they trade with any but line onely of such fruites as those Ilands yeeldeth and if any Ship come néere vnto that place or coast as they paase y ◠way as in my voiage it happened as I came from Malaca through the channell of Sombrero there came two of theyr barckes neere vnto our shippe laden with fruite as with Mouces which we call Adams apples with fresh nuttes and with a fruite called Inany which fruite is lyke to our Turnops but is verye sweete and good to eate they would not come into the shippe for any thing that we could doo neither would they take any mony for theyr fruite but they would trucke for olde shirtes or peeces of olde linnen breches these ragges they let downe with a rope into their barke vnto them and looke what they thought those things to be worth so much fruite they would make fast to the rope and let vs hale it in and it was tolde me that at sonetimes a man shall haue for an olde shirte a good péece of Ambar Sumatra THis Iland of Sumatra is a great Iland and deuyded and gouerned by many Kinges and deuided into many channels where through there is passage vpon the head land towards the West is the kingdome of Assi and gouerned by a Moore King this king is of great force and strength as he that beside his great kingdome hath many foists and Gallies In his kingdome groweth great store of Pepper Ginger Beniamin he is an vtter enemie to the Portingale and hath diuers times beene at Malacca to fight against it and hath doone great harme to the bowroughes thereof but the Cittie alwaie defended him valientlie and with theyr ordinaunce dyd great spoyle to hys Campe at length I came to the Cittie of Malacca The Cittie Malacca MAlacca is a Cittie of merueitous great trade of all kind of Merchanbize Which commeth from diuers parts bicause that all the Ships that saile in these seas both great and small are bound to touch at Malacca to paye their custome there although they vnlade nothing at all as we do at Elsinor and if by night they escape away and pay not their custome then they fall into a greater danger after for if they come into the Indies and haue not the seale of Malacca they paye double custome I haue not passed farther then Malacca towards the East but that which I will speake of here is by good information of them that haue béene there The sailing from Malacca towards the East is not common for all men as China and Giapan and so forwards to goe who will but onlye for the king of Portingale and his nobles with leaue granted vnto them of the king to make such voiages or to the iurisdiction of the captaine of Malacca where he expecteth to know what voiages they make from Malacca thether and these are the kings voiages that euery year ether departeth from Malacca two Galions of the kings one of them goeth to the Mulluccos to lade Cloues and the other goeth to Banda to lade Nutmegs and Maces These two Galians are laden for the king neither doo they carrye anye particular mans goods sauing the portage of the Marriners and Soldiors and for this cause they are not voiages for Merchants bicause that going thether he shall not haue where to lade his goods of returne and besides this the Captaine will not carrye anye Merchant for either of these two places There goeth small Ships of the Mores thether which come from the coast of Iaua and change or guild their commodities in the kingdom of Assa and these be the Maces Cloues and Nutmegs which go for the straights of Meca The voiages that the king of Portingale granteth to his nobles are these of China and Giapan from China to Giapan and from Giapan to China and from China to the Indies and the voiage of Bengaluco Sonda with the lading of fine cloth and euery sort of Bumbast cloth Sonda is an Iland of the Mores neere to the roast of Giaua and there they lade Pepper for China The ships that goeth euerye yeare from the Indies to China is called the Ship of Drugs because she carieth diuers drugs of Cambaya but the greatest part of hir lading is siluer From Malacca to China is 1800. miles and from China to Giapan goeth euery yeare a great ship of great importance laden with silke which for returne of their silke bring bars of Siluer which they truck in China that is distant betwéene China an◠Giapan 2400 miles and in this waye there is diuers Ilands not very big in the which the Friers of S. Paule by the helpe of God make many Christians there like to themselues from these Ilands hether wards is not yet discouered for the great sholdnes of Sands that they find The Portingales haue made a small Citie neere vnto the coast of China called Macha whose church and houses are of wood and hath a Bishoprike but the customes are of the king of China and they go and pay it at a Cittie called Canton which is a Cittie of great importance and verye beautifull two dayes iorneye and a halfe from Macheo which people are Gentiles and are so iealious and fearefull that they would not haue a stranger to put his foote within their land so that when the Portingales goe thether to paye their custome and to buye their Merchandize they will not consent that they shall lye or lodge within the Cittie but sendeth them forth into the subburbs The countrie of China is in the kingdome of great Tartaria and is a very great countrye of the Gentiles and of great importance which may be iudged by the riche and precious merchandize that come from thence the which I beléeue are not better nor greater quantitie in the whole worlde then these are that come from thence First great store of gold which they carye to the Indies made in plates like to little Ships and in value 23 caracts a péece very great aboundance of fine Silke Cloth of Damaske and Taffitle great quantitie of Muske great quantity of Occom in bars great quantitie of Quicksiluer and of Cinaper great store of Camfora an infinite quantity of Procellane made in vessels of diuers sorts great quantitie of painted cloth and squares infinite store of the rootes of China euery yeare there commeth from China to the Indies two or three great Ships laden with most riche and precious Merchandize The Rubarbe commeth from thence ouer land by the waye of Percia because that euery yeare there goeth a great Carauan from Percia to China which is in going thether six moneths Carauan arriueth at a cittie called Lanchine the place where the king is resident with his court I spake with a Persian that was thrée yeares in that Cittie of Lanchine and he told me that it was a great Citie and of great importance The voiages of Malacca which are in the
in the aforesaide port wee rowed all that day and a great part of the next night and all the next day without finding harbour or any signe of good landing and this came to passe through the euill counsel of the two Portugalles that were with vs. For we had ouershot the harbour and left it behind vs in such wise that we had loste the lande enhabited with the ship and we twentie eight men had no maner of victuall with vs in the boate but it was the Lordes will that one of the Mariners had brought a litle Ryce with him in the boat to barter away for some other thing and it was not so much but that three or fowre men would haue eate◠it at a meale I tooke the gouernment of this Ryce promising that by the helpe of God that Ryce should be nourishment for vs vntill it plesed God to send vs to some place that was enhabited and when I slept I put the ryce into my bosome because they shoulde not rob it from me we were nine dayes rowing alongst the coast without finding any thing but Countries vninhabited and deserts Iland wher if we had found but grasse it woulde haue séemed Sugar vnto vs but wee coulde not finde any yet wee founde a fewe leaues of a tree and they were so hard that we could not chew them we had Water and Wood sufficient and as we rowed we could goe but by flowing Water for when it was ebbing Water we made fast our boat to the bancke of one of those Ilands and in these nine dayes that we rowed wee found a caue or nest of Tortugaes egges wherein was a hundred fortie fowre egges the which was a great helpe vnto vs these egges are as big as a hennes egge and haue no shell about them but a tender Skinne euerie day wee sodde a kettle full of them egges with an handfull of ryce in the broth thereof it pleased God that at the ende of nine dayes wee discouered certaine fisher men a fishing with small barkes and wee rowed towards them with a good chéere for I thinke there were neuer men more glad then we were for we were so sore afflicted with penurie that we could skarce stand on our legs yet according to the order that we set for our ryce when we saw those fisher men there was left sufficient for foure days The first village that we came too was in the gulfe of Tauay vnder the King of Pegu whereas wee founde greate store of victualles then for two or thrée dayes after our ariuall there wee woulde eate but little meate anie of vs and yet for all this we were at the point of death the most part of vs. From Tauay to Martauan in the Kingdome of Pegu are seuentie two miles We laded our boate with victuals which was aboundantly sufficient for sixe monethes from whence wee departed for the porte and Citie of Martauan where in short time we ariued but wee founde not our ship there as we had thought we shoulde from whence presently wee made out two backes to goe to looke for her And they founde her in greate calamitie and néede of Water being at an ancker with a contrarie winde and came very yll to passe because that shee wanted her boate a moneth which should haue made her prouision of wood and water The ship also by the grace of God ariued safely in the aforesaide port of Martauan The Citie of Martauan WE founde in the Citie of Martauan ninetie Portugalles of Merchantes and other base men which had fallen at difference with the Retor or gouernour of the Citie and for this cause that certaine vagabondes of the Portugalles had slayne fiue falchines of the Kinges of Pegu which chaunced about a moneth after that the King of Pegu was gone with a million and foure hundreth thousande men to conquer the kingdome of Sion they haue for custome in this Countrey and Kingdome that the King being wheresoeuer his pleasure is to bée out of his kingdome that euerie fiftéene dayes there goeth from Pegu a carauan of Falchines with euerie one a basket on his heade full with some fruites or other delicates of refreshings and with cleane clothes it chaunsed that this carauan passing by Martauan and resting themselues there a night there happened betwéene the Portugalles and them wordes of dispight and from words to blowes and because it was thought that the Portugalles had the worse the night following when the Falchines were a sleepe with their companie the Portugalles went and cut off fiue of their heades Nowe there is a Lawe in Pegu that whosoeuer killeth a man hee shall buy the shed bloud with his monie according to the estate of the person that is slaine but these Falchines beeing the seruauntes of the King the Retors durst not doe any thing in the matter without the consent of the King because it was necessarie that the King shoulde knowe of such a matter When the King had knowledge thereof he gaue commaundement that the malifactors shoulde bee kept vntill his comming home and then he would duely minister iustice but the captaine of the Portugalles woulde not deliuer those men but rather set himselfe with all the rest in armes and went euerie day through the citie marching with the Drumme and ancient displayd For at that time the Citie was emptie of men by reason they were gone al to the warres and in businesse of the king in the midst of this rumour we came thether and I thought it a straunge thing to see the Portugalles vse such insolencie in another mans Cittie And I stoode in doubte of that which came to passe would not vnlade my goodes because y ◠they were more surer in the ship then on the land the greatest part of the lading was the owners of the ship who was in Malacca yet there were diuers merchāts there but their goods were of small importāce al those merchants told me y ◠they woulde not vnlade any of their goodes there vnlesse I would vnlade first yet after they left my counsell folowed their own and put their goods a land and lost it euerie whit The Rector with the customer sent for me and demaunded why I put not my goods a lande and pay my custome as other men did to whom I answered that I was a merchant that was newly come thither séeing such disorder amongst the Portugalles I doubted the losse of my goodes which cost me very dear with the sweate of my face and for this cause I was determined not to put my goodes a lande vntill such time as his honour would assure me in the name of the king that I shoulde haue no losse although there came harme to the Portugalles that I nor my goodes should not haue any hurt because I had neither part nor any difference with them in this rumor my reason sounded well in the Retors eares and presently commaunded to cal the Bargits
else with the fléete of the Portingales as aforesaid in fine the kingdome of Cambaia is a place of great trade and hath much doings and tratique with all men although hetherto it hath bin in the hands of tyrants bicause that at 75 yeares of age the true king being at the assault of Dui was there slaine whose name was Sultan Badu at that time foure or fiue Captaines of the armie deuided the kingdome amongst themselues and euery one of them shewed in his conntrey what tyrannye he could but twelue yeares agoe the great Magoll a More king of Agray and Delay fortie daies iorney within the land of Amadauar became the gouernour of all the kingdome of Cambaia without anye resistance because he being of great power and force with people deuising which waye to enter the land there was not any man that would make him any resistance although they were tirants and a beastly people they were soone brought vnder obedience that in that time I owelled in Cambaietta I saw very meruelous things there were such an infinit number of Artisicers that made Bracelets called Mannij or Bracelets of Elephants téeth of diuerse colours for the women of the Gentiles which haue their armes full decked with them and in this order there is spent euery yeare many thousands of Crownes the reason whereof is this that when there dyeth any whatsoeuer of the kindred then in signe and token of moorning and sorrow they breake all their bracelets from their armes and presentlye they goe and buie new againe because that they had rather to be without theire meat then without their bracelets Daman Basan Tana HAuing passed Dui I came to the second city that 〈…〉 Portingales haue called Daman scituate in the territorie of Cambaya distant from Dui 120. miles it is no towne of marchandize saue of Rice and Corne and hath many villages under it which in time of peace the Portingale haue theire pleasure in them but in time of wars the enemies haue the spoyle of them in such wise that the Portingales haue little benefite by them Next vnto Daman you shall haue Basan which is a filthy place in respect of Daman in condition in this place is Rice corn timber to make ships and gallies and a small distance beyond Basan is a smal Iland called Tana a countrey very populous with Portingales Mores and Gentiles these haue nothing but Rice there are many makers of Armesine and weauers of Gerdles of wooll and bumbast black and red like to Moocharies Chiawle and the Palmer tree BEyond this Iland you shall find Chiawle in the Firme land and they are two cities one of the Portingales and the other of the Mores that Citie that the Portingales haue is scituate â—ower then the other gouerneth the mouth of the harbor and is very strongly walled and as it were a mile and a 〈…〉 lâ—â— distant from this is the Citie of the Mores gouerned by their king Zamalluco In the time of wars there cannot any great shippe come to the cittie of the Mores because the Portingales with their Ordinance will sinke them for that they must perforce passe by the Castles of the Portingales both the Citties are portes of the sea and are great cities and haue vnto them great traffique trade of marchandize of all sortes of spices Drugges Silke cloth of silk Sandolo Marfine Versiue Procelane of China Ueluets and Scarlets y â— come from Portingale and from Meca with many other sorts of marchandize There commeth euery yeare from Cochin and from Canenor 10. or 15. great shipe laden with great Nuts cured and with sugar made of the self same Nuts called Giagra the trée wheron these nuts do grow is called the Palmer trée throughout al the Indies and especially from this place to Goa there is great abouÌ„dance of them and it is like to the Date trée in the whole world there is not a trée more profitable and of more goodnes then this trée is neither do men reape so much benefite of any other trée as they do of this ther is not any part of it but serueth for some vse none of it is worthy to be burnt with the timber of this trée they make shippes wthout the mixture of any other trée and with the leaues thereof they make sailes and with the fruict therof which be Nuts wherof they make wine and of the wine they make Sugar and Placetto which wine they gather in the spring of the yeare out of the middle of the trée where continually there goeth â— runneth out whit liquor like vnto water in that time of the yeare they put a vessell vnder euery tree and euery euening and morning they take it away full then distilling it with fire it maketh a very strong liquor and then they put it into Buts with a quantity of Zibibbo white or black in short time it is made a perfect wine after this they make of the nuts great store of oyle of the trée they make great quantity of Boordes and quarters for buildings Of the barke of this Trée they make Cables Ropes and other furniture for Ships and as they saye these Ropes be better then they that are made of Hempe they make of the bowes Beadsteds after the Indies fashion and Scauasches for Marchandyze the leaues they cut the as verye small and weaue them and so make sayles of them for all manner of shipping or else very fine Mats and then of the first rynde of the Nutte they stampe and make thereof perfecte Ockom to talke Shippes great and small and of the harde Barke thereof they make spoones and other vessells for meate in such wise that there is no parte thereof throwne away or cast to the fire when these Mats be gréene they are full of an excellent swéete water to drink and if a man be thirsty with the liquor of one of the mats he may satisfie himselfe and as this Nut ripeth the liquor thereof turneth all to â—ernell There goeth out of Chiawle for Mallaca for the Indies for Maca for Portingale for the coastes of Mallendy for Ormus as it were an infinite number and quantitie of goods and marchandize that come out of the kingdom of Cambaia as cloth of Bumbast white painted printed great quantitie of Indico Opinione Gotone Silke of euery sorte great store of boraso in Pasta great store of Fetida great store of Iron Corne other marchandize The More king Zamalaco is of great power as one that at néede may commaund and hath in his campe two hundred thousand men of warre and hath great store of Artillerie some of them made in péeces which for their greatnes they cannot be carried too and fro yet although they be made in péeces they are so commodious that they worke with them meruelous well whose shotte is of stone and there hath béene of that shot sent vnto the king of Portingale for the
rariety of the thing The cittie where the king Zamallaco hath his being is within the land of Chiawle 7. or 8. dayes iorney which citty is called Abneger 70. miles from Chiawle towards the Indies is the porte of Dabull a Hauen of the king Zamallaco from thence to Goa is 150. miles Goa GOa is the principallest citie that the portingales haue in the Indies where in the Vizeroye with his royall court is resident and is in an Iland which may be in circuit 25. or 30. miles and the citie with his boroughs is resonable bigge and for a cittie of the Indies it is resonable fayre but the Iland is farre more fayrer for it is as it were full of goodly gardens replenished with diuers trées with the Palmer trées as is aforesaid This citie is of great trafique for all sorts of marchandize which they trade withall in those parts the fléete which coÌ„meth euery yeare from Portingale which are 5. or 6. great ships that come directly for Goa and they arriue there ordinarily the 6. or 10 of September there they remaine 40. or 50. daies from thence they goe to Cochin where they lade for Portingale and often times they lade one ship at Goa and the other at Cochin for portingale Cochin is distante from Goa 300. miles the cittie Goa is sciuate in the kingdome of Dialcam a king of the Mores whose chiefe citie is op in the countrey 8. dayes iorney and is called Bisapor this kinge is of great power for when I was in Goa in the yeere of our Lord 1570. this king came to giue assault to Goa being encamped néere vnto it by a Riuer side with an armie of 2 hundreth thousande men of war and he lay at this seige 14. moneths in which time there was peace concluded as report went amongst his people there was great calamitie and mortality which bred amongst them in the time of winter and also killed very many Elephants Then in the yeare of our Lord 1567. I went from Goa to Bezeneger the chiefe citie of the kingdome of Marsinga 8. daies iorney from Goa within the land in the company of two other Marchants which carried with them 300 Arabian Horses to that king because the Horses of that countrey are of a small stature and they paye well for the Arabian Horses it is requisite that the Marchants sell them well for that they stand them in great charges to bring them out of Persia to Ormus from Ormus to Goa where the ship that bringeth 20 Horses and vpwardes payeth no custome neither ship nor goods whatsoeuer whereas if they bring no Horses they pay 8. per cento of all their goods and at the going out of Goa the Horses pay custome 42. Pagodies for euery Horse which Pagody may be of starling money 6 shillings 8 pence they be peeces of gold â—f that valew so that the Arabian Horses are of greate valew in those countries as 300. 400. 500. Duckets a horse and to a thousand Duckets a horse Bezeneger THe cittie of Bezeneger was sacked in the yeare 1565 by 4 kinges of the Mores which were of great power might the names of these foure kings were these following The first was called Dialcan the second Zamaluc the third Cotamaluc the fourth Viridy and yet these foure kings were not able to ouercom this cittie the king of Bezeneger but by treason This king of Bezeneger was a Gentile and hauing amongst all other of his Captaines two which were notable and they were Mores and these two Captaines had either of them in charge 70 or 80 thousand men These two Captaines being of one Religion with the foure kings which were Mores wrought meanes with them to betray their owne king into their hands The king of Bezeneger estéemed not the force of the foure kings his enimies but went out of his Citie to wage battell with them in the fields which when the armies were ioined the battell lasted but a while not the space of foure houres because the two traytorous Captaines in the chéefest of the fight with their companies turne their faces against their king and made such disorder in his armie that as astonied they set themselues to flight thirtie yeares was this kingdome gouerned by thrée brethren which were tyrants the which kéeping the rightfull king in prison it was their vse euery yeare once to shew him to the people and they at their pleasures ruled as they listed These brethren were thrée Captaines belonging to the father of the king they kept in prison which when he died left his sonne verye yoong and then they tooke the gouernment to themselues the chéefest of these thrée was called Ramaragio and he sat in the roiall throne and was called king the second was called Temiragio and he tooke the gouernement on him the third was called Bengatre and he was captaine generall of the armie These thrée brethren were in this battell in the which the chéefest and the last were neuer heard of quicke nor dead Onely Temeragio fled in the battell hauing lost one of his eyes when the newes came to the cittie of the ouerthrow in the battell the wiues and children of these thrée tyrants with their lawfull king kept prisoner fled away spoiled as they were and the foure kings of the Mores entred the citie Bezeneger with great triumph and there they remained sirmoneths searching vnder houses and in all places for mony and other things that were hidden and theÌ„ they departed to their owne kingdomes because they were not able to maintaine such a kindome as that was so far distant from their owne countrie When the kings were departed from Bezeneger this Temiragio returned to the Citie and then began for to re-populate it and sent word to Goa to the Merchants that if they had anye Horsses to bring them to him and he would pay well for them and for this cause the aforesaid two marchants that I went in company withall carried those Horsses that they had to Bezeneger Also this Tyrant made an order or lawe that if anye Merchant had anye of the Horsses that were taken in the aforesaid battell or warres although they were of his owne marke that he would giue as much for them as they would and beside he gaue generall safe conduct to all that should bring them when by this meanes hee sawe that there were great store of Horsses brought thether vnto him hee gaue the Merchaunts faire wordes vntill such time as hee sawe they could bring no more Then he licensed the Merchants to depart without giuing them anye thing for theyr Horsses which when the poore men sawe they were desperate and as it were madde with sorrowe and greefe I rested in Bezeneger seauen moneths although in one moneth I might haue discharged all my businesse for it was necessary to rest there vntil the waies were cléere of théeues which at that time ranged vp and
downe and in the time I rested there I sawe manye strange and beastlye déedes doone of the Gentiles First when there is any noble man or woman dead they burne their bodies if a maried man die his wife must burne hir selfe aliue for the loue of hir husband and with the bodye of hir husband so that when anye man dyeth their wiues will take a monthes leaue two or thrée or as they will to burne themselues in and that daye being come wherein she ought to be burnt that morning she goeth out of hir house very earlye either on Horssebacke or one an Eliphant or else is borne by eight men on a small stage in one of these orders she goeth being apparrelled like to a Bride carried rounde about the Cittye with hir hayre downe about hir shoulders garnished with Jewels flowers according to the estate of the partye and they goe with as great ioye as Brides doo in Venis to the nuptials shée carryeth in hir left hand a looking Glasse and in hir right hand an arrow and singeth through the cittie as she passeth and saith that shee goeth to sléepe with hir déere spowse and husband She is accompanyed with hir kindred and fréends vntill it be one or two of the clocke in the after noone then they go out of the citie and going along the Riuers side called Nigondin which runneth vnder the walles of the cittye vntill they come to a place where they vse to make this burning of women being widowes there is prepared in this place a great square caue with a little pinnacle hard by it foure or fiue steps vp the aforesaid caue is full of dryed wood the woman being come thither accompanied with a number of people which come to sée the thing then they make readye a great banquet and she that shall be burned eateth with great ioye and gladnesse as though it were hir marriage daye and the feast being ended then they goe to dancing and singing a certaine time according as she will after this the woman of hir owne accord commandeth then to make the fire in the square Caue where the drye wood is and when it is kindled they come and certifie hir thereof then presently shee leaueth the feast and taketh the nearest kinsman of hir husband by the hand and they both go together to the banke of the aforesaid riuer where she putteth off all hir Jewels all hir clothes giueth them to hir parents or kinsfolke and couering hir selfe with a cloth bicause shee will not be séene of the people being naked she throweth hir selfe into the riuer saying Oh wretches that ye wash your sinnes Comming out of the water she rowleth hir selfe into a yellow cloth of 14 braces long and againe she taketh hir husbands kinsman by the hand and they goe both together vp to the pinacle of the square caue wherin the fire is made when she is on the pinacle she talketh and reasoneth with the people recommending vnto them hir children and kindred Before the pinacle they vse to set a Mat because they shall not see the fiercenes of the fire yet there is manye that will haue them plucked awaye shewing therein a heart not fearfull and that they are not afraid of that sight When this sillye woman hath reasoned with the people a good while to hir content there is another woman that taketh a pot with oyle and sprinckleth it ouer her head and with the same she annoynteth all hir body and afterwards throweth the pot into the Fornace and both the woman and the pot goeth together into the fire and presentlye the people that are round about the furnace throw after hir into the caue great péeces of wood so by this meanes with the fire with the blowes that she hath with the wood throwne after hir she is quickly dead and after this there groweth such sorowe and such lamentation amongst the people that all their mirth is turned into howling and wéeping in such wise that a man could scarse beare the hearing of it I haue seene many burnt in this manner because my house was néere to the gate where they go out to the place of burning when there dyeth anye great man his wife with all his slaues with whome hee hath had carnall copulation burne themselues together with him Also in this kingdome I haue séene amongst the base sort of people this vse and order that the man being dead he is is carried to the place where they will make his sepulcher and setting him as it were vpright sitting then commeth his wife before him on hir knées casting hir armes about his neck with imbracing and clasping him vntill such time as the Masons haue made a wall round about them and when the wall is as highe as their neckes there commeth a man behind the woman strangleth her then when she is dead the workmen finish the wall ouer their heads and so they lie buryed both together Beside these there is an infinite number of beastlye qualities amongst the which I haue no desire to write of them I was very desirous to know the cause whye these women would so wilfullye burne themselues against nature and lawe and it was tolde me that this lawe was of an ancient time to make prouision against the slaughters which women made of their husbands For in those daies before this lawe was made the women for euery little displeasure that their husbands had doone vnto them they would presentlye poyson their husbands and take other men and now by reason of this lawe they are more faithfull to their husbands and count their liues as deare as their owne bicause that after his death hir owne followeth presently In the yeare 1567. the people of Bezeneger for the ill successe that they had in that their Citie was sacked by the foure kings The king with his court went to dwell in a castell eight dayes iorneye vp in the lande from Bezeneger called Penegonde Also sixe daies iorney from Bezeneger is â—he place where they get Diamants I was not there but it was told me that it is a great place compassed with a wall and that they sell the earth within the wall for so much a Squadro the limits is set how déepe or howe lowe they shall dig those Diamants that are of a certaine sise and bigger then that sise all those be for the king it is many yeares agone since they got anye there for the troubles that hath béene in that kingdome the first cause of this trouble was because the sonne of this Temeragio had put to death the lawfull king which he had in prison for which cause the Barons and Noblemen in that kingdome would not acknowledge him to be their king and by this meanes there is manye kings and great deuision in that kingdome and the Citye of Bezeneger is not altogether destroyed yet the houses stand styll but
séeke me whereas I thought I should not haue found so much goodnes in them because they were paid their money afore hand as is the vse I had thought to haue seene them no more before their comming I was determined to pluck the Cane wherin my Jewels were bidden out of my cowtch and to haue made me a walking staffe to carry in my hand to Goa thinking that I should haue gone thether on foote but by the faithfulnesse of my Falchines I was rid of that trouble and so in fower dayes they carried me to Goa in which time I made hard fare for y e théeues left me neither money golde nor siluer that which I did eat was geuen me of my men for gods sake and after at my comming to Goa I payde them euery thing rially all that I had of them from Goa I departed for Cochin which is a voyage of 300. miles and betwéene these two Cties are many holds of the Portingales as Onor Mangalor Barzelor Cananor The holde or forte that you shall haue in going from Goa to Cochin that belongeth to the Portingales is called Onor which is in the kingdome of the Quéene of Battacella which is tributary to the king of Bezeneger there is no trade there but onely a charge with the Captaine and company he kéepeth there and passing this place you shall come to another small Castell of the Portingales called Mangalor and ther is a very small trade onely for a little Rice and from thence you go to a little fort called Barzelor there they haue good store of Rice which is carried for Goa and from thence you shall go to a cittie called Cananor which is a Hargabush shot distant from the chiefest citie that the king of Cananor hath in his kingdome being a king of the Gentiles and he and his are a very naughty and malicious people alwayes hauing delight to be in wars with the Portingales and when they are in peace it is for the intrest to let their marchādize passe there goeth out of this kingdome of Cananor all the Cardomomo great store of pepper Ginger Honey Ships laden with greate Nuttes greate quantity of Archa which is a fruict of the biggnes of Nutmegges which fruict they eat in all those parts of the Indies and beyonde the Indies with the leafe of an hearbe which they call Bettell the which is like vnto our Juye leafe but a little lesser and thinner they eate it made in Plaister◠with the lime made of Oystershelles and thorowe the Indies they spend greate quantitie of money in this composition and is vsed dayly which thing I woulde not haue beléeued if I had not séene it The customers get greate profite by these Hearbes for that they haue custome for them when these people eate and chaw this in their mouthes it maketh theire Spittle to be redde like vnto blood and they saye that it maketh a man to haue a very good stomacke and a swéete breath but sure in my iudgement they eate it rather to fulfill theire filthy lustes and of a knauerye for this Hearbe is moyste and hote and maketh a very strong expultion From Cananor to Crangenor which is another small forte of the Portingales in the Land of the king of Crangenor which is another king of the Gentiles and a Countrey of small importaunce and of a hundreth and twenty miles full with theeeues being vnder the king of Callicut a king also of the Gentiles and a great enemie to the Portingales which when he is alwayes in warres he and his countrey is the Neast and resting for straunger théeues and these be called Moores of Carposa because they weare on theire heads long red Hattes and these théeues parte y e spoyles that they take on the sea with the king of Calicut for he geueth leaue vnto all that wil go a roauing liberally to go in such wise that all along that coast there is such a number of Théeues that there is no sayling in those Seas but with great Shippes and very well armed or elle they must goe in company with the army of the Portingales from Crangenor to Cochin is 15. miles Cochine COchine is next vnto Goa the chéefest place that the Portingales haue in the Indies and there is great trade of Spices drugs and all other sorts of Merchandize for the kingdome of Portingale and there with in the lād is the kingdom of Pepper which Pepper the Portingales lade in their ships by boulke and not in sacks the Pepper that goeth for Portingale is not so good as that which goeth for Meca bicause that in times passed the officers of the king of Portingale made a contract with the king of Cochine in the name of the king of Portingale for the prices of Pepper and by reason of that agréement betwéene them at that time made the prise can neither rise nor fall which is a verye lowe and base price and for this cause the Uillaines bring it to the Portingales gréene and full of filthe The Mores of Meca that giue a better price haue it cleane and drye and is better conditioned all the spices and drugs that is brought to Mecha is stolne from thence as Contrabanda Cochine is two cities one of the Portingales and another of the king of Cochines that of the Portingales is scituat néerest vnto the sea that of the kings of Cochin is a mile and a halfe vp higher in the land but they are both set on the banckes of one riuer which is very great and of a good depth of water which riuer commeth out of the mountains of the king of the Pepper which is a king of the Gentiles in whose kingdome are manye Christians of S. Thomas order the king of Cochine is also a king of the Gentiles and a great faithfull fréend to the king of Portingale and to those Portingales which are marryed and Cittizens in the Cittie Cochine of the Portingales and by this name of Portingales throughout all the Indies they call all the Christians that come out of the West whether they be Italians Frenchmen or Almaines and all they that mary in Cochine doo get an office according to the trade hee is of this they haue by the great priuilege the Cittizens haue of that City bicause there is two principall commodities that they deale withall in that place which are these the great store of silke that commeth from China and the great store of Sugar which commeth from Bengala the married Citizens paye not anye custome for these two commodities for all other commodities they pay foure per cento custum to the king of Cochine rating their goods at their owne pleasure those which are not married and strangers pay in Cochine to the king of Portingale eight per cento of all manner of merchandize I was in Cochine when the Uiceroye of the king of Portingale wrought what he could to breake the priuelege of the Citizens and
long rowe of mountaines or heapes of Oysters and they are not touched vntill such time as the fisshing be ended and at the end of the fishing euery company sitteth round about their mountain or heap of Oysters and fall to opening of them which they may easily doe because they be dead drie and brittle if euery Oyster had pearle in them it would be a very good purchase but there is very many that haue no pearles in them when the fishing is ended then they see whether it be a good gathering or a bad there is certaine men expert in the pearles whom they call Chitini which set and make the price of pearles according to their carracts bewty and goodnes making fower sorts of them the first sorte be the round pearles and they be called Aia of Portingale because y e Portingales do buy them the second sorte which are not rounde are called Aia of Bengala the 3. sorte which are not so good as the second they cal Aia of Canara that is to say the kingdom of Bezeneger the fourth and last sorte which are the least and worst sorte are called Aia of Cambaia Thus the price beeing set there is Marchants of euery countrey which are ready with theire money in their hands so that in a few dayes all is bought vp at the prizes set according to the goodnesse and caracts of the Pearles In this sea of the fishing of pearles is an Iland called Manar which is inhabited by Christians of the countrey which first were Gentiles and haue a small holde of the Portingale being scituate ouer against Zeyland and betweene these two Ilands there is a Channell but not very bigge and hath but a small depth therein by reason whereof there cannot any great shippe passe that way but small Shipps and with the increase of the water which is at the chaunge or the full of the Moone and yet for all this they must vnlade them and put their goods into small vessels to lighten them before they can passe that waye for feare of Sholdes that lye in the channell after lade them into their Ships to goe for the Indies and this doo all small Ships that passe that waye but those Ships that go for the Indies Eastwardes passe by the coast of Chiarimandell on the other side by the lowe Lande of Chiloa which is beetwéene the Firme Land and the Iland Manor and going from the Indyes to the coast of Chiarimandell they loose some Shippes but they be emptye because that the Shippes that passe that waye discharge they re goods at an Iland called Peripatane and there landiug theire goods into small flatte bottomed Boates which drawe little water and are called Tane and can runne ouer euery Sholds without either daunger or losse of any thing for that they tarrye in Peripatane vntill such time as it be fayre weather Before they departe to passe through the Sholdes there the small Shippes and flat bottomed Boates go together in company and when they haue sayled six and thirty miles they arriue at the place where as the Sholdes be and at that place the windes blow so forcible that they are forced to go through not hauing any other refuge to saue them selues the flat bottomed Boats they goe safe through where as the small Ships if they misse the aforesaid Channell stick fast on the Sholds and by this meanes many are lost and comming back from the Indies they go not that waye but passe by the Channell of Manor as aboue sayde whose Channell is Oâ—ye and if the Shippes sticke fast it is great chance if there be any daunger at all the reason why this Channell is not more surer to goe thether is because the windes that raygne or blâ—weth betwéene Zeyland and Manar make the Channell so dry with water that almost there is not any passage from Cao Comery to the Iland of Zeyland is 120. miles ouerthwart Zeyland ZEyland is an Ilande in my iudgement a great deale bigger then Cyrus on that side towards the Indies then westwards is the citie called Colomba which is a hold of the Portingales but without wales or enimies it hath towards the sea his frâ—e port y e lawfull king of that Iland is in Colomba and is turned Christian and maintained by the king of Portingale being depriued of his kingdome The king of the Gentiles to whom this kingdome did belong was called the Madoni which had two sonnes the first named Barbynas the Prince the second Ragine this king by the pollicie of his yonger sonne was depriued of his kingdome because he had â—ntised and done that which pleased the armye and Souldiers in dispight of his father brother being prince vsurped the kingdome and became a great warriar first this Iland had thrée kings this Ragine with his father Barbinas his brother the king of Cotta with his conquered prisoners the king of Candia which is a parte of that Iland and is so called by the kingdome of Candia which had a resonable power and was a great friend to the Portingales which said that he liued secretly a Christian the third was the king of Gianifanpatan in 13. years that this Ragine gouerned this Iland he became a great tyrant In this Iland there groweth fine Sinnamon great store of pepper great store of Nuttes and Arochoe ther they make great store of CairoÌ„ to make Cordage it bringeth foorth great store of Christall Cattes eies or Echi de Gaty and they say that they finde there some Rubyes but I haue sould Rubies well there y e I brought with me from Pega I was very desirous to sée how they gather the sinnamon or tak it from the trée that it groweth on so much the rather because the time that I was there was the season which they gather it in which was in the moneth of Aprill wheras at which time y â— Portingales were in armes and in the field with the king of the countrey yet I to satisfie my desire although in great danger tooke a guide with me and went into a wood 3. miles from the cittie in which wood was great store of sinnamon trées growing together among other wilde trées this sinnamon trée is a small trée and not very high and hath his leaues like to our Bay trée In the moneth of March or Aprill when the sap goeth vp to the top of the trée then they take the sinamon from that tree in this wise they cut y e barke of the trée round about in length from knot to knot or from ioynt to ioint aboue and belowe and then easily with their hands they take it away laying it in the sun to dry and in this wise it is gathered and yet for all this the tree dyeth not but against the next yeare it will haue a new barke that which is gathered euery yere is the best sinnamon for that which groweth 2. or 3. yeres is great and
iurisdiction of the Captaine of the castell are these that euery yeare hee sendeth a small Ship to Timor to lande white Sandolo for all the best commeth from this Iland there commeth also from Color but that is not so good also he sendeth another small ship euerye yeare to Cochine China to lade there wood of Aleos for that all the wood of Aleos cōmeth from this place which is in the firme land néere vnto China and in that kingdome I could not knowe how that wood groweth by any meanes For that the people of the countrie will not suffer the Portingales to come within the land but onelye for wood and water and as for all other things that they wanted as victuals or merchandize the people bring y ◠a boord the ship in small barkes so that euery daye there is a mart kept in the Ship vntill such time as she be laden also there goeth another ship for the said Captaine of Malacca to Asion to lade Verzino all these voiages are for the Captaine of the Castell of Malacca and when he is not disposed to make these voiages he selleth them to another The Citie Sion SIon was the imperiall seate and a great Citie but in the yeare of our Lord God 1567 it was taken by the king of Pegu which king made a voyage or came by land foure moneths iourney with an armie of men through his land and the number of his armie was a Milion and foure hundreth thousand men of warre when he came to the Citie he gaue assault to it and besieged it twentye and one moneths before he could winne it with great losse of his people this I know for that I was in Pegu six monethes after his departure and sawe when that his officers that were in Pegu sent fiue hundreth thousand men of warre to furnish the places of them that were slaine and lost in that assault yet for all this if there had not béene treason against the Citie it had not béene lost for on a night there was one of the gates set open through the which with great trouble the king gat into the Citye and became gouernor of Sion and when the Emperor saw that he was betraid and that his enimie was in the Citie he poisoned himselfe and the wiues and children fréend and noblemen that were not slaine in the first affront of the entrance into the Citie were all carried captiues into Pegu where I was at the comming home of the king with his triumphes and victorie which comming home and returning from the warres was a goodlye sight to behold to see the Elephants come home in a square laden with Gold Siluer Jewels and with Noble men and women that were taken prisoners in that Citie Now to returne to my voyage I departed from Malacca in a great Shippe which went for S. Tome being a Cittie scituate on the coast of Chiriamandell because the captain of the castels of Malacca hauing vnderstanding proaduyzo that the king of Assi would come with a great armye and power of men against them therefore vpon this he would not giue licence that anye Ships should departe Wherefore in this Shippe we departed in the night without making anye prouision of our water and wee were in that shippe fower hundreth and odde men we departed from thence with Intention to goe to an Ilande to take in water but the windes were so contrary that they woulde not suffer vs to fetch it so that by this meanes wee were two and forty dayes in the sea as it were lost and we were driuen too and fro so that the first land that we discouered was beyonde Sainct Tomes more then fiue hundreth miles which were the mountaines of Zerzerline neere vnto the kingdome of Orisa and so we came to Orisa with manye sicke and more that weare deade for want of water and they that were sicke in fower dayes died and I for the space of a yeare after had my throate so sore hoarse that I coulde neuer fatisfie my thirst in drinking of water I iudge the reason of my hoarsenesse to be with soppes that I wette in vinnigar and Oyle wherewith I sustained my selfe many dayes there were not any want of breade neither of wine But the wines of that countrie are so hotte that without water they kill a man neither are they able to drinke them when we beganne to want water I sawe certaine Moores that were officers in the Ship that solde a smal dish full for a Duckat after this I sawe one that would haue giuen a Barre of Pepper which is two quintalles and a halfe for a little measure of water and he could not haue it Truely I beléeue that I had died with my slaue whom then I had to serue me which cost me very déere but to prouide for the daunger at hand I sold my slaue for halfe that he was worth because that I would saue his drinke that he drunks to serue my owne purpose and saue my life Of the Kingdome of Orisa and the Riuer Ganges ORisa was a faire Kingdome and trustye through the which a man might haue gone with Golde in his hand without any danger at all as long as the lawfull King reined which was a gentile which was in the citie called Catecha which was within the land sixe dayes Journey This King loued Strangers meruailous well and Marchants which came in and out in his Kingdome in such wise that he would take no custome of of them neither any other greeuous thing Onlye the Ship that came thither paide a small thing according to her portage and euery yeere in the port of Orisa laded 25. or 30. Ships great and small with Ryce diuers sortes of fine white bumbaste cloth Oyle of Zerzclnie which they make of a Séede and is very good to eate and to frye fishe withall great store of Butter Lacca long Pepper Ginger Mirabolany drye and condyt great store of cloth of hearbes which is a kinde of Silke which groweth amongst the woods without any labour of man only when the bole therof is growen round as big as an Orenge then they take care only to gather them About sixteene yeeres passed this King with his Kingdome were destroyed by the King of Patane which was also King of the greatest parte of Bengala and when he had got the kingdome he set custome there twenty pro cento as Marchants paide in his Kingdome but this tirant enioyed his kingdome but a small time but was conquered by another tirant which was the greate Magoll King of Agraa Dely and of all Cambaia without any resistance I departed from Orisa to Bengala to the harber Picheno which is distant from Orisa towards the Easte a hundreth and seauenty miles They goe as it were rowing alongst the coaste fiftie fower miles and then we enter into the Riuer Ganges from the mouth of this Riuer to a Citie called
triumpheth and because it is worthy of the noting I think it méet to writ therof which is as followeth The king rideth on a triumphing Cart or Wagon all guilded which is drawn by sixteen goodly horses this Cart is very high with a goodly canapie ouer it behind the Cart goeth twenty of his Lordes Nobles with euerie one a rope in his hand made fast to the Cart for to holde it vpright that it fal not The King sitteth in the middle of the cart and vpon the same Carte about the King standeth fowre of his Nobles most fauoured of him and before this Carte wherein the King is goeth all his armie as aforesaide and in the middle of his armie goeth all his Nobilitie rounde about the Cart that are in his dominions a meruellous thing to sée so many people such riches and such good order in a people so barberous as they bee This King of Pegu hath one principall wife which is kept in a Seralyo he hath thrée hundreth Cōcubines of whō it is reported that hee hath ninetie Children This King sitteth euerie day in person to heare the suites of his Combacts but he nor they neuer speake one to another but by supplications made in this order The King sitteth vp alost in a great hall on a tribunall seate and lower vnder him sitteth all his Barons rounde about then those that demaunde audience enter into a great Court before the King and there set them downe on the grounde fortie paces distant from the Kinges person and amongst those people there is no difference in matters of audience before the King but all alike and there they sitte with their supplications in their handes which are made of long leaues of a Trée these leaues are thrée quarters of a yarde longe and two fingers broade which are written with a sharpe yron made for that purpose and in those leaues are their supplications written and with theire supplications they haue in their handes a present or gift according to the waightinesse of their matter Then come the secretaries downe and read these supplications and then take them after and reade them before the King and if the King thinke it good to doe to them that fauour or iustice that they demaund then hee commaundeth to take the present out of his hand but and if he thinke their demaunde bee not iustly or according to right hee commaundeth them away without taking of their giftes or presents In the Indies there is not any merchandise that is good to bring to Pegu vnlesse it bee at some times by chance to bring at sometimes Opium of Cambaia and if he bring monie he shall lose by it Nowe the commodities that come from S. Tome are the onely Merchandice for that place which is the great quantitie of cloth made there which they vse in Pegu which cloth is made of bombast wouen and painted so that the more that kinde of cloth is washed the more linelier they shewe their colours which is a rare thing and there is made of this kind of cloth which is of great importance so that a small bale of it will cost a thousande or two thousande Duckets Also from S. Tome they layde great store of red yarne of Bombast died with a roote which they call Saia as aforesaide which colour will neuer out With which merchandise euerie yere there goeth a great Ship from S. Tome to Pegu of great importance and they vsually depart from S. Tome to Pegu the 10. or 11. of September and if shee stay vntill the twelfth it is a great hap if she returne not without making of her voyage Their vse was to depart the sixt of September and then they made sure voiages and now because ther is great labour about that kinde of cloth to bring it to perfection and that it be well dried as also the gréedinesse of the captain that would make an extraordinarie gain of his fraight thinking to haue the winde alwayes to serue their turn they stay so long that at sometimes the Winde turneth For in those parts the windes blowe firmely For certaine times with the which they goe to Pegu with the winde in powpe and if they ariue not there before the Winde chaunge and get ground to anker perforce they must return back again for that the gales of the winde blow there for thrée or fowre moneths together alwayes in one place with great force But if they get the coast and anker there then with greate labor he may saue his voyage Also ther goeth another great Ship from Bengala euery yere laden with fine cloth of bombast of al sorts which ariueth in the harbour of Pegu when y e ship y ◠commeth from S. Tome departeth the harbour where these two ships ariue is called Cosmin frō Malaca to Martauan which is a part in Pagu there commeth many small ships great laden with peper Sadolo Procellam of China Camfora Bruneo other merchādice The ships y ◠come from Meca enter into the port of Pagu Cirion those ships bring cloth of Wooll Scarlets Ueluets Opium and Chickenes by the which they lose and they bring them because they haue no other thing that is good for Pegu but they estéeme not the losse of them for that they make such greate gaine of their commodities that they carie from thence out of that kingdome also the King of Assi his Shippes come thether into the same port laden with Peper from the coast of Saint Tome of Bengala out of the Sea of Bara to Pegu are thrée hundreth miles and they goe it vp the Riuer in fowre dayes with the encreasing Water or with the floud to a Citie called Cosmin and there they discharge their ships whether the customers of Pegu come to take the note and marks of all the goods of euerie man and take y ◠charge of the goods on them and conuey it to Pegu into the Kinges house wherein they make the custome of the merchandize when the customers haue taken the charge of the goods and put it into barkes the Retor of the citie giueth licence to the merchantes to take barke and goe vp to Pegu with their merchandize and so three or foure of them take a barke and goe vp to Pegu in company God deliuer euerie man that hee giue not a wrong note and entrie or thinke to steale any custome for if they doe for the least trifle that is he is vtterly vndone for the King doth take it for a most great afront to be deceiued of his custom and therfore they make diligent searches thrée times at the lading and vnlading of the goods and at the taking of them a land In Pegu this search they make when they go out of the ship for Diamonds Pearles and fine cloth which taketh little rome for because that all the Jewels that come into Pegu and are not founde of that countrie pay
a hat made of the 〈…〉 of a trée to keepe him from the raine and Sunne or otherwise they ride on horseback with their feet bare in the styrops all sortes of Women whatsoeuer they be weare a smocke downe to the girdle and from the girdle downwards to the foote they were a cloth of thrée brases open before so straite that they cannot goe but they must shewe their secrete as it were aloft and in their going they faine to hide it with their hande but they cannot by reason of the straightnesse of their cloth They say that this vse was inuented by a queene to be an occasion the sight thereof might remooue from men the vices against nature which they are greatly giuen vnto which sight shuld cause them to regard women the more also the Women goe bare footed their armes laden with hoopes of golde and iewels And their fingers full of pretious rings with their haire rolled vp about their heads Many of them weare a cloth about their shoulders in steade of a clocke Now to finish y t which I haue begun to write I say that those partes of the Indies is verie good because that a man y â— hath little shall make a great deale therof alwaies they must gouerne themselues that they be taken for honest men for why to such there shall neuer want help to do wel but he that is vicious let him tarrie at home and not go thither because he shall alwayes bee a begger and dye a poore man FINIS The Authors going from Venice to Cipris and Tripolye The Riuer Euphrates Feluchia a small Citie in Euphrates Mosule The Arabian theeues are in number like to Antes The old Babylon hath great trade with Merchants still Raffes made of blowen hides to carie victuals to Babilon A prettie deuice A bridge made of boates The Tower of Babell of ancient memory These bricks be in thicknes 6 or 7 inches a foote and a halfe square seene by our owne countreymen whome I knowe A thing wonderfull This hole whereout coÌ„meth this pitch is most true for that I know of our own countrimen which haue seene it and they say that out of the hole there commeth as it were puffing with bellows both water and pitch and the water and pitch runneth into the valey or Iland wher the pitch resteth and the water runneth into the riuer Euphrates and it maketh all the riuer to be as it were brackish with the smell of pitch and Brimstone Zizarii an ancient people At the castell of Corna the riuer Euphrates Tigris do meet Ormus is the barennest Iland in all the world Carichii an Iland in the gulfe of Persia Ormus is alwaies replenished with abundance of victuall and yet there is none that groweth in the Iland Great trade of merchandize in Ormus The election of the king of Ormus A priuelege for MerchaÌ„ts Goa is the cheefest citie that the Portingals haue in the Indies Dui Cambaya a countrey abounding with all plentic Cambaietta Macareo is a â—ide or curant as we terme it Amadauar a citie in Cambaia A thing most lamentable A merueilous great trade in Gambyette A very good order for merchant straÌ„gers if they will Marchants that trauell to the Indies must carry their prouisioÌ„ of how sholde with them Chiawle two Cities Great store of men of warre and rouers on the coast of Cambaya The grear Magoll was king of Agray and Delay A meruelous fond delight in women Tana a countrey inhabited with Portingales Armesine a kind of silke like taffitie Chiawle two Citties Note the pollicie of the Portingales Creat trafique with merchandize The Palmer Tree is the most commodious tree in the world Note the commodities of the Tree A very fruitefull tree Scauasches are as onr great Mawudes A thing almost incredible but I haue seene of their Mattes The commodities that come out of Cambaya Great Ordinance made in peeces and yet seruiceable The cheefest place the Portingales haue in the Indies Note the ariuall of the Portingall ships in the Indies A very good sale for Horsses A most vnkind wicked treason against their prince this they haue for giuing credit to strrngers rather then their owne natiue people The sacking of the citie An excellent good polliciâ— to entrap meÌ„ Marke this detestable order of the Gentiles A discription of the burning place Feasting and dancing wheÌ„ they should moorne ☞ An adamanâ— heart Moorning when they shuld reioice A worse order then the first Vngodlye deedes to murther the people The cause why the women do â—o burne themselues Penegonde Thâ— getting of Diamants Marke the discription of this pallace A thing rare to be found in England Palanchine is a small litter borne of foure men Men ride on Bullocks and trauell with them on the waye A prety iest A hard matter for traueilers This is straÌ„ge that euery nobleman may coyne what money he would The marchaÌ„dize that come in out to Bezeneger euery yeare The apparell of those people Their winter is our suÌ„mer Foure small fortes of the Portingales The commodities that go out of the kingdome of Cananor Bettell is a very profitable hearbe in that cuntry Enimies to the king of Portingales Within Cochineis the kingdome of Pepper The pepper that the Portingales bring is not so good as that which goeth for Meca which is brought hether by the straights Great priuileges that the Citizens of Cochin haue The small power of the king of Cochine Amochy and Nayrii are very hardye men haue their wiues common A very straÌ„ge thing hardlye to be beleued The merchaÌ„dize that the Portingales carye from Cochine Note the departing of the ships from Cochine At Caocomery endeth the coast of the Indies The order how they fishe for pearles Dutie paid to the king of Portingale for the fishing of perles These Perles are prised according to the caracts which they waye euerye caract is foure graines and these meÌ„ that prise them haue an instrument of copper with holes in it which be made by degrees for to sort the Perles withal Great trouble and danger Great dangers for ships Colomba a hold of the Portingales The pollicy of the son depriued the father of his kingdome Cayro is a stuffe that they make ropes with the which is the barke of a tree The cutting gathering of sinamon A rare thing A foolish feare of Portingales S. Thomas his sepulcher A discription of S. Thomas his towne called of the Portingales S. Tome A painted kind of cloth and dyed of diuers colours which those people delight much in esteeme them of a great price In the Ilande of Banda they lade Nutmegs for ther they growe In the Ilands of Andeman they eate one another The Mowsies is a kind of fruite growing in clusters and are 5 or 6 inches long 2 peece they growe 5. or 7. on a cluster are a very good meate In any a frute like to a Tâ—â—nep deliciouâ— to eat The commodities that grow
in the kingdom of Assi The great trade that is at Malacca Voiages which are onlye for the king and his noble men At the Moluccos they lade the Cloues The ship of Drugs so termed of the Portingales The distance of places Ilands not discouered A kind of iealious people China is vnder the gouernment of the great Tartar The riches of China It is a most excellent fine mettall as may be made Tymor an Iland from whence commeth all the white SaÌ„dolo A market kept aboord of the ships A prince of a merueilous strength and power Treason Great triumphâ— The mountains of Zerziline A miserable thing They would haue giuen two hundred a halfe of pepper for a small dish of water and they woulâ— not take it their miserie was so great A rare thing The loue of the King to strangers was so great that he would take no custome of them The commodities that goe out of Orisa This cloth we call Nettle cloth In this Bengala they lade Nutmegges for there they growe The Riuer of Ganges Bazaras and Paâ—uas are the names of the Barkes that they row in the Riuer Ganges A town made for two or three monthes and then burnt The commodities that are laden in Satagan These Gentiles are Idolators Moores are of the sect of Mahomet A Ceremonye of the gentiles when they are dead Portingales doo not drink of the water of the Riuer Ganges Mergy a harbour where ships land Niper Wine is a most excellent drink Niper Wine good to cure the french disease Niper Wine very deere in the Indians Great extremitie at Sea This Tortu go is a shell fishe which liueth in y â— Sea and yet laieth his Egges in the Sand I haue seene 200. and od egges in one of their bâ—â— lies Tauay vnder the King of Pegu. Martauan a Citie vnder the King of Pegu. A custom that these People haue when the King is in the warres A lawe in Pegu for killing of men Great pride of the Portin galles A good discrete way taken for safe garde of his goods A reuenge on the Portingales Pegu is the name of the Kingdome and y â— choice Citie is called after that name A thing most meruailous that at the comming of the tide that the earth should quake This tide is like to the tides in our Riuer of Seuerne These tides make their iust course as oâ—rs doo This Macareo is a tide or a coraot Houses made of Cane and couered with leaues of trees Godon is a plaâ—e or house for merchants to lay their goods in The forme of the building of the new Cittye of Pegu. A rich and stately Pallaice Fower white Eliphants This mony cald tansa is halfe a ducket which may be three shillings and foure pence The Prince valure of a King to hazard his whole Kingdome â—o◠〈…〉 Eliphant Eliphantes houses golded ouer with Golde and â—aue theâ—â— meat giuen them in vessells of Siluer and Golde A warhke pollicie An execllent deuice to â—unâ— and take wilde Elliphants A subtill composition An excellent pastime of the Eliphants These canes are like to theÌ„ in Spaine which they call Iaco deâ—ore A strange thing that a beast so wilde should in so short time be made â—ame The greatest strength that the King of Pegu hath A goodly order in a barberous people The order of their weapons and number of his men Exercise in armes is the cheefest defence of a Cuntry 26. crowned Kinges at his commaund 15. hundreth thousand men in one Camp A people of a hard nature and fit for warres Eating of Serpents This King of Pegu is the great King of Tartaria which we call the great Cam or the King of Qâ—in say The riches of this Ring of Pegu. An excellent fine mettall made by a mixture of Copper and Lead The great pompe of this King The order of their going This King hath one wise and 300. concubines The order of Iustice No difference of person before the king in controuersies or in Iustice If we had such paper in England sutes in law would not hang so long The commodities that are ventured in Pegu. Note the de parture of the Ships from S. Tomes to Pegu. Commodities brought into Pegu. The Chickenâ— are peeces of Golde woorth sterling 7. shillinges The Custome house of Pegu is in y â— Kinges house Great rigour for the stea ling of Cust omes Iewells paye custome In those Centries there is another inner lodging but euery man that trauelleth must hier his house and bring his necessaries with him Description of the fruitfulnes of that soyle Deling is a small litter caried with men as is aforesaide Most vile filching of goods Pay custome of the same goods Tareghe are names of the brookes The brokers are lowed to make good al the debts to the merchant A law for banckroutes Euery man may stampe what mony â—e will Buy Golde filuer with copper and leade The order of their monye How a man may despose him selfe for the trade in Pegu. Good instructions The merchandise that goe out of Pegu. Idoll houses what fashion they are of Idoll houses couered with Golde An honest care of hea then people Bargaines made with the nipping of Fingers vnder a cloth The Authors desire to see his Cuntry This Touffon is an extraordinary storme at Sea Touffon commeth but euery 10. or 12. yeeres A heauy case A manifest token of the ebbing and flowing in those Cuntries This Iland is called Sondâ—ua Victualles good cheap Sondiua is the fruitfull leâ—t Cuntry in all the world Chitigan is a port in Bengala where the Portingalles goe with their ships The King of Rachim neighbour to Bengala The force of the King of Rachim The commodities that goe from Chitigan to the Indies The Portingall ships depart toward Portingall out of the harbor of Cochine Goa was besieged A Chicken or a Henne cost 6. shillinges OpiuÌ„ a good Commoditye in Pegu. A reconing before the hoste Pepper tree Ginger Cloues Nutmegs and Maces White Sandolo Canfora LignuÌ„ Aloes Beniamin Long Pepper This Muske the Iewes doâ— counterâ—eite and open the Cods and take out halfe the good muske and take and beat the flesh of an asse and put that in the roome of it Amber Rubies Saphires and Spinelly Pearles Spodiom On the coaste of Melindy in Ethiopia in the land of Caferaria the great trade that the Portingalls haue Buying and selling with out woords one to anoâ—hes Golden trades that the Portingalls haue An order how to prouide to goe ouer the Desart from Babilon to Alepo 36 daies iourny ouer the Wilderne An order how to prouide for the going to Ierusalems Counsell of the author A very good order that they haue in those Cuntries for the recouering of the Goods of the dead Those Merchants that dieth in Pegu loâ—e the one third of their goods to the King Order of apirell in Pegu. The order of the womens aparell in Pegu. An admonition of the Author
emptie and there is dwelling in them nothing as is reported but Tigers and other wilde beasts The circuit of this Citty is foure and twentie miles about and within the walles certaine mountaines the houses stand walled with earth and plaine all sauing the thrée palaces of the thrée tyrant brethren and the Pagodies which are Idoll houses these are made with lime and fine marble I haue seene many kings Courts and yet haue I seene none in greatnes like to this of Bezeneger I saye for the order of his Pallace for it hath nine gates or ports First when you go into the place where the king did lodge there is fiue great portes or gates these are kept with Captaines and Souldiers then within these there are foure lesser gates which are kept with Porters without the first gate there is a little porche where there is a Captaine with fiue and twentie Souldiers that keepeth watche and warde night and daye and within that another with the like garde where through they come to a verye faire Courte and at the ende of that Courte there is another porche as the first with the like guarde and within that another Courte and in this wise are the first fiue gates garded and kept with those Captaines and then the lesser gates within are kept with a garde of Porters which gates stand open the greatest part of the night bicause the custome of the Gentiles is to do their busines and make their feasts in the night rather then by day the Citye is verye safe from théeues for the Portingall Merchants sléepe in the stréetes or vnder porches for the great heate that is there and yet they neuer had any harme in the night At the end of two moneths I determined to go for Goa in the companye of two other Portingale Merchants which were making readye to depart with two Palanchines or little Litters which are very commodious for the waye with eight Falchines which are men hired to carrie the palanchines eight for a palanchine foure at a time they carry them as we vse to carrie barrowes and I bought me two Bullocks one of them to ride on the other to carrie my victuals and prouision for in that countrey they ride on Bullockes with Pannels as we terme them girths and Bridles and they haue a verye good commodious pace from Bezeneger to Goa in summer it is 8 daies iorney but we went in the midst of winter in the moneth of July and were 15 daies comming to Ancole on the sea coast so in 8. daies I had lost my two bullocks for he that carried my victuales was weake could not goe the other when I came to a riuer where was a little Bridge to passe ouer I put my Bullock to swimming in the midst of the riuer there was a little Iland vnto the which my Bullock went and finding pasture there he remained still in no wise we could come to him and so perforce I was forced to leaue him at that time there was much raine and I was forced to goe 7. daies a foote with great paines and by great chance I met with Falchines by the way that I hired to carrie my clothes victuales we had great trouble in our iorney for y ◠euery day we were taken prisoners by reason the great dissention in that kingdom and euery morning at our departure we must pay rescat 4. or 5. Pagies a man and another trouble we had as bad as this that when as we came into a new gouernors country as euery day we did yet for that thy were all tributorie to the king Bezeneger yet euery one of them stamped a seuerall coyne of Copper so that the money that we tooke this day would not serue the next at length hy the help of God we came safe to Ancola which is a countrey of y e quéens of Gargo pam tributary to y e king of Bezeneger The marchandize that went euery year from Goa to Bezeneger was Arabian Horses Veluets Damasks Sattens Armesine of Portingale and péeces of China Saffron Scarlets from Bezeneger they had in Turky for their commodities Jewels and Pagodies which be Duckets of gold the apparrell that they vse in Bezeneger is Veluet Satten Dammaske Scarlet or white bumbast cloth acording to the estate of the person with long hats on their heads called Colae made of Veluet Satten Dammask or Scarlet girding themselues in stead of girdels with some fine white bumbast cloth they haue breeches after the order of the Turks they weare on their feete plaine high things called of them aspergh and at their eares they haue hanging great plenty of Golde Returning to my voyage when we were together in Ancola one of my companions that had nothing to loose tooke a guide and went to Goa whether they goe in 4. dayes the other portingale not being disposed to go tarried in Ancola for that winter the winter in those parts of the Indies beginneth the 15. of May and lasteth vnto the end of October as we were in Ancola there came another Marchant of horses in a planchine and two portingale Souldiers which came from Zeland and two carriers of letters which were Christians borne in the Indies all these consorted to go to Goa together and I determined to go with them and caused a pallanchine to be made for me very poorely of Canes and in one of them Canes I hid priuily all the Jewels I had and according to the order I tooke eight Falchines to carrie me and one daye about eluen of the clocke we set forwards on our iourney and about two of the clock in the afternoone as we passed a mountaine which deuideth the territorie of Ancola and Dyalcan I being a little behind my company was assaulted of by eight théeues foure of them had Swords and Targats and the other foure had Bowes Arrowes when the Falchines that carried me vnderstood the noyse of the assault they let the palanchine me fall to the ground ran away and left me alone with my clothes wrapped about me presently the théeues were on my necke and riseling me they stripped me starke naked and I fained my selfe sicke bicause I would not leaue the Palanchine and I had made me a little bed of my clothes the théeues sought it very narowly and subtilly and found two pursses that I had well bound vp together wherein I had put my Copper mony which I had changed for foure pagodies in Ancola the théeues thinking it had béene so manye Duckets of Golde searched no further then they threw all my clothes in a bush and hied them away and as God would haue it at their departure there fell from them a handkercher and when I sawe it I rose from my Palanchine or Couche and tooke it vp and wrapped it together within my Palanchine Then these my Falchines were of so good condition that they returned to
to make them to pay custome as other did at which time the citizens were glad to way their Pepper in the night that they laded the ships withall that went to Portingale and stole the custome in the night The king of Cochine hauing vnderstanding of this would not suffer any more Pepper to be wayed then presentlye after this the Merchants were licenced to doo as they did before and there was no more speach of this matter nor any more wrong doone This king of Cochine is of a small power in respect of the other kings of the Indies for he can make but seuentye thousand men of armes in his campe hee hath a great number of Gentlemen which he calleth Amochy and some are called Nayry these two sorts of men estéeme not their liues any thing so that it maye be for the honor of his king they will thrust themselues forward in euery danger although they knowe they shall dye These men goe naked from the girdell vpwards with a clothe rowled about their legs going bare footed and hauing theyr haire verye long and rolled vp together on the top of his head and alwayes they carrie their Bucklers or Targets with them and their Swords naked these Nayry haue their wiues common amongst themselues and when any of them go into the house of any of these women he leaueth his Sworde and Target at the dore and the time that he is there there dare not any be so hardy as to come into that house The kings children shall not inherit the kingdome after their Father bicause they holde this opinion that perchance they were not begotten of the king their Father but of some other man therefore they accept for their King one of the Sonnes of the kings Sisters or of some other woman of the bloud royall for that they be sure they are of the bloud royall The Nayri and their wiues vse for a brauerye to make great holes in their eares and so bigge and wide that it is incredible holding this opinion that the greater the holes be the more noble they estéeme themselues I had leaue of one of them to measure the circumference of one of them with a thred and within that circumference I put my arme vp to the shoulder clothed as it was so that in effect they are monstrous great Thus they doo make them when they be little for then they open the eare and hange a péece of golde or lead thereat and in the opening in the â—ole they put a certaine leafe that they haue for that purpose which maketh the hole so great They lade Ships in Cochine for Portingale and for Ormus but they that go for Ormus carrie no Pepper but by Contrabanda as for Sinamond they easilye get leaue to carrye that awaye for all other Spices and drugs they maye liberallye carrie them to Ormus or Cambaia and so all other merchandize which come from other places but out of the kingdome of Cochine proper they carry away from thence into Portingale great aboundance of Pepper great quantitie of Ginger dried and conserued wilde Sinamond good quantitie of Arecha great store of Cordage of Cayro made of the barke of the Trée of the great Nut and better then that of Hempe of which they carrie great store into Portingale The Shippes euerye yeare depart from Cochine to goe for Portingale in the fist of December or the fift of Januarie Nowe to followe my voyage for the Indies From Cochine I went to Coylane distant from Cochine seauentie and two miles which Coylan is a small Fort of the king of Portingales scituate in the kingdome of Coylane which is a King of the Gentiles and of small trade at that place they lade onlye halfe a Shippe of Pepper and then she goeth to Cochine to take in the rest and from thence to Cao Comeri is seauentie and two miles and there endeth the coast of the Indies and alongst this coast néere to the water side and also of Cao comery downe to the low land of Chialoa which is about two hundred miles The people there are as it were all returned to the Christian faith there are also Churches of the Friers of Saint Paules order which Friers doo very much good in those places to turne the people and in conuerting them and take great trouble in instructing them in the lawe of Christ The fishing for Pearles THe Sea that lieth betwéene the coast which discendeth from Cao Comery to the low land of Chialoa and the Iland Zeyland they call it the Fishing of Pearles which fishing they make euerye yeare beginning in Marche or Aprill and it lasteth 50 daies but they do not fish euery yeare in one place but one yeare in one place another yeare in another place of the same sea when the time of this fishing draweth néere then they send verye good Dyuers that goe to discouer where the greatest heapes of Dysters be vnder water and right against that place where the greatest store of Dysters be there they make or plant a village with houses and a Bazaro all of stone which standeth as long as the fishing time lasteth and it is furnished with all thing necessary now then it is néere vnto places that are inhabited and other times far of according to the place where they fish The fishermeÌ„ are all Christians of the countrey and who that will may go to fishing paying a certaine dutie to the king of Portingale to the Churches of the friers of S. Paule which are in that coast all the while that they are fishing there is thrée or foure Fustes armed to defend the fishermen from Corsarios It was my chance to be there one time in my passage saw the order that they vsed in fishing which is this there are 3 or 4 barks y â— make coÌ„sort together which are like to our little pilot boats a litle lesse there goeth 7. or 8. men in a Boate and I haue séene in a morning great number of them go out and anker in 15. or 18 fadomes of water which is the ordinarye depth of all that coast when they are at ankor they cast a rope into the Sea and at the end of the rope they make fast a great stone and then there is ready a man that hath his nose and his eares well stopped and annoynted with Oyle and a Basket about his neck or vnder his left arme then he goeth downe by the rope to the bottome of the sea and as fast as he can he filleth the basket and when it is full he shaketh the rope his fellowes that are in the Bark hale him vp with the basket and in such wise they go one by one vntill they haue laden their barke with Oysters and then at the euening they come to the village and then euery company maketh theire mountaine or heape of Oysters one distant from another in such wise that you shall sée a great
not so good as the other is and in these woods groweth much Pepper Negapatan FRom Zeyland within y e Iland to go with small ships to Negapatan within the firme land 72. miles of is a very great citie very populous of Portingales and Christians of the countrey and parte Gentiles it is a countrey of small trade neither haue they any trade there saue a good quantity of Rice and cloth of bumbast which they carry into diuers parts it was a very plentifull countrey of victuales but now a great deale lesse that abouÌ„dance of victuales caused many Portingales to go thither and build houses dwell there with small charge This Citie belongeth to a noble man of the kingdome of Bezeneger being a Gentile neuerthelesse the Portingales and other Christians are well intreated there haue their Churches there with a Monastery of S. Francis order with great deuotion and verye well accommodated with bouses round about yet for all this they are amongst tyrants which alwaies at their pleasure may doo them some harme as it happened in the yeare of our Lord God 1565 which I remember verye well how that the Naic that is to saye the Lord of the Citie sent to the Cittizens to demand of them certaine Arabian Horsses and they hauing denied them vnto him and gainesaid his demand it came to passe that this Lord had a desire to sée the Sea which when the poore Citizens vnderstood thereof they doubted some euill to heare a thing which was not woont to bee they thought that this man would come to sacke the Citie and presently they imbarked themselues the best they could with their mooueables merchandize Jewels money and all that they had and caused the ships to put from the shore when this was doone as their ill chauÌ„ce would haue it the next night following there came such a great storme which put all the ships a land perforce and brake them to péeces and all the goods that came a land and was saued was taken from them by the Soldiors and armye of this Lorde which came downe with him to sée the sea and were attendant at the Sea side not thinking any such thing to haue hapned Saint Thomas or san Tome FRom Nega patan sollowing my voyage towards the East a hundreth fiftie miles I found the house of blessed S. Thomas which is a Church of great deuotion and greatlye regarded of the Gentiles for the great miracles that they haue heard hath béene doone by that blessed Apostle néere vnto this Church the Portingales haue builded them a Citie in the countrie subiect â—o the king of Bezeneger which Cittye although it be not verye greate in my iudgement it is the fayrest in all that parte of the Indyes and it hath verye fayre houses and fayre Gardens in vacant places very well accommodated it hath stréetes large and straight with many churches of great deuotion their houses be set close vnto an other with little doores euery house hath his defence so that by that meanes it is of force suffitient to defend themselues against that countrey the Portyngales there haue no other possession but their Gardens and houses that are within the Cittie the customes belong to the king of Bezeneger which are very small and easye for that it is a Countrey of great riches and great trade there commeth euery yeare two or thrée great ships very riche besides many other small ships one of the two great ships goeth for Pegan and the other for Mallaca laden with fine bumbast cloth of euery sort painted which is a rare thing because those kind of clothes shew as they were gilded with diuers colours and the more they be washed the liuelier the colours wil shew also there is other cloth of bumbast which is wouen with diuers colours are of great valew also they make in Sane Tome great store of red Yarne which they dys with a roote called Saya and this colour will neuer wast but the more it is washed the more redder it will shew they lade this yarne the greatest parte of it for Pegan because that there they worke and weaue it to make cloth according to their owne fashion and with lesser charges It is a meruelous thing to them which haue not séene the laging and vnlading of men and marchaÌ„dize in S. Tome as they do it is a place so dangerous there a man cannot be serued with small barkes neither can they do their busines with the boates of the shippes because they would be beaten in a thousaÌ„d peeces but they make certain barkes of purpose highe which they call Masady they be made of little Boardes one Board sowed to another with small cordes and in this order are they made And when they are thus made and that they will embarke anye thing in them eythe men or goodes they lade them a land and when they are laden the Barke men shruste the boate with her lading into the streame and with greate spéede they make haste all that they are able to rowe out against the huge waues of the sea that are on that shore vntill that they carry them to thâ— Shippes and in like manner they lade these Masudies aâ— the Shippes with marchandize and men when they come néere the shore the Bark-men kéepe out of the Barke into the Sea to kéepe the Barke right that shée cast not thwart the shore being kept right the Suffe of the Sea setteth her lading drye a land without any burt or daunger and sometimes there is some of them that is ouerthrowne but there can bee no great losse because theâ— lade but a little at a time all the marchandize that they laâ— outwardes they emball it well with Oxe hides so that if â—â— take wette it can haue no great harme In my voyage returning in the yéere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred sixtye and sixe I went from Goa vnto Malacca in a Shippe or Galion of the King of Portingales which went vnto Banda for to lade Nutmegs and Maces from Goa to Malaca one thousand eight hundred miles we passed within the Iland Zeyland and went through the chanell of Nicubar or else through the channell of Sombrero which is by the middle of the Iland called Sumtara called Taprobana from Nicuber to Pigue is as it were a rowe or chaine of an infinite number of Ilandes of which many are enhabited with wilde people and they call those Ilandes the Ilands of Andeman and they call their people sauadge or wilde because they eate one another also these Ilandes haue warre one with another for they haue small Barkes and with them they take one an other and so eate one an other and if by euill thaunce any Ship be loste on those Ilands as many haue béene there is not one man of those Ships lost there that escapeth vneaten or vnstaine these people haue not any acquaintance with any other people neither haue
Satagan where the Marchants gather them selues together with their trade are â—â—20 miles which they rowe in 18. howers with the increace of the water in which Riuer it floweth and ebbeth as it dooth in the Themes and when the ebbing water is come they are not able to rowe against it by reason of the swiftnesse of the water yet their Barkes be light and armed with oares like to Foistes yet they cannot preuaile against that streame but for refuge must make them fast to the banke of the riuer vntill the next flowing water and they call these barkes Bazaras and Patuas they row as wel as a Gallyot or as wel as euer I haue séen any a good tides rowing before you come to Satagan you shall haue a place which is called Buttor and from thence vpwardes the Shippes doo not goe because that vpwards the Riuer is very shallowe and little water euerye yéere at Buttor they make and vnmake a Village with houses and shops made of Strawe and with all thinges necessary to their vses and this village standeth as long as the shippes ride there and depart for the Indies and when they are departed euery man goeth to his plotte of houses and there setteth fier on them which thing made me to meruaile For as I passed vp to Satagan I saw this village standing with a great number of people with an infinite number of Shippes and Bazars and at my returne comming downe with my Cartaine of the last ship for whome I tarried I was all amazed to sée such a place so soone rased and burnt nothing left but the signe of the burnt houses the Small Ships goe to Satagan and there they lade Of the Citie of SATAGAN IN the port of Satagan euery yéere ladeth 30. or 35. Shippes great and small with Ryce Cloth of Bombaste of diuers sortes Lacca great abundance of Suger Mirabolany dried and preserued long Pepper Oyle of Zerzeline and many other sorts of Marchandise The Citie of Satagan is a reasonable faire Citie for a Citie of the Moores abounding in all thinges and was gouerned by the King of Patane and now is subiect to the great Magoll I was in this Kingdome fowre monthes wheras many marchants did buye or fraight boats for their benefits and with these barkes they goe vp and downe the riuer of Ganges to Faires buying their commodity with a great aduantage because that euery daye in the Weeke they haue a Faire now in one place and now in another and I also hired a barke and went vp and downe the riuer and did my businesse and so in the night I sawe many straunge things The kingdom of Bengala in times past haue bene as it were in the power of Moores neuerthelesse there is great store of Gentiles among them alwayes whereas I haue spoken of Gentiles is to be vnderstood Idolaters and wheras I speak of Moores I meane Mahomets sect especially those people that bee within the lande doe greatly worshippe the riuer of Ganges for when any is sicke he is brought out of the country to the bancke of the riuer and there they make him a small cottage of Strawe and euery day they wet him with that Water whereof there is many that die and when they are dead they make a heape of stickes and boughes and lay the dead bodie thereon and putting fire thereunto they let the body alone vntill it be halfe rosted and then they take it off from the fire and make an empty iar fast about his neck and so throwe him into the riuer These things euerie night as I passed vp and downe the riuer I sawe for the space of two moneths as I passed to the fayres to buy my commodities with the Merchauntes and this is the cause that the Portugalles will not drincke of the water of the riuer Ganges yet to the sight it is more perfecter and clearer then that water of Nylus is From y â— port of Pechineo I went to Cochim and from Cochim to Malaca from whence I departed for Pegu eight hundred miles distant that voyage was woÌ„t to bee made in twentie fiue or thirtie dayes but wee were fowre moneths and at the end of thrée moneths our Shippe was without victualles The Pilot tolde vs that wee were by his altitude from a Citie called Tenassiry a Citie in the kingdome of Pegu and these his wordes were not true but we were as it were in y â— middle of manie Ilands and manie vninhabited rocks and there were also some Portugals that affirmed that they knew the Land knewe also where the Citie of Tenassiry was Which citie of right belongeth to the kingdome of Sion which is scituate on a great riuer side which commeth out of the kingdome of Sion and where this riuer runneth into the sea there is a village called Mergy in whose harbour euerie yere there ladeth some Shippes with Uerzina Nypa and Beniamin a few cloues nuts maces which come from the coast of Sion but the greatest merchandise there is verzing and nypa which is an excellent Wine which is had in the flowre of a tree called Nyper Whose liquor they distill and so make an excellent drincke cleere as Christall good to the mouth and better to the stomacke and it hath an excellent gentle virtue that if one were rotten with the french pocks drinking good store of this hee shall be whole againe and I haue séen it proued because that wheÌ„ I was in Cochin ther was a friende of mine that his nose began to droppe away with that diseaze and was counselled of the doctors of phisicke that he should goe to Tenassary at the time of the new wines and that he should drincke of the nyper Wine night and day as much as he could before it was distilled which at that time it is most delicate but after that it is distilled it is more stronger and drincke much of it it will fume into the heade with drunkennesse This man went thither and did so and I haue séene him after with a good colour and sounde This Wine is verie much esteemed in the Indies for that that it is brought so farre off it is very deare in Pegu ordinarily it is good cheape because it is neerer to the place where they make it and there is euerie yeere great quantitie made thereof and returning to my purpose I say being amongst these rockes and farre from the land which is ouer against Tenassary with great scarsitie of victualles and that by the saying of the pylate and two Portugalles holding then firme that we were in front of the aforesaide harbour we determined to goe thither with our boat and â—etch victualles and that the shippe shoulde stay for vs in a place assigned we were twenty and eight persons in the boat that went for victualles and on a day about twelue of the clocke we went from the Ship assuring our selues to be in the harbour before night
custome but Rubies Safyres and Spynelles pay no custome in nor out because they are founde growing in that countrie I haue spoken before how that all Merchantes that meane to go thorow the Indies must carie all manner houshoulde stuffe with them which are necessarie for a house because that there is not any lodging nor Innes nor hostes nor chamber roome in that Countrie but the first thing a man doth when hee commeth to anie Citie is to hier a house either by the yéere or by the moneth or as he meanes to stay in those partes In Pegu their order is to hier their houses for sixe moneths Nowe from Cosmin to the Citie of Pegu they goe in sixe howers with the flood and if it be ebbing Water then they make fast their boate to the Riuer side and there tarrie vntill the Water flowe againe It is a verie commodious and pleasant voyage hauing on both sides of the riuers manie great villages which they call Cities in the which Hennes Pygions Egges Milke ryce and other things bee verie good cheape It is all plaine and a goodly Countrey and in eight dayes you may make your voyage vp to Macceo distant from Pegu twelue myles and there they discharge their goodes and lade it in Carts or Waynes drawn with Oxen and the merchauntes is caried in a closet which they call Delinge in the which a man shall bee verie well accommodated with Cushions vnder his head and couered for the defence of the Sunne and raine and there hée may sleepe if he haue wil therunto and his fowre Falchiues carie him roming away changing two at one time and two at another The custom of Pegu and fraight thether may amount vnto twentie or twenty two per cento and 23. according as he hath more or lesse stolen from him that day they custome the goods It is requisite that a man haue his eyes watchfull and to be carefull and to haue manie friendes for when they custome in the great hall of the King there commeth manie Gentlemen accompanied with a number of their slaues and these gentlemē haue no shame that their slaues rob straungers whether it be cloth in shewing of it or any other thing they laugh at it And although the merchantes helpe one another to kéep watch and looke to their goodes they cannot looke to that so narowly but one or other will rob something either more or lesse according as their Merchandise is more or lesse and yet in this day there is a worse thing then this although you haue set so manie eyes to looke there for your benefite that you escape vnrobbed of the slaues a man cannot choose but that he must be robbed of the officers of the custome house For paying the custome with the same goods often times they take the best that you haue and not by rate of euerie sort as they ought to doe by which meanes a man payeth more then his duety at length when you haue dispatched the goodes out of the custome house in this order the Merchant causeth them to bee caried to his house and may doe with them at his pleasure There is in Pegu eight Brokers of the Kings which are called Tareghe who are bounde to sell all the merchandize to come to Pegu at the common or the corent price then if the merchants will sell their goodes at that price they sell it away and the Brokers haue two in y ◠hundreth of euerie sort of Merchandise and they are bounde to make good the debtes of that goodes because it is solde by their handes or meanes and on their wordes and oftentimes the merchant knoweth not to whome he giueth his goodes yet hee cannot lose any thing thereby for that the broker is bounde in any wise to pay him and if the merchant sell his goodes without the consent of the broker yet neuerthelesse he must pay him two percento and be in daunger of his mony but this is verie seldome seene because the Wife Children and slaues of the debttor are bounde to the creditor and when his time is expired and paiment not made the creditor may take the debter and carie him home to his house and shut him vp in a Magazen whereby presently he hath his monie and not beeing able to pay the creditor hee may take the wife children and slaues of the debtor and sell them for so is the law of that kingdome The corant mony that is in this citie and throughout all this kingdome is called Gansa or Ganza which is made of Copper and Leade It is not the monie of the King but euerie man may stampe it that will because it hath his iust partition or valure but they make many of them false by putting ouermuch leade into them and those will not passe neither will any take them With this money Ganza you may buy Golde or Siluer Rubies and Muske and other thinges For there is no other mony corant amongest them And Golde Siluer and other Merchandise is one time déerer then another as all other things bee This Ganza goeth by weight of Byze and this name of Byza goeth for the accounpt of the waight and commonly a Byza of a Ganza is worth after our account halfe a ducket little more or lesse and according as Golde and Siluer is more or lesse in price but the Byza neuer changeth euerie Byza maketh a hundreth Ganza of waight so the number of the mony is Byza They that goe to Pegu to buy Jewels and if hée will doe well it behoueth him to bee a whole yéere there to doe his businesse if he will doe it well For if so bée that hee would returne with the Ship he came in he cannot doe anie thing well for the breuity of the time because that when they custome their goodes in Pegu that come from S. Tome in their Shippes it is as it were about the natiuitie and when they haue customed their goods then they must sell it for credite for a moneth or two and then at the beginning of March the Shippes depart The Merchants that come from S. Tome take for the paiment of their goods gold and siluer which is neuer wanting there And 8. or 10. daies before their departure they are all satisfied also they may haue Rubies in paiment but they make no account of them they that will winter there for another yéere it is needefull that they be aduertized that in the sale of their goodes that they sperify in their bargain the term of two or thrée mōths paiment and y ◠their paiment shal be in so many Ganza and neither golde nor siluer because that with the Ganza they may buy and sell euerie thing with great aduantage And howe néedefull it is to be aduertized that when they will recouer their payments in what order they shall receiue their Ganza because hee that is not practicke may doe him selfe great
wrong in the waight of the Gansa as also in the falsenesse of them in the waight hee may bee greatly deceiued because that from place to place it doth rise and fall greatly and therefore when any man will receiue money or make paiment hee must take a publique wayer of money a day or two before hee goe about his businesse and giue him in payment for his labour two Byza a moneth and for this hee is bounde to make good all your mony heerby and to maintaine it for good for that hee receiueth it and seales the bagges with his Seale and when hee hath receiued any store there hee causeth it to bee brought into the Magasea of the Merchant that is the owner of it That mony is verie waightie for forty Byza is a great Porters burden and also where the Merchant hath any paymente to bee made for those goodes whiche hee buyeth the Comon wayer of mony that receiueth his mony must make the payment thereof So that by this means the Merchant with the charges of two Byzes a moneth receiueth and payeth out his monie without losse or trouble Those merchandise that goe out of the Pegu are these as Gold Siluer Rubies Saphyres Spynelles great store of Beniamen long Peper Leade Lacca Ryce Wine some Sugar yet there might be great store of Sugar made in the Cuntry for that they haue abundance of Canes but they giue them to Eliphants to eat and the people consume great store of them for foode and many more doe they consume in vaine things as these In that Kingdome they spend many of these Sugar canes in making of houses and tents which they call Varely for their Idoles which they call Pagody whereof there is great abundance great small and these houses are made in forme to little hilles like to Sugar loaues or to Belles and some of these houses are as high as a reasonable stéeple at the foote they are verie large that some of them bee in circuit a quarter of a mile the said houses within are full of earth and walled round about with brickes and dirt in stead of lyme and without forme from the top to the foot they make a couering for them with Sugar Canes and plaistered with lyme all ouer for otherwise they woulde be spoyled by the great abundance of rain that falleth in those Countreyes also they consume about these verely or Idoll houses great store of lease Golde for that they ouerlay al the toppes of the houses with gold and some of them is couered with Golde from the toppe to the foote In couering whereof there is great store of Gold spent for that euerie ten yeeres they new ouerlay them with gold from the top to foote so that with this vanitie they spende great aboundaunce of gold For euerie ten yeeres the raine doth consume the Golde from these houses And by this meanes they make Gold dearer in Pegu then it would bee if they cōsumed not so much in this vanitie Also it is a thing to be noted in the buying of Jewels in Pegu for he that hath no knowledge shall haue as good Jewels and as good cheap as he that hath beene practized there a long time which is a good order which is this There is in Pegu fowre men of good reputatiō which are called Tareghe or brokers of Jewels These fowre men haue all the Jewels or Rubies in their handes and the Merchant that will buy commeth to one of these Tareghe and telleth him that he hath so much money to imploy in Rubies For through the handes of these fowre men passeth all the Rubies for they haue such quantity that they knowe not what to doe with them but sell them at a moste vile and base price When the Merchant hath broke his minde to on of these Brokers or Tareghe they carie him hōe to one of their Shops although he haue no knowledge in Jewels and when the Jewellers perceiue that hee will employ a good rounde summe they will make bargaine and if not they let him alone The vse generally of this Citie is this y ◠when any Merchant hath brought any great quantity of Rubies and haue agréed for them the Merchant carieth them home to his house let them bee of what valure they wil he shall haue space to looke on them and relooke them two or thrée dayes and if hee haue no knowledge in them he shal alwayes haue many Merchants in that City that hath very good knowledge in Jewels with whome hee may alwayes conferre and take counsell with them and shewe them vnto whome he will and if he finde that hee hath not employed his money well he may returne his Jewelles backe to them whome hee had them of without any losse at all Which thing is such a shame to the Tereghe to haue his Jewels returne that he had rather to beare a blowe on the face then that it shoulde be thought that he shoulde sell them so deere to haue them returned For these men haue alwayes great care that they make good employmentes especially to those that haue no knowledge This they doe because they woulde not loose their credite and when those Merchantes that haue knowledge in Jewelles buy any if they buy them déere it is there owne faults and not the Brokers yet it is good to haue knowledge in Jewelles by reason that he may somewhat ease the price There is also a verie good order for which they haue in buying of Jewelles which is this there is many merchants that standeth by at the making of the bargaine and because they shall not vnderstande howe the Jewels be solde The Broker and the Merchants haue their handes vnder a cloth and by touching of fingers and nipping the ioynts they knowe what is done what is bidden and what is asked So that the standers by know not what is demanded for them although it be for a thousand or ten thousand Duckets For euerie ioynt and euerie finger hath his signification For if the Merchants that stand by should vnderstand the bargain it woulde breede great controuersie amongest them and at my beeinge in Pegu in the moneth of August in Anno 69. and hauing gotten well by my endeuor I was desirous to sée mine owne Countrie and I thought it good to goe by the way of Saint Tome but then I should tarrie vntill March In which iourney I was councelled yea and fullie resolued to goe by the way of Bangala with a Shippe there ready to depart for that voyage And when wee were departed from Pegu to Chitigan a greate harbour or port from whence there goeth small Shippes to Cochin before the fléete departe for Portugall in which Shippes I was fully determined to goe to Lyshborn so to Venice When I had thus resouled my selfe I went a boord of the Shippe of Bengala at which time it was the yeere of Touffon and to vnderstand what this Touffon is vnderstand that in
the Indies often times there is not stormes as is in other countries but euerie ten or twelue yeeres there is such tempests and stormes that it is a thing incredible but to those that haue séene it neither doe they knowe certaine what yeere it will come Unfortunate are they that are at Sea in that yéere and time of Touffon because few there are that escape that daunger In this yéere it was our chance to bee at Sea with the like storme but it happened well vnto vs for that our Shippe was newly ouer-plancked and had not any thing in her saue victuall and balastes Siluer and Golde whiche from Pegu they carrie to Bengala and no other kinde of Merchandise This Touffon or cruell storme endured thrée dayes and thrée nightes In which time it caried away our sayles yardes and Rother and because the Shippe laboured in the Sea we cut our mast ouer boâ—rd which when we had done she laboured a greate deale more then before for when our Mast was gone the Shippe laboured worse then before in such wise that the Shippe was almoste full with Water that came in ouer the highest and so went downe and for the space of three dayes and three nightes sixtie men did nothing but bale out Water out of her in this wise twentie men in one place and twentie men in another place and twentie in another place and for all this storme the Shippe was so good that shée tooke not one iot of Water alowe through the sides but all ranne downe through the hatches that those sixtie men did nothing but cast the Sea into the Sea And thus driuing two and fro as the winde and Sea woulde wée were driuen in a darke night about fowre of the clocke and cast on a Sholde yet when it was day we coulde neither sée land on one side nor other knew not where wee were And as it pleased the deuine power there came a great waue of the Sea and so driue vs beyond the Shold And when we felt the Ship aâ—lote wee rose vp as men reuiued because the Sea was calme and smoth water and then sounding we found twelue fadome Water and within a while after we had but â—iâ—e Fadom and then presently we came to anckor with a small anckor that was left vs with the sterne for all our other were lost in y â— storme by and by the Shippe was a ground and stroke and then wée did prop her that shee shoulde not ouerthrowe When it was day the ship was all a drye and found the Shippe a good mile from the sea on drie Lande This Toffon béeing ended we discouered an Ilande not farre from vs and we went from the ship on the Sandes to see what Ilande it was and we founde it a place inhabited and to my iudgement the firtelest Ilande in all the Worlde the which is deuided into two pars by a chanel which passeth be twéen it w t great trouble we brought our ship into y â— chanell which parteth the Ilande with a flowing Water and there we determined to stay fortie dayes to refresh vs and when the people of y e Iland saw the Ship and that we were comming a lande presently they made a place of Bazar or a market with Shops right ouer against the Ship with all manner of prouision of victualles to eat which they brought downe in great abundance and solde it so good cheape that we were amazed at the cheapenesse thereof I bought many salted kine there for the prouision of the Ship for halfe a Larine a peece which Larine may be twelue shillinges sixe pence and verie good and fat and fowre wilde hogges ready dressed for a Larine a great fat henne for a Bizze a peece which is at the most a pennie and the people tolde vs that we were deceiued the halfe of our monie because we bought thinges so déere Also a sacke of fine Ryce for a thing of nothing and consequently all other things for humaine sustenance were in such abundance that it is a thing incredible but to them that haue seene it This Ilande is called Sondiua belonging to the kingdom of Bengala distant 120 miles from Chitigan to which place we were bound The people are Moores and the King a verie good man of a Moore king for if he had béene a Tyrant as others bee hee might haue robbed vs of all because the Portugall Captaine of Chitigan was in armes against the Retor of that place and euerie day there were some slaine at which newes wee rested there with no small feare kéeping good watch ward abroad euerie night as the vse is but the gouernour of the Towne did coÌ„fort vs and bad vs that we should feare nothing but that we should repose our selues securely without any danger although the Portugalles of Chitigan had slaine the Gouernour of that Citie and saide that wée were not culpable in that fact and more he did vs euerie day what pleasure he coulde which was a thing contrarie to our iudgementes considering that they and the people of Chitigan were both subiectes to one King We departed from Sondiua and came to Chitigan the great port of Bengala at the same time that the Portugalles had made peace and taken a truce with the gouernours of the Towne with this condition that the cheefe Captaine of the Portugalles with his Shippes shoulde depart without any lading for there were then at that time eightéene Shippes of Portugalles great and small This Captaine being a Gentleman and of good courage Yet for all this he was contented to depart to his greate hindrance rather then hee woulde séeke to hinder so manye of his freendes as were there as also because the time of the yéere was spent to goe to the Indies The night before he departed euerie Shippe that had any lading in them put it a boorde of the Captaine to helpe to ease his charge and to recompence his courtesies In this time there came a Messenger from the King of Rachim to this Portugall Captaine who saide in the behalfe of his King that hée had heard of the courage and valure of him desiring him gentlie that he woulde vouchsafe to come with this Shippe into his port and comming thither hee shoulde bee verie well entreated This Portugall went thether and verie well satisfied of this King This King of Rachim hath his seate in the middle coast betweene Bengala and Pegu and the greatest enemy hee hath is the King of Pegu which King of Pegu imagineth night and day to make this King of Rachim his subiect but by no meanes he is able to do it because the King of Pegu hath no power nor armie by sea And this King of Rachim may arme two hundreth Galleyes or Fusts by Sea and by Lande he hath certaine sâ—uses with the which when the king of Pegu pretendeth any harme towardes him hee may at his pleasure drowne a great part
and those berryes be graynes in Peper so that when they gather them they bee gréene and then they lay them in the Sunne and they become blacke The Ginger groweth in this wise the Land is tilled and sowen and the herbe is like to Panyzzo and the roote is the Ginger These two spices growe in diuers places The Cloues came all from y e Moluches which Moluches are two Ilands not verie great and the trée that they grow on is like to our Lawrell trée The Nutmegs and Maces which growe both together are brought from the Iland of Banda whose tree is like to our Walnut tree but not so big All the good white Sandolo is brought from the Iland of Timor Canfora being compound commeth all from China and al that which groweth in canes commeth from Bruneo and I think that this Canfora coÌ„meth not into these partes For that in India they consume great store and that is very deare The good Lignum aleos commeth from Chochinchina The Beniamen commeth from the kingdome of Assi and Sion Long Peper groweth in Bengala Pegu and Giaua Muske commeth from Tartaria which they make in this order as by good information I haue been told there is a certain beast in Tartaria which is wild as big as a wolfe which beast they take aliue beat him to death with small staues that his blood may be spread through his whole bodie then they cut it in péeces and take out all the bones and beat the flesh with the bloud in a morter verie small and drie it and make purses to put it in of the Skinne and these bee the coddes of muske Truely I knowe not whereof the Amber is made and there is diuers opinions of it but this is most certaine it is cast out of the Sea and throwne a land and found vpon the sea banckes The Rubyes Saphyres and the Spynelly they be gotten in the kingdome of Pegu. The Diamandes they come from diuers places and I know but three of theÌ„ That sort of Diamands that is called Chiappe they come from Bezeneger Those that bee pointed naturally come from the land of Dely and from Iaua but the Diamonds of Iaua are more waightie then the other I coulde neuer vnderstand from whence they that are called Balasy come Pearles they fish them in diuers places as before in this booke is showne From Cambaza as the Spodiom coniealeth in certaine canes I founde manye of them in Pegu when I made my house there because that as I haue saide before they make their houses there of wouen Canes like to mattes From Chianela they trade alongest the coast of Melyndy in Ethiopia within the lande of Caferaria on that coaste are many good harbors kept by the Moores Thither the Portugalles bring a kinde of Bombast cloth of a Lowe price and greate store of Paternosters or beads made of paltrie glasse which they make in Chiawle according to the vse of the Countrie from thence they carry Eliphants teeth for India Slaues called Caferi and some Amber and Golde On this coast the king of Portugall hath his castle called Mozenbich which is of great importaunce as any castle that he hath in all his Indies vnder his protection and the captaine of this castle hath certaine voiages to this Caferaria to which places no merchantes may go but by the agent of this Captaine and they vse to goe in small ships and trade with the Caferaries and their trade in buying and selling is without any spéeche one to the other In this wise the Portugalles bring their goods by litle and litle alongst the sea coast and lay it down and so depart and the Cafer merchants come see y e goods there they put down as much gold as they think the goods is worth and so goeth his way and leaueth his gold and the goods together then commeth the Portugal and finding the gold to his content he taketh it and goeth his way into his ship then commeth the Cafer and taketh away the goodes carieth it away and if hee find the golde there still it is a signe that the Portugalles are not contented and if the Cafeâ— thinke he hath put to little he addeth more as he thinketh the thing is worth and the Portugalles must not stand with them to strickt for if they doe then they will haue no more trade with them For they disdain to be refused when they think that they haue offered ynough for they be a peeuish people and haue dealt so of a long time by this trade the Portugals change their commodities into gold and cary it to the Castle of Mozonbich which is an Iland not farre distant froÌ„ the firm land of Caferaria on the cost of Ethiopia distant from y e India 2800 miles Now to return to my voiage wheÌ„ I came to Ornus I found ther M. Fra 〈◊〉 is Berettine of Venice wee fraighted a barke together to go for Basora for 70 duckets with vs there went other merchaÌ„ts which did ease our fraight very coÌ„modiouslie we came to Balzora ther we staied â—o days for prouiding a Carauan of barks to go to BabyloÌ„ becase they vse not to goâ— or 3 barks at once but 25 or 30 because in y â— night they caÌ„not go but must make theÌ„ fast to y e banks of the riuer then we must make a very good strong gard to be wel prouided of armor for respect safegard of our goods because y e number of theeues is great y â— come to spoil rob y e merchants when we depart froÌ„ Babylon we go a litle with our sail the voiage is â—8 or 40 days long but we were 50 dayes on it when we came to Babylon we staid ther 4 months vntil the Carauan was ready to go ouer the wildernes or desert for Alepo in this citie we were 6. merchants y â— accompanted together 5 Venecians a Portugal whose names were as foloweth Messez Florinasa w t one of his kinsmen Meser Andrea depolo the Portugall and M. Franses berettin and I so we furnished our selues with victuals beanes for our horses for 40 days we bought horses and Mewles for that they be verie good cheape there I my self bought a horse there for 11 akens and solde him after in Lepo for 30 duckets Also wee bought a Teant which did vs verie great pleasure we had also amongst vs 32 Camels laden w t merchandise for the which we paide 2 duckets for euery camels lading for euery ten camels they made 11 for so is ther vse custom We take also with vs 3 men to serue vs in the voiage which are vsed to go in those voiages for 5. Dd. a man bound to serue vs to Alepo so y â— we passed very wel without any trouble when the camels cal down to rest our pauilioÌ„ was
the first that was erected the Carauan maketh but sinall iournies about 20 miles a day they set forwards euery morning before day â— houres about â— in y e after noon they sit down we had great good hap in our voyage for that it rained For which cause we neuer wanted water but euerie daye founde good Water so that we coulde not take anie hurt for want of Water Yet we carried a Camel laden alwayes with water y t for euerie good respect y t might chance in the desart so that wee had no want neither of one thing nor other that was to be had in the countrie For wee came verie well furnished of euerie thing and euerie day we eate fresh mutton because their came many Shepheards with vs with their flocks who kept those Sheepe that wee bought in Babylon and euerie merchant marked his shéepe with his owne marke and we gaue the Shepherds a Maidene which is two pence of our mony for the keeping and féeding our Sheepe on the way and for killing of them And beside the Mayden they haue the heads the Skinnes and the intralles of euerie Shéepe they kill We six bought twentie sheep and when we came to Alepo we had seuen aliue of them and in the Carauan they vse this order that the merchants doe lend flesh one to another because they will not carie rawe flesh with them but accomodate one another by lending one one day and another another day From Babylon to Alepo is fortye dayes iourney of the which they make thirtie sixe dayes ouer the Wildernes in which thirtie sixe dayes they neither sée house trées nor people that inhabit it but all onely plaine and no signe of any way in the world The Pilots they go before and the Carauan foloweth after And when they sit downe all the Carauan vnladeth and sitteth downe for they know the stations where the walles are I say in thirtie six dayes we passe ouer the wildernesse For when wee depart from Babylon two dayes wee passe by villages inhabited vntill we haue passed the riuer Euphrates And then within two dayes of Alepo wee haue villages enhabited In this Carauan there goeth alway a Captaine that doth Justice vnto all men and euerie night they kéepe watch about the Carauan and comming to Alepo we went to Trypolie whereas M. Florin M. Andreapolo and I with a frier went and hired a barke to go with vs to Ierusalem departing from Tripoly we ariued at Zaffo from which place in a day and half we went to Ierusalem and wee gaue order to our barke to tarie for vs vntill our returne We stayed in Ierusalem fourteene dayes to visite those holy places from whence wee returned to Zaffo and from Zaffo to Tripoly and there wee shipped our selues in a Shippe of Venice called the Bagazzana And by the helpe of the deuine power wee ariued safely in Venice the fift of Nouember 1581. If there bee any that hath any desire to go into those parts of India let him not be astonied at the troubles that I haue passed because I was imbaratsed in many things for that I went verie pore from Venice w t 1200. Duckets imployed in merchandice and when I came to Tripoly I fell sicke in the house of M. Regaly O-ratio and this man sent awaye my goods with a smal Carauan that went from Tripoly to Alepo and the Carauan was robd and all my goods lost sauing foure chesâ—s of glasses which cost me 200 Duckets of which glasses I founde many broken because the théeues thinking it had beene other Merchandize they brake them vp and séeing they were glasses they let them all alone And with this onely capitall I aduentured to goe into the Indies And thus with change and rechaunge and by diligence in my voyage God did blesse and helpe me so that I got a good stocke I will not be vnmindfull to put them in remeÌ„brance that haue a desire to goe into those partes howe they shall kéepe their goods and giue it to their heires in the time of their death and which shall be done verie securely in all the Cities that the Portugalles haue in the Indies there is a house called the schoole of Sancta misericordia comissaria which with leauing an almes there to them for their paines to take a coppie of your Will and Testament which you must alwaies carrie about you and chéefely when you goe into the Indies In the Countrie of the Moores and Gentiles which in those voyages alwayes there goeth a Captaine to administer Justice to all Christians of the Portugalles Also this Captaine hath authoritie to recouer the goods of those Merchauntes that by chaunce dieth in those voyages and they that haue not made their Willes and registred them in the aforesaide schooles the Captaines will consume their goods in such wise that little or nothing will be left for his heyres and friendes Also ther goeth in these same vilages some merchantes that are commissaries of y â— schoole of Sancta misericordia that if any merchantes dye and haue his will made and that hee hath giuen order that the Schoole of myser shall haue his goods and to sell them and then to send the mony by exchange to the schoole of Misericordia in Lishborne with that coppie of his testamente then from Lyshborn they giue intelligence thereof into what part of Christendome soeuer it bee and the heirs of such a one comming thether with testimoniall that they be heires they shall receiue there the valure of his goods in such wise that they shall not loose any thing but those that dieth in the kingdom of Pegu looseth the third parte of their goodes by anciente custome of the Countrye that if any Christian dieth in the kingdome of Pegu the king and his officers rest heyres of a third of his goods and there hath neuer beene any deceite or fraude vsed in this matter I haue knowne many rich men that haue dwelled in Pegu and in their age they haue desired to goe into their own cuÌ„trie to die there and haue departed with all the goods and substance without let or trouble In Pegu the fashion of there apparell is all one as well the noble man as the simple the onely difference is in the finest of the cloth which is cloth of Bombast one finer then another and they weare their apparell in this wise First a white bombast cloth which serueth for a shirt then they gird another painted bombaste cloth of forteen brases which they binde vp betwixt their legges and on their heades they there weare a small tock of three braces made in guize of a myter and some goeth without tocks and carie as it were a hâ—ue on their heades which doth not passe the lower part of his eare when it is lifted vp they goe all bare footed but the noble men neuer goe on foote but are caried by men in a 〈…〉 with great reputatioÌ„ with