The voyage and travell of M. Caesar Fredericke, Marchant of Venice, into the East India, and beyond the Indies. Wherein are conteined the customes and rites of those countries, the merchandises and commodities, aswell of golde and silver, as spices, drugges, pearles, and other jewels: translated out of Italian by M. Thomas Hickocke.
Caesar Fredericke to the Reader.
I HAVING (gentle Reader) for the space of eighteene yeeres
continually coasted and travelled, as it were, all the East
Indies, and many other countreys beyond the Indies,
wherein I have had both good and ill successe in my
travels: and having scene & understood many things
woorthy the noting, and to be knowen to all the world,
the which were never as yet written of any: I thought
it good (seeing the Almighty had given me grace, after
so long perils in passing such a long voyage to returne
into mine owne countrey, the noble city of Venice
) I say,
I thought it good, as briefly as I could, to write and set
forth this voyage made by me, with the marvellous things
I have seene in my travels in the Indies : The mighty
Princes that governe those countreys, their religion and
faith that they have, the rites and customes which they
use, and live by, of the divers successe that happened
unto me, and how many of these countreys are abounding
with spices, drugs, and jewels, giving also profitable
advertisement to all those that have a desire to make
such a voyage. And because that the whole world may
more commodiously rejoyce at this my travell, I have
caused it to be printed in this order: and now I present
it unto you (gentle & loving Readers) to whom for the
varieties of things heerein conteined, I hope that it shall
be with great delight received. And thus God of his
goodnesse keepe you.
A voyage to the East Indies, and beyond the Indies, &c.
IN the yere of our Lord God 1563, I Caesar Fredericke
being in Venice
, and very desirous to see the East parts
of the world, shipped my selfe in a shippe called the
Gradaige of Venice, with certaine marchandise, governed
by M. Jacomo Vatica, which was bound to Cyprus
with
his ship, with whom I went: and when we were arrived
in Cyprus
, I left that ship, and went in a lesser to Tripoly
in Soria
, where I stayed a while. Afterward I tooke my
journey to Alepo, and there I acquainted my selfe with
marchants of Armenia
, and Moores, that were marchants,
and consorted to go with them to Ormus, and wee
departed from Alepo, and in two dayes journey and a
halfe, wee came to a city called Bir.
Of the city called Bir.
BIR is a small city very scarse of all maner of victuals,
and nere unto the walles of the city runneth the river of
Euphrates
. In this city the marchants divide themselves
into companies, according to their merchandise that they
have, and there either they buy or make a boat to carry
them and their goods to Babylon downe the river
Euphrates
, with charge of a master and mariners to
conduct the boat in the voyage: these boats are in a
maner flat bottomed, yet they be very strong: and for
all that they are so strong, they will serve but for one
voyage. They are made according to the sholdnesse of
the river, because that the river is in many places full
of great stones, which greatly hinder and trouble those
that goe downe the river. These boats serve but for one
voyage downe the river unto a village called Feluchia,
because it is impossible to bring them up the river backe
againe. At Feluchia the marchants plucke their boats
in pieces, or else sell them for a small price, for that at
Bir they cost the marchants forty or fifty chickens a piece,
and they sel them at Feluchia for seven or eight chickens
a piece, because that when the marchants returne from
Babylon backe againe, if they have marchandise or goods
that oweth custome, then they make their returne in forty
dayes thorow the wildernesse, passing that way with a
great deale lesser charges then the other way. And if
they have not marchandise that oweth custome, then they
goe by the way of Mosul, where it costeth them great
charges both the Carovan and company. From Bir
where the marchants imbarke themselves to Feluchia over
against Babylon, if the river have good store of water,
they shall make their voyage in fifteene or eighteene
dayes downe the river, and if the water be lowe, and it
hath not rained, then it is much trouble, and it will be
forty or fifty dayes journey downe, because that when the
barks strike on the stones that be in the river, then they
must unlade them, which is great trouble, and then lade
them againe when they have mended them : therefore it
is not necessary, neither doe the marchants go with one
boat alone, but with two or three, that if one boat split
and be lost with striking on the sholdes, they may have
another ready to take in their goods, untill such time as
they have mended the broken boat, and if they draw the
broken boat on land to mend her, it is hard to defend her
in the night from the great multitude of Arabians that
will come downe there to robbe you: and in the rivers
every night, when you make fast your boat to the banckeside, you must keepe good watch against the Arabians
which are theeves in number like to ants, yet when they
come to robbe, they will not kill, but steale & run away.
Harquebuzes are very good weapons against them, for
that they stand greatly in feare of the shot. And as you
passe the river Euphrates
from Bir to Feluchia, there are
certein places which you must passe by, where you pay
custome certaine medines upon a bale, which custome is
belonging to the sonne of Aborise king of the Arabians
and of the desert, who hath certain cities and villages
on the river Euphrates
.
Feluchia and Babylon.
FELUCHIA is a village where they that come from Bir doe
unbarke themselves and unlade their goods, and it is
distant from Babylon a dayes journey and an halfe by
land: Babylon is no great city, but it is very populous,
and of great trade of strangers because it is a great
thorowfare for Persia, Turkia, and Arabia
: and very
often times there goe out from thence Carovans into
divers countreys: and the city is very copious of victuals,
which comme out of Armenia
downe the river of Tygris,
on certaine Zattares or Raffes made of blowen hides or
skinnes called Utrii. This river Tygris doeth wash the
walles of the city. These Raffes are bound fast together,
and then they lay boards on the aforesayd blowen skinnes,
and on the boards they lade the commodities, and so
come they to Babylon, where they unlade them, and being
unladen, they let out the winde out of the skinnes, and
lade them on cammels to make another voyage. This
city of Babylon is situate in the kingdome of Persia, but
now governed by the Turks. On the other side of the
river towards Arabia
, over against the city, there is a
faire place or towne, and in it a faire Bazarro for marchants, with very many lodgings, where the greatest part
of the marchants strangers which come to Babylon do
lie with their marchandize. The passing over Tygris
from Babylon to this Borough is by a long bridge made
of boates chained together with great chaines : provided,
that when the river waxeth great with the abundance of
raine that falleth, then they open the bridge in the middle,
where the one halfe of the bridge falleth to the walles of
Babylon, and the other to the brinks of this Borough,
on the other side of the river: and as long as the bridge
is open, they passe the river in small boats with great
danger, because of the smalnesse of the boats, and the
overlading of them, that with the fiercenesse of the
streame they be overthrowen, or els the streame doth
cary them away, so that by this meanes, many people
are lost and drowned: this thing by proofe I have many
times seene.
Of the tower of Babylon.
THE Tower of Nimrod or Babel is situate on that side
of Tygris that Arabia
is, and in a very great plaine
distant from Babylon seven or eight miles: which tower
is ruinated on every side, and with the falling of it there
is made a great mountaine: so that it hath no forme at
all, yet there is a great part of it standing, which is
compassed and almost covered with the aforesayd fallings: this Tower was builded and made of fouresquare
Brickes, which Brickes were made of earth, and dried
in the Sunne in maner and forme following: first they
layed a lay of Brickes, then a Mat made of Canes, square
as the Brickes, and in stead of lime, they daubed it with
earth: these Mats of Canes are at this time so strong,
that it is a thing woonderfull to beholde, being of such
great antiquity: I have gone round about it, and have
not found any place where there hath bene any doore or
entrance: it may be in my judgement in circuit about a
mile, and rather lesse then more.
This Tower in effect is contrary to all other things
which are seene afar off, for they seeme small, & the
more nere a man commeth to them the bigger they be:
but this tower afar off seemeth a very great thing, and
the nerer you come to it the lesser. My judgement &
reason of this is, that because the Tower is set in a very
great plaine, and hath nothing more about to make any
shew saving the ruines of it which it hath made round
about, and for this respect descrying it a farre off, that
piece of the Tower which yet standeth with the mountaine that is made of the substance that hath fallen from
it, maketh a greater shew then you shall finde comming
neere to it.
Babylon and Basora.
FROM Babylon I departed for Basora, shipping my selfe
in one of the barks that use to go in the river Tigris
from Babylon to Basora, and from Basora to Babylon:
which barks are made after the maner of Fusts or Galliots
with a Speron and a covered poope: they have no pumpe
in them because of the great abundance of pitch which
they have to pitch them with all: which pitch they have
in abundance two dayes journey from Babylon. Nere
unto the river Euphrates
, there is a city called Heit, nere
unto which city there is a great plaine full of pitch, very
marvellous to beholde, and a thing almost incredible, that
out of a hole in the earth, which continually throweth out
pitch into the aire with continuall smoake, this pitch is
throwen with such force, that being hot it falleth like
as it were sprinckled over all the plaine, in such abundance that the plaine is alwayes full of pitch: the Mores
and the Arabians of that place say, that that hole is the
mouth of hell: and in trueth, it is a thing very notable
to be marked: and by this pitch the whole people have
great benefit to pitch their barks, which barks they call
Daneck and Saffin. When the river of Tygris is well
replenished with water, you may passe from Babylon to
Basora in eight or nine dayes, and sometimes more and
sometimes lesse: we were halfe so much more which is
14 or 15 daies, because the waters were low: they may
saile day & night, and there are some places in this way
where you pay so many medins on a baile: if the waters
be lowe, it is 18 dayes journey.
Basora.
BASORA is a city of the Arabians, which of olde time
was governed by those Arabians called Zizarii, but now
it is governed by the great Turke where he keepeth an
army to his great charges.
The Arabians called Zizarii have the possession of a
great countrey, and cannot be overcome of the Turke,
because that the sea hath divided their countrey into an
Iland by channels with the ebbing and flowing of the
sea, and for that cause the Turke cannot bring an army
against them, neither by sea nor by land, and another
reason is, the inhabitants of that Iland are very strong
and warlike men. A dayes journey before you come to
Basora, you shall have a little castle or fort, which is
set on that point of the land where the rivers of Euphrates
and Tygris meet together, and the castle is called Corna
:
at this point, the two rivers make a monstrous great
river, that runneth into the sea, which is called the gulfe
of Persia, which is towards the South: Basora is distant
from the sea fifteene miles, and it is a city of great trade
of spices and drugges which come from Ormus. Also
there is great store of corne, Rice, and Dates, which the
countrey doth yeeld. I shipped my selfe in
Basora to go
for Ormus, and so we sailed thorow the
Persian sea six
hundred miles, which is the distance from Basora to
Ormus, and we sailed in small ships made of boards,
bound together with small cords or ropes, and in stead
of calking they lay betweene every board certaine straw
which they have, and so they sowe board and board
together, with the straw betweene, wherethorow there
commeth much water, and they are very dangerous.
Departing from Basora we passed 200 miles with the sea
on our right hand, along the gulfe, until at length we
arrived at an Iland called Carichii, fro whence we sailed
to Ormus in sight of the Persian shore on the left side,
and on the right side towards Arabia
we discovered
infinite Ilands.
Ormus.
ORMUS is an Iland in circuit five and twenty or thirty
miles, and it is the barrenest and most drie Iland in all
the world, because that in it there is nothing to be had,
but salt water, and wood, all other things necessary for
mans life are brought out of Persia twelve miles off, and
out of other Ilands neere thereunto adjoyning, in such
abundance and quantity, that the city is alwayes replenished with all maner of store: there is standing neere
unto the waters side a very faire castell, in the which the
captaine of the king of Portugall is alwayes resident with
a good band of Portugalles, and before this castell is a
very faire prospect : in the city dwell the maried men,
souldiers and merchants of every nation, amongst whom
there are Moores and Gentiles. In this city there is very
great trade for all sorts of spices, drugges, silke, cloth
of silke, brocardo, and divers other sorts of marchandise
come out of Persia: and amongst all other trades of
merchandise, the trade of Horses is very great there,
which they carry from thence into the Indies. This Iland
hath a Moore
king of the race of the Persians, who is
created and made king by the Captaine of the castle, in
the name of the king of Portugall. At the creation of
this king I was there, and saw the ceremonies that they
use in it, which are as followeth. The olde King being
dead, the Captaine of the Portugals chuseth another of
the blood royall, and maketh this election in the castle
with great ceremonies, and when hee is elected, the Captaine sweareth him to be true and faithfull to the King
of Portugall, as his Lord and Governour, and then he
giveth him the Scepter regall. After this with great
feasting & pompe, and with great company, he is brought
into the royall palace in the city. This King keepeth
a good traine, and hath sufficient revenues to maintaine
himselfe without troubling of any, because the Captaine
of the castle doeth mainteine and defend his right, and
when that the Captaine and he ride together, he is
honoured as a king, yet he cannot ride abroad with his
traine, without the consent of the Captaine first had: it
behooveth them to doe this, and it is necessary, because
of the great trade that is in the city: their proper
language is the Persian tongue. There I shipped my
selfe to goe for Goa, a city in the Indies, in a shippe
that had fourescore horses in her. This is to advertise
those Marchants that go from Ormus to Goa to shippe
themselves in those shippes that carry horses, because
every shippe that carrieth twenty horses or upwards is
privileged, that all the marchandise whatsoever they carry
shall pay no custome, whereas the shippes that carry
no horses are bound to pay eight per cento of all the
goods they bring.
Goa, Diu, and Cambaia.
GOA is the principall city that the Portugals have in the
Indies, where is resident the Viceroy with his Court and
ministers of the King of Portugall. From Ormus to Goa
is nine hundred foure score and ten miles distance, in
which passage the first city that you come to in the
Indies, is called Diu, and is situate in a little Iland in
the kingdome of Cambaia, which is the greatest strength
that the Portugals have in all the Indies, yet a small
city, but of great trade, because there they lade very
many great ships for the straights of Mecca
and Ormus
with marchandise, and these shippes belong to the Moores
and Christians, but the Moores can not trade neither
saile into those seas without the licence of the Viceroy
of the king of Portugall, otherwise they are taken and
made good prises. The marchandise that they lade these
ships withall commeth from Cambaietta a port in the
kingdome of Cambaia, which they bring from thence in
small barks, because there can no great shippes come
thither, by reason of the sholdnesse of the water thereabouts, and these sholds are an hundred or fourescore
miles about in a straight or gulfe, which they call
Macareo, which is as much to say, as a race of a tide,
because the waters there run out of that place without
measure, so that there is no place like to it, unlesse it
be in the kingdome of Pegu
, where there is another
Macareo, where the waters run out with more force then
these doe. The principall city in
Cambaia is called
Amadavar, it is a dayes journey and an halfe from Cambaietta, it is a very great city and very populous, and
for a city of the Gentiles it is very well made and builded
with faire houses and large streets, with a faire place in it
with many shippes, and in shew like to Cairo
, but not so
great: also Cambaietta is situate on the seas side, and
is a very faire city. The time that I was there, the city
was in great calamity & scarsenesse, so that I have seene
the men of the countrey that were Gentiles take their
children, their sonnes and their daughters, and have
desired the Portugals to buy them, and I have seene
them sold for eight or ten larines a piece, which may be
of our money x.s. or xiii.s. iiii.d. For all this, if I had
not seene it, I could not have beleeved that there should
be such a trade at
Cambaietta as there is : for in the
time of every new Moone and every full Moone, the small
barks (innumerable) come in and out, for at those times
of the Moone the tides and waters are higher then at
other times they be. These barkes be laden with all
sorts of spices, with silke of China
, with Sandols, with
Elephants teeth, Velvets of Vercini, great quantity of
Pannina, which commeth from Mecca
, Chickinos which
be pieces of golde woorth seven shillings a piece sterling,
with money, and with divers sorts of other marchandize.
Also these barks lade out, as it were, an infinite quantity
of cloth made of Bumbast of all sorts, as white stamped
and painted, with great quantity of Indico, dried ginger
& conserved, Myrabolans drie and condite, Boraso in
paste, great store of sugar, great quantity of Cotton,
abundance of Opium, Assa Fetida, Puchio, with many
other sorts of drugges, turbants made in
Dui, great
stones like to Corneolaes, Granats, Agats, Diaspry, Calcidonii, Hematists, and some kinde of naturall Diamonds.
There is in the city of Cambaietta an order, but no man
is bound to keepe it, but they that will; but all the
Portugall marchants keepe it, the which is this. There
are in this city certain Brokers which are Gentiles and
of great authority, and have every one of them fifteene
or twenty servants, and the Marchants that use that
countrey have their Brokers, with which they be served:
and they that have not bene there are informed by their
friends of the order, and of what broker they shall be
served. Now every fifteene dayes (as abovesayd) that the
fleet of small shippes entreth into the port, the Brokers
come to the water side, and these Marchants assoone as
they are come on land, do give the cargason of all their
goods to that Broker that they will have to do their
businesse for them, with the marks of all the fardles and
packs they have: and the marchant having taken on
land all his furniture for his house, because it is needfull
that the Marchants that trade to the Indies cary provision of housholde with them, because that in every
place where they come they must have a new house, the
Broker that hath received his cargason, commandeth his
servants to carry the Marchants furniture for his house
home, and load it on some cart, and carry it into the
city, where the Brokers have divers empty houses meet
for the lodging of Marchants, furnished onely with bedsteds, tables, chaires, and empty jarres for water: then
the Broker sayth to the Marchant, Goe and repose your
selfe, and take your rest in the city. The Broker tarrieth
at the water side with the cargason, and causeth all his
goods to be discharged out of the ship, and payeth the
custome, and causeth it to be brought into the house
where the marchant lieth, the Marchant not knowing any
thing thereof, neither custome, nor charges. These goods
being brought to this passe into the house of the Marchant, the Broker demandeth of the Marchant if he have
any desire to sell his goods or marchandise, at the prises
that such wares are worth at that present time? And if
he hath a desire to sell his goods presently, then at that
instant the Broker selleth them away. After this the
Broker sayth to the Marchant, you have so much of
every sort of marchandise neat and cleare of every
charge, and so much ready money. And if the Marchant
will imploy his money in other commodities, then the
Broker telleth him that such and such commodities will
cost so much, put aboord without any maner of charges.
The Marchant understanding the effect, maketh his
account; and if he thinke to buy or sell at the prices
currant, he giveth order to make his marchandise away:
and if he hath commodity for 20000 dukets, all shalbe
bartred or solde away in fifteene dayes without any care
or trouble: and when as the Marchant thinketh that he
cannot sell his goods at the prise currant, he may tary
as long as he will, but they cannot be solde by any man
but by that Broker that hath taken them on land and
payed the custome: and perchance tarying sometimes
for sale of their commodity, they make good profit, and
sometimes losse: but those marchandise that come not
ordinarily every fifteene dayes, in tarying for the sale of
them, there is great profit. The barks that lade in
Cambaietta go for Diu to ade the ships that go from thence
for the streights of Mecca
and Ormus, and some go to
Chaul and Goa: and these ships be very wel appointed,
or els are guarded by the Armada of the Portugals, for
that there are many Corsaries or Pyrats which goe coursing alongst that coast, robbing and spoiling: and for
feare of these theeves there is no safe sailing in those
seas, but with ships very well appointed and armed, or
els with the fleet of the Portugals, as is aforesayd. In
fine, the kingdome of Cambaia is a place of great trade,
and hath much doings and traffique with all men,
although hitherto it hath bene in the hands of tyrants,
because that at 75 yeeres of age the true king being at
the assault of Diu, was there slaine; whose name Sultan
Badu. At that time foure or five captaines of the army
divided the kingdome amongst themselves, and every one
of them shewed in his countrey what tyranny he could:
but twelve yeeres ago the great Mogol a Moore
king of
Agra and Delly, forty dayes journy within the land of
Amadavar, because the governour of all the kingdome
of Cambaia without any resistance, because he being of
great power and force, devising which way to enter the
land with his people, there was not any man that would
make him any resistance, although they were tyrants and
a beastly people, they were soone brought under obedience. During the time I dwelt in
Cambaietta I saw very
marvellous things : there were an infinite number of
artificers that made bracelets called Mannii, or bracelets
of elephants teeth, of divers colours, for the women of
the Gentiles, which have their armes full decked with
them. And in this occupation there are spent every yeere
many thousands of crownes: the reason whereof is this,
that when there dieth any whatsoever of their kindred,
then in signe and token of mourning and sorrow, they
breake all their bracelets from their armes, and presently
they go and buy new againe, because that they had rather
be without their meat then without their bracelets.
Daman
. Basan. Tana
.
HAVING passed Diu, I came to the second city that the
Portugals have, called Daman
, situate in the territory
of Cambaia, distant from Diu an hundred and twenty
miles: it is no towne of merchandise, save Rice and
come, and hath many villages under it, where in time
of peace the Portugals take their pleasure, but in time
of warre the enemies have the spoile of them; in such
wise that the Portugals have little benefit by them. Next
unto Daman
you shall have Basan, which is a filthy
place in respect of Daman
: in this place is Rice, Corne,
and Timber to make shippes and gallies. And a small
distance beyond Basan is a little Iland called Tana
, a
place very populous with Portugals, Moores, and Gentiles: these have nothing but Rice, there are many makers
of Armesine, and weavers of girdles of wooll and bumbast
blacke and redde like to Moocharies.
Of the cities of Chaul, and of the Palmer tree.
BEYOND this Iland you shall finde Chaul in the firme
land; and they are two cities, one of the Portugals, and
the other of the Moores: that city which the Portugals
have is situate lower then the other, and governeth the
mouth of the harbour, and is very strongly walled: and
as it were a mile and an halfe distant from this is the
city of Moores, governed by their king Zamalluco. In
the time of warres there cannot any great ships come to
the city of the Moores, because the Portugals with their
ordinance will sincke them, for that they must perforce
passe by the castles of the Portugals : both the cities are
ports of the sea, and are great cities, and have unto them
great traffique and trade of merchandise, of all sorts of
spices, drugges, silke, cloth of silke, Sandols, Marsine,
Versine, Porcelane of China, Velvets and Scarlets that
come from Portugall, and from Mecca
: with many other
sortes of merchandise. There come every yeere from
Cochin, and from Cananor tenne or fifteene great shippes
laden with great Nuts cured, and with Sugar made of the
selfe same Nuts called Giagra: the tree whereon these
Nuts doe grow is called the Palmer tree: and thorowout
all the Indies, and especially from this place to Goa there
is great abundance of them, and it is like to the Date
tree. In the whole world there is not a tree more profitable and of more goodnesse then this tree is, neither doe
men reape so much benefit of any other tree as they do
of this, there is not any part of it but serveth for some
use, and none of it is woorthy to be burnt. With the
timber of this tree they make shippes without the mixture
of any other tree, and with the leaves thereof they make
sailes, and with the fruit thereof, which be a kinde of
Nuts, they make wine, and of the wine they make Sugar
and Placetto, which wine they gather in the spring of
the yeere: out of the middle of the tree where continually
there goeth or runneth out white liquour like unto water,
in that time of the yeere they put a vessell under every
tree, and every evening and morning they take it away
full, and then distilling it with fire it maketh a very
strong liquour: and then they put it into buts, with a
quantity of Zibibbo, white or blacke and in short time
it is made a perfect wine. After this they make of the
Nuts great store of oile: of the tree they make great
quantity of boordes and quarters for buildings. Of the
barke of this tree they make cables, ropes, and other
furniture for shippes, and, as they say, these ropes be
better then they that are made of Hempe. They make
of the bowes, bedsteds, after the Indies fashion, and
Scavasches for merchandise. The leaves they cut very
small, and weave them, and so make sailes of them, for
all maner of shipping, or els very fine mats. And then
the first rinde of the Nut they stampe, and make thereof
perfect Ockam to calke shippes, great and small: and
of the hard barke thereof they make spoones and other
vessels for meat, in such wise that there is no part thereof
throwen away or cast to the fire. When these Mats be
greene they are full of an excellent sweet water to drinke:
and if a man be thirsty, with the liquour of one of the
Mats he may satisfie himselfe : and as this Nut ripeneth,
the liquor thereof turneth all to kernell. There goeth
out of Chaul for Mallaca, for the Indies, for Macao
, for
Portugall, for the coasts of Melinde, for Ormus, as it
were an infinite number and quantity of goods and
merchandise that come out of the kingdome of Cambaia.
as cloth of bumbast white, painted, printed, great
quantity of Indico, Opium, Cotton, Silke of every sort,
great store of Boraso in Paste, great store of Fetida,
great store of yron, corne, and other merchandise. The Moore
king Zamalluco is of great power, as one that at
need may command, & hath in his camp, two hundred
thousand men of warre, and hath great store of artillery,
some of them made in pieces, which for their greatnesse
can not bee carried to and fro; yet although they bee
made in pieces, they are so commodious that they worke
with them marvellous well, whose shotte is of stone, and
there hath bene of that shot sent unto the king of Portugall for the rarenes of the thing. The city where the
king Zamalluco hath his being, is within the land of
Chaul seven or eight dayes journey, which city is called
Abneger. Threescore and tenne miles from Chaul,
towards the Indies, is the port of Dabul, an haven of
the king Zamalluco: from thence to Goa is an hundred
and fifty miles.
Goa.
GOA is the principall city that the Portugals have in the
Indies, wherein the Viceroy with his royall Court is resident, and is in an Iland which may be in circuit five and
twenty or thirty miles: and the city with the boroughs
is reasonable bigge, and for a citie of the Indies it is
reasonable faire, but the Iland is farre more fairer: for
it is as it were full of goodly gardens, replenished with
divers trees and with the Palmer trees as is aforesayd.
This city is of great trafique for all sorts of marchandise
which they trade withall in those parts: and the fleet
which commeth every yeere from Portugall, which are
five or sixe great shippes that come directly for Goa,
arrive there ordinarily the sixth or tenth of September,
and there they remain forty or fifty dayes, and from
thence they goe to Cochin, where they lade for Portugall,
and often times they lade one shippe at Goa and the
other at Cochin for Portugall. Cochin is distant from
Goa three hundred miles. The city of Goa is situate in
the kingdome of Dialcan a king of the Moores, whose
chiefe city is up in the countrey eight dayes journey, and
is called Bisapor: this king is of great power, for when
I was in Goa in the yeere of our Lord 1570, this king
came to give assault to Goa, being encamped neere unto
it by a river side with an army of two hundred thousand
men of warre, and he lay at this siege foureteene
moneths: in which time there was peace concluded, and
as report went amongst his people, there was great
calamity and mortality which bred amongst them in the
time of Winter, and also killed very many elephants.
Then in the yeere of our Lord 1567, I went from Goa
to Bezeneger the chiefe city of the kingdome of Narsinga
eight dayes journey from Goa, within the land, in the
company of two other merchants which carried with them
three hundred Arabian horses to that king: because the
horses of that countrey are of a small stature, and they
pay well for the Arabian horses : and it is requisite that
the merchants sell them well, for that they stand them
in great charges to bring them out of Persia to Ormus,
and from Ormus to Goa, where the ship that bringeth
twenty horses and upwards payeth no custome, neither
ship nor goods whatsoever; whereas if they bring no
horses, they pay 8 per cento of all their goods: and at
the going out of Goa the horses pay custome, two and
forty pagodies for every horse, which pagody may be of
sterling money sixe shillings eight pence, they be pieces
of golde of that value. So that the Arabian horses are
of great value in those countreys, as 300, 400, 500
duckets a horse, and to 1000 duckets a horse.
Bezeneger.
THE city of Bezeneger was sacked in the yeere 1565,
by foure kings of the Moores, which were of great power
and might: the names of these foure kings were these
following, the first was called Dialcan, the second Zamaluc, the third Cotamaluc, and the fourth Viridy: and
yet these foure kings were not able to overcome this city
and the king of Bezeneger, but by treason. This king
of Bezeneger was a Gentile, and had, amongst all other
of his captaines, two which were notable, and they were
Moores: and these two captaines had either of them in
charge threescore and ten or fourescore thousand men.
These two captaines being of one religion with the foure
kings which were Moores, wrought meanes with them
to betray their owne king into their hands. The king
of Bezeneger esteemed not the force of the foure kings
his enemies, but went out of his city to wage battell
with them in the fieldes; and when the armies were
joyned, the battell lasted but a while not the space of
foure houres, because the two traitourous captaines, in
the chiefest of the fight, with their companies turned
their faces against their king, and made such disorder
in his army, that as astonied they set themselves to
flight. Thirty yeeres was this kingdome governed by
three brethren which were tyrants, the which keeping the
rightfull king in prison, it was their use every yeere once
to shew him to the people, and they at their pleasures
ruled as they listed. These brethren were three cap
taines belonging to the father of the king they kept in
prison, which when he died, left his sonne very yong,
and then they tooke the government to themselves. The
chiefest of these three was called Ramaragio, and sate
in the royall throne, and was called the king: the second
was called Temiragio, and he tooke the government on
him: the third was called Bengatre, and he was captaine
generall of the army. These three brethren were in this
battell, in the which the chiefest and the last were never
heard of quicke nor dead. Onely Temiragio fled in the
battel, having lost one of his eyes: when the newes
came to the city of the overthrow in the battell, the wives
and children of these three tyrants, with their lawfull
king (kept prisoner) fled away, spoiled as they were, &
the foure kings of the Moores entred the city Bezeneger
with great triumph, & there they remained sixe moneths,
searching under houses & in all places for money & other
things that were hidden, and then they departed to their
owne kingdomes, because they were not able to maintaine such a kingdome as that was, so farre distant from
their owne countrey.
When the kings were departed from Bezeneger, this
Temiragio returned to the city, and then beganne for
to repopulate it, and sent word to Goa to the Merchants,
if they had any horses, to bring them to him, and he
would pay well for them, and for this cause the aforesayd two Merchants that I went in company withall,
carried those horses that they had to Bezeneger. Also
this Tyrant made an order or lawe, that if any Merchant
had any of the horses that were taken in the aforesayd
battell or warres, although they were of his owne marke,
that he would give as much for them as they would: and
beside he gave generall safe conduct to all that should
bring them. When by this meanes he saw that there
were great store of horses brought thither unto him, hee
gave the Merchants faire wordes, untill such time as he
saw they could bring no more. Then he licenced the
Merchants to depart, without giving them any thing for
their horses, which when the poore men saw, they were
desperate, and as it were mad with sorrow and griefe.
I rested in Bezeneger seven moneths, although in one
moneth I might have discharged all my businesse, for
it was necessary to rest there untill the wayes were cleere
of theeves, which at that time ranged up and downe.
And in the time I rested there, I saw many strange and
beastly deeds done by the Gentiles. First, when there
is any Noble man or woman dead, they burne their
bodies: and if a married man die, his wife must burne
herselfe alive, for the love of her husband, and with the
body of her husband: so that when any man dieth, his
wife will take a moneths leave, two or three, or as shee
will, to burne her selfe in, and that day being come,
wherein shee ought to be burnt, that morning shee goeth
out of her house very earely, either on horsebacke or
on an eliphant, or else is borne by eight men on a smal
stage: in one of these orders she goeth, being apparelled
like to a Bride, carried round about the City, with her
haire downe about her shoulders, garnished with jewels
and flowers, according to the estate of the party, and
they goe with as great joy as Brides doe in Venice
to
their nuptials : shee carrieth in her left hand a looking
glasse, and in her right hand an arrow, and singeth
thorow the City as she passeth, and sayth, that she goeth
to sleepe with her deere spowse and husband. She is
accompanied with her kindred and friends untill it be
one or two of the clocke in the afternoone, then they
goe out of the City, and going along the rivers side
called Nigondin, which runneth under the walles of the
City, untill they come unto a place where they use to
make this burning of women, being widdowes, there is
prepared in this place a great square cave, with a little
pinnacle hard by it, foure or five steppes up: the foresayd cave is full of dried wood. The woman being come
thither, accompanied with a great number of people which
come to see the thing, then they make ready a great
banquet, and she that shall be burned eateth with as
great joy and gladnesse, as though it were her wedding
day: and the feast being ended, then they goe to dancing
and singing a certeine time, according as she will. After
this, the woman of her owne accord, commandeth them
to make the fire in the square cave where the drie wood
is, and when it is kindled, they come and certifie her
thereof, then presently she leaveth the feast, and taketh
the neerest kinseman of her husband by the hand, and
they both goe together to the banke of the foresayd river,
where shee putteth off all her jewels and all her clothes,
and giveth them to her parents or kinsefolke, and covering herselfe with a cloth, because she will not be seene
of the people being naked, she throweth herselfe into
the river, saying: O wretches, wash away your sinnes.
Comming out of the water, she rowleth herselfe into a
yellow cloth of foureteene braces long: and againe she
taketh her husbands kinseman by the hand, and they go
both together up to the pinnacle of the square cave
wherein the fire is made. When she is on the pinnacle,
shee talketh and reasoneth with the people, recommending unto them her children and kindred. Before the
pinnacle they use to set a mat, because they shall not
see the fiercenesse of the fire, yet there are many that
will have them plucked away, shewing therein an heart
not fearefull, and that they are not affrayd of that sight.
When this silly woman hath reasoned with the people a
good while to her content, there is another woman that
taketh a pot with oile, and sprinckleth it over her head,
and with the same she anoynteth all her body, and afterwards throweth the pot into the fornace, and both the
woman and the pot goe together into the fire, and
presently the people that are round about the fornace
throw after her into the cave great pieces of wood, so
by this meanes, with the fire and with the blowes that
she hath with the wood throwen after her, she is quickly
dead, and after this there groweth such sorrow and such
lamentation among the people, that all their mirth is
turned into howling and weeping, in such wise, that a
man could scarse beare the hearing of it. I have seene
many burnt in this maner, because my house was neere
to the gate where they goe out to the place of burning:
and when there dieth any great man, his wife with all
his slaves with whom hee hath had carnall copulation,
burne themselves together with him. Also in this kingdome I have seene amongst the base sort of people this
use and order, that the man being dead, hee is carried
to the place where they will make his sepulchre, and
setting him as it were upright, then commeth his wife
before him on her knees, casting her armes about his
necke, with imbracing and clasping him, untill such time
as the Masons have made a wall round about them, and
when the wall is as high as their neckes, there commeth
a man behinde the woman and strangleth her: then when
she is dead, the workemen finish the wall over their
heads, and so they lie buried both together. Besides
these, there are an infinite number of beastly qualities
amongst them, of which I have no desire to write. I
was desirous to know the cause why these women would
so wilfully burne themselves against nature and law, and
it was told mee that this law was of an ancient time, to
make provision against the slaughters which women
made of their husbands. For in those dayes before this
law was made, the women for every little displeasure that
their husbands had done unto them, would presently
poison their husbands, and take other men, and now by
reason of this law they are more faithfull unto their
husbands, and count their lives as deare as their owne,
because that after his death her owne followeth presently.
In the yeere of our Lord God 1567, for the ill successe
that the people of Bezeneger had, in that their City was
sacked by the foure kings, the king with his Court went
to dwell in a castle eight dayes journey up in the land
from Bezeneger, called Penegonde. Also sixe dayes
journey from Bezeneger, is the place where they get
Diamants: I was not there, but it was tolde me that it
is a great place, compassed with a wall, and that they
sell the earth within the wall, for so much a squadron,
and the limits are set how deepe or how low they shall
digge. Those Diamants that are of a certaine sise and
bigger then that sise, are all for the king, it is many
yeeres agone, since they got any there, for the troubles
that have beene in that kingdome. The first cause of
this trouble was, because the sonne of this Temeragio
had put to death the lawfull king which he had in prison,
for which cause the Barons and Noblemen in that kingdome would not acknowledge him to be their King, and
by this meanes there are many kings, and great division
in that kingdome, and the city of Bezeneger is not
altogether destroyed, yet the houses stand still, but
empty, and there is dwelling in them nothing, as is
reported, but Tygers and other wilde beasts. The circuit
of this city is foure & twentie miles about, and within
the walles are certeine mountaines. The houses stand
walled with earth, and plaine, all saving the three palaces
of the three tyrant brethren, and the Pagodes which are
idole houses: these are made with lime and fine marble.
I have seene many kings Courts, and yet have I seene
none in greatnesse like to this of Bezeneger, I say, for
the order of his palace, for it hath nine gates or ports.
First when you goe into the place where the king did
lodge, there are five great ports or gates: these are
kept with Captaines and souldiers: then within these
there are foure lesser gates : which are kept with Porters.
Without the first gate there is a little porch, where there
is a Captaine with five and twentie souldiers, that keepeth
watch and ward night and day: and within that another
with the like guard, wherethorow they come to a very
faire Court, and at the end of that Court there is another
porch as the first, with the like guard, and within that
another Court. And in this wise are the first five gates
guarded and kept with those Captaines: and then the
lesser gates within are kept with a guard of Porters:
which gates stand open the greatest part of the night,
because the custome of the Gentiles is to doe their businesse, and make their feasts in the night, rather then by
day. The city is very safe from theeves, for the Portugall merchants sleepe in the streets, or under porches,
for the great heat which is there, and yet they never
had any harme in the night. At the end of two moneths,
I determined to go for Goa in the company of two other
Portugall Marchants, which were making ready to
depart, with two palanchines or little litters, which are
very commodious for the way, with eight Falchines which
are men hired to cary the palanchines, eight for a palanchine, foure at a time: they carry them as we use to
carry barrowes. And I bought me two bullocks, one of
them to ride on, and the other to carry my victuals and
provision, for in that countrey they ride on bullocks with
pannels, as we terme them, girts and bridles, and they
have a very good commodious pace. From Bezeneger to
Goa in Summer it is eight dayes journey, but we went
in the midst of Winter, in the moneth of July, and were
fifteene dayes comming to Ancola on the sea coast, so
in eight dayes I had lost my two bullocks: for he that
carried my victuals, was weake and could not goe, the
other when I came unto a river where was a little bridge
to passe over, I put my bullocke to swimming, and in
the middest of the river there was a little Iland, unto
the which my bullocke went, and finding pasture, there
he remained still, and in no wise we could come to him:
and so perforce, I was forced to leave him, and at that
time there was much raine, and I was forced to go seven
dayes a foot with great paines: and by great chance I
met with Falchines by the way, whom I hired to carry
my clothes and victuals. We had great trouble in our
journey, for that every day wee were taken prisoners,
by reason of the great dissension in that kingdome: and
every morning at our departure we must pay rescat foure
or five pagies a man. And another trouble wee had as
bad as this, that when as wee came into a new governours countrey, as every day we did, although they were
al tributary to the king of Bezeneger, yet every one of
them stamped a several coine of Copper, so that the
money that we tooke this day would not serve the next:
at length, by the helpe of God, we came safe to Ancola,
which is a country of the queene of Gargopam, tributary
to the king of Bezeneger. The marchandise that went
every yere from Goa to Bezeneger were Arabian Horses,
Velvets, Damasks, and Sattens, Armesine of Portugall,
and pieces of China
, Saffron, and Skarlets: and from
Bezeneger they had in
Turky for their commodities,
jewels, and Pagodies which be ducats of golde: the
apparell that they use in Bezeneger is Velvet, Satten,
Damaske, Scarlet, or white Bumbast cloth, according to
the estate of the person with long hats on their heads,
called Colae, made of Velvet, Satten, Damaske, or
Scarlet, girding themselves in stead of girdles with some
fine white bombast cloth: they have breeches after the
order of the Turks: they weare on their feet plaine high
things called of them Aspergh, and at their eares they
have hanging great plenty of golde.
Returning to my voyage, when we were together in
Ancola, one of my companions that had nothing to lose,
tooke a guide, and went to Goa, whither they goe in
foure dayes, the other Portugall not being disposed to
go, taried in
Ancola for that Winter. The Winter in
those parts of the Indies beginneth the fifteenth of May,
and lasteth unto the end of October: and as we were in
Ancola, there came another Marchant of horses in a
palanchine, and two Portugall souldiers which came from
Zeilan, and two cariers of letters, which were Christians
borne in the Indies; all these consorted to goe to Goa
together, and I determined to goe with them, and caused
a pallanchine to be made for me very poorely of Canes;
and in one of them Canes I hid privily all the jewels I
had, and according to the order, I tooke eight Falchines
to cary me: and one day about eleven of the clocke wee
set forwards on our journey, and about two of the clocke
in the afternoone, as we passed a mountaine which
divideth the territory of Ancola and Dialcan, I being a
little behinde my company, was assaulted by eight
theeves, foure of them had swordes and targets, and
the other foure had bowes and arrowes. When the Falchines that carried me understood the noise of the assault,
they let the pallanchine and me fall to the ground, and
ranne away and left me alone, with my clothes wrapped
about me: presently the theeves were on my necke and
rifeling me, they stripped me starke naked, and I fained
my selfe sicke, because I would not leave the pallanchine,
and I had made me a little bedde of my clothes; the
theeves sought it very narrowly and subtilly, and found
two pursses that I had, well bound up together, wherein
I had put my Copper money which I had changed for
foure pagodies in
Ancola. The theeves thinking it had
beene so many duckats of golde, searched no further:
then they threw all my clothes in a bush, and hied them
away, and as God would have it, at their departure there
fell from them an handkercher, and when I saw it, I
rose from my pallanchine or couch, and tooke it up, and
wrapped it together within my pallanchine. Then these
my Falchines were of so good condition, that they
returned to seeke mee, whereas I thought I should not
have found so much goodnesse in them: because they
were payed their mony aforehand, as is the use, I had
thought to have seene them no more. Before their comming I was determined to plucke the Cane wherein my
jewels were hidden, out of my coutch, and to have made
me a walking staffe to carry in my hand to Goa, thinking
that I should have gone thither on foot, but by the faithfulness of my Falchines, I was rid of that trouble, and
so in foure dayes they carried me to Goa, in which time
I made hard fare, for the theeves left me neither money,
golde, nor silver, and that which I did eat was given
me of my men for Gods sake: and after at my comming
to Goa I payed them for every thing royally that I had
of them. From Goa I departed for Cochin, which is a
voyage of three hundred miles, and betweene these two
cities are many holdes of the Portugals, as Onor, Mangalor, Barzelor, and Cananor. The Holde or Fort that
you shall have from Goa to Cochin that belongeth to the
Portugals, is called Onor, which is in the kingdome of
the queene of Battacella, which is tributary to the king
of Bezeneger : there is no trade there, but onely a charge
with the Captaine and company he keepeth there. And
passing this place, you shall come to another small castle
of the Portugals called Mangalor, and there is very small
trade but onely for a little Rice: and from thence you
goe to a little fort called Barzelor, there they have good
store of Rice which is carried to Goa: and from thence
you shall goe to a city called Cananor, which is a harquebush shot distant from the chiefest city that ye king of
Cananor hath in his kingdome being a king of the
Gentiles: and he & his are very naughty & malicious
people, alwayes having delight to be in warres with the
Portugales, and when they are in peace, it is for their
interest to let their merchandize passe : there goeth out
of this kingdom of Cananor, all the Cardamomum, great
store of Pepper, Ginger, Honie, ships laden with great
Nuts, great quantitie of Archa, which is a fruit of the
bignesse of Nutmegs, which fruite they eate in all those
partes of the Indies and beyond the Indies, with the leafe
of an Herbe which they call Bettell, the which is like unto
our Ivie leafe, but a litle lesser and thinner: they eate it
made in plaisters with the lime made of Oistershels, and
thorow the Indies they spend great quantitie of money
in this composition, and it is used daily, which thing I
would not have beleeved, if I had not scene it. The
customers get great profite by these Herbes, for that
they have custome for them. When this people eate and
chawe this in their mouthes, it maketh their spittle to
bee red like unto blood, and they say, that it maketh a
man to have a very good stomacke and a sweete breath,
but sure in my judgement they eate it rather to fulfill
their filthie lustes, and of a knaverie, for this Herbe is
moyst and hote, & maketh a very strong expulsion.
From Cananor you go to Cranganor, which is another
smal Fort of the Portugales in the land of the king of
Cranganor, which is another king of the Gentiles, and a
countrey of small importance, and of an hundreth and
twentie miles, full of thieves, being under the king of
Calicut
, a king also of the Gentiles, and a great enemie
to the Portugales, which when hee is alwayes in warres,
hee and his countrey is the nest and resting for stranger
theeves, and those bee called Moores of Carposa, because
they weare on their heads long red hats, and these thieves
part the spoyles that they take on the Sea with the king
of Calicut
, for hee giveth leave unto all that will goe
a roving, liberally to goe, in such wise, that all along
that coast there is such a number of thieves, that there
is no sailing in those Seas but with great ships and very
well armed, or els they must go in company with the
army of the Portugals. From Cranganor to Cochin is
15 miles.
Cochin.
COCHIN is, next unto Goa, the chiefest place that the
Portugales have in the Indies, and there is great trade
of Spices, drugges, and all other sortes of merchandize
for the kingdome of Portugale, and there within the land
is the kingdome of Pepper, which Pepper the Portugales
lade in their shippes by bulke, and not in sackes: the
Pepper that goeth for Portugale is not so good as that
which goeth for Mecca
, because that in times past the
officers of the king of Portugale made a contract with
the king of Cochin, in the name of the king of Portugale,
for the prizes of Pepper, and by reason of that agreement
betweene them at that time made, the price can neither
rise nor fall, which is a very lowe and base price, and
for this cause the villaines bring it to the Portugales,
greene and full of filthe. The Moores of Mecca
that give
a better price, have it cleane and drie, and better conditioned. All the Spices and drugs that are brought to
Mecca
, are stollen from thence as Contrabanda. Cochin
is two cities, one of the Portugales, and another of the
king of Cochin: that of the Portugales is situate neerest
unto the Sea, and that of the king of Cochin is a mile and
a halfe up higher in the land, but they are both set on the
bankes of one river which is very great and of a good
depth of water which river commeth out of the mountaines of the king of the Pepper, which is a king of the
Gentiles, in whose kingdome are many Christians of saint
Thomas order: the king of Cochin is also a king of the
Gentiles and a great faithfull friend to the king of Portugale, and to those Portugales which are married, and
are Citizens in the Citie Cochin of the Portugales. And
by this name of Portugales throughout all the Indies,
they call all the Christians that come out of the West,
whether they bee Italians, Frenchmen, or Almaines, and
all they that marrie in Cochin do get an office according
to the trade he is of: this they have by the great privileges which the Citizens have of that city, because there
are two principal commodities that they deale withal in
that place, which are these. The great store of Silke
that commeth from China
, and the great store of Sugar
which commeth from Bengala: the married Citizens pay
not any custome for these two commodities: for all other
commodities they pay 4. per cento custome to the king
of Cochin, rating their goods at their owne pleasure.
Those which are not married and strangers, pay in
Cochin to the king of Portugale eight per cento of all
maner of merchandise. I was in Cochin when the Viceroy of the king of Portugale wrought what hee coulde to
breake the privilege of the Citizens, and to make them
to pay custome as other did: at which time the Citizens
were glad to waigh their Pepper in the night that they
laded the ships withall that went to Portugale and stole
the custome in the night. The king of Cochin having
understanding of this, would not suffer any more Pepper
to bee weighed. Then presently after this, the marchants
were licensed to doe as they did before, and there was
no more speach of this matter, nor any wrong done.
This king of Cochin is of a small power in respect of the
other kings of the Indies, for hee can make but seventie
thousand men of armes in his campe: hee hath a great
number of Gentlemen which hee calleth Amochi, and
some are called Nairi
: these two sorts of men esteeme
not their lives any thing, so that it may be for the honour
of their king, they will thrust themselves forward in every
danger, although they know they shall die. These men
goe naked from the girdle upwardes, with a clothe rolled
about their thighs, going barefooted, and having their
haire very long and rolled up together on the toppe of
their heads, and alwayes they carrie their Bucklers or
Targets with them and their swordes naked, these Nairi
have their wives common amongst themselves, and when
any of them goe into the house of any of these women,
hee leaveth his sworde and target at the doore, and the
time that hee is there, there dare not any bee so hardie
as to come into that house. The kings children shall not
inherite the kingdome after their father, because they
hold this opinion, that perchance they were not begotten
of the king their father, but of some other man, therefore
they accept for their king, one of the sonnes of the kings
sisters, or of some other woman of the blood roial, for
that they be sure they are of the blood roiall.
The Nairi
and their wives use for a braverie to make
great holes in their eares, and so bigge and wide, that it
is incredible, holding this opinion, that the greater the
holes bee, the more noble they esteeme themselves. I
had leave of one of them to measure the circumference of
one of them with a threed, and within that circumference
I put my arme up to the shoulder, clothed as it was, so
that in effect they are monstrous great. Thus they doe
make them when they be litle, for then they open the eare,
& hang a piece of gold or lead thereat, & within the
opening, in the hole they put a certaine leafe that they
have for that purpose, which maketh the hole so great.
They lade ships in Cochin for Portugale and for Ormus,
but they that goe for Ormus carrie no Pepper but by
Contrabanda, as for Sinamome they easilie get leave to
carrie that away, for all other Spices and drugs they may
liberally carie them to Ormus or Cambaia, and so all
other merchandize which come from other places, but out
of the kingdom of Cochin properly they cary away with
them into Portugale great abundance of Pepper, great
quantitie of Ginger dried and conserved, wild Sinamom,
good quantitie of Arecca, great store of Cordage of Cairo,
made of the barke of the tree of the great Nut, and
better then that of Hempe, of which they carrie great
store into Portugale.
The shippes every yeere depart from Cochin to goe for
Portugall, on the fift day of December, or the fift day of
January. Nowe to follow my voyage for the Indies:
from Cochin I went to Coulam, distant from Cochin
seventie and two miles, which Coulam is a small Fort of
the king of Portugales, situate in the kingdom of Coulam,
which is a king of the Gentiles, and of small trade: at
that place they lade onely halfe a ship of Pepper, and
then she goeth to Cochin to take in the rest, and from
thence to Cao Comori is seventie and two miles, and there
endeth the coast of the Indies: and alongst this coast,
neere to the water side, and also to Cao Comori, downe
to the lowe land of Chialo, which is about two hundred
miles, the people there are as it were all turned to the
Christian faith: there are also Churches of the Friers of
S. Pauls order, which Friers doe very much good in those
places in turning the people, and in converting them,
and take great paines in instructing them in the law of
Christ.
The fishing for Pearles.
THE Sea that lieth betweene the coast which descendeth
from Cao Comori, to the lowe land of Chilao, and the
Iland Zeilan, they call the fishing of Pearles, which
fishing they make every yeere, beginning in March or
Aprill, and it lasteth fiftie dayes, but they doe not fishe
every yeere in one place, but one yeere in one place, and
another yeere in another place of the same sea. When
the time of this fishing draweth neere, then they send very
good Divers, that goe to discover where the greatest
heapes of Oisters bee under water, and right agaynst that
place where greatest store of Oisters bee, there they make
or plant a village with houses and a Bazaro, all of stone,
which standeth as long as the fishing time lasteth, and it
is furnished with all things necessarie, and nowe and then
it is neere unto places that are inhabited, and other times
farre off, according to the place where they fishe. The
Fishermen are all Christians of the countrey, and who so
will may goe to fishing, paying a certaine dutie to the
king of Portugall, and to the Churches of the Friers of
Saint Paule, which are in that coast. All the while that
they are fishing, there are three or foure Fustes armed
to defend the Fishermen from Rovers. It was my chance
to bee there one time in my passage, and I saw the order
that they used in fishing, which is this. There are three
or foure Barkes that make consort together, which are
like to our litle Pilot boates, and a litle lesse, there goe
seven or eight men in a boate: and I have seene in a
morning a great number of them goe out, and anker in
fifteene or eighteene fadome of water, which is the
Ordinarie depth of all that coast. When they are at
anker, they cast a rope into the Sea, and at the ende of
the rope, they make fast a great stone, and then there
is readie a man that hath his nose and his eares well
stopped, and annointed with oyle, and a basket about his
necke, or under his left arme, then hee goeth downe by
the rope to the bottome of the Sea, and as fast as he can
hee filleth the basket, and when it is full, he shaketh the
rope, and his fellowes that are in the Barke hale him up
with the basket: and in such wise they goe one by one
untill they have laden their barke with oysters, and at
evening they come to the village, and then every company
maketh their mountaine or heape of oysters one distant
from another, in such wise that you shall see a great long
rowe of mountaines or heapes of oysters, and they are not
touched untill such time as the fishing bee ended, and at
the ende of the fishing every companie sitteth round about
their mountaine or heape of oysters, and fall to opening
of them, which they may easilie doe because they bee
dead, drie and brittle: and if every oyster had pearles in
them, it would bee a very good purchase, but there are
very many that have no pearles in them: when the
fishing is ended, then they see whether it bee a good
gathering or a badde: there are certaine expert in the
pearles whom they call Chitini, which set and make the
price of pearles according to their carracts, beautie, and
goodnesse, making foure sortes of them. The first sort
bee the round pearles, and they be called Aia of Portugale, because the Portugales doe buy them. The second
sorte which are not round, are called Aia of Bengala.
The third sort which are not so good as the second, they
call Aia of Canara, that is to say, the kingdome of
Bezeneger. The fourth and last sort, which are the least
and worst sort, are called Aia of Cambaia. Thus the
price being set, there are merchants of every countrey
which are readie with their money in their handes, so that
in a fewe dayes all is bought up at the prises set according
to the goodnesse and caracts of the pearles.
In this Sea of the fishing of pearles is an Iland called
Manar, which is inhabited by Christians of the countrey
which first were Gentiles, and have a small hold of
the Portugales being situate over agaynst Zeilan: and
betweene these two Ilands there is a chanell, but not
very big, and hath but a small depth therein: by reason
whereof there cannot any great shippe passe that way,
but small ships, and with the increase of the water which
is at the change or the full of the Moone, and yet for
all this they must unlade them and put their goods into
small vessels to lighten them before they can passe that
way for feare of Sholdes that lie in the chanell, and after
lade them into their shippes to goe for the Indies, and
this doe all small shippes that passe that way, but those
shippes that goe for the Indies Eastwardes, passe by the
coast of Coromandel, on the other side by the land of
Chilao which is betweene the firme land and the
Iland
Manor: and going from the Indies to the coast of Coromandel, they loose some shippes, but they bee emptie,
because that the shippes that passe that way discharge
their goods at an Iland called Peripatane, and there land
their goods into small flat bottomed boates which drawe
litle water, and are called Tane, and can run over every
Shold without either danger or losse of any thing, for
that they tarrie in
Peripatane untill such time as it bee
faire weather. Before they depart to passe the Sholdes,
the small shippes and flat bottomed boates goe together
in companie, and when they have sailed sixe and thirtie
miles, they arrive at the place where the Sholdes are,
and at that place the windes blowe so forciblie, that they
are forced to goe thorowe, not having any other refuge
to save themselves. The flat bottomed boates goe sate
thorow, where as the small shippes if they misse the
aforesayd chanell, sticke fast on the Sholdes, and by
this meanes many are lost: and comming backe from the
Indies, they goe not that way, but passe by the chanell
of Manar as is abovesayd, whose chanell is Oazie, and
if the shippes sticke fast, it is great chance if there be
any danger at all. The reason why this chanell is not
more sure to goe thither, is, because the windes that
raigne or blowe betweene Zeilan and Manar, make the
chanell so shalow with water, that almost there is not
any passage. From Cao Comori to the
Iland of Zeilan
is 120. miles overthwart.
Zeilan.
ZEILAN is an Iland, in my judgement, a great deale
bigger then Cyprus
: on that side towards the Indies
lying Westward is the citie called Columba, which is a
hold of the Portugales, but without walles or enimies.
It hath towards the Sea a free port, the lawfull king
of that Iland is in
Columbo, and is turned Christian and
maintained by the king of Portugall, being deprived of
his kingdome. The king of the Gentiles, to whom this
kingdome did belong, was called Madoni, which had two
sonnes, the first named Barbinas the prince; and the
second Ragine. This king by the pollicie of his yoonger
sonne, was deprived of his kingdome, who because hee
had entised and done that which pleased the armie and
souldiours, in despight of his father and brother being
prince, usurped the kingdome, and became a great
warriour. First, this Iland had three kings; the king of
Cotta with his conquered prisoners: the king of Candia
,
which is a part of that Iland, and is so called by the name
of Candia
, which had a reasonable power, and was a
great friend to the Portugals, which sayd that hee lived
secretly a Christian; the third was the king of Gianifampatan. In thirteene yeeres that this Ragine governed
this Iland, he became a great tyrant.
In this Iland there groweth fine Sinamom, great store
of Pepper, great store of Nuttes and Arochoe: there
they make great store of Cairo
to make Cordage: it
bringeth foorth great store of Christall Cats eyes, or
Ochi de Gati, and they say that they finde there some
Rubies, but I have sold Rubies well there that I brought
with me from Pegu
. I was desirous to see how they
gather the Sinamom, or take it from the tree that it
groweth on, and so much the rather, because the time
that I was there, was the season which they gather it
in, which was in the moneth of Aprill, at which time the
Portugals were in armes, and in the field, with the king
of the countrey; yet I to satisfie my desire, although in
great danger, tooke a guide with mee and went into a
wood three miles from the Citie, in which wood was
great store of Sinamome trees growing together among
other wilde trees; and this Sinamome tree is a small tree,
and not very high, and hath leaves like to our Baie tree.
In the moneth of March or Aprill, when the sappe goeth
up to the toppe of the tree, then they take the Sinamom
from that tree in this wise. They cut the barke of the
tree round about in length from knot to knot, or from
joint to joint, above and belowe, and then easilie with
their handes they take it away, laying it in the Sunne
to drie, and in this wise it is gathered, and yet for all
this the tree dieth not, but agaynst the next yeere it
will have a new barke, and that which is gathered every
yeere is the best Sinamome : for that which groweth two
or three yeeres is great, and not so good as the other is;
and in these woods groweth much Pepper.
Negapatan.
FROM the
Iland of Zeilan men use to goe with small
shippes to Negapatan, within the firme land, and seventie
two miles off is a very great Citie, and very populous of
Portugals and Christians of the countrey, and part
Gentiles :. it is a countrey of small trade, neither have they
any trade there, save a good quantitie of Rice, and cloth
of Bumbast which they carie into divers partes: it was a
very plentifull countrey of victuals, but now it hath a
great deale lesse; and that abundance of victuals caused
many Portugales to goe thither and build houses, and
dwell there with small charge.
This Citie belongeth to a noble man of the kingdome of
Bezeneger being a Gentile, neverethelesse the Portugales
and other Christians are well intreated there, and have
their churches there with a monasterie of Saint Francis
order, with great devotion and very well accommodated,
with houses round about: yet for all this, they are
amongst tyrants, which alwayes at their pleasure may
doe them some harme, as it happened in the yeere of
our Lord God one thousand five hundred, sixtie and
five: for I remember very well, how that the Nayer, that
is to say, the lord of the citie, sent to the citizens to
demaund of them certaine Arabian horses, and they
having denied them unto him, and gainesayd his demaund, it came to passe that this lord had a desire to
see the Sea, which when the poore citizens understood,
they doubted some evill, to heare a thing which was not
woont to bee, they thought that this man would come to
sacke the Citie, and presently they embarked themselves
the best they could with their mooveables, marchandize,
jewels, money, and all that they had, and caused the
shippes to put from the shore. When this was done, as
their evill chance would have it, the next night following,
there came such a great storme that it put all the shippes
on land perforce, and brake them to pieces, and all the
goods that came on land and were saved, were taken
from them by the souldiours and armie of this lord which
came downe with him to see the Sea, and were attendant
at the Sea side, not thinking that any such thing would
have happened.
Saint Thomas or San Tome.
FROM Negapatan following my voyage towards the East
an hundred and fiftie miles, I found the house of blessed
Saint Thomas, which is a Church of great devotion, and
greatly regarded of the Gentiles for the great miracles
they have heard to have bene done by that blessed
Apostle: neere unto this Church the Portugals have
builded them a Citie in the countrey subject to the king
of Bezeneger, which citie although it bee not very great,
yet in my judgement it is the fairest in all that part of
the Indies : and it hath very faire houses and faire gardens
in vacant places very well accommodated: it hath streetes
large and streight, with many Churches of great devotion,
their houses be set close one unto another, with little
doores, every house hath his defence, so that by that
meanes it is of force sufficient to defend ye Portugals
against the people of that countrey. The Portugals there
have no other possession but their gardens and houses
that are within the citie: the customes belong to the
king of Bezeneger, which are very small and easie, for
that it is a countrey of great riches and great trade:
there come every yeere two or three great ships very
rich, besides many other small ships: one of the two
great ships goeth for Pegu
, and the other for Malacca,
laden with fine Bumbast cloth of every sort, painted,
which is a rare thing, because those kinde of clothes
shew as they were gilded with divers colours, and the
more they be washed, the livelier the colours will shew.
Also there is other cloth of Bumbast which is woven
with divers colours, and is of great value: also they
make in Sant Tome great store of red Yarne, which
they die with a roote called Saia, and this colour will
never waste, but the more it is washed, the more redder
it will shew: they lade this yarne the greatest part of it
for Pegu
, because that there they worke and weave it
to make cloth according to their owne fashion, and with
lesser charges. It is a marvelous thing to them which
have not seene the lading and unlading of men and
merchandize in S. Tome as they do: it is a place so
dangerous, that a man cannot bee served with small
barkes, neither can they doe their businesse with the
boates of the shippes, because they would be beaten in
a thousand pieces, but they make certaine barkes (of
purpose) high, which they call Masadie, they be made
of litle boards; one board being sowed to another with
small cordes, and in this order are they made. And
when they are thus made, and the owners will embarke
any thing in them, either men or goods, they lade them
on land, and when they are laden, the Barke-men thrust
the boate with her lading into the streame, and with
great speed they make haste all that they are able to
rowe out against the huge waves of the sea that are on
that shore, untill that they carie them to the ships: and
in like maner they lade these Masadies at the shippes
with merchandise and men. When they come neere the
shore, the Barke-men leap out of the Barke into the Sea
to keepe the Barke right that she cast not thwart the
shore, and being kept right, the
Suffe of the Sea setteth
her lading dry on land without any hurt or danger, and
sometimes there are some of them that are overthrowen,
but there can be no great losse, because they lade but
a litle at a time. All the marchandize they lade outwards, they emball it well with Oxe hides, so that if it
take wet, it can have no great harme.
In my voyage, returning in the yeere of our Lord God
one thousand, five hundred, sixtie and sixe, I went from
Goa unto Malacca, in a shippe or Gallion of the king of
Portugal
, which went unto Banda for to lade Nutmegs &
Maces: from Goa to Malacca are one thousand eight
hundred miles, we passed without the
Iland Zeilan, and
went through the chanell of Nicubar, or els through the
chanell of Sombrero
, which is by the middle of the
Iland
of Sumatra, called in olde time Taprobana: and from
Nicubar to Pegu
is as it were a rowe or chaine of an
infinite number of Ilands, of which many are inhabited
with wilde people, and they call those Ilands the
Ilands
of Andemaon, and they call their people savage of wilde,
because they eate one another: also these Ilands have
warre one with another, for they have small Barkes,
and with them they take one another, and so eate one
another: and if by evil chance any ship be lost on those
Ilands, as many have bene, there is not one man of those
ships lost there that escapeth uneaten or unslaine. These
people have not any acquaintance with any other people,
neither have they trade with any, but live onely of such
fruites as those Ilands yeeld : and if any ship come neere
unto that place or coast as they passe that way, as in my
voyage it happened as I came from Malacca through the
chanell of Sombrero
, there came two of their Barkes
neere unto our ship laden with fruite, as with Mouces
which wee call Adams apples, with fresh Nuts, and with
a fruite called Inani, which fruite is like to our Turneps,
but is very sweete and good to eate: they would not
come into the shippe for any thing that wee could doe:
neither would they take any money for their fruite, but
they would trucke for olde shirtes or pieces of olde linnen
breeches, these ragges they let downe with a rope into
their Barke unto them, and looke what they thought those
things to bee woorth, so much fruite they would make
fast to the rope and let us hale it in: and it was told me
that at sometimes a man shall have for an old shirt a
good piece of Amber.
Sumatra.
THIS
Iland of Sumatra is a great Iland and devided and
governed by many kings, and devided into many chanels,
where through there is passage: upon the headland
towardes the West is the kingdom of Assi governed by
a Moore
king: this king is of great force and strength,
as he that beside his great kingdom, hath many Foists
and Gallies. In his kingdom groweth great store of
Pepper, Ginger, Benjamin: he is an utter enemy to the
Portugals, and hath divers times bene at Malacca to
fight against it, and hath done great harme to the
boroughes thereof, but the citie alway withstood him
valiantly, and with their ordinance did great spoile to his
campe. At length I came to the citie of Malacca.
The Citie Malacca.
MALACCA is a Citie of marvellous great trade of all kind
of marchandize, which come from divers partes, because
that all the shippes that saile in these seas, both great
and small, are bound to touch at Malacca to paie their
custome there, although they unlade nothing at all, as
we doe at
Elsinor: and if by night they escape away,
and pay not their custome, then they fall into a greater
danger after: for if they come into the Indies and have
not the seale of Malacca, they pay double custome. I
have not passed further then Malacca towards the East,
but that which I wil speake of here is by good information of them that have bene there. The sailing from
Malacca towards the East is not common for all men,
as to China
and Japan
, and so forwards to go who will,
but onely for the king of Portugall and his nobles, with
leave granted unto them of the king to make such voiages,
or to the jurisdiction of the captaine of Malacca, where
he expecteth to know what voiages they make from
Malacca thither, & these are the kings voiages, that
every yere there departeth from Malacca 2. gallions of
the kings, one of them goeth to ye Moluccos to lade
Cloves, and the other goeth to Banda to lade Nutmegs
and Maces. These two gallions are laden for the king,
neither doe they carie any particular mans goods, saving
the portage of the Mariners and souldiers, and for this
cause they are not voiages for marchants, because that
going thither, they shal not have where to lade their
goods of returne; and besides this, the captaine will not
cary any marchant for either of these two places. There
goe small shippes of the Moores thither, which come
from the coast of Java
, and change or guild their commodities in the kingdom of Assa
, and these be the Maces,
Cloves, and Nutmegs, which go for the streights of
Mecca
. The voiages that the king of Portugall granteth
to his nobles are these, of China
and Japan
, from China
to Japan
, and from Japan
to China
, and from China
to
the Indies, and the voyage of Bengala, Maluco, and
Sonda, with the lading of fine cloth, and every sort of
Bumbast cloth. Sonda is an
Iland of the Moores neere
to the coast of Java
, and there they lade Pepper for
China
. The ship that goeth every yeere from the Indies
to China
, is called the ship of Drugs, because she carieth
divers drugs of Cambaia, but the greatest part of her
lading is silver. From Malacca to China
is eighteene
hundred miles: and from China
to Japan
goeth every
yeere a shippe of great importance laden with Silke,
which for returne of their Silke bringeth barres of silver
which they trucke in China
. The distance betweene
China
and Japan
is foure and twentie hundred miles, and
in this way there are divers Ilands not very bigge, in
which the Friers of saint Paul, by the helpe of God, make
many Christians there like to themselves. From these
Ilands hitherwards the place is not yet discovered for the
great sholdnesse of Sandes that they find. The Portugals
have made a small citie neere unto the coast of China
called Macao
, whose church and houses are of wood, and
it hath a bishoprike, but the customs belong to the king
of China
, and they goe and pay the same at a citie called
Canton, which is a citie of great importance and very
beautifull two dayes journey and a halfe from Macao
.
The people of China
are Gentiles, and are so jealous and
fearefull, that they would not have a stranger to put his
foote within their land: so that when the Portugals go
thither to pay their custome, and to buy their marchandize, they will not consent that they shall lie or lodge
within the citie, but send them foorth into the suburbes.
The
countrey of China is neere the kingdom of great
Tartaria, and is a very great countrey of the Gentiles and
of great importance, which may be judged by the rich
and precious marchandize that come from thence, then
which I beleeve there are not better nor in greater
quantitie in the whole world besides.
First, great store of golde, which they carie to the
Indies, made in plates like to little shippes, and in value
three and twentie caracts a peece, very great aboundance
of fine silke, cloth of damaske and taffata, great quantitie
of muske, great quantitie of Occam in barres, great
quantitie of quicksilver and of Cinaper, great store of
Camfora, an infinite quantitie of
Porcellane, made in
vessels of diverse sortes, great quantitie of painted cloth
and squares, infinite store of the rootes of China
: and
every yeere there commeth from China
to the Indies, two
or three great shippes, laden with most rich and precious
marchandise. The Rubarbe commeth from thence over
lande, by the way of Persia, because that every yeere
there goeth a great Carovan from Persia to China
, which
is in going thither sixe moneths. The Carovan arriveth
at a Citie called Lanchin, the place where the king is
resident with his Court. I spake with a Persian that was
three yeeres in that citie of Lanchin, and he tolde me that
it was a great Citie and of great importance. The
voiages of Malacca which are in the jurisdiction of the
Captaine of the castle, are these: Every yeere he sendeth
a small shippe to Timor
to lade white Sandols, for all
the best commeth from this Iland: there commeth some
also from Solor
, but that is not so good: also he sendeth
another small ship every yere to Cauchin China, to lade
there wood of Aloes, for that all the wood of Aloes
commeth from this place, which is in the firme land neere
unto China
, and in that kingdome I could not knowe how
that wood groweth by any meanes. For that the people
of the countrey will not suffer the Portugales to come
within the land, but onely for wood and water, and as
for all other things that they wanted, as victuals or
marchandise, the people bring that a boord the ship in
small barkes, so that every day there is a mart kept in the
ship, untill such time as she be laden: also there goeth
another ship for the said Captaine of Malacca to Sion
,
to lade Verzino
: all these voiages are for the Captaine of
the castle of Malacca, and when he is not disposed to
make these voiages, he selleth them to another.
The citie of Sion
, or Siam
.
SION
was the imperiall seat, and a great Citie, but in
the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred
sixtie and seven, it was taken by the king of Pegu
, which
king made a voyage or came by lande foure moneths
journey with an armie of men through his lande, and the
number of his armie was a million and foure hundreth
thousand men of warre: when hee came to the Citie, he
gave assault to it, and besieged it one and twentie
monethes before he could winne it, with great losse of
his people, this I know, for that I was in Pegu
sixe
moneths after his departure, and sawe when that his
officers that were in Pegu
, sent five hundreth thousand
men of warre to furnish the places of them that were
slaine and lost in that assault: yet for all this, if there
had not beene treason against the citie, it had not beene
lost: for on a night there was one of the gates set open,
through the which with great trouble the king gate into
the citie, and became governour of S
