with an oath to accomplish alwaies upon earth whatsoever thou shalt command him from heaven above upon condition that thou wilt bestow the profit which shall arise thereof upon him at an almes for his entertainment for he knowes very well that otherwise he should not be permitted to possess the Kingdome neither would the Menigrepos ever consent thereunto nor at the hour of death give him absolution for so great a sinne Upon these words one of the Priests that was present and that seemed to have more authoritie then all the rest made him answer as if the deceased himself had spoken Since I see O my Sonne that thou doest now confesse thy past faults and cravest pardon of me for them in this publick assembly I do grant it thee with all my hearâ— and it pleases me to leave thee in this Kingdome for the pastor of this my flock on condition that thou dost not violate the faith thou hast given me by this oath which would be as great an offence as if thou shouldst now come to lay hands on me without the permission of Heaven All the people having heard these words answered thereunto with joyfull voices Perform so much my Lord my Lord. After this the Priest being got into the pulpit began to speak thus to the assistants Present me with part
for they demolished and burnt all that they could find they put to death withall twelve hundred Christians amongst the which were eight hundred Portugals who were all burned alive in five and twenty ships and two and forty Juncks It is said that in this common ruine there was lost to the value of two millions of Gold as well in Lingots Pepper Sandal Cloves Mace and Nutmeggs as in other Commodities and all these desasters arrived by the ill conscience and little judgment of an avaricious Portugal Now from this misfortune was another farre greater derived which was that we lost our credit and reputation so mightily over all the Country as the inhabitants would no longer endure the sight of us saying that we were divels incarnate ingendred by the malediction of the wrath of God for the punishment of sinners This hapned in the year one thousand five hundred forty and two Martim Alfonso de Sousa being Governor of the Indiaes and Ruy Van Pereyra Marramaque Captain of Malaca Two years after the Portugals desiring to make another new Colony in a Port called Chincheo in the same Kingdome of China five leagues lower then Liampoo with an intention to settle their trade there the Merchants of the Country coming to consider what great profit would redound to them thereby intreated the Mandarins to make shew of permitting it and obliged them thereunto with many great presents we had commerce then with those of the Country about two yeares and an half untill such time as by the expresse command of Simano de Mello Captain of the Fortresse there was sent into this place another man of the same humor as Lancerote Pereyra was of unto whom the said Simano de Mello gave a commission to be Governor of this Port of Chincheo and Provisor of the Deceased but the bruit went of him that the extream covetuousnesse wherewith he was possest made him lay hands on all things without any the least respect to ought whatsoever It hapned then that in his time there arrived in the Port of Chincheo a stranger by nation an Armenian who was held by every one for a very good Christian This man who had an estate of ten or twelve thousand duckets and being a Christian as I have said and a stranger as we were passed out of a Mahometans Junck wherein he was into the ship of a Portugal named Luis de Montaroyo Now having lived some six or seven months very peaceably amongst us and much respected and favored of every one he chanced to â—all sick of a feaver whereof he died but before he gave up the Ghost he declared by his Testament that he had a wife and children in a town of Armenia called Gaborem and that of his twelve thousand duckets estate he left two thousand to the Hospitall at Malaca and for the rest he desired it might be kept in safe hands untill there were an opportunity to have consigned it unto his children as to his lawfull heirs and in case they were dead he left it to the Hospitall Behold what was the Testament of this faithfull Christian who was no sooner buried but Ayrâ—z Botelho de Sousa Provisor of the dead seized on all his estate without making any Inventorie or other kind of accompt saying that before any farther proceeding therein they were to send to make enquiry in Armenia which was above two thosand leagues from thence to see whether there were not some ingagements or seizure of Justice upon it There arrived also at the same time two Chinese Merchants who had to the value of three thousand duckets in silk peeces of damaske musk and porcelaines appertaining to the deceased Armenian the Provisor arrested them all and not contented therewith he would needs make the Chineses beleeve that all the merchandise which they had belonged also unto the Armenian so that under the pretext thereof he took eight thousand duckets from them and bid them go to Goa and there demand justice of the Provisor Generall by reason he could do no otherwise then he did for that he was obliged to deal in that sort by the duty of his Charge Now not to stand upon the delivering of the reasons which in vain were alledged by them against this injustice of his I will only say that these two Merchants returning home without any of their merchandise went with their Wives and Children and casting themselves at the Chaems feet represented unto him in a Petition the whole businesse as it past informing him moreover that we were men quite-void of the fear of God The Chaem willing to do justice then to these Merchants and to many others which had formerly complained against us caused it to be every where proclamed that no man on pain of death should converse with us whereupon the scarcity of victuals came to be so great amongst us as that which was wont to be bought for six blanks was then worth above a ducket so that necessity constrained us to go unto certain hamlets whereupon ensued such disorders as all the Country rose up against us with so much hatred and fury that sixteen daies after we were set upon by an Army of an hundred and twenty very great Juncks which intreated us in that manner for our sins as ofthirteen ships which we had in the Port there was not one that was not burnt and of five hundred Portugals which were abiding in the Country thirty only escaped who had not the worth of a penny left them From these two sad histories recounted by me I inferre that it seemes the Affairs which we have now in China and the tranquillity and confidence wherewith we live there supposing that the treaties of peace which we have with them be firm and assured wil last but til our sins shal serve for motives to the inhabitants of the Country to mutine against us which God of his infinite mercy permit not for the time to come To return again now to my former discourse you must understand that after we were arrived at the Port of Lampacau as I have declared before we could not meet with any vessel that was bound for Iapan so that we were constrained to passe another year too in this Port with a design in May following which was ten months off to continue our voyage as we had resolved Father Belquior and I perceiving that there was no hope of going to Iapan this yeare as well for that the season was past as for other inconveniences that fell out we were forced to stay in this Iland till the time should serve for us to make our voyage thither Having continued there then til the seventeenth of Feb. following certain news came to us from Cantan that on the third day of the same month the Province of Sansy had been swallowed up in the manner ensuing The first day of Frebruary the earth fel a trembling from eleven til one of the clock at night and the next day from midnight til two in the