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 Sion
: and when the
Emperour sawe that he was betrayed, and that his
enemie was in the citie, he poysoned himselfe: and his
wives and children, friends and noblemen, that were not
slaine in the first affront of the entrance into the citie,
were all caried captives into Pegu
, where I was at the
comming home of the king with his triumphs and victorie,
which comming home & returning from the warres was
a goodly sight to behold, to see the Elephants come home
in a square, laden with golde, silver, jewels, and with
Noble men and women that were taken prisoners in that
citie.
Now to returne to my voyage: I departed from
Malacca in a great shippe which went for Saint Tome,
being a Citie situate on the coast of Coromandel: and
because the Captaine of the castles of Malacca had understanding by advise that the king of Assi would come
with a great armie and power of men against them,
therefore upon this he would not give licence that any
shippes should depart: Wherefore in this ship wee
departed from thence in the night, without making any
provision of our water: and wee were in that shippe
foure hundreth and odde men: we departed from thence
with intention to goe to an Iland to take in water, but
the windes were so contrary, that they would not suffer
us to fetch it, so that by this meanes wee were two and
fortie dayes in the sea as it were lost, and we were driven
too and fro, so that the first lande that we discovered,
was beyonde Saint Tome, more then five hundreth miles
which were the mountaines of Zerzerline, neere unto the
kingdome of Orisa, and so wee came to Orisa with many
sicke, and more that were dead for want of water: and
they that were sicke in foure dayes dyed: and I for the
space of a yeere after had my throat so sore and hoarse,
that I could never satisfie my thirst in drinking of water:
I judge the reason of my hoarsenesse to bee with soppes
that I wet in vineger and oyle, wherewith I susteyned
my selfe many dayes. There was not any want of bread
nor of wine: but the wines of that countrey are so hot
that being drunke without water they will kill a man:
neither are they able to drinke them: when we beganne
to want water, I sawe certaine Moores that were officers
in the ship, that solde a small dish full for a duckat,
after this I sawe one that would have given a barre of
Pepper, which is two quintalles and a halfe, for a litle
measure of water, and he could not have it. Truely I
beleeve that I had died with my slave, whom then I had
to serve mee, which cost mee verie deare : but to provide
for the daunger at hand, I solde my slave for halfe that
he was worth, because that I would save his drinke that
he drunke, to serve my owne purpose, and to save my
life.