he remains that begot me who indeed is my true father with whom I had rather dye where I see him lamenting then live with such wicked people as you are Then some of them that were present reprehending and telling him that it was not well spoken Would you know replyed he why I said so it was because I saw you after you had filled your bellies praise God with lifted up hands and yet for all that like hypocrites never care for making restitution of that you have stollen but he assured that after death you shall feel the rigorous chastisement of the Lord Almighty for so unjustly taking mens goods from themâ— Antonio de Faria admiring the childs speech asked him whether he would become a Christian Whereunto earnestly beholding him he answered I understand not what you say nor that you propound declare it first unto me and then you shall know my mind further Then Antonio de Faria began to instruct him therein after the best manner he could but the boy would not answer him a word only lifting up his hands and eyes to Heaven he said weeping Blessed be thy Power O Lord that permits such people to live on the Earth that speak so well of thee and yet so ill observe thy Law as these blinded Miscreants do who think that robbing and preaching are things that can be acceptable to thee Having said so he got him into a corner and there remained weeping for three days together without eating any thing that was presented unto him Hereupon falling to consult whether were the best course for us to hold from this place either Northward or Southward much dispute arose thereabout at length it was concluded that we should go to Liampoo a Port distant from thence Northwards two hundred and threescore leagues for we hoped that along this Coast we might happen to incounter and seize on some other greater and more commodious Vessel then that we had which was too little for so long a Voyage in regard of the dangerous storms that are ordinarily caused by the new Moons on the Coast of China where dayly many Ships are cast away With this design we put to Sea about Sun-set and so went on this night with a South-west wind and before day we discovered a little Island named Quintoo where we surprized a fisher-boat full of fresh fish of which we took as much as we had need of as also eight of twelve men that were in her for the service of our Lantea by reason our own were so feeble as they were not able to hold out any longer These eight fishermen being demanded what Ports there were on this Coast to Chincheo where we thought we might meet with some Ship of Malaca answered that about eighteen leagues from thence there was a good River and a good Rode called Xingrau much frequented with Junks where we might be easily and throughly accommodated with all that we stood in need of that at the entring into it there was a little Village named Xamoy inhabited with poor fishermen and three leagues beyond that the Town where there was great store of Silks Musk Pourcelains and many other sorts of Commodities which were transported into divers parts Upon this advice we steered our course towards that River where we arrived the next day immediately after dinner and cast anchor just against it about a league in the Sea for fear lest our ill fortune should run us into the same mischief we were in before The night following we took a Paroo of fishermen of whom we demanded what Junks there were in this River and how they were man'd with divers other questions proper for our design Whereunto they answered that at the Town up the River there was not above two hundred Junks by reason the greatest part were already gone to Ainan Sumbâ—r Lailoâ— and other Ports of Cauchenchina moreover that we might ride in safety at Xamoy and that there we might buy any thing we wanted Whereupon we entred into the River and anchored close to the Village where we continued the space of half an hour being much about midnight But Antonio de Faria seeing that the Lantea wherein we sailed could not carry us to Liampoo where we purposed to lie all the Winter he concluded by the advice of his company to furnish himself with a better Vessel and although we were not then in case to enterprise any thing yet necessity constrained us to undertake more then our Forces would permit Now there being at that instant a little Junk riding at anchor fast by us alone and no other near her having but few men in her and those asleep Antonio de Faria thought he had a good opportunity to effect his purpose wherefore leaving his anchor in the Sea he got up close to this Junk and with seven and twenty Soldiers and eight Boys boarded her on a sudden unespyed where finding seven or eight Chinese Mariners fast asleep he caused them to be taken and bound hand and foot threatening if they cryed out never so little to kill them all which put them in such a fear as they durst not so much as quetch Then cutting her cables he got him straight out of the River and sailing away with all the speed he could The next day we arrived at an Island named Pullo Quirim distant from Xamoy not above nine leagues there meeting with a little favorable gale within three days we went and anchored at another Island called Luxitay where in regard the ayr was wholesom and the water good we thought fit to stay some fifteen days for the recovery of our sick men In this place we visited the Junk but found no other commodity in her then Rice the greatest part whereof we cast into the Sea to make her the lighter and securer for our Voyage Then we unladed all her furniture into the Lantea and set her on ground for to caulk her so that in doing thereof and making our provision of water we spent as I said before fifteen days in this Island by which time our sick men fully recovered their health whereupon we departed for Liampoo being given to understand that many Portugals were come thither from Malaca Sunda Siam and Patana as they used ordinarily to do about that time for to winter there We had sailed two days together along the Coast of Lamaâ— with a favorable wind when it pleased God to make us incounter with a Junk of Patana that came from Lequio which was commanded by a Chinese Pyrat named Quiay Panian a great friend of the Portugal Nâ—tâ—on and much addicted to our fashions and manner of life with him there were thirty Portugals choyce and proper men whom he kept in pay and advantaged more then the rest with gifts and presents so that they were all very rich This Pyrat had no sooner discovered us but he resolved to attaque us thinking nothing less then that we were Portugals so that endeavoring to invest us like an old
Paâ—iaâ— he was counselled not to hazard himself in that Voyage because it was reported for a certainty how all that Country was up in arms by reason of the Wars which the Prechau Muan had with the Kings of Chamay and Champaa And withall he had Information given him of a famous Pirate named Similau whom he went presently to seek out and having found him the said Similau related strange wonders unto him of an Island called Calempluy where he assured him there were seventeen Kings of China interred in Tombes of Gold as also a great number of Idols of the same Metâ—al and such other immense treasures as I dare not deliver for fear of not being credited Now Antonio de Faria being naturally curious and carried with that ambition whereunto Souldiers are for the most part inclined lent so good ear to this Chineses report as looking for no other assurance of it then what he gave him he presently resolved to undertake this Voyage and expose himself to danger without taking further counsel of any man whereat many of his friends were with reason offended CHAP. XXIV Antonio de Faria departs from Liampoo for to seek out the Island of Calempluy the strange things that we saw and the hazard we ran in our voyage thither THe season being now fit for Navigation and Antonio de Faria furnished with all that was necessary for this new Voyage which he had undertaken to make on Munday the fourteenth of May in the year one thousand five hundred forty and two he departed from this Port to go to the Island of Calempluy For which purpose he imbarqued in two Paâ—oures resembling small Gallies but that they were a little higher by reason he was counselled not to use Junks as well to avoid discovery as in regard of the great curranâ—â— of water that descended from the Bay of Nanquin which great Vessels with all their sails were not able to stem especially at the time wherein he set forth for then the snows of Tartaria and Nixihuâ—flaâ— dissolving ran all the Months of May Iune and Iuly into these Seas with a most violent impetuosity In these two Vessels were fiftie Portugals one Priest to say Masse and fortie eight Marriners all Natives of Patana as also two and fortie slaves so that the whole number of our company amounted to an hundred forty and one persons for the Pirate Similaâ— who was our Pilot would have no more men nor Vessels for fear of being known because he was to traverse the streight of Nanquin and to enter into Rivers that were much frequented whereby we might probably be subject to great hazâ—rd That day and al the night following we imployed in getting out from amongst the Islands of Angitur and pursued our course through Seas which the Portugals had neither seen nor sailed on till then The first five dayes we had the wind favourable enough being still within sight of land till we came to the mouth of the River of the Fishings of Nanquin There we croâ—t over a Gulf of forty leagues and discovered a very high Mountain called Nangafo towards the which bending Northerly we sailed fiftie dayes at length the wind abated somewhat and because in that place the Tides were very great Similau put into a little River where was good anchoring and riding inhabited by men that were white and handsome having very little eyes like to the Chineses but much different from them both in language and attire Now during the space of three dayes that we continued there the Inhabitants would have no manner of communication with us but contrariwise they came in troopes to the shore by which we anchored and running up and down like mad-men they howled in a most hideous fashion and shot at us with slings and cross-bows As soon as the weather and the sea would permit us Similau by whom all vvas then governed began to set sail directing his course East Northeast and so proceeded seven dayes in sight of land then traversing another Gulfe and turning more directly to the East he past through a straight ten leâ—gues over called Sileupaquin There he sailed five dayes more still in view of many goodly Cities and Towns this River being frequented with an infinite company of Vessels whereupon Antonio de Faria knowing that if he hapned to be discovered he should never escape with life resolved to get from thence and continue this course no longer which Similau perceiving and opposing the advice that every one gave him Signior said unto him I do not think that any of your company can accuse me for mis-performing my duty hitherto you know how at Liampoo I told you publiquely in the General Councel that was held in the Church before an hundred Portugals at the least that we were to expose our selves to great dangers and chiefly my self because I was a Chinese and a Pilot for all you could be made to endure but one death wheras I should be made to endure two thousand if it were possible whereby you may well conclude that setting apart all treason I must of necessity be faithful unto you â—s I am and ever will be not only this Voyage but in all other enterprizes in despight of those that murmur and make false reports unto you of me howbeit if you fear this danger so much as you say and are therefore pleased that we shall take some other way lesse frequented with men and vessels and where we may sail without dread of any thing then you must be contented to bestow a far longer time in this voyage wherefore resolve with your company upon it without any further delay or let us return back for lo I am ready to do whatsoever you will Antonio de Faria embracing and giving him many thanks fell to discourse with him about that other safer way of which he spake Whereupon Similau told him that some hundred and forty leagues further forwards to the North there was a River somewhat larger by half a league called Sumhepadano where he should meet with no Obstacle for that it was not peopled like the streight of Nanquin wherein they now were but that then they should be retarded a month longer by the exceeding much winding of this River Antonio de Faria thinking it far better to expose himself to a length of time then to hazard his life for abridgement of way followed the counsel that Similau gave him so that going out of the streight of Nanquin he coasted the land five dayes at the end whereof we discovered a very high Mountain towards the East which Similau told us was called Fanius approaching somewhat neer unto it we entred into a very fair Port forty fathom deep that extending it self in the form of a Crescent was sheltred from all sorts of winds so spacious withall as two thousand Vessels how great soever might ride there at ease Antonio de Faria went ashore with some ten or eleven Souldiers and rounded this haven but could not
meet with any one body that could instruct him in the way he pretended to make whereat he was very much vext and greatly repented him for that without any kinde of consideration or taking advice of any one he had rashly and out of a capacious humour undertaken this Voyage Howbeit he dissembled this displeasure of his the best he could for fear lest his company should tax him with want of courage In this Haven he discoursed again with Similau before every one concerning this our Navigation which he told him was made but by guesse whereunto the Chinese answered Signior Captain If I had any thing I could engage to you of more value then my head I protest unto you I would most willingly do it for I am so sure of the course I hold that I would not fear to give you my very children in Hostage of the promise I made you at Liampoo Neverthelesse I advertise you again that if repenting the undertaking of this enterprise you fear to proceed any further in regard of the tales your people are ever tatling in your ear as I have often observed do but command and you shall finde how ready I am to obey your pleasure And whereas they would make you believe that I spin out this Voyage longer then I promised you at Liampoo the reason thereof you know well enough which seemed not amisse when I propounded it unto you seeing then you once allowed of it let me intreat you to set your heart at rest for that matter and not to break off this design by returning back whereby at length you shall finde how profitable this patience of yours will prove This speech somewhat quieted Antonio de Faria's minde so that he bid him go on as he thought best and never trouble himself with the murmuring of the Souldiers whereof he complained saying that it was ever the manner of such as were idle to finde fault with other mens actions but if they did not mend their error the sooner he would take a course with them to make them to do it wherewith Similau rested very well satisfied and contented After we were gone from this Haven we sailed along the coast above thirteen dayes together alwaies in sight of land and at length arrived at a Port called Buxipalem in the height of fortie nine degrees We found this Climate somewhat colder then the rest here we saw an infinite company of Fishes and Serpents of such strange forms as I cannot speak of them without fear Similau told Antonio de Faria incredible things concerning them as well of what he had seen himself having been there before as of that had been reported unto him especially in the full Moons of the months of November December and Ianuary when the storms raign there most as indeed this Chinese made it appear to our own eyes whereby he justified unto us the most of that which he had affirmed For in this place we saw Fishes in the shape of Thornbacks that were four fathoms about and had a Muzzle like an Oxe likewise we saw others resembling great Lizards spotted all over with green and black having three rows of prickles on their backs that were very sharp and of the bignesse of an arrow their bodies also were full of the like but they were neither so long nor so great as the others These Fishes would ever and anon bristle up themselves like Porcupines which made them very dreadful to behold they had Snouts that were very sharp and black with two crooked teeth out of each jawbone two spans long like the tusks of a wild Boar. We also saw Fishes whose bodies were exceeding black so prodigious and great that their heads onely were above six spans broad I will passe over in silence many other Fishes of sundry sorts which we beheld in this place because I hold it not fit to stand upon things that are out of my discourse let it suffice me to say that during two nights we stayed here we did not thinke our selves safe by reason of the Lizards Whales Fishes and Serpents which in great numbers shewed themselves to us Having left this Haven of Buxipalem by us called the River of Serpents which in great numbers shewed themselves to us Similau sailed fifteen leagues further to another Bay named Calindano which was in form of a Crescent six leagues in circuit and invironed with high Mountains and very thick woods amidst whereof divers Brooks of fresh waters descended which made up four great Rivers that fell all into this Bay There Similau told us that all those prodigious creatures we had both seen and heard of as well in this Bay as in that where we were before came thither to feed upon such Ordure and Carrion as the overflowing of these Rivers brought to this place Antonio de Faria demanding of him thereupon whence those Rivers should proceed he answered that he knew not but it was said that the Annals of China affirmed how two of those Rivers took their beginnings from a great Lâ—ke called Moscombia and the other two from a Province named Alimania where there are high Mountains that all the year long are covered with Snow so that the Snow coming to dissolve these Rivers swelled in that manner as we then beheld them for now they were bigger then at any other time of the year Hereunto he added that entring into the mouth of the River before the which we rode at anchor we should continue our course steering Eastward for to finde out the Port of Nanquin again which we had left two hundred and threescore leagues behinde us by reason that in all this distance we had multiplied a greater height then that of the Island was which we were in quest of Now although this was exceeding grievous unto us yet Similau desired Antonio de Faria to think the time we had past well spent because it was done for the best and for the better securing of our lives being asked then by Antonio de Faria how long vve should be in passing through this River he answered that vve should be out of it in fourteen or fifteen dayes and that in five dayes after he would promise to land him and his Souldiers in the Island of Calempluy vvhere he hoped fully to content his desire and to make him think his pains vvell bestowed vvhereof he now so complained Antonio de Faria having embraced him very lovingly thereupon vowed to be his friend for ever and reconciled him to his Souldiers vvho were very much out vvith him before Being thus reconfirmed by Similauâ— speeches and certified of this nevv course vve vvere to take he incouraged his company and put all things in order convenient for his design to that end preparing his Ordnance vvhich till then had never been charged he caused also his Arms to be made ready ordained Captains and Sentinels to keep good vvatch together vvith all besides that he thought necessary for our defence in case of any attempt upon
with dryed orange pills wherewith in victualing houses they boyl dogs flesh for to take away the rank savour and humidity of it as also to reader it more firm In brief we saw so many Vaucans Lanteaas and Barcasses in this river ladâ—n with all kinds of provision that either the sea or land produces and that in such abundance as I must confess I am not able to expresse it in words for it is not possible to imagine the infinite store of things that are in this Country of each whereof you shall see two or three hundred Vessels together at a time all full especially at the Fairs and Markets that are kept upon the solemn festival days of their Pagodes for then all the fairs are free and the Pagodes for the most part are scituated on the banks of rivers to the end all commodities may the more commodiously be brought thither by water Now when all these vessels come to joyn together during these Fairs they take such order as they make as it were a great and fair Town of them so that sometimes you shall have of them a league in length and three quarters of a league in bredth being composed of above twenty thousand vessels besides Balons Guedees and Manchuas which are small boats whose number is infinite For the Government hereof there are threescore Captains appointed of which thirty are to see good order kept and the other thirty are for the guard of the Merchants that come thither to the end they may sail in safety Moreover there is above them a Chaem who hath absolute power both in civil and criminal causes without any appeal or opposition whatsoever during the fifteen days that this Fair lasts which is from the new to the full Moon And indeed more come to see the policy order and beauty of this kind of Town then otherwise for to speak the truth the framing of it in that manner with vessels makes it more to be admired then all the Edifices that can be seen upon the land There are in this moving Town two thousand streets excâ—eding long very strait inclosed on either side with ships most of which are covered with silks and adorned with a world of banners flags and streamers wherein all kind of commodities that can be desired are to be sold In other streets are as many trades to be seen as in any Town on the Land amidst the which they that traffique go up and down in little Manchuas and that very quietly and without any disorder Now if by chance any one is taken stealing he is instantly punished according to his offence As soon as it is night all these streets are shut up with cords athwart them to the end none may passe after the retreat sounded In each of these streets there are at least a dâ—zen of lanthorns with lights burning fastened a good heighth on the Masts of the vessels by means whereof all that go in and out are seen so that it may be known who they are from whence they come and what they would have to the end the Chaem may the next morning receive an account thereof And truly to behold all these lights together in the night is a â—ight scarce able to be imagined neither is there a street without a Bell and a Sentinel so as when that of the Chaems ship is heard to ring all the other bels answer it with so great a noise of voices adjoyned thereunto that we were almost besides our selves at the hearing of a thing which cannot be well conceived and that was ruled with such good order In every of these streets even in the poorest of them there is a Chappel to pray in framed upon great Barcasses like to Gallies very neat and so well accommodâ—ted that for the most part they are enriched with silks and cloth of gold In these Chappels are their Idols and Priests which administer their sacrifices and receive the offerings that are made them wherewith they are abundantly furnished for their living Out of each street one of the most account or chiefest Merchant is chosen to waâ—ch all night in his turn with those of his Squadron besides the Captains of the government who in Ballons walk the round without to the end no thiefe may escape by any avenue whatsoever and for that purpose these guards cry as loud as they can that they may be heard Amongst the most remarkable things we saw one street where there were above an hundred vessels laden with Idols of guilt wood of divers fashions which were sold for to be offered to the Pagodes together with a world of feet thighs arms and heads that sick folks bought to offer in devotion There also we beheld other ships covered with silk hangings where Comedies and other playes were represented to entertain the people withall which in great numbers flocked thither In other places Bils of exchaâ—ge for Heaven were sold wherâ—by these Priests of the Divel promised them many merits with great interest affirming that without these bils they could not possibly be saved for that God say they is a mortal enemy to all such as do not some good to the Pagodes whereupon they tell them such fables and lies as these unhappy wretches do often times take the very bread from their mouths to give it them There were also other vessels all laden with dead mens skuls which diveâ—s men bought for to present as an offering at the tombs of their friends when they should happen to dye for say they as the deceased is laid in the grave in the company of these skuls so shall his soul enter into Heaven attended by those unto whom those skuls belonged wherefore when the Porter of Paradise shall see such a Merchant with many followers he will do him honour as to a man that in this life hath been a man of quality for if he be poor and without a train the Porter will not open to him whereas contrarily the more dead mens skuls he hath buried with him the more happy he shall be esteemed There were many boats likewise where there were men that had a great many of Cages full of live birds who playing on divers instruments of musick exhorted the people with a loud voice to deliver those poor creatures of God that were there in captivity whereupon many came and gave them mony for the redemption of those prisoners which presently they let out of the cages and then as they flew away the redeemers of them cried out to the birds Pichau pitauel catan vacaxi that is Go and tell God how we serve him here below In imitation of these there are others also who in their ships kept a great many of little live fishes in great pots of water and like the sellers of birds invite the people for Gods cause to free those poor innocent fishes that had never sinned so that divers bought many of them and casting them into the river said Get ye gone and tell there below
Taeis it rose before the end of eight dayes to an hundred and threescore at which rate too the Merchants seemed to part with it very willingly Thus by the means of this unreasonable desire of gain nine Juncks which were then in the Port were in fifteen days ready to set Sail though to say the truth they were all in such disorder and so unprovided that some amongst them had no other Pilots then the Masters themselves who had but little understâ—anding in Navigation In this bad order they departed all in company together one Sunday morning notwithstanding that they had the wind the season the sea and all things else contrary not suffering themselves to be guided by reason or the consideration of the dangers which they are subject unto that commit themselves to this Element For they were so obstinate and so blinded as they would not represent any inconvenience to themselves and I my self was so infortunate that I went along with them in one of their Vessels In this manner they sailed all that same day as it were groping between the Islands and the firm Land but about midnight there arose in the dark so mighty a Storm accompanied with such horrible rain that suffering themselves to be carried at the mercy of the wind they ran upon the Sands of Gotom whereof the nine Juncks two only as it were by miracle were saved so that the other seven were lost out of which not so much as one man escaped This loss was thought to amount unto above three hundred thousand Crowns in commodities besides the greater which was of six hundred persons that left their lives there whereof there were an hundred and forty Portugals all rich men and of quality As for the other two Juncks in one of the which by good hap I was joyning in conâ—ort together they followed the course they had begun until such time as they arrived at the Island of the Lequios There we were beaten with so furious a North-east wind which inâ—reased by the conjunction of the new Moon that our vessels were seperated in such sort as we could never see one another again After dinner the wind turned to West North-west whereby the Sea was so moved and the waves rose with such fury as it was a most dreadful thing to behold whereupon our Captain named Gaspar Melo a very couragious Gentleman seeing the greatest part of the prow of the Junck to be half open and that there was niâ—e spans water in the bottom of her he resolved by the advice of all the Officers to cut down the two Masts whose weight was the cause of the opening of the Junck howbeit this could not be done with such care but that the main Mast in its â—all overwhelmed fourteen persons whereof five were Portugals which were all crushed in pieces a spectacle so lamentable to behold that it exceedingly grieved every mans heart Now forasmuch as the Storm increased more and more we were constrained to let our selves be carried at the mercy of the Sea even until Sun-set at which time the Junck made an end of splitting quite asunder whereupon our Captain and every one of us seeing the deplorable estate whereunto our sins had reduced us fell to preparing our selves for our last end Having in this sort past away half of the night about the first quarter of the watch we struck upon a Shelâ— where at the first blow the Junck broke all to pieces the event whereof was so lamentable that threescore and two men left their lives there some of which were drowned and the rest squeezed to death under the Keel of the Vessel There were but four and twenty of us besides some women that escaped from this miserable Shipwrack Now as soon as it was day we perceived by the sight of the Island of fire and of the Mountain of Taydacano that the Land where we were was the great Lequio whereupon wiâ—h tears in our eyes recommending our selves â—o God and marching up to the brest in water we swam over certain dâ—eper places and so went five dayes together in great pain not finding in all that time any thing to eat but the slime which the Sea cast up on the mud Howbeit aâ— length by the mercy of God we got to land where going into the woods we sustained our selves with a certain herb like unto Sorrel whereof there was great plenty along these Coasts which was all the nourishment that we had for three days space that we were there until at last we were espyed by a boy that was keeping of cattel who as soon as he had discovered us ran to the next Village which was some quarter of a league off for to give notice of it to the inhabitants there who presently thereupon with the sound of Drums and Cornets assembled all their Neighbours round about them so that within three or four hours they wâ—re a Company of about two hundred men whereof there were fourteen on horsback As soon as they descried us a far off they made dirâ—ctly towards us whereupon our Captain seeing the wretched estate whereunto we were reduced fell down upon his knees and began to encourage us with many good words desiâ—ing us to remember That nothing in the world could fall out without the Providence of God and therefore like good Christians we should assure our selves it was his pleasure that this should be the last hour of our lives so that we could not do better then to conform our selves to his holy will and with patience imbrace this pitiful end which came from his Almighty hand craving pardon from the bottoâ— of our hearts for all our sins past and that for himself he had such confidence in his mercy that we duly repenting us according as we were obliged by his holy Commandments he would not forget us in this our extremity Having made us this Exhortation and lifted up his hands to Heaven he cried out three times together with abundance of tears Lord have mercy upon us which words were reiterated by all the rest but with such sighs and groans of true Christians and so full of devotion and zeal that I may truly say the thing which then we feared least was that which naturally is most abhorr'd As we were in this grievous agony six horsmen came unto us and beholding us in a manner naked without arms on the ground upon ouâ— knees and two women lying as it were dead before us they were so moved with compassion that four of them turning back to the footmen which were coming on made them all to stay not suffering them to approach us Howbeit a little after they came to us again bringing with them six footmen which seemed to bâ— some of the Officers of Justice who by the commandment of the horsmen tied us three and three together and with some shew of pity bid us That we should not be afraid for that the King of the Lequios was a man greatly fearing God and
live without so much as the least appreheâ—sion of any fear or shame But you must know O ye blinded of the world that God hath made you Kings to use clemency towards men to give them audience to content to chastise them but not to kill them tyrannically Neverthelesse O ye bad Kings in the condition whereunto you are raised you oppose your selves to the nature which God hath indued you with and take upon you many other different forms in apparrelling your selves every hour with some such livery as â—â—â—ms best unto you to the end you may be to the one very bloud-suckers that incessantly suck from them their goods and their lives never leaving them so long as they have one drop of bloud in their veins and to others you are dreadfull roaring Lions who to give a â—aâ—k and a colour to your ambition and avarice cause supreme Laws of death to be published for the least faults and all for to confiscate other mens goods which is the main end of your pretensions Contrarily if there be any that you love and unto whom you or the world or I know not what have given the name of Grandees you are so negligent in chastising their proud humors and so prodigall in inriching them with the spoils and undoing of the poor whom you have left naked and even flayed to the very quick as you cannot doubt but that they will one day accuse you before God for all these things when you will have no excuse to make so that there will be nothing left you but a dreadfull confusion to trouble you and to put you into an horrible disorder To these he added so many other remonstrances in favour of the poor subjects cried out so mainly and shed so many tears in their behalf as the King remained almost besides himself and was touched â—o neerly therewith that he instantly called Brazagaran the Governor of Pegu unto him and commanded him without all delay to dismisse all the Deputies of the Provinces of the Kingdome whom he had caused to be assembled in the Town of Cosmin for to demand of them a great sum of money that he might set upon the Kingdom of Savady on which he had newly resolved to make war Withall he sware publikely on the ashes of the defunct that during his raign he would never charge his subjects with imposts nor would make them to serve by force as he had formerly done yea and that for the future he would have a most speciall care to hear the poor and to do them justice against the misdemeanours of the great ones conformable to the merit of every one together with many other things very just and good which might well serve for a lesson to us that are Christians This Sermon being finished the ashes of the defunct which had been gathered up was distributed as a relique into fourteen golden basons whereof the King himself took up one on his head and the Grepos of chiefest quality carried the rest so the Procession going from thence in the same order as it came thither those ashes were conveyed into a very rich Temple which might be some flight shot from that place and named Quiay Dâ—cco that is the god of the afflicted of the earth there they were put into a shallow grave without other pomp or vanity for so had Aixequendoo the late Roolim commanded This grave then was invironed about with three iron grates and with two of silver and one of latten and upon three iron rods that crossed the whole bredth of the chappell hung seventy and two lamps of silver namely four and twenty on each of them all of great value and fastened together with great silver chains Furthermore there were placed about the steps whereby one descended into the grave thirty and six little perfuming pots with Benjamin Aloes and other confections wherein was great store of Ambergreece all which was not finished till it was almost night by reason of the many ceremonies used in this funerall all that day long they freed an infinite number of birds which had been brought thither in above an hundred cages these Gentiles being of the opinion that they were so many souls of deceased persons which before times had passed out of this life and that were deposited as it were in the bodies of those birds till the day of their deliverance should come at which time they were in all liberty to accompany the soul of the defunct The like they did with a great many of little fishes which had been transported thither also in certain vessells full of water so that to set them at liberty they cast them into the river with another new ceremony to the end they might serve the soul of him whose ashes were then buried There was also brought thither all kind of venison and foul which was distributed as an alms to all the poore that were present there whereof the number was almost infinite These ceremonies and other such like which were performed in this action being finished the King in regard it was neer night retired into his quarter where he had caused tents to be pitched for to lodge in and that in sign of mourning the like did all the great ones so that all the Assembly by little and little withdrew The next morning as soon as it was day the King made it to be proclaimed that all persons of what condition soever they were should upon pain of death dislodge speedily out of the Island and that they which were Priests should return to the attendance of their cures with this penalty in care of contravention to be degraded from their dignity Whereupon all the Priests went preâ—ently out of the Island ninety of them excepted who were deputed for the election of him that was to succeed in the place of the defunct These same then assembled in the house of Gangsparo to acquit themselves of their charge and for that in the two first daies which was the term limited to make this election it could not succeed by reason of the diversity of opinions and great contrariety that was found amongst them which were to give their votes the King thought fit that out of those deputed ninety there should nine be chosen who alone should make the election This resolution being taken these nine continued five daies and as many nights together in continuall prayer in the mean time a world of offerings were made and alms given a great number of poor people were also cloathed and tables prepared where all men that would might eat of free cost and all this was accompanied with processions in every quarter At last these nine being agreed in conformity of votes elected for Roolim one Manichae Mouchan who at that time was a Capizondo or Prelate in the town of Digum of a Pagode called Quiay Figrau that is to say god of the atomes of the Sun of whom I have oftentimes spoken he was a man of about threescore and eight years of
after attired in womens apparel playing upon Timbrels in all places where they went and that whensoever they made any protestation it should be in saying So may God bring me back my husband again as this is true or So may I have joy of the children I have brought into the world Most of these men seeing themselves inforced to undergo a chastisement so scandalous to them fled their Country and many made themselves away some with poyson some with halters and some with the sword A relation altogether true without any addition of mine Thus was the Kingdom of Aaru recovered from the Tyrant of Achem and remained in the hands of the King of Iantana until the year 1574. At which time the said Tyrant with a Fleet of two hundred Sails feigning as though he would go to take in Patava fell cunningly one night on Iantana where the King was at that time whom together with his wife children and many others he took prisoners and carried into his Country where he put them all to most cruel deaths and for the King himself he caused his brains to be beaten out of his head with a great club After these bloody executions he possest the Kingdom of Aaru whereof he presently made his eldest son King the same that was afterward slain at Malaca coming to besiege it in the time of Don Lionis Pâ—reyra son to the Earl of Feyra Captain of the Fortress who defended it so valiantly that it seemed to be rather a miracle then any natural work by reason the power of that Enemy was so great and ours so little in comparison of theirs as it may be truly spoken how they were two hundred Mahometans against one Christian. CHAP. XIII My departure from Malaca to go to Pan that which fortuned after my arrival there with the murther of the King of Pan and the cause thereof TO return unto the Discourse where I left I say that when I was recovered of the sickness which I got in my Captivity at Siaca Pedro de Faria desiring to find out some occasion to advance and benefit me sent me in a Lanchara to the Kingdom of Pan with goods of his to the value of ten thousand duckets for to consign them into the hands of a Factor of his that recided there named Tome Lobo and from thence to go to Patava which is an hundred leagues beyond that To that purpose he gave me a Letter and a Present for the King and an ample Commission to treat with him about the redemption of five Portugals who in the Kingdom of Siam were Slaves to Monteo de Bancha his Brother-in-law I parted then from Malaca upon this employment and the seventh day of our Voyage just as we were opposite to the Island of Pullo Timano which may be distant from Malaca some ninety leagues and ten or twelve from the mouth of the River of Pan a little before day we heard at two several times great lamentations at Sea and being not able in regard of the darkness of the night to know what it was we were all suspended into divers opinions for that we could not imagine what it should be in so much that to learn the certainty thereof I caused them to hoist up sail and row towards that part where we heard the lamentation every one looking down round about close to the water the better to discern and hear that of which we were in such doubt After we had continued a pretty while in this manner we perceived far from us a black thing that floated on the Sea and unable at first to discover what it was we advised together about it Now there being but four Portugals of us in the Lanchara we were all of different minds so that I was told how I was to go directly to the place whither Pedro de Faria had sent me that losing but an hours time I might endanger the Voyage and hazard the goods and so for want of performing the duty of my charge I might very much wrong him Whereunto I answered that happen what might I would not leave off laboring to know what it was and that if in so doing I committed any fault the Lanchara appertained to none but Pedro de Faria unto whom my self was to render an account of the goods in it and not they that had nothing else in the Vessel but their persons which were in no more danger then mine During this debate it pleased God that the day appeared by the light whereof we perceived pâ—ople that were cast away who floated pell-mell together upon planks and other pieces of wood Whereupon without further fear we turned our prow towards them and with force of sails and oars we made to them hearing them cry six or seven times without using any other speech Lord have mercy upon us At the sight of this strange and pitiful spectacle we remained so amazed that we were almost besides our selves and causing some of the Mariners to get with all speed into the Cock-boat they fetcht three and twenty persons of them into the Lanchara namely fourteen Portugals and nine Slaves which were all so dis-figured in the face as they made us afraid to look on them and so weak as they could neither speak nor stand After they had been thus taken up by us and entreated in the best manner we could we demanded of them the cause of their mis-fortune whereunto one of the company weâ—ping answered My Masters I am named Fernand Gil Porcalâ—o and the eye which you behold I want was strucken out by the Achems at the siege of Malaca when as the second time they came to surprize Dom Estâ—vano de Gama who desiring to do something for me because he saw me poor as I was at that time gave me leave to go to the Molucques where would to God I had never been since my Voyage was to have so bad a success for after I departed from the Port of Talagame which is the Roade of our Fort at Ternate having sailed three and twenty days with a favorable gale in a Junck that carried a thousand bars of Cloves worth above an hundred thousand duckets my ill fortune would that at the point of Surabaya in the Isle of Iaoa there arose so impetuous a North-wind that our Junck brake in the prow which constrained us to lighten the hatches So we passed that night by the shoar without bearing so much as a rag of sail by reason the Sea was exceedingly moved and the waves most insupportable The next day we perceived that our Junk sank so that of an hundred forty and seven persons that were in her there were saved but six and twenty and now it is fourtain days that we have been upon these planks having during all that time eaten nothing but a slave of mine that dyed with whom we have sustained our selves eight days and the very last night two Portugals more dyed on whom we would not feed although we were very much prest
pleased God to restore us to our perfect health so that this virtuous Dâ—me seeing us able to travel recommended us to a Merchant her kinsman that was bound for Patana with whom after we had taken our leave of that noble Matron unto whom we were so much obliged we imbarqued our selves in a Cataluz with Oars and sailing on a River called Sumhâ—chitano we arrived seven days after at Patana Now for as much as Antonio de Faria looked every day for our return with a hope of good success in his business as soon as he saw us and understood what had past he remained so sad and discontented that he continued above an hour without speaking a word in the mean time such a number of Portugals came in as the house was scarce able to contain them by reason the greatest part of them had ventuâ—ed goods in the Lanchara whose lading in that regard amounted to seventy thousand duckets and better the most of it being in silver coyn of purpose with it to return gold Antonio de Faria seeing himself stripped of the twelve thousand duckets he had borrowed at Malaca resolved not to return thither because he had no means to pay his Creditors but rather thought it fitter to pursue those that had robbed him of his goods so that he took a solemn Oath upon the holy Evangelists to part incontinently from that place for to go in quest of those Pyrats for to revenge upon them the death of those fourteen Portugals and thirty six Christians Boys and Mariners killed by them as aforesaid Adding withall that if such a course were not taken they should every day be used so â—ay far worse All the Assistants very much commended him valorous resolution and for the execution thereof there were many young Soldiers amongst them that offered to accompany him in that voyage some likewise presented him with mony and others furnished him with divers necessaries Having accepted these offers and presents of his friends he used such diligence that within eighteen days he made all his preparations and got together five and fifty Soldiers amongst whom poor unfortunate I was fain to be one for I saw my self in that case as I had not so much as a single token nor knew any one that would either give or lend me one being indebted besides at Malaca above five hundred duckets that I had borrowed there of some of my friends which with as much more that dog had â—obbed me of amongst others as I have related befoâ—e having been able to save nothing but my miserable carcass wounded in three places with a Javelin and my skull crackt with a stone whereby I was three or four times at the point of death But my companion Christovan Borralho was yet â—ar worse entreated then my self and that with more hurts which he received in satisfaction of five and twenty hundred duckets that he was robbed of as the rest CHAP. XV. Antonio de Faria's setting forth for the Isle of Ainan his arrival at the River of Tinacoren and that which befell us in this Voyage AS soon as Antonio de Faria was ready he departed from Patana on a Saturday the ninth of May 1540. and steered North North-west towards the Kingdom of Champaa with an intent to discover the Ports and Havens thereof as also by the means of some good booty to furnish himself with such things as he wanted for his haste to part from Patana was such as he had not time to furnish himself with that which was necessary for him no not with victual and warlike ammunition enough After we had sailed three days we had sight of an Island called Pullo Condor at the height of eight degrees and three quarters on the North Coast and almost North-west towards the mouth of the River of Camboia so that having rounded all the Coast we discovered a good Haven Eastward where in the Island of Camboia distant some six leagues from the firm Land we met with a Junk of Lequios that was going to the Kingdom of Siam with an Embassador from the Nautauquim of Lindau who was Prince of the Island of Tosa and that had no sooner discovered us but he sent a message by a Chinese Pilot to Antonio de Faria full of complements whereunto was added these words from them all That the time would come when as they should communicate with us in the true love of the Law of God and of his inâ—inite clemency who by his death had given life to all men and a perpetual inheritance in the house of the good and that they beleeved this should be so after the half of the half time was past With this complement they sent him a Courtelas of great value whose handle and scabbard was of gold as also six and twenty Pearls in a little Box likewise of gold made after the fashion of a Salt-seller whereat Antonio de Faria was very much grieved by reason he was not able to render the like unto this Prince as he was obliged to do for whâ—n the Chinese arrived with this message they were distant above a league at Sea from us Hereupon we went ashore where we spent three days in taking in fresh water and fishing Then we put to Sea again laboring to get to the firm Land there to seek out a River named Pullo Cambim which divides the State of Camboia from the Kingdom of Champaa in the height of nine degrees where arriving on a Sunday the last of May we went up three leagues in this River and anchored just against a great Town called Catimparu there we remained twelve days in peace during the which we made our provision of all things necessary Now bâ—cause Antonio de Faria was naturally curious he endevored to understand from the people of the Country what Nation inhabited beyond them and whence that mighty River took its souâ—ce whereunto he was answered that it was derived from a lake named Pinator dâ—stant from them Eastward two hundred and sixty leagues in the Kingdom of Quitirvan and that it was invironed with high mountains at the foot whereof upon the brink of the water were eight and thirty villages of which thirteen were very great and the rest small and that only in one of the great onâ—s called Xincaleu there was such a huge myne of gold as by the repâ—â—t of those that lived thereabout there was every day a bar and a half drawn out of it which according to the value of our mony makes two and twenty millions in a year and that four Lords had share in it who continually were in war together each one striving to make himself master of it I and that one of them named Raiahitau had in an inner yard of his house in pots under ground that were full to the very brims above six hundred bars of gold in powder like to that of Mexancabo of the Island of Samatra And thâ—â— if three hundred Harquebusiers of our Nation should go and assault it
been despoyled Being very glad of this news after we had remained in this Port of Chincheo the space of nine days we departed from thence for Liampoo taking along with us five and thirty Soldiers more out of the five ships we found there to whom Antonio de Faria gave very good pay and after we had sailed five days with a contrary wind coasting from one side to another without advancing any whit at all it happened that one night about the first watch we met with a little Fisher-boat or Paroo wherein there were eight Portugals very sore hurt two of the which were named Mâ—m Taborda and Antonio Aâ—riques men of honor and very much renowned in those quarters the cause why in particular I name them These and the other six were in such a pitiful estate and so hideous to see to as they moved every one to compassion This Paroo coming close to Antonio de Faria he caused them to be taken up into his Junk where they presently cast themselves at his feet from whence he raised them up weeping for pity to behold them so naked and all bathed in their own blood with the wounds they had received and then demanded of them the occasion of their misfortune Whereunto one of the two made answer that about seventeen days before they set sail from Liampoo for Malaca and that being advanced as far as the Isle of Sumbor they had been set upon by a Pyrat a Guzarat by Nation called Coia Acem who had three Junks and four Lanteaas wherein were fifteen hundred men namely an hundred and fifty Mahometans the rest Luzzons Iaoas and Champaas people of the other side of Malaya and that after they had fought with them from one to four in the afternon they had been taken with the death of fourscore and two men whereof eighteen were Portugals and as many made slaves And that in their Junk what of his and of others there was lost in merchandize above an hundred thousand Taeis Antonio de Faria remaining a good while pensive at that which these men related unto him at length said unto them I pray tell me how was it possible for you to escape more then the rest the fight passing as you deliver After we had been fought withall about an hour and an half â—he three great Iunks boarded us five times and with the force of their sâ—ot they so tore the Prow of our Vessel that we were ready to sink wherefore to keep out the water and lighten our ship we were constrained to cast the most part of our goods into the Sea and whil'st our men were laboring to do so our Enemies layd so close at us as every one was fain to leave that he was about for to defend himself on the hatches But whil'st we were thus troubled most of our company being hurt and many slain it pleased God that one of the Enemies Iunks came to be so furiously fired as it caught hold likewise of another that was fastned unto it which made the Pyrats Soldiers leave the fight for to go and save their Vessels yet that they could not do so speedily but that one of them was burnt down even to the very water so that they of the Iunk were compelled to leap into the Sea to save themselves from burning where most of them were drowned In the mâ—an time we made shift to get our Iunk close to a stock of Piles which Fishermen had plantâ—d there against a rock hard by the mouth of the river where at this present is the Temple of the Siams but the dog Coia Acem was instantly with us and having fast grappled us hâ— leapt into our Vessel being followed by a great number of Mahometans all armed with Coats of Mail and Buff Ierkins who straightway killed above an hundred and fifty of ours whereof eighteen were Portugals which we no sooner perceived but all wounded as we were and spoyled with the fire as you see we sought for some way to save our selves and to that end we sped us into a Manchuâ— that was fastened to the stern of our Iunk wherein it pleased God that fifteen of us escaped whereof two dyed yesterday and of the thirteen that remain yet miraculously alive there are eight Portugals and five servants In this sort we got us with all speed between this Pallisade and the land amongst the rocks the better to preserve us from being boarded by their Iunk but they were otherwise employed in seeking to save the men of their burnt Vessel and afterwards they entred all into our Iunk where they were so carryed away with covetousness of the booty as they never thought of pursuing us so that the Sun being almost set and they wonderful glad of their victory over us they retired into the River with great acclamations Antonio de Faria very joyful at this news though he was as sad again on the other side for the bad success of those that had made him this relation rendred thanks unto God for that he had found his Enemy it being a matter so much desired of him and his Certainly said he unto them then by your report they must needs be now in great disorder and much spoiled in the River where they are for I am perswaded that neither your Junk nor that of theirs which was fastned to the burnt one can do them any longer service and that in the great Junk which assaulted you it is not possible but that you have hurt and killed a good many Whereunto they answered that without doubt they had killed and hurt a great number Then Antonio de Faria putting off his cap fell down on his knees and with his hands and eyes lifted up to Heaven he said weeping O Lord Iesus Christ my God and Saviour even as thou art the true hope of those that put their trust in thee I that am the greatest sinner of all men do most humbly beseech thee in the name of thy servants that are here present whose Souls thou hast bought with thy precious blood that thou wilt give us strength and victory against this cruel Enemy the murtherer of so many Portugals whom with thy favor and ayd and for the honor of thy holy Name I have resolved to seek out as hitherto I have done to the end he may pay to thy Soldiers and faithful servants what he hath so long owed them Whereunto all that were by answered with one cry To them to them in the Name of Iesus Christ that this dog may now render us that which for so long together he hath taken as well from us as from our poor miserable companions Hereupon with marvelous ardor and great acclamations we set sail for the Port of Lailoo which we had left eight leagues behind us whither by the advice of some of his company Antonio de Faria went to furnish himself with all that was necessary for the fight he hoped to make with the Pyrat in the quest of whom as I have
Whereupon Antonio de Faria seeing we were discovered cryed out to his company To them my Masters to them in the name of God before they be succored by their Lorches wherewith discharging all his Ordnance it pleased Heaven that the shot lighted to such purpose as it overthrew and tore in pieces the most part of the valiantest that then were mounted and appeared on the deck even right as we could have wished In the neck hereof our Harquebusiers which might be some hundred and threescore failed not to shoot upon the signal that had formerly been ordained for it so that the hatches of the Junk were cleared of all those that were upon them and that with such a slaughter as not an Enemy durst appear there afterwards At which very instant our two Junks boarded their two in the case they were in where the fight grew so hot on either side as I confess I am not able to relate in particular what passed therein though I was present at it for when it began it was scarce day Now that which rendred the conflict betwixt us and our Enemies most dreadful was the noise of Drums Basins and Bells accompanyed with the report of the great Ordnance wherewith the valleys and rocks thereabouts resounded again This fight continuing in this manner some quarter of an hour their Lorches and Lanteaas came from the shore to assist them with fresh men which one named Diego Meyrelez in Quiay Panians Junk perceiving and that a Gunner employed not his shot to any purpose in regard he was so beside himself with fear that he knew not what he did as he was ready to give fire to a Piece he thrust him away so rudely as he threw him down into the scuttle saying to him Away villain thou canst do nothing this business belongs to men such as I am not to thee whereupon pointing the Gun with its wedges of level as he knew very well how to do he gave fire to the Piece which was charged with bullets and stones and hitting the Lorch that came foremost carryed away all the upper part of her from Poup to Prow so that she presently sank and all that were in her not a man saved The shot then having past so through the first Lorch fell on the hatches of another Lorch that came a little behind and killed the Captain of her with six or seven more that were by him wherewith the two other Lorches were so terrified that going about to fly back to Land they fell foul one of another so as they could not clear themselves but remained entangled together and not able to go forward or backward which perceived by the Captains of our two Lorches called Gasparo d' Oliveyra and Vincentio Morosa they presently set upon them casting a great many artificial pots into them wherewith they were so fired that they burnt down to the very water which made the most of those that were in them to leap into the Sea where our men killed them all with their Pikes so that in those three Lorches alone there dyed above two hundred persons and in the other whereof the Captain was slain there was not one escaped for Quiay Panian pursued them in a Champana which was the Boat of his Junk and dispatched most of them as they were getting to Land the rest were all battered against the rocks that were by the shore which the Enemies in the Junks perceiving being some hundred and fifty Mahometans Luzzons Borneos and Iaos they began to be so discouraged that many of them threw themselves into the Sea whereupon the dog Coia Acem who yet was not known ran to this disorder for to animate his men He had on a Coat of Mail lined with Crimson Sattin edged with gold fringe that had formerly belonged to some Portugal and crying out with a loud voyce that every one might hear him he said three times Lah hilah hilah la Mahumed rocol halah Massulmens and true Believers in the holy Law of Mahomet will you suffer your selves to be vanquished by such feeble slaves as these Christian Dogs who have no more heart then white Pullets or bearded women To them to them for we are assured by the Book of Flowers wherein the Prophet Noby doth promise eternal delights to the Daroezes of the House of Mecqua that he will keep his word both with you and me provided that we bathe our selves in the blood of these dogs without Law With these cursed words the Devil so encouraged them that rallying all into one body they re-inforced the fight and so valiantly made head against us as it was a dreadful thing to see how desperately they ran amongst our weapons In the mean time Antonio de Faria thus exhorted his men Courage valiant Christians and whilest those wicked Miscreants fortifie themselves in their devilish Sect let us trust in our Lord Iesus Christ nailed on the Cross for us who will never forsake us how great sinners soever we be for after all we are his which these Dogs here are not With this ferver and zeal of faith flying upon Coia Acem to whom he had most spleen he discharged so great a blow on his head with a two-handed sword that cutting through a Cap of Mail he wore he layd him at his feet then redoubling with another reverse stroke he lamed him of both his legs so as he could not rise which his followers beholding they gave a mighty cry and assaulted Antonio de Faria with such fury and hardiness as they made no reckoning of a many of Portugals by whom they were invironned but gave him divers blows that had almost overthrown him to the ground Our men seeing this ran presently to his ayd and behaveâ—â—hemselves so well that in half a quarter of an hour forty eight of our enemies lay slaughtered on the dead body of Coia Acem and but fourteen of ours whereof there were not above five Portugals the rest were servants and slaves good and faithful Christians The remainder of them beginning to faint retired in disorder towards the foredeck with an intent to fortifie themselves there for prevention whereof twenty Soldiers of thirty that were in Quiay Panians Junk ran instantly and got before them so that ere they could render themselves Masters of what they pretended unto they were inforced to leap into the Sea where they fell one upon another and were by our men quâ—te made an end of so that of all their number there remained but only five whom they took alive and cast into the Hold bound hand and foot to the end they might afterwards be forced by torments to confess certain matters that should be demanded of them but they fairly tore out one anothers throats with their teeth for fear of the death they expected which yet could not keep them from being dismembered by our servants and after thrown into the Seâ— in the company of the Dog Coia Acem their Captain great Cacis of the King of Bintan the
Shedder and Drinker of the blood of Portugals Titles which he ordinarily gave himself in his Letters and which he published openly to all Mahometans by reason whereof and for the superstition of his cursed Sect he was greatly honored by them CHAP. XXI What Antonio de Faria did after his Victory his departure from the River of Tinlau with his ill success thereupon and the succor we met withall THis bloody Battel finished with the honor of the Victory before-mentioned in the description whereof I have not used many words for if I should undertake to recount the particularies of it and set forth all that was performed by ours as also the valor wherewith the Enemies defended themselves besides that I am unable to do it I should then be forced to make a far larger discourse and more ample History then this is but it being my intention to declare things â—n passant I have labored to speak succinctly in divers places where possibly better wits then mine would amplifie matters in a more accomplished manner and this is the reason that I have now delivered nothing but what was needful to be written Returning then to my former discourse I say that the first thing Antonio de Faria did after this Victory was to see his hurt men looked unto whereof there were about fourscore and twelve the most part Portugals our servants being included As for the number of the dead there were on our side forty two amongst which eight were Portugals the loss of whom afflicted Antonio de Faria more then all the rest and of the Enemies three hundred and eighty whereof an hundred and fifty fell by fire and sword the remainder were drowned Now albeit this Victory brought a great deal of content to us all yet were there many tears shed both in general and particular for the slaughter of our companions the most part of whose heads were cleft asunder with the Enemies hatchets After this Antonio de Faria notwithstanding he was hurt in two or three places went presently ashoar with those that were in case to accompany him where the first thing he did was to give order for the burial of the dead thereupon he surrounded the Island for to see what he could discover Compassing of it then in this sort he lighted upon a very pleasant Valley wherein were many gardens replenished with sundry kinds of fruits there also was a Village of about forty or fifty very low houses which the infamous Coia Acem had sacked and in them slain many of the inhabitants that had not the means to escape his hands Further in the said Valley and by a delicate River of fresh water wherein were a number of Mullets and Trouts he met with a very fair house which seemed to be the Pagod of the Village that was full of sick and hurt persons whom Coia Acem had put there to be cured amongst these were divers Mahometans of his kinred and others of his best Soldiers to the number of ninety six who as soon as they perceived Antonio de Faria afar off cryed out to him for mercy and forgiveness but he would by no means harken unto them alledging that he could not spare those that had killed so many Christians Saying so he caused the house to be fired in six or seven places which in regard it was of wood bepitched and covered with dry Palm tree leaves burned in such â—ort as it was dreadful to behold In the mean time it would have moved any man to pity to hear the lamentable cries made by these wretches within and to see them cast themselves headlong out of the windows where ouâ— men provoked with a desire of â—evenge received them upon their Pikes and Hâ—lberds This cruelty performed Antonio de Faria returned to the Sea side where the Junk lay that Coia Acem had taken a month bâ—fore from the Portugals of Liampoo and caused it to be lanched into the Sea having been formeâ—ly repaired and caulked which being done and he aboard again he restored it to Mem Taborda and Antonio Anriques to whom it belonged as I have already declared But first causing them to lay their hands on the Book of Prayers Worthy Friends said he unto them for all those my companions sakes as well living as dead who for your Iunk here have lost so much blood and so many lives I present you with her and all the goods that were in her as a free gift to the end that thereby our Lord may receive us into his everlasting Kingdom and besides be pleased to grant us an abolition of all our sins in this world and in the other everlasting life as I trust he hath given to our brethren that this day dyed like good Christians for the holy Catholique Faith Howbeit I pray and expresly enjoyn you nay I conjure you by the oath you are now to make that you take no other goods but such only as appertain unto you and that you brought from Liampoo both for your selves and those other Merchants that were Venturers with you For more I do not give you nor were iâ— reasonable I should in regard it would be much against the duty of either of our consciences for me to give and you to receive it Having spoken in this manner Mem Taborda and Antonio Anriques who little looked for any such favor fell down at his feet and with tears of joy rendred him a world of thanks and then presently went ashoar for to seek out their goods taking with them about fifty or threescore servants whom their Masters had lent them for to help gather up the Silks that were wet and hanged up by the Enemies on Trees a drying besides two great rooms full of such as had never been wet all which amounted as it was said to an hundred thousand Taeis wherein above an hundred Merchants had a share as well of them that dwelt at Liampoo as at Malaca to whom they were consigned The rest of their Commodities being a third part thereof were lost and could never be heard of The next morning as soon as it was light he went to the great Junk that he had taken which was full of the bodies of them that were slain in her the day before whom without further ado he caused to be thrown into the Sea howbeit for Coia Acems in regard he was of a more eminent condition then the rest and consequently deserving a greater honor in his funerals he commanded him clothed and armed as he was to be cut into four quarters and so cast also into the Sea where for the merit of his works his body was intombed in the bellies of the hungry Lizards whereof there was a great company all about our Junk that shewed themselves above water allured by the appast of those formerly thrown over-board and in precipitating him so dismembered into the Sea Antonio de Faria in stead of a prayer Go wicked wretch said he to the bottom of Hell where thy damned
be 〈◊〉 tâ—keâ— â—s Similau had assured us we should then proceed on otherwise that we should 〈◊〉 wiâ—h the current of the water which would bring â—s directly to the Sea with its ordinary course This resolution taken and approved of every one we went on with no less confusion then fear for in so manifest a danger we could not chuse but be very much perplâ—â—ed the night following about break of day we discovered a little Bâ—rque â— heâ—d of us riding at 〈◊〉 in the midst of the River her we boarded with as little noise as might be and took five men asleep in her whom Antonio de Faria questioned each one apart by himself to see how they would agree in that they said To his demands they answered all of them that the Country wherein we were was called Temquilâ—m from whence the Island of Calâ—mplâ—y was distant but ten leagues and â—o many other questions propounded 〈◊〉 â—heâ— for our common securitie they answered likewise separately one from the other to very good purpose wherewith Antonio de Faria and his whole company were exceedingly well satisfied but yet it grieved us not a little to think what an inconvenience the lack of Similau would prove to us in this attempt however Antonio de Faria causing the five Chineses to be arrested and chained to oares continued his course two dayes and an half more at the end whereof it pleased God that doubling a cape of land called Guimai Tarâ—â— we discovered this Island of Calâ—mpluy which we had been fourscore and three dayes seeking for with extream confusion of pains and labour as I have before related CHAP. XXV Our Arrival at Câ—lempluy and the description thereof what hapned to Antonio de Faria in one of the Hermitages thereof and how we were discovered HAving doubled the Cape of Cuimai Tarâ—â— two leagues beyond it we discovered a goodly levell of ground scituated in the midst of a River which to our seeming was not above a league in circuit whereunto Antonio de Faria approached with exceeding great joy vvhich yet vvas intâ—rmingled vvith much fâ—â—r because he knew not to vvhat danger he and his were exposed about twelve of the clock at night he anchored vvithin a Canon shot of this Island and the next morning as soon as it vvas day he sate in Councell with such of his company as he had called to it there it was concluded that it was not possible so great and magnificent a thing should be without some kind of guard and therefore it was resolved that with the greatest silence that might be it should be rounded all about for to see what advenues it had or what Obstacles we might meet with when there was question of landing to the end that accordingly we might deliberate more amply on that we had to do With this Resolution which was approved by every one Antonio de Faria weighed anchor and without any noyse got close to the Island and compassing it about exactly observed every particular that presented it self to his sight This Island was all inclosed with a platform of Jasper six and twenty spans high the stones whereof were so neatly wrought and joyned together that the wall seemed to be all of one piece at which every one greatly marvelled as having never seen any thing till then either in the Indiaes or elsewhere that merited comparison with it this Wall was six and twenty spans deep from the bottome of the River to the Superficies of the water so that the full height of it was two and fifty spans Furthermore the top of the Platform was bordered with the same stone cut into great Tower-work Upon this wall which invironed the whole Island was a Gallerie of Balisters of turn'd Copper that from six to six fathom joyned to certain Pillars of the same Mettal upon each of the which was the figure of a Woman holding a bowl in her hand within this gallery were divers Monsters cast in mettal standing all in a row which holding one another by the hand in manner of a dance incompassed the whole Island being as I have said a league about Amidst these monstrous Idols there was likewise another row of very rich Arches made of sundry coloured pieces a sumptuous work and wherewith the eye might well be entertained and contented Within was a little wood of Orange Trees without any mixture of other plants and in the midst an hundred and threescore Hermitages dedicated to the gods of the year of whom these Gentiles recount many pleasant Fables in their Chronicles for the defence of their blindness in their fâ—lâ—â— belief A quarter of a league beyond these Hermitages towards the East divers goodly great Edifices were seen separated the one from the other with seven fore-fronts of Houses built after the manner of our Churches from the top to the bottome as far as could be discerned these buildings were guilt all over and annexed to very high Towers which in all likelihood were Steeples their Edifices were invironed with two great streets arched all along like unto the Frontispieces of the Houses these Arches were supported by very huge Pillars on the top whereof and between every arch was a dainty Prospective now in regard these buildings towers pillars and their chapters were so exceedingly guilt all over as one could discern nothing but Gold it perswaded us that this Temple must needs be wonderfull sumptuous and rich since such cost had been bestowed on the very Walls After we had surrounded this whole Island and observed the advenâ—es and entries thereof notwithstanding it was somewhat late yet would Antonio de Faria needs go ashore to see if he could get any Intelligence in one of those Hermitages to the end he might thereupon resolve either to prosecute his design or return back So having left a guard sufficient for his two Vessels and Diego Lobato his Chaplain Captain of them he landed with fourty Souldiers and twenty slaves as well Pikes as Harquebuses He also carried with him four of the Chineses which we took a while before both for that they knew the plaâ—e well as having been there at other times and likewise that they might serve us for truthmen and guides Being got to the shore unespied of any one and without noise we entred the Island by one of the eight Advenues that it had and marching through the middest of the little wood of Orange-trees we arrived at the gate of the first Hermitage which might be some two Musket-shot from the place we dis-imbarqued where that hapned unto us which I will deliver hereafter Antonio de Faria went directly to the next Hermitage he saw before him with the greatest silence that might be and vvith no little fear for that he knew not into what danger he was going to ingagâ— himself which he found shut on the inside he commanded one of the Chineses to knock at it as he did two or three times vvhen at last he heard one speak in
low built weak and without Mariners we were reduced to such extremity that out of all hope to escape we suffered our selves to be driven along the coast as the current of the water would carry us for we held it more safeto venture our selves amongst the Rocks then to let us be swallowed up in the midst of the Sea and though we had chosen this design as the better and lesse painful yet did it not succeed for after dinner the winde turned to the North-west whereby the Waves became so high that it was most dreadful to behold Our fear then was so extream as we began to cast all that we had into the Sea even to the Chests full of Silver That done we cut down our two Masts and so without Mâ—sts and Sails we floated along all the rest of the day at length about midnight we heard them in Antonio de Faria's Vessel cry Lord have mercy upon us which perswaded us that they were cast away the apprehension whereof put us in such a fright as for an hour together no man spake a word Having past all this sad night in so miserable a plight about an hour before day our Vessel opened about the Keel so that it was instantly full of water eight spans high whereupon perceiving our selves to sinke we verily beleeved it was the good pleasure of God that in this place we should finish both our lives and labours As soon then as it was day we looked out to Sea as far as possibly we could discern but could no way discover Antonio de Faria which put us quite out of heart and so continuing in this great affliction till about ten of the clock with so much terror and amazement as words are not able to expresse at last we ran against the coast and even drowned as we were the Waves rouled us towards a point of Rocks that stood out into the Sea where we were no sooner arrived but that all went to pieces insomuch that of five and twenty Portugals which we were there were but fourteen saved the other eleven being drowned together with eighteen Christian Servants and seven Chinese Mariners This miserable disaster hapned on a Munday the fifth of August in the year one thousand five hundred forty and two for which the Lord be praysed everlastingly We fourteen Portugals having escaped out of this shipwrack by the meer mercy of God spent all that day and the night following in bewailing our misâ—fortune and the wretched estate whereunto we were reduced but in the end consulting together what course to take for to give some remedy thereunto we concluded to enter into the Country hoping that far or neer we should not fail to meet with some body that taking us for slaves would relieve us with meat till such time as it should please Heaven to terminate our travels with the end of our lives With this Resolution we went some six or seven leagues over rocks and hills and on the other side discovered a great Marsh so large and void as it past the reach of our sight there being no appearance of any land beyond it which made us turn back again towards the same place where we were cast away being arrived there the day after about Sun-set we found upon the shore the bodies of our men which the Sea had cast up over whom we recomenced our sorrow and lamentations and the next day we buried them in the sand to keep them from being devoured by the Tygers whereof that Country is full which we performed with much labour and pain in regard we had no other tools for that purpose but our hands and nails After these poor bodies were interred we got us into a Marsh where we spent all the night as the safest place we could chuse to preserve us from the Tygers From thence we continued our journey towards the North and that by such Precipes and thick woods as we had much adoe to pass through them Having travelled in this manner three dayes at length we arrived at a little straight without meeting any body over the which resolving to swim by ill fortune the four first that entred into it being three Portugals and a young youth were miserably drowned for being very feeble and the straight somewhat broad and the current of the water very strong they were not able to hold out any longer when they came to the midst so we eleven with three servants that remained seeing the infortunate successe of our companions could do nothing but weep and lament as men that hourly expected such or a worse end Having spent all that dark night exposed to the winde cold and rain it pleased our Lord that the next morning before day we discovered a great fire towards the East whereupon as soon as the day broke we marched fair and softly that way recomending our selves to that Almighty God from whom alone we could hope for a remedy to our miseries and so continuing our journey all along the River the most part of that day at last we came to a little wood where we found five men making of coals whom on our knees we besought for Gods sake to direct us to some place where we might get some relief I would said one of them beholding us with an eye of pitie it lay in our power to help you but alas all the comfort we can give you is to bestow some part of our Supper on you which is a little rice wherewith you may passe this night here with us if you will though I hold it better for you to preceed on your way and recover the place you see a little below where you shall finde an Hospital that serves to lodge such Pilgrims as chance to come into these quarters Having thanked him for his good addresse we fell to the Rice they gave us which came but to two mouthfuls a piece and so took our leaves of them going directly to the place they had shewed us as well as our weakness would permit About an hour within night we arrived at the Hospital where we met with four men that had the charge of it who received us very charitably The next morning as soon as it was day they demanded of us what we were and from whence we came Thereunto we answered that we were strangers natives of the Kingdom of Siam and that coming from the Port of Liampoo to go to the fishing of Nanquin we were cast away at sea by the violence of a storm having saved nothing out of this shipwrack but those our miserable and naked bodies Whereupon demanding of us again what we intended to do and whither we would go we replyed that we purposed to go to the City of Nanquin there to imbarque our selves as rowers in the first Lanteaa that should put to sea for to pass unto Cantan where our countreymen by the permission of the Aito of Panquin exercised their traffique under the protection of the son of the Sun
and Lyon crowned in the throne of the world wherefore we desired them for Gods cause to let us stay in that Hospital until we had recovered our healths and to bestow any poor clothes of us to cover our nakednedness After they had given good ear unto us It was reason answered they to grant you that which you require with so much earnestness and tears but in regard the House is now very poor we cannot so easily discharge our duties unto you as we should howbeit we will do what we may with a very good will Then quite naked as we were they lead us all about the Village containing some forty or fifty fires more or less the inhabitants whereof were exceeding poor having no other living but what they got by the labour of their hands from whom they drew by way of alms some two Taeis in mony half a Sack of rice a little meal aricot beans onions and a few old rags wherewith we made the best shift we could over and above this they bestowed two Taeis more on us out of the Stock of the Hospital But whereas we desired that we might be permitted to stay there they excused themselves saying that no poor might remain there above three days or five at the most unless it were sick people or women with child of whom special care was to be had because in their extremities they could not travel without endangering their lives wherefore they could for no other persons whatsoever transgress that Ordinance which had of ancient time been instituted by the advice of very learned and religious men nevertheless that three leagues from thence we should in a great Town called Sileyiacau find a very rich hospital where all sorts of poor people were entertained and that there we should be far better looked unto then in their house which was poor and agreeable to the place of its scituation to which end they would give us a letter of recommendation by means whereof we should incontinently be received For these good offices we rendred them infinite thanks and told them that God would reward them for it since they did it for his sake whereupon an old man one of those four taking the Speech upon him It is for that consideration alone we do it answered he and not in regard of the world for God and the World are greatly different in matters of works and of the intention which one my have in the doing of them For the world being poor and miserable as it is can give nothing that is good whereas God is infinitely rich and a friend to the poor that in the heâ—ghth of their afflictions praise him with patience and humility The world is revengeful but God is suffering the world is wicked God is all goodness the world is gluttonous God is a lover of abstinence the world is mutinous and turbulent God is quiet and peaceable the world is a lyar and full of dissimulation to them that belong to it God is always true free and merciful to them that invoke him by prayer the world is sensual and covetous God is liberal and purer then the light of the Sun or stars or then those other lamps which are far more excellent then they that appear to our eyes and are always present before his most resplendent face the world is full of irresolution and falshood wherewith it entertains it self in the smoak of its vain glory whereas God is constant in his truth to the end that thereby the humble may possess glory in all sincerity of heart In a word the world is full of folly and ignorance contrarily God is the fountain of wisdom wherefore my friends although you be reduced to so pitiful an estate do you not for all that distrust his promises for be assured he will not fail you if you do not render your selves unworthy of his favours in regard it was never found that he was at any time wanting to his albeit they that are blinded by the world are of another opinion when as they see themselves oppressed with poverty and despised of every body Having used this Speech to us he gave us a letter of recommendation to the Brotherhood of the other Hospital whither we were to go and so we departed about noon and arrived at the town an hour or two before sun-set The first thing we did was to go to the house of the repose of the poor for so the Chineses call the Hospitals There we delivered our letters to the Masters of that Society which they term Tanigories whom we found altogether in a chamber where they were assembled about the affairs of the poor After they had received the letter with a kind of compliment that seemed very strange to us they commanded the Register to read it whereupon he stood up and read thus to them that were sitting at the Table We the poorest of the poor unworthy to serve that Sovereign Lord whose works are so admirable as the Sun and the stars that twinckle in the skie during the darkness of the night do testifie Having been elected to the succession of this his house of Buatendoo scituated in this Village of Catihorau with all manner of respect and honour do beseech your humble persons admitted to the service of the Lord that out of a zeal of charity you will lodg and favour these fourteen strangers whereof three are tawny the other eleven somewhat whiter whose poverty will manifestly appear to your eyes whereby you may judg how much reason we have to present this request unto you for that 〈◊〉 have been cast away with all their merchandise in the impetuous waters of the sea that with their accustomed fury have laid the execution of the Almighty hand upon them which for a just punishment doth often permit such like things to happen for to shew us how dreadful his judgments are from which may it please him to deliver us all at the day of death to the end we may not see the indignation of his face This letter being read they caused us presently to be lodged in a very neat chamber accommodated with a Table and divers Chairs where after we had been served with good meat we rested our selves that night The next morning the Register came along with the rest of the officers and demanded of us who we were of what Nation and whereabout we had suffered shipwrack whereunto we answered as we had done before to those of the Village from whence we came that we might not be found in two tales and convinced of lying whereupon having further enquired of us what we meant to do we told them that our intention was to get our selves cured in that house if it pleased them to permit us in regard we were so weak and sickly as we could scarce stand upon our legs To which they replyed that they would very willingly see that performed for us as a thing that was ordinarily done there for the service of God for
the which we thanked them weeping with so much acknowledgment of their goodness and charity as the tears stood in their eyes so that presently sending for a Physician they bid him look carefully to us for that we were poor flocks and had no other means but what we had from the house That done he took our names in writing and set them down in a great book whereunto we all of us set our hands saying it was necessary it should be so that an accompt might be rendred of the expence was to be made for us Having spent eighteen days in this Hospital where we were sufficiently provided for with all things necessary it pleased God that we throughly recovered our healths so that feeling our selves strong enough to travel we departed from thence for to go to a place called Zuzoangances some five leagues from that Hospital where we arrived about sun-set Now in regard we were very weary we sat us down upon the side of a fountain that stood at the entrance of that Village being much perplexed and unresolved what way to take In the mean time they which came to fetch water seeing us set there in so sad an equipage returned with their pitchers empty and advertising the inhabitants of it the most of them came presently forth to us Then wondering much because they had never seen men like unto us they gathered altogether as if they would consult thereupon and after they had a good while debated one with another they sent an old woman to demand of us what people we were and why we sat so about that fountain from whence they drew all the water they used Hereunto we answered that we were poor strangers natives of the Kingdom of Siam who by a storm at sea were cast upon their Countrey in that miserable plight wherein they beheld us Tell me replyed she what course would you have us to take for you and what resolve you to do for here is no house for the repose of the poor whereinto you may be received To these words one of our company answered with tears in his eyes and a gesture conformable to our designe that God being that which he was would never abandon us with his Almighty hand but would touch their hearts to take compassion of us and our poverty and further that we were resolved to travel in that miserable case we were in till we had the good fortune to arrive at the City of Nanquin where we desired to put our selves into the Lanteaas there to serve for rowers to the Merchants that ordinarily went from thence to Cantano and so to get to Comhay where great store of our Country Junks usually lay in which we would imbarque our selves Thereupon having somewhat a better opinion of us then before Seeing you are said she such as you deliver have a little patience till I come again and tell you what these folks resolve to do with you wherewith she returned to those country people which were about some hundred persons with whom she entred into a great contestation but at length she came back with one of their Priests attired in a long gown of red damask which is an ornament of chiefest dignity among them in this equipage he came to us with an handful of ears of corn in his hand Then having commanded us to approach unto him we presently obeyed him with all kind of respect but he little regarded it seeing us so poor whereupon after he had thrown the ears of corn into the fountain he willed us to put our hands upon them which we accordingly having done You are to confess said he unto us by this holy and solemn oath that now you take in my presence upon these two substances of bread and water which the high Creator of all things hath made by his holy will to sustain and nourish all that is born into the world during the pilgrimage of this life whether that which you told this woman but now be true for upon that condition we will give you lodging in this village conformably to the charities we are bound to exercise towards Gods poor people whereas contrarily if it be not so I command you in his Name that you presently get you gone upon pain of being bitten and destroyed by the teeth of the gluttenous Serpent that makes his abode in the bottom of the house of smoak Hereunto we answered that we had said nothing but what was most true whâ—rewith the Priest remaining satisfied since you are said he such as you say come you along boldly with me and rely on my word Then returning with us to the inhabitants of the place be told them that they might bestow their alms upon us without offence and that he gave them permission so to do whereupon we were presently conducted into the Village and lodged in the porch of their Pagode or Temple where we were furnished with all that was needful for us and had two mats given us to lie upon The next morning as soon as it was day we went up and down the street begging from door to door and got four Taeis in silver wherewith we supplied our most pressing necessities After this we went away to another place called Xianguulea that was not above two leagues from that with a resolution to travel in that sort as it were in pilgrimage to the City of Nanquin to which it was then some hundred and forty leagues for we thought that from thence we might go to Cantano where our ships traded at that time and it may be our designe had succeeded had it not been for ill fortune About even-song we arrived at that village where we sat us down under the shadow of a great tree that stood by it self but it was our ill hap to meet with three boyes that kept certain cattel there who no sooner perceived us but betaking them to their heels they cried our Thieves thieves whereat the inhabitants came instantly running out armed with lances and cros-bowes crying out stop the thieves stop the thieves and so perceiving us that fled from them they mauld us cruelly with stones and staves in such manner as we were all of us grievously hurt especially one of our boyes that died upon it Then seizing on us they tied our arms behind us and leading us like prisoners into the village they so beat and buffeted us with their fists as they had almost killed us then they plunged us into a cistern of standing water that reached up to our wasts wherein were a great number of horse-leeches In this miserable place we remained two days which seemed two hundred years to us having neither rest nor any thing to eat all that time At last it was our good fortune that a man of Zuzoangance from whence we came passing by chanced to understand how we had been used by those of the Village and thereupon went and told them that they did us great wrong to take us for thieves for
iustice that conducted us they took their leaves of us in most courteous manner The next morning as soon as it was day they sent us the Letter sealed with three Seals in green Wax the Contents whereof were these Ye servants of that high Lord the resplendent mirrour of an uncreated light before whom our merits are nothing in comparison of his we the least servants of that holy house of Tauhinaâ—el that was founded in favour of the fifth prison of Nanquin with true words of respect which we owe unto you we give your most humble persons to understand that these nine strangers the bearers of this Letter are men of a far country whose bodies and goods have been so cruelly intreated by the furie of the sea that according to their report of ninety and five that they were they only have escaped shipwrack being cast by the tempest on the shore of the Isles of Tautâ—a upon the coast of the Bay of Sumbor In which pitious and lamentable case as we have seen them with our own eyes begging their living from place to place of such as charitie obliged to give them something after the manner of good folkes it was their ill fortune without all reason or justice to be apprehended by the Chumbin of Taypor and sent to this fifth prison of Faniau where they were condemned to be whipped which was immediatly executed upon them by the Ministers of the displeased arm as by their Process better appeareth But afterwards when as through too much crueltie their thumbs were to be cut off they with tears besought us for that Soveraign Lords sake in whose service we are imployed to be assisting unto them which presently undertaken by us we preferred a Petition in their behalf whereunto this Answer was made by the Court of the crowned Lyon That mercy had no place where justice lost her name whereupon provoked by a true zeal to Gods honour we addressed our selves to the Court of those four and twenty of the austere life who carried by a blessed devotion instantly assembled in the Holy House of the remedy for the poor and of an extream desire they had to succour these miserable creatures they interdicted that great Court from proceeding any further against them and accordingly the success was agreeable to the mercy of so great a God for these last Iudges revoking the others first Sentence sent the cause by way of Appeal to your Citie of Pequin with amendment of the second punishment as you may see more at large by the proceedings In regard whereof most reverend and humble Brethren We beseech you all in the Name of God to be favourable unto them and to assist them with whatsoever you shall thinke necessary for them that they may not be oppressed in thier right which is a very great sin and an eternal infamy to us who again intreat you to supply them with your Alms and bestow on them means to cover their nakedness to the end they may not perish for want of help which if you do there is no doubt but that so pious a work will be most acceptable to that Lord above to whom the poor of the earth do continually pray and are heard in the Highest of Heavens as we hold for an Article of Faith On which earth may it please that divine Majestie for whose sake we do this to preserve us till death and to render us worthy of his presence in the house of the Sun where he iâ— seated with all his Written in the Chamber of the zeal of Gods honour the ninth day of the seventh Moon and the three and twentieth year of the Raign of the Lyon crowned in the Throne of the World CHAP. XXVIII The Marvels of the Citie of Nanquin our departure from thence towards Pequin and that which hapned unto us till we arrived at the Town of Sempitay THis Letter being brought to us very early the next morning we departed in the manner before declared and continued our voyoge till Sun-set when as we anchored at a little Village named Minhacutem where the Chifuu that conducted us was born and where his Wife and Children were at that time vvhich vvas the occasion that he remained there three dayes at the end whereof he imbarqued himself vvith his family and so we passed on in the company of divers other Vessels that went upon this River unto divers parts of this Empire Now though we vvere all tyed together to the bank of the Lauteaa where vve rowed yet did we not for all that lose the view of many Towns and Villages that were scituated along this River whereof I hold it not amisse to make some descriptions To which effect I will begin with the Citie of Nanquin from whence we last parted This City is under the North in nine and thirty degrees and three quarters scituated upon the river of Batampina which signifies The flower of fish This river as we were told then and as I have seen since comes from Tartaria out of a lake called Fanistor nine leagues from the City of Lancama where Tamberlan King of the Tartarians usually kept his Court Out of the same lake which is eight and twenty leagues long twelve broad and of a mighty depth the greatest rivers that ever I saw take their source The first is the same Batampina that passing through the midst of this Empire of China three hundred and threescore leagues in length disimbâ—ques into the sea at the bay of Nanquin in thirty six degrees The second named Lechuna runs with great swiftness all along by the mountains of Pancruum which separate the Country of Cauchim and the State of Catebenan in the height of sixteen degrees The third is called Tauquida signifying the Mother of waters that going North-west traverseth the Kingdom of Nacataas a Country where China was anciently seated as I will declare hereafter and enters into the sea in the Empire of Sornau vulgarly stiled Siam by the mouth of Cuy one hundred and thirty leagues below Patana The fourth named Batobasoy descends out of the Province of Sansim which is the very same that was quite overwhelmed by the sea in the year 1556. as I purpose to shew else-where and renders it selâ— into the sea at the mouth of Cosmim in the Kingdom of Pegu The fifth and last called Leysacotay crosseth the Country by East as far as to the Archipelago of Xinxipou that borders upon Mocovye and fals as is thought into a sea that is not navigable by reaâ—on the clymate there is in the height of seventy degrees Now to return to my discourse the City of Nanquin as I said before is seated by this river of Batampina upon a reasonable high hill so as it commands all the plains about it The climate thereof is somewhat cold but very healthy and it is eight leagues about which way soever it is considered three leagues broad and one long The houses in it are not above two stories high and all built
question betwixt them and to pay him two thousand Picos of Silver for to defray the Charges of those strangers the Tartar had entertained in this War by this means China continued for a good while quiet but the King doubting lest the Tartar might in time to come return to annoy him again resolved to build a Wall that might serve for a Bulwark to his Empire and to that end calling all his Estates together he declared his determination unto them which was presently not onely well approved of but held most necessary so that to enable him for the performance of a business so much concerning his state they gave him ten thousand Picos of Silver which amount according to our account unto fifteen Millions of Gold after the rate of fifteen hundred Ducates each Pico and moreover they entertained him two hundred and fifty thousand men to labour in the work whereof thirty thousand were appointed for Officers and all the rest for manual services Order being taken then for whatsoever was thought fit for so prodigious an enterprise they fell to it in such sort as by the report of the History all that huge Wall was in seven and twenty years quite finished from one end to the other which if credit may be given to the same Chronicle is seventy Iaos in length that is six hundred and fifteen miles after nine miles every Iao wherein that which seemed most wonderfull and most exceeding the belief of man was that seven hundred and fifty thousand men laboured incessantly for so long a time in that great work whereof the Commonalty as I delivered before furnished one third part the Priests and Isles of Aynen another third and the King assisted by the Princes Lords Chaems and Anchacys of the Kingdom the rest of the building which I have both seen and measured being thirty foot in height and ten foot in breadth where it is thickest It is made of Lime and Sand and plaistered on the outside with a kind of Bitumen which renders it so strong that no Cannon can demolish it Instead of Bulwarks it hath Sentries or Watch-towers two stages high flanked with Buttresses of Carpentry made of a certain black wood which they call Caubesy that is to say Wood of Iron because it is exceeding strong and hard every Buttress being as thick as an Hogshead and very high so that these Sentries are far stronger then if they were made of Lime and Stone Now this Wall by them termed Chaufacan which signifies Strong resistance extends in height equal to the Mountains whereunto it is joyned and that those Mountains also may serve for a Wall they are cut down very smooth and sâ—eep which renders them far stronger then the Wall it self but you must know that in all this extent of land there is no Wall but in the void spaces from Hill to Hill so that the Hills themselves make up the rest of the Wall and Fence Further it is to be noted that in this whole length of an hundred and fifteen leagues which this Fortification contains there are are but onely 5 Entries whereby the Rivers of Tartaria do pass which are derived from the impetuous Torrents that descend from these Mountains and running above five hundred leagues in the Country render themselves into the Seas of China and Cauchenchina howbeit one of these Rivers being greater then the rest disemboques by the Bay of Cuy in the Kingdom of Sournau commonly called Siam Now in all these five Passages both the King of China and the King of Tartaria keep Garrisons the Chinese in each of them entertains seven thousand men giving them great pay whereof six thousand are Horse the rest Foot being for the most part strangers as Mogores Pancrus Champaas Corosones Gizares of Persia and other different Nations bordering upon this Empire and which in consideration of the extraordinary pay they receive serve the Chineses who to speak truth are nothing couragious as being but little used to the Wars and ill provided of Arms and Artillery In all this length of Wall there are three hundred and twenty Companies each of them containing five hundred Souldiers so that there are in all one hundred and threescore thousand men besides Officers of Justice Anchacis Chaems and other such like persons necessary for the Government and entertainment of these Forces so that all joyned together make up the number of two hundred thousand which are all maintained at the Kings onely charge by reason the most of them are Malefactours condemned to the reparations and labour of the Wall as I shall more amply declare when I come to speak of the Prison destined to this purpose in the City of Pequin which is also another Edifice very remarkable wherein there are continually above thirty thousand Prisoners the most of them from eighteen to forty five years of age appointed to work in this Wall Being departed from those two Towns Pacau and Nacau we continued our course up the River and arrived at another Town called Mindoo somewhat bigger then those from whence we parted where about half a mile off was a great Lake of salt-Salt-water and a number of Salt-houses round about it The Chineses assured us that this Lake did ebb and flow like the Sea and that it extended above two hundred leagues into the Country rendring the King of China in yearly Revenue one hundred thousand Taeis onely for the third of the Salt that was drawn out of it as also that the Town yielded him other one hundred thousand Taeis for the Silk alone that was made there not speaking at all of the Camphire Sugar Pourcelain Vermilion and Quick-silver whereof there was very great plenty moreover that some two leagues from this Town were twelve exceeding long Houses like unto Magazines where a world of people laboured in casting and purifying of Copper and the horrible din which the Hammers made there was such and so strange as if there were any thing on earth that could represent Hell this was it wherefore being desirous to understand the cause of this extraordinary noise we would needs go to see from whence it proceeded and we found that there were in each of these Houses forty Fornaces that is twenty of either side with forty huge Anvils upon every of which eight men beat in order and so swiftly as a mans eye could hardly discern the blows so as three hundred and twenty men wrought in each of these twelve Houses which in all the twelve Houses made up three thousand eight hundred and forty workmen beside a great number of other persons that laboured in other particular things whereupon we demanded how much Copper might be wrought every year in each of these Houses and they told us one hundred and ten or sixscore thousand Picos whereof the King had two thirds because the Mines were his and that the Mountain from whence it was drawn was called Corotum baga which signifies a River of Copper for that from the
every one of us besides with an hundred duckats and to each of the heirs of fourteen of ours which were slain in the war he gave three hundred which we accepted of as a very honorable reward and worthy of a most liberall and good natured Prince Thus went we presently away very well satisfied of him to the Port of Banta and there we remained twelve whole daies together during the which vve made an end of preparing our selves for our voyage After this vve set saile for China in the company of other four ships vvho vvere bound for the same place and vve took along vvith us the same Ioanâ— Rodriguez vvhom vve incountred at Passeruan as I have before declared that had made himself a Brachman of Pagode called Quiay Nacorel and as for him he had named himself Gauxitaâ— Facalâ—m vvhich is as much to say as the Councell of the Saint The same Ioane Rodriguez no sooner arrived at China but he imbarqued himselfe for Malaca vvhere through the grace of God he vvas reconciled anevv to the Catholike faith and after he had continued a year there he died vvith great demonstrations of a good and true Christian vvhereby it seems vve may believe that our Lord received him to mercy since after so many years profession of an infidell he reserved him to come and die in his service for vvhich be he praised for evermore Our five ships then vvith vvhich vve parted from Zunda being arrived at Chincheâ— vvhere the Portugals at that time traded vve abode three moneths and an half there vvith travell and danger enough of our persons for vve vvere in a country vvhere nothing but revolts and mutinies vvere spoken of Withall there vvere great armies afoot all alongst the Coast by reason of many robberies vvhich the Pyrats of Iapon had committed thereabout so that in this disorder there vvas no meanes to exercise any commerce for the Merchants durst not leave their houses to go to Sea By reason of all this vve vvere constrained to passe unto the Port of Chabaquâ—a vvhere vve found at anchor sixscore Iuneks vvho having set upon us took three of our five Vessells vvherein four hundred Christians vvere killed of which fourscore and two vvere Portugals As for the other tvvo Vessells in one of the vvhich I vvas they escaped as it vvere by miracle But because vve could not make to Land by reason of the Easterly vvinds vvhich vvere contrary to us all that same moneth vve vvere constrained though to our great grief to regain the Coast of Iaoa At length after vve had continued our course by the space of tvvo and tvventy daies vvith a great deal of travell and danger vve discovered an Island called Pullo Condor distant eight degrees and one third of heighth from the bar of the Kingdome of Camboya Whereupon as we were even ready to reach it so furious a storm came from the South Coast as we were all in jeopardy to be cast away Neverthelesse driving along we got to the Isle of Lingua where a tempest surprised us at West and South-West with so impetuous a wind as strugling against the billow it kept us from making use of our sails so that being in fear of rocks and shelves of sand which were on the Prow side we steered the other way untill that after some time the Forekeel of our Poup opened within nine hand-bredths of the water which was the cause seeing our selves so neer unto death that we were inforced to cut down our two masts and to cast all our Merchandises into the Sea whereby our Ship was somwhat eased This done vvhereas vve had left our ship the rest of the day and a good part of the night to the mercy of the Sea it pleased our Lord out of an effect of his divine justice that without knowing how or without seeing any thing our ship ran her self against a rock with the death of seventy and tvvo persons This miserable successe so deprived us of all our understanding and forces that not so much as one of us ever thought of any way saving himself as the Chineses whom we had for Mariners in our Junck had done for they had so bestirred themselves all the night long that before it was day they had made a raft of such planks and beams as came to their hands tying them together in such sort with the cordage of their sails that forty persons might abide upon it with ease Now whereas we were all in an imminent danger and in a time wherein as they say the father does nothing for the son nor the son for the father no man took care but for himselfe alone whereof we had a fair example in our Chinese-Mariners whom we accounted but as our slaves for Martin Esteuez the Captain and Master of the Junck having intreated his own servants vvho vvere upon the raft to receive him amongst them they ansvvered him that they could not do it at any hand vvhich coming to the ears of one of ours called Ruy de Moura whereas he could not indure that these persidious villains should use us with so much discourtesie and ingratitude he got him up on his feet from a place where he lay hurt â—nd made unto us a short speech whereby he represented unto us That we were to remember how odious a thing cowardice was and withall how absolutely it imported us to seize upon this rafâ— for the saving of our lives To these words he added many other such like which so incouraged us that with one accord and with one and the same resolution whereunto the present necessity obliged us being but eight and twenty Portugals we set upon the forty Chineses which were upon the raft We opposed our swords then to their iron hatchets and fought so lustily with them as we killed them all in the space of two or three Credoes It is true indeed that of us eight and twenty Portugals sixteen were slain and twelve escaped but so wounded that four of them died the next day This was an accident whereof no doubt the like hath seldome been heard of or seen whereby one may clearly perceive how great the misery of humane life is for it was not twelve hours before when as we all imbraced each other in the ship and behaved our selves like right brethren intending to die for one another and so soon after our sins carried us to such great extremity as hardly sustaining our selves upon four scuâ—vy planks tied together with two ropes we kissed one another with as much barbarisme as if we had been mortall enemies or something worse It is true that the excuse which may be alledged thereupon is that necessity which hath no law compelled us thereunto Whenas we were were Masters of this raft which had cost us and the Chineses so much bloud we set upon it eight and thirty persons of us that we were of which there were twelve Portugals some of their children our servants and the remainder of those that
were hurt whereof the most part died afterwards Novv forasmuch as we were so great a number upon a very little raft where we floated at the mercy of the waves of the Sea the water came up to our middles and in this fashion we escaped from that dangerous and infortunate rock one Saturday being Christmas day one thousand five hundred forty and seven with one only piece of an old counter-point which served us for a â—ail having neither needle noâ— compasse to guide us True it is that vve supplied this defect vvith the great hope which we had in our Lord whom we invoked incessantly with groans and sighs that were accompanied with abundance of tears In this pitifull equipage we navigated four vvhole dayes without eating any thing so that upon the fifth day necessity constrained us to feed on a Capâ—aâ— which died amongst us with vvhose body vve sustained our selves five dayes longer vvhich made up the nineth of our voyage so that during other four vvherein vve continued in this case vve had nothing els to eat but the foam and slâ—me of the Sea for vve resolved to die vvith hunger rather then feed on any of those four Portugals vvhich lay dead by us After vve had vvandred thus at the mercy of the Sea it pleased our Lord out of his infinite goodness to let us discover land on the tvvelfth day vvhich vvas so agreeable a sight to us as the joy of it proved mortall to some of ours for of fifteen of us that vvere still alive four died suddainly vvhereof three vvere Portugals so that of eight and thirty persons vvhich had been imbarqued on the raft there vvas but eleven that escaped namely seven Portugals and fâ—ur of our boyes In the end having got to land vve found our selves in a shallovv rode fashioned much like to an Haven vvhere vve began to render infinite thanks to God for having thus delivered us from the perills of the Sea promising our selves also that through his infinite mercy he vvould dravv us out of those of the land Having then made provision of certain shell-fish as oysters and sea-crabs to nourish our selves vvithall because vve had observed hovv all this country vvas very desert and full of Elephants and Tygers we got up into certain trees to the end we might avoid the fury of these beasts and some others which we saw there then when as we thought that we might proceed on our way with less danger we gathered us together went on thorough a vvood where to secure our lives we had recourse to loud cries and hollowings In the mean time as it is the property of the divine mercy never to forsake the poore sufferers that are upon the earth it permitted us to see coming along in a channell of fresh water that ran ingulphing it selfe into the Sea a little barque laden with timber and other wood wherein were nine Negroes Iaoas and Papuaâ— As soon as these men savv us imagining that vve vvere some devills as they confessed to us aftervvards they leapt into the vvater and quite left the Vessell not so much as one of them abiding in her But vvhen they perceived vvhat vve vvere they abandoned the fear they vvere in before and coming unto us they questioned us about many particulars vvhereunto vve ansvvered according to the truth and vvithall desired them for Gods sake to lead us vvhithersoever they vvould and there to sell us as slâ—ves to some that would carry us to Malaca adding that we were Merchants and that in acknowledgement of so good an office they should get a great deal of money for us or as much in commodities as they would require Now whereas these Iaoas are naturally inclined to avarice when they heard us talk of their interest they began to be more tractable and gave us better words with hope of doing that which we desired of them but these courtesies lasted no longer but till such time as they could get again into their barque which they had quitted for as soon as they saw themselves aboard her they put off from the land and making as though they would part without taking us in they told us that to be assured of what we had said to them they would have us before they proceeded any further to yeeld up our armes to them whereas otherwise they would never take us in no not though they saw us eaten up with Lions Seeing our selves thus constrained by necessity and by a certain dispair of finding any other remedy to our present extremity we were inforced to do all that these men required of us so that having brought their barque a little neerer they bid us swim to them because they had never a boat to fetch us from the shore which we presently resolved to do Whereupon two boys and one Portugal leapt into the Sea to take hold of a rope which they had thrown out to us from of the poup of the barque but before they could reach it they were devoured by three great Lizards nothing of the bodies of all these three appearing to us but only the bloud wherewith the Sea was all died Whilest this passed so we the other eight that remained on the shore were so seized with fear and terror as we were not our selves a long time after wherewith those dogs which were in the barque were not awhit moved but contraâ—â—lâ—â—lâ—pping their hands together in sign of joy they said in a way of jeering O how happy are these three for that they have ended their daies without pain Then whenas they saw that we were half sunk up into the Ouze without so much strength as to get our selves out of it five of them leaped ashore and tying us by the middle drew us into their barque with a thousand injuries and affronts After this setting sail they carried us to a village called Cheâ—bom which was some dozen leagues from thence where they sold all eight of us namely six Portugals one Chinese boy and a Caphar for the sum of thirteen Pardains which are in value three hundred realls of our money He that bought us was a Pagan Merchant of the Isle of Zelâ—bres in whose power we continued five or six and twenty daies and without lying we had no lack with him either of cloaths or meat The same Merchant sold us afterwards for twelve Pistolls to the King of Calapa who used so great a magnificence towards us as he sent us freely to the Port of Zunda where there were three Portugal Vessells whereof Ieronimo Gomez Sarmento was Generall who gave us a very good reception and furnished us abundantly with all that was necessary for us untill such time as he put to Sea from the Port to sail to China CHAP. XLVII My passing from Zunda to Siam where in the company of the Portugals I went to the War of Chiammay and that which the King of Siam did untill he returned into his Kingdome where his Queen poysoned him AFter we had been very
for the King our Soveraign Lord vvas thus handled by Don Antonio if the report of it be true Finally when the season of Navigation was come he was sent so manacled as he was to the Indiaes with an infamous verball process which the Parliament of Goa annulled afterwards And Don Antonio had thereupon an expresse Commandment from the Vice-Roy Don Pedro de Mascarenhas who governed the State of the Indiaes at that time to appear personally before him as a Prisoner for to be confronted in judgment with Gaspar Iorge and render an account of his proceeding against him as indeed Don Antonio failed not in making his appearance at Goa accordingly where being about to justifie himself for that which had past he was ordered to answer within three dayes to an ignominious Libel which Gaspar Iorge had exhibited against him But forasmuch as Don Antonio was naturally an enemy of Justifications by Answers and Replyes whereby it was said the Councellors of the Parliament intended to surprize him the report went at least wise such was the saying of Detractors for as for me I neither saw nor am assured of it that in stead of imploying the three dayes which had been given him in making answer to this Libell hee vvithin four and twenty hours having met accidentally vvith Gaspar Iorge sent him to prosecute his Suit in the other World laying him so sure on the ground as he never rose again Howbeit there are those vvhich recount this Affair quite otherwise and that say how in a Feast vvhereunto he was invited hee vvas poysoned By this death of his all this difference vvas decided and this businesse vvholly ceased so that Don Antonio vvas by Sentence absolutely cleared and sent back to his Government wherein he continued not above two months and a half at the end vvhereof he died of a bloody Flux and so vvere all the storms of envie and discord vvherewith the Fortresse of Malaca had been beaten appeased When the season was come vvherein vve might continue our Voyage on the first day of April in the year One thousand five hundred fifty and five wee parted from Malaca after vvee had imbarqued our selves in a Carvel belonging to the King our Soveraign Lord which Don Antonio the Captain of the Fortresse gave us by the expresse command of the Vice-Roy Three dayes after our putting to sea we arrived at an Island called Pulho Pisan at the entering into the Streight of Sincaapura where the Pilot having never navigated that way before ran us with full sails so dangerously on certain Rocks as we thought our selves to be utterly lost without all hope of recovery In regard whereof by the advice of all the rest the Father and I were constrained to get into a Manchua for to go and demand succour of one Luis Dalmeida who two hours before had passed by us in a Vessell of his and lay at anchor two leagues off us by reason the winde was against him So the Father and I made to him with peril enough For whereas all that Country which appertained to the King of Iantana Grand-childe to him that had been King of Malaca our mortall Enemy were at that time in arms his Balons and Lanchares that were assembled in a Fleet of Warr continually gave us chase with an intention to take us but by Gods providence we escaped them At length after we had got to this ship with no little fear and trouble he that was Captain of her furnished us with a Boat and Mariners and so we returned to our Carvel as speedily as we could for to succour and draw her out of the danger wherein we had left her But it pleased the Lord that we found her the day after delivered from it though it is true that she took in water abundantly in the prow's side but in the end we stanched it at Patana where we arrived seven dayes after There I went ashore with two others to see the King unto whom I delivered a Letter from the Captain of Malaca and being received very graciously by him he read it over whereby he understood that the cause of our coming thither was to provide our selves of victuals and some other things which we had not taken in at Malaca as also that we were resolved to proceed on in our course directly to China and from thence to Iapan where Father Belquior and others with him were to preach the Christian Law to the Gentiles vvhich the King of Patana having read after he had mused a little he turned to them that were about him and said smiling to them O how much better were it for these men since they expose themselves to so many travels to go to China and inrich themselves there then to recount tales in strange Countreys Whereupon calling the Xabandar to him Be sure said he unto him that thou givest these men here all that they shall demand of thee and that for the love of the Captain of Malaca who hath greatly recommended them unto mee and above all remember That it is not my custome to command a thing twice When we had taken leave of the King exceedingly contented with the good reception he had given us we fell presently to buying of Victuals and other such things as we stood in need of So that in eight dayes we were abundantly furnished with whatsoever was necessary for us Being departed from this Haven of Patana we sailed two dayes together with a South-east winde along by the coast of Lugor and Siam traversing the Barr of Cuy to go to Pulho Cambim and from thence to the Islands of Canton with an intent there to attend the conjunction of the new Moon But it was our ill fortune to be surprized by East and South-east winde which raign in that Coast the most part of the year whereof the violence was so great that we were in fear to be cast away so that to decline the event thereof we were forced to tack about again to the Coast of Malaya and arriving at an Island called Pullo Timan we ran into great danger there as well by reason of the tempest which we had upon the sea as in regard of the great treason of the people of the Country Now after five dayes that we had continued there without having either fresh water or victuals because for the easing of our Vessell we had cast out all into the Sea it pleased God that wee encountred with three Portugal Ships which came from Sunda by whose arrivall we were very much comforted in our travels Whereupon Father Belquior and I began to treat with the Captains of those Vessâ—ls about that which they thought was requisite we should do and all were of the opinion that we should send back the Carvel wherein wee vvere to Malaca saying that there was no likelihood wee should be able to make so long a Voyage in her as that of Iapan Having approved of this counsel we presently imbarqued our selves in the Ship of one
the present in regard the affaires of my State are such as thou maiest peradventure have heard Wherefore I earnestly intreat thee since God hath brought thee hither that thou wilt repose thee a while from the travel which thou hast endured for his service And as for that which the Vice-Roy hath written to me touching the businesse which I sent to him about by Antonio Ferreyra I still avow it but the Affaires of the present time are reduced to that passe as I am much afraid if my subjects see any change in me that they will approve of the Bonzoes counsel Besides I make no question but the Christians which are here have told thee the great danger I run in this Country by reason of the mutinies that â—ave past here during the which I have been in as great jeopardy as any other so that for the safety of my person I have been inforced to execute in one morning thirteen of the Principallest Lords of my Kingdome together with sixteen thousand persons of their faction and league besides as many more which I have banished Bat if it ever happens that God shall grant me that which my soul desires of him I shall hold it a small matter to consent to what the Vice-Roy advises me by his Letter Hereunto the Father replied That he was greatly satisfied with his holy resolution but he was to remember that his life was not in the hands of men because they were mortall and that if he should chance to die before he effected it what would then become of his soul To which he answered smiling God knows The Father seeing that he could receive no other satisfaction from the King at that present but good words without making any conclusion on a matter that was so important for him dissembled with him and changing discourse talked to him of other things wherein he knew he took more pleasure So having spent the most part of the night with the Father in questioning him about divers novelties whereunto he was much affected he dismissed him in very plausible termes with hope that he would become a Christian but not so soon a thing which was then well enough understood and that sufficiently discovered his intention The next day about two a clock in the afternone the Father went to see the King again and setting aside his kind welcoming of him this Prince never answeed him to purpose and within a while after returned to his Fortresse of Osquy from whence he sent to desire him to continue abiding where he was and to come some times and see him for that he took extream pleasure in talking with him of the great things of God and perfection of his Law In the mean space above two months and an half past away without giving in all that time any other fruit of himself then certain kind of hopes accompanied ever and anon with some excuses which did not much content the Father so that he thought it requisite for him to return to Goa as well for the discharging of the duty of his charge there as for many other reasons that moved him thereunto Being resolved then for our departure I went to the Fortresse of Osquy to the King to demand an answer of the Letter I brought him from the Vice-Roy of the Indiaes which he presently gave me having made it ready against my coming and in exchange of the Present he had received he sent him very rich Armes together with two Scymitars garnished with gold an hundred Ventiloes of the Country of the Lequios In the Letter which he himself had written were these words contained Lord Vice-Roy of honorable Majestie that art seated in the Throne of those which render Iustice by the power of the Scepter I Yaretandono King of Bungo give thee to understand that Ferdinand Mendez Pinto is come to me with a Letter from thy Royall Lordship and a present of Armes and other peeces very agreeable to my desire and which I very much esteem for that they are of a Country in the other end of the world which we call Chenchicogim where through the power of great Armies composed of divers Nations raignes the Crowned Lion of Portugal whose servant and subject I do by these presents declare my self to be Wherefore I pray thee that as long as the Sun shall not swerve from the effect for which God hath created him nor the waters of the sea cease from rising and falling on the shoares side thou wilt not forget this homage which hereby I make to your King whom I acknowledg for my elder Brother to the end that thereby this my obedience may remain the more honorable as I am confident it shall alwaies be And I desire thou wilt daign to accept of these Armes which I send thee as a gage and assurance of my faith From this my Fortresse of Osquy the ninth Mamocos of the third Moon in the thirtie and seventh year of our age With this Letter and his present I returned to our ship which rode at anchor some two leagues off in the Port of Zequa where I found Father Belquior and all the rest of our company already imbarqued and from thence we set sail the day after being the fourteenth of November One thousand five hundred fifty and six CHAP. LXXXI What past after our departure from Zequa till my arrivall in the Indiaes and from thence into the Kingdome of Portugal FRom this Port of Zequa we continued our course with Northerly vvinds which were favourable unto us in this season and on the fourth of December vve arrived at the Port of Lampacau vvhere we met with six Portugal ships vvhereof was Generall a certain Merchant called Francisco Martinez the creature of Francisco Barreto at that time Governour of the State of the Indiaes in the place of Don Pedro Mascarenhas And because that then the season for Navigation into India was almost past our Captain Don Francisco Mascarenhas stayed no longer there then was necessary for providing of victuall We departed then from this Port of Lampacau a little before Christmasse and arrived at Goa the seventeenth of February The first thing I did there was to go to Francisco Barreto unto whom I gave an account of the Letter which I brought from the King of Iapan but he having referred it to the day following I failed not to deliver it to him the next morning together with the Arms the Scymitars and the other Presents which that Pagan King had sent Whereupon after he had seen all at leasure addressing himself unto me I assure you said he unto me that I prize these Arms which you have brought me as much as the Government of India for I hope that by the means of this Present and this Letter from the King of Japan I shall render my self agreeable to the King our Soveraign Lord that I shall be delivered from the fortune of Lisbon where almost all of us that govern this State do go and land for our
the good I have done you for Gods sake To conclude all the vessels where these things are exposed to sale are seldom less in number then two hundred besides thousands of others which sell such like wares in a far greater quantity We saw likewise many Barcasses full of men and women that played upon divers sorts of instruments and for mony gave them musick that desired it There were other vessels laden with horns which the Priests sold therewith to make feasts in Heaven for they say that those were the horns of several beasts which were offered in sacrifice to the Idols out of devotion and for the performance of vows that men had made in divers kind of misfortunes and sicknesses wherein they had at others times been And that as the flesh of those beasts had been given here below for the honour of God to the poor so the souls of them for whom those horns were offered do in the other world eat the souls of of those beasts to whom those horns belonged and thereunto invite the souls of their friends as men use to invite others here on earth Other vessels we saw covered with blacks and full of tombs torches and great wax lights as also women in them that for money would be hired to weep and lament for the dead others there were called Pitaleus that in great barques kept divers kinds of wild beasts to be shewed for mony most dreadful to behold as Serpents huge Adders monstrous Lizards Tygers and many others such like we saw in like sort a great number of Stationers which sold all manner of books that could be desired as well concerning the creation of the world whereof they tell a thousand lies as touching the States Kingdoms Islands and Provinces of the world together with the Laws and Customs of Nations but especially of the Kings of China their number brave acts and of all things else that happened in each of their reigns Moreover we saw a great many of the light swift Foysts wherein were men very well armed who cried out with a loud voice that if any one had received an affront whereof he desired to be avenged let him come unto them and they would cause satisfaction to be made him In other vessels there were old women that served for midwives and that would bring women speedily and easily a bed as also a many of Nurses ready to be entertained for to give children suck There were barques likewise very well adornâ—d and set â—orth that had in them divers reverend old men and grave matrons whose profession was to make marriages and to comfort widows or such as had lost their children or suffered any other misfortune In others there were a number of young men and maids that lacked Masters and Mistresses which offered themselves to any that would hire them There were other vessels that had in them such as undertook to tell fortunes and to help folks to things lost In a word not to dwell any longer upon every particular that was to be seen in this moving Town for then I should never have done it shall suffice me to say that nothing can be desired on land which was not to be had in their vessels and that in greater abundance then I have delivered wherefore I will passe from it to shew you that one of the principal causes why this Monarchy of China that contains two and thirty Kingdoms is so mighty rich and of so great commerce is because it is exceedingly replenished with rivers and a world of Chanals that have been anciently made by the Kings great Lords and people thereof for to render all the Country navigable and so communicate their labours with one another The narrowest of these Chanals have bridges of hewed stone over them that are very high long and broad whereof some are of one stone eighty ninety nay an hundred spans long and fifteen or twenty broad which doubtlesse is very marvellous for it is almost impossible to comprehend by what means so huge a masse of stone could be drawn out of the Quarry without breaking and how it should be transported to the place where it was to be set All the ways and passages from Cities Towns and Villages have very large causeys made of fair stone at the ends whereof are costly pillars and arches upon which are inscriptions with letters of gold containing the pray sers of them that erected them moreover there are handsome seats placed all along for poor passengers to rest themselves on There are likewise innumerable Aqueducks and fountains every where whose water is most wholesom and excellent to drink And in divers parts there are certain Wenches of love that out of charity prostitute themselves to travellers which have no mony and although amongst us this is held for a great abuse and abomination yet with them it is accounted a work of mercy so that many on their death-beds do by their testaments bequeath great revenues for the maintenance of this wickedness as a thing very meritorious for the salvation of their souls moreover many others have left lands for the erecting and maintaining of houses in deserts and unhabited places where great fires are kept all the night to guide such as have strayed out of their way as also water for men to drink and seats to repose them in and that there may be no default herein there are divers persons entertained with very good means to see these things carefully continued according to the institution of him that founded them for the health of his soul. By these marvels which are found in the particular Towns of this Empire may be concluded what the greatness thereof might be were they joyned all together but for the better satisfaction of the Reader I dare boldly say if my testimony may be worthy of credit that in one and twenty years space during which time with a world of misfortune labour and pain I traversed the greatest part of Asia as may appear by this my discourse I had seen in some countrys a wonderfull abundance of several sorts of victuals and provisions which we have not in our Europe yet without speaking what each of them might have in particular I do not think there is in all Europe so much as there is in China alone And the same may be said of all the rest wherewith Heaven hath favoured this clymate as well for the temperature of the air as for that which concerns the policy and riches the magnificence and greatness of their estate Now that which gives the greatest luster unto it is their exact observation of justice for there is so well ruled a Government in this Country as it may justly be envied of all others in the world And to speak the truth such as want this particular have no gloss be they otherways never so great commendable Verily so often as I represent unto my self those great things which I have seen in this China I am on the one