The voyage of M. Ralph Fitch marchant of London by
the way of Tripolis in Syria
, to Ormus, and so to Goa
in the East India, to Cambaia, and all the kingdome
of Zelabdim Echebar the great Mogor, to the mighty
river Ganges, and downe to Bengala, to Bacola, and
Chonderi, to Pegu
, to Imahay in the kingdome of
Siam
, and backe to Pegu
, and from thence to Malacca,
Zeilan, Cochin, and all the coast of the East India:
begunne in the yeere of our Lord 1583, and ended 1591,
wherein the strange rites, maners, and customes of
those people, and the exceeding rich trade and commodities of those countries are faithfully set downe and
diligently described, by the aforesaid M. Ralph Fitch.
IN the yeere of our Lord 1583, I Ralph Fitch of London
marchant being desirous to see the countreys of the East
India, in the company of M. John Newberie marchant
(which had beene at Ormus once before) of William
Leedes Jeweller, and James Story Painter, being chiefly
set foorth by the right worshipfull Sir Edward Osborne
knight, and M. Richard Staper citizens and marchants
of London, did ship my selfe in a ship of London called
the Tyger, wherein we went for Tripolis in Syria
: & from
thence we tooke the way for Aleppo, which we went in
seven dayes with the Carovan. Being in Aleppo, and
finding good company, we went from thence to Birra,
which is two dayes and an halfe travaile with Camels.
Birra is a little towne, but very plentifull of victuals:
and neere to the wall of the towne runneth the river of
Euphrates
. Here we bought a boate and agreed with
a master and bargemen, for to go to Babylon. These
boats be but for one voiage; for the streame doth runne
so fast downewardes that they cannot returne. They
carie you to a towne which they call Felugia, and there
you sell the boate for a litle money, for that which cost
you fiftie at Birra you sell there for seven or eight.
From Birra to Felugia is sixteene dayes journey, it is
not good that one boate goe alone, for if it should chance
to breake, you should have much a doe to save your
goods from the Arabians, which be alwayes there abouts
robbing: and in the night when your boates be made
fast, it is necessarie that you keepe good watch. For the
Arabians that bee theeves, will come swimming and steale
your goods and flee away, against which a gunne is very
good, for they doe feare it very much. In the river of
Euphrates
from Birra to Felugia there be certaine places
where you pay custome, so many Medines for a some
or Camels lading, and certaine raysons and sope, which is
for the sonnes of Aborise, which is Lord of the Arabians
and all that great desert, and hath some villages upon
the river. Felugia where you unlade your goods which
come from Birra is a little village: from whence you goe
to Babylon in a day.
Babylon is a towne not very great but very populous,
and of great traffike of strangers, for that it is the way
to Persia, Turkia and Arabia
: and from thence doe goe
Carovans for these and other places. Here are great
store of victuals, which come from Armenia
downe the
river of Tygris. They are brought upon raftes made of
goates skinnes blowne full of winde and bordes layde upon
them: and thereupon they lade their goods which are
brought downe to Babylon, which being discharged they
open their skinnes, and carry them backe by Camels, to
serve another time. Babylon in times past did belong to
the kingdome of Persia, but nowe is subject to the Turke.
Over against Babylon there is a very faire village from
whence you passe to Babylon upon a long bridge made of
boats, and tyed to a great chaine of yron, which is made
fast on either side of the river. When any boates are to
passe up or downe the river, they take away certaine of
the boates untill they be past.
The Tower of Babel is built on this side the river
Tygris, towardes Arabia
from the towne about seven or
eight miles, which tower is ruinated on all sides, and with
the fall thereof hath made as it were a litle mountaine,
so that it hath no shape at all: it was made of brickes
dried in the sonne, and certaine canes and leaves of the
palme tree layed betwixt the brickes. There is no
entrance to be seene to goe into it. It doth stand upon a
great plaine betwixt the rivers of Euphrates
and Tygris.
By the river Euphrates
two dayes journey from Babylon
at a place called Ait, in a fielde neere unto it, is a strange
thing to see: a mouth that doth continually throwe foorth
against the ayre boyling pitch with a filthy smoke: which
pitch doth runne abroad into a great fielde which is
alwayes full thereof. The Moores say that it is the mouth
of hell. By reason of the great quantitie of it, the men
of that countrey doe pitch their boates two or three inches
thicke on the out side, so that no water doth enter into
them. Their boates be called Danec. When there is
great store of water in
Tygris you may goe from Babylon
to Basora in 8 or 9 dayes : if there be small store it will
cost you the more dayes.
Basora in times past was under the Arabians, but now
is subject to the Turke. But some of them the Turke
cannot subdue, for that they holde certaine Ilandes in the
river Euphrates
which the Turke cannot winne of them.
They be theeves all and have no setled dwelling, but
remove from place to place with their Camels, goates,
and horses, wives and children and all. They have large
blew gownes, their wives eares and noses are ringed very
full of rings of copper and silver, and they weare rings
of copper about their legs.
Basora standeth neere the gulfe of Persia, and is a
towne of great trade of spices and drugges which come
from Ormus. Also there is great store of wheate, ryce,
and dates growing thereabout, wherewith they serve
Babylon and all the countrey, Ormus, and all the partes
of India. I went from Basora to Ormus downe the gulfe
of Persia in a certaine shippe made of boordes, and sowed
together with cayro, which is threede made of the huske
of Cocoes, and certaine canes or strawe leaves sowed upon
the seames of the bordes which is the cause that they
leake very much. And so having Persia alwayes on the
left hande, and the coast of Arabia
on the right hande
we passed many Ilandes, and among others the famous
Ilande Baharim from whence come the best pearles which
be round and Orient.
Ormus is an Island in circuit about five and twentie
or thirtie miles, and is the driest Island in the world:
for there is nothing growing in it but onely salt; for their
water, wood, or victuals, and all things necessary come
out of Persia, which is about twelve miles from thence.
All the Ilands thereabout be very fruitfull, from whence
all kinde of victuals are sent unto Ormus. The Portugales have a castle here which standeth neere unto the
sea, wherein there is a Captaine for the king of Portugale
having under him a convenient number of souldiers,
wherof some part remaine in the castle, and some in the
towne. In this towne are marchants of all Nations, and
many Moores and Gentiles. Here is very great trade of
all sortes of spices, drugs, silke, cloth of silke, fine tapestrie of Persia, great store of pearles which come from the
Isle of Baharim, and are the best pearles of all others, and
many horses of Persia, which serve all India. They have
a Moore
to their king, which is chosen and governed by
the Portugales. Their women are very strangely attyred,
wearing on their noses, eares, neckes, armes and legges
many rings set with jewels, and lockes of silver and golde
in their eares, and a long barre of golde upon the side
of their noses. Their eares with the weight of their
jewels be worne so wide, that a man may thrust three of
his fingers into them. Here very shortly after our arrivall
wee were put in prison, and had part of our goods taken
from us by the Captaine of the castle, whose name was
Don Mathias de Albuquerque; and from hence the
eleventh of October he shipped us and sent us for Goa
unto the Viceroy, which at that time was Don Francisco
de Mascarenhas. The shippe wherein we were imbarked
for Goa belonged to the Captaine, and carried one hundred
twentie and foure horses in it. All marchandise carried
to Goa in a shippe wherein are horses pay no custome
in Goa. The horses pay custome, the goods pay nothing;
but if you come in a ship which bringeth no horses, you
are then to pay eight in the hundred for your goods.
The first citie of India that we arrived at upon the fift
of November, after we had passed the coast of Zindi, is
called Diu, which standeth in an Iland in the kingdome
of Cambaia, and is the strongest towne that the Portugales
have in those partes. It is but litle, but well stored with
marchandise; for here they lade many great shippes with
diverse commodities for the streits of Mecca
, for Ormus,
and other places, and these be shippes of the Moores and
of Christians. But the Moores cannot passe, except they
have a passeport from the Portugales. Cambaietta is the
chiefe citie of that province, which is great and very
populous, and fairely builded for a towne of the Gentiles:
but if there happen any famine, the people will sell their
children for very little. The last king of Cambaia was
Sultan Badu, which was killed at the siege of Diu, and
shortly after his citie was taken by the great Mogor,
which is the king of Agra and of Delli, which are fortie
dayes journey from the country of Cambaia. Here the
women weare upon their armes infinite numbers of rings
made of Elephants teeth, wherein they take so much
delight, that they had rather be without their meate then
without their bracelets. Going from Diu we come to
Daman
the second towne of the Portugales in the countrey
of Cambaia which is distant from Diu fortie leagues.
Here is no trade but of corne and rice. They have many
villages under them which they quietly possesse in time
of peace, but in time of warre the enemie is maister of
them. From thence we passed by Basaim, and from
Basaim to Tana
, at both which places is small trade but
only of corne and rice. The tenth of November we
arrived at Chaul which standeth in the firme land. There
be two townes, the one belonging to the Portugales, and
the other to the Moores. That of the Portugales is
neerest to the sea, and commaundeth the bay, and is
walled round about. A little above that is the towne of
the Moores which is governed by a Moore
king called
Xa-Maluco. Here is great traffike for all sortes of spices
and drugges, silke, and cloth of silke, sandales, Elephants
teeth, and much China
worke, and much sugar which is
made of the nutte called Gagara: the tree is called the
palmer: which is the profitablest tree in the worlde: it
doth alwayes beare fruit, and doth yeeld wine, oyle, sugar,
vinegar, cordes, coles, of the leaves are made thatch for
the houses, sayles for shippes, mats to sit or lie on: of
the branches they make their houses, and broomes to
sweepe, of the tree wood for shippes. The wine doeth
issue out of the toppe of the tree. They cut a branch of
a bowe and binde it hard, and hange an earthen pot upon
it, which they emptie every morning and every evening,
and still it and put in certaine dried raysins, and it becommeth very strong wine in short time. Hither many
shippes come from all partes of India, Ormus, and many
from Mecca
: heere be manie Moores and Gentiles. They
have a very strange order among them, they worshippe
a cowe, and esteeme much of the cowes doung to paint
the walles of their houses. They will kill nothing not
so much as a louse: for they holde it a sinne to kill any
thing. They eate no flesh, but live by rootes, and ryce,
and milke. And when the husbande dieth his wife is
burned with him, if shee be alive: if shee will not, her
head is shaven, and then is never any account made of
her after. They say if they should be buried, it were a
great sinne, for of their bodies there would come many
wormes and other vermine, and when their bodies were
consumed, those wormes would lacke sustenance, which
were a sinne, therefore they will be burned. In
Cambaia
they will kill nothing, nor have any thing killed: in the
towne they have hospitals to keepe lame dogs and cats,
and for birds. They will give meat to the Ants.
Goa is the most principal citie which the Portugals have
in India, wherin the Viceroy remaineth with his court.
It standeth in an Iland, which may be 25. or 30. miles
about. It is a fine citie, and for an Indian towne very
faire. The Iland is very faire, full of orchards and
gardens, and many palmer trees, and hath some villages.
Here bee many marchants of all nations. And the Fleete
which commeth every yeere from Portugal
, which be
foure, five, or sixe great shippes, commeth first hither.
And they come for the most part in September, and
remaine there fortie or fiftie dayes; and then goe to
Cochin, where they lade their Pepper for Portugall.
Oftentimes they lade one in Goa, the rest goe to Cochin
which is from Goa an hundred leagues southward. Goa
standeth in the countrey of Hidalcan, who lieth in the
countrey sixe or seven dayes journey. His chiefe citie
is called Bisapor. At our comming we were cast into the
prison, and examined before the Justice and demanded
for letters, and were charged to be spies, but they could
proove nothing by us. We continued in prison untill the
two and twentie of December, and then we were set at
libertie, putting in sureties for two thousand duckats not
to depart the towne; which sureties father Stevens
an
English Jesuite which we found there, & another religious
man a friend of his procured for us. Our sureties name
was Andreas Taborer, to whom we paid 2150. duckats,
and still he demaunded more: whereupon we made sute
to the Viceroy and Justice to have our money againe,
considering that they had had it in their hands neere five
moneths and could proove nothing against us. The Viceroy made us a very sharpe answere, and sayd we should
be better sifted before it were long, and that they had
further matter against us. Whereupon we presently
determined rather to seeke our liberties, then to bee in
danger for ever to be slaves in the country, for it was
told us we should have ye strapado. Wherupon presently,
the fift day of April 1585. in the morning we ranne from
thence. And being set over the river, we went two dayes
on foote not without feare, not knowing the way nor
having any guide, for we durst trust none. One of the
first townes which we came unto, is called Bellergan,
where there is a great market kept of Diamants, Rubies,
Saphires, and many other soft stones. From Bellergan
we went to Bisapor which is a very great towne where
the king doeth keepe his court. Hee hath many Gentiles
in his court and they bee great idolaters. And they have
their idols standing in the Woods, which they call
Pagodes. Some bee like a Cowe, some like a Monkie,
some like Buffles, some like peacockes, and some like the
devill. Here be very many elephants which they goe to
warre withall. Here they have good store of gold and
silver: their houses are of stone very faire and high.
From hence wee went for Gulconda, the king whereof is
called Cutup de lashach. Here and in the kingdome of
Hidalcan, and in the countrey of the king of Decan bee
the Diamants found of the olde water. It is a very faire
towne, pleasant, with faire houses of bricke and timber,
it aboundeth with great store of fruites and fresh water.
Here the men and the women do go with a cloth bound
about their middles without any more apparell. We
found it here very hote.
The winter beginneth here about the last of May. In
these partes is a porte or haven called Masulipatan, which
standeth eight dayes journey from hence toward the gulfe
of Bengala, whether come many shippes out of India,
Pegu
, and Sumatra, very richly laden with Pepper, spices,
and other commodities. The countrie is very good and
fruitfull. From thence I went to Servidore which is a fine
countrey, and the king is called, the king of Bread.
The houses here bee all thatched and made of lome. Here
be many Moores and Gentiles, but there is small religion
among them. From thence I went to Bellapore, and so
to Barrampore, which is in the country of Zelabdim
Echebar. In this place their money is made of a kind
of silver round and thicke, to the value of twentie pence,
which is very good silver. It is marvellous great and a
populous countrey. In their winter which is in June, July,
and August, there is no passing in the streetes but with
horses, the waters be so high. The houses are made of
lome and thatched. Here is great store of cotton cloth
made, and painted clothes of cotton wooll: here groweth
great store of corne and Rice. We found mariages great
store both in townes and villages in many places where
wee passed, of boyes of eight or ten yeeres, and girles
of five or six yeeres old. They both do ride upon one
horse very trimly decked, and are caried through the
towne with great piping and playing, and so returne home
and eate of a banket made of Rice and fruits, and there
they daunce the most part of the night and so make an
ende of the marriage. They lie not together untill they
be ten yeeres old. They say they marry their children
so yoong, because it is an order that when the man dieth,
the woman must be burned with him : so that if the father
die, yet they may have a father in lawe to helpe to bring
up the children which bee maried: and also that they
will not leave their sonnes without wives, nor their
daughters without husbands. From thence we went to
Mandoway, which is a very strong towne. It was
besieged twelve yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before hee
could winne it. It standeth upon a very great high rocke
as the most part of their castles doe, and was of a very
great circuite. From hence wee went to Ugini and
Serringe, where wee overtooke the ambassadour of Zelabdim Echebar with a marveilous great company of men,
elephants, and camels. Here is great trade of cotton
and cloth made of cotton, and great store of drugs.
From thence we went to Agra passing many rivers, which
by reason of the raine were so swollen, that wee waded
and swamme oftentimes for our lives. Agra is a very
great citie and populous, built with stone, having faire
and large streetes, with a faire river running by it, which
falleth into the gulfe of Bengala. It hath a faire castle
and a strong with a very faire ditch. Here bee many
Moores and Gentiles, the king is called Zelabdim Echebar:
the people for the most part call him The great Mogor.
From thence we went for Fatepore, which is the place
where the king kept his court. The towne is greater then
Agra, but the houses and streetes be not so faire. Here
dwell many people both Moores and Gentiles. The king
hath in Agra and Fatepore as they doe credibly report
1000. elephants, thirtie thousand horses, 1400. tame
Deere, 800. concubines: such store of Ounces, Tigers,
Buffles, Cocks & Haukes, that is very strange to see.
He keepeth a great court, which they call Dericcan.
Agra and Fatepore are two very great cities, either of
them much greater then London and very populous.
Betweene Agra and Fatepore are 12. miles, and all the
way is a market of victuals & other things, as full as
though a man were still in a towne, and so many people
as if a man were in a market. They have many fine
cartes, and many of them carved and gilded with gold,
with two wheeles which be drawen with two litle Buls
about the bignesse of our great dogs in England, and
they will runne with any horse, and carie two or three
men in one of these cartes: they are covered with silke
or very fine cloth, and be used here as our Coches be in
England. Hither is great resort of marchants from Persia
and out of India, and very much marchandise of silke
and cloth, and of precious stones, both Rubies, Diamants,
and Pearles. The king is apparelled in a white Cabie
made like a shirt tied with strings on the one side, and
a litle cloth on his head coloured oftentimes with red or
yealow. None come into his house but his eunuches
which keepe his women. Here in
Fatepore we staied all
three untill the 28. of September 1585. and then master
John Newberie tooke his journey toward the citie of
Lahor
, determining from thence to goe for Persia and
then for Aleppo or Constantinople, whether hee could get
soonest passage unto, and directed me to goe for Bengala
and for Pegu
, and did promise me, if it pleased God, to
meete me in Bengala within two yeeres with a shippe
out of England. I left William Leades the jeweller in
service with the king Zelabdim Echebar in Fatepore,
who did entertaine him very well, and gave him an house
and five slaves, an horse, and every day sixe S. S. in
money. I went from Agra to Satagam in Bengala, in
the companie of one hundred and fourescore boates laden
with Salt, Opium, Hinge, Lead, Carpets, and divers other
commodities downe the river Jemena. The chiefe marchants are Moores and Gentiles. In these countries they
have many strange ceremonies. The Bramanes which are
their priests, come to the water and have a string about
their necks made with great ceremonies, and lade up
water with both their hands, and turne the string first
with both their hands within, and then one arme after
the other out. Though it be never so cold, they will
wash themselves in cold water or in warme. These Gentiles will eate no flesh nor kill any thing. They live
with rice, butter, milke, and fruits. They pray in the
water naked, and dresse their meat & eate it naked, and
for their penance they lie flat upon the earth, and rise
up and turne themselves about 30. or 40. times, and use
to heave up their hands to the sunne, & to kisse the
earth, with their armes and legs stretched along out,
and their right leg alwayes before the left. Every time
they lie downe, they make a score on the ground with
their finger to know when their stint is finished. The Bramanes marke themselves in the foreheads, eares and
throates with a kind of yellow geare which they grind,
& every morning they do it. And they have some old
men which go in the streetes with a boxe of yellow pouder,
and marke men on their heads & necks as they meet
them. And their wives do come by 10. 20. & 30. together
to the water side singing, & there do wash themselves,
& then use their ceremonies, & marke themselves in their
foreheds and faces, and cary some with them, and so
depart singing. Their daughters be maried, at, or before
the age of 10. yeres. The men may have 7. wives. They
be a kind of craftie people, worse then the Jewes. When
they salute one another, they heave up their hands to
their heads, and say Rame, Rame. From Agra I came
to Prage, where the river Jemena entreth into the mightie
river Ganges, and Jemena looseth his name. Ganges
commeth out of the Northwest, & runneth East into the
gulfe of Bengala. In those parts there are many Tigers
and many partriges & turtle-doves, and much other foule.
Here be many beggers in these countries which goe
naked, and the people make great account of them: they
call them Schesche. Here I sawe one which was a
monster among the rest. He would have nothing upon
him, his beard was very long, and with the haire of his
head he covered his privities. The nailes of some of his
fingers were two inches long, for he would cut nothing
from him, neither would he speake. He was accompanied
with eight or tenne, and they spake for him. When
any man spake to him, he would lay his hand upon his
brest and bowe himselfe, but would not speake. Hee
would not speake to the king. We went from Prage
downe Ganges, the which is here very broad. Here is
great store of fish of sundry sorts, & of wild foule, as
of swannes, geese, cranes, and many other things. The
countrey is very fruitfull and populous. The men for the
most part have their faces shaven, and their heads very
long, except some which bee all shaven save the crowne:
and some of them are as though a man should set a
dish on their heads, and shave them round, all but the
crowne. In this river of Ganges are many Ilands. His
water is very sweete and pleasant, and the countrey
adjoyning very fruitfull. From thence wee went to Bannaras which is a great towne, and great store of cloth
is made there of cotton, and Shashes for the Moores.
In this place they be all Gentiles, and be the greatest
idolaters that ever I sawe. To this towne come the
Gentiles on pilgrimage out of farre countreys. Here
alongst the waters side bee very many faire houses, and
in all of them, or for the most part they have their images
standing, which be evill favoured, made of stone and
wood, some like lions, leopards, and monkeis, some like
men & women, and pecocks, and some like the devil with
foure armes and 4. hands. They sit crosse legged, some
with one thing in their hands, & some another, & by
breake of day and before, there are men & women which
come out of the towne and wash themselves in Ganges.
And there are divers old men which upon places of earth
made for the purpose, sit praying, and they give the
people three or foure strawes, which they take & hold
them betweene their fingers when they wash themselves:
and some sit to marke them in the foreheads, and they
have in a cloth a litle Rice, Barlie, or money, which,
when they have washed themselves, they give to the old
men which sit there praying. Afterwards they go to
divers of their images, & give them of their sacrifices.
And when they give, the old men say certaine prayers,
and then is all holy. And in divers places there standeth
a kind of image which in their language they call Ada.
And they have divers great stones carved, whereon they
poure water, & throw thereupon some rice, wheate, barly,
and some other things. This Ada hath foure hands with
clawes. Moreover, they have a great place made of stone
like to a well with steppes to goe downe; wherein the
water standeth very foule and stinketh: for the great
quantitie of flowers, which continually they throwe into
it, doe make it stinke. There be alwayes many people
in it: for they say when they wash themselves in it,
that their sinnes be forgiven them, because God, as they
say, did wash himselfe in that place. They gather up
the sand in the bottome of it, and say it is holy. They
never pray but in the water, and they wash themselves
overhead, and lade up water with both their handes, and
turne themselves about, and then they drinke a litle of
the water three times, and so goe to their gods which
stand in those houses. Some of them will wash a place
which is their length, and then will pray upon the earth
with their armes and legs at length out, and will rise up
and lie downe, and kisse the ground twentie or thirtie
times, but they will not stirre their right foote. And
some of them will make their ceremonies with fifteene
or sixteene pots litle and great, and ring a litle bel when
they make their mixtures tenne or twelve times: and
they make a circle of water round about their pots and
pray, and divers sit by them, and one that reacheth them
their pots : and they say divers things over their pots
many times, and when they have done, they goe to their
gods, and strowe their sacrifices which they thinke are
very holy, and marke many of them which sit by, in the
foreheads, which they take as a great gift. There come
fiftie and sometime an hundred together, to wash them
in this well, and to offer to these idols.
They have in some of these houses their idoles standing,
and one sitteth by them in warme weather with a fanne
to blowe winde upon them. And when they see any
company comming, they ring a litle bell which hangeth
by them, and many give them their almes, but especially
those which come out of the countrey. Many of them
are blacke and have clawes of brasse with long nayles,
and some ride upon peacockes and other foules which be
evill favoured, with long haukes bils, and some like one
thing and some another, but none with a good face.
Among the rest there is one which they make great
account of: for they say hee giveth them all things both
foode and apparell, and one sitteth alwayes by him with
a fanne to make wind towards him. Here some bee
burned to ashes, some scorched in the fire and throwen
into the water, and dogges and foxes doe presently eate
them. The wives here doe burne with their husbands
when they die, if they will not, their heads be shaven,
and never any account is made of them afterward. The
people goe all naked save a litle cloth bound about their
middle. Their women have their necks, armes and eares
decked with rings of silver, copper, tinne, and with round
hoopes made of Ivorie, adorned with amber stones, and
with many agats, and they are marked with a great spot
of red in their foreheads, and a stroke of red up to the
crowne, and so it runneth three maner of wayes. In their
Winter, which is our May, the men weare quilted gownes
of cotton like to our mattraces and quilted caps like to
our great Grocers morters, with a slit to looke out at,
and so tied downe beneath their eares. If a man or
woman be sicke and like to die, they will lay him before
their idols all night, and that shall helpe him or make
an ende of him. And if he do not mend that night, his
friends will come and sit with him a litle and cry, and
afterwards will cary him to the waters side and set him
upon a litle raft made of reeds, and so let him goe downe
the river. When they be maried the man and the woman
come to the water side, and there is an olde man which
they call a Bramane, that is, a priest, a cowe, and a
calfe, or a cowe with calfe. Then the man and the
woman, cowe and calfe, and the olde man goe into the
water together, and they give the olde man a white cloth
of foure yards long, and a basket crosse bound with
divers things in it: the cloth hee laieth upon the backe
of the cowe, and then he taketh the cowe by the ende
of the taile, and saith certaine wordes: and she hath a
copper or a brasse pot full of water, and the man doeth
hold his hand by the olde mans hand, and the wives hand
by her husbands, and all have the cowe by the taile, and
they poure water out of the pot upon the cowes taile,
and it runneth through all their hands, and they lade up
water with their handes, and then the olde man doeth tie
him and her together by their clothes. Which done, they
goe round about the cowe and calfe, and then they give
somewhat to the poore which be alwayes there, and to
the Bramane or priest they give the cowe and calfe, and
afterward goe to divers of their idoles and offer money,
and lie downe flat upon the ground and kisse it divers
times, and then goe their way. Their chiefe idoles bee
blacke and evill favoured, their mouthes monstrous, their
eares gilded, and full of jewels, their teeth and eyes of
gold, silver, and glasse, some having one thing in their
handes, and some another. You may not come into the
houses where they stand, with your shooes on. They
have continually lampes burning before them. From
Bannaras I went to Patenaw downe the river of Ganges:
where in the way we passed many faire townes, and a
countrey very fruitfull : and many very great rivers doe
enter into Ganges, and some of them as great as Ganges,
which cause Ganges to bee of a great breadth, and so
broad that in the time of raine you cannot see from one
side to the other. These Indians when they bee scorched
and throwen into the water, the men swimme with their
faces downewards, the women with their faces upwards,
I thought they tied something to them to cause them to
doe so: but they say no. There be very many thieves
in this countrey, which be like to the Arabians: for they
have no certaine abode, but are sometime in one place
and sometime in another. Here the women bee so decked
with silver and copper, that it is strange to see, they
use no shooes by reason of the rings of silver and copper
which they weare on their toes. Here at Patanaw they
finde gold in this maner. They digge deepe pits in the
earth, and wash the earth in great bolles, and therein
they finde the gold, and they make the pits round about
with bricke, that the earth fall not in. Patenaw is a very
long and a great towne. In times past it was a kingdom, but now it is under Zelabdim Echebar the great
Mogor. The men are tall and slender, and have many
old folks among them: the houses are simple, made of
earth and covered with strawe, the streetes are very large.
In this towne there is a trade of cotton, & cloth of
cotton, much sugar, which they cary from hence to Bengala and India, very much Opium & other commodities.
He that is chiefe here under the king is called Tipperdas,
and is of great account among the people. Here in
Patenau I saw a dissembling prophet which sate upon
an horse in the market place, and made as though he
slept, and many of the people came and touched his feete
with their hands, and then kissed their hands. They
tooke him for a great man, but sure he was a lasie lubber.
I left him there sleeping. The people of these countries
be much given to such prating and dissembling hypocrites.
From Patanaw I went to Tanda
which is in the land
of Gouren. It hath in times past bene a kingdom, but
now is subdued by Zelabdim Echebar. Great trade and
traffique is here of cotton, and of cloth of cotton. The
people goe naked with a litle cloth bound about their
waste. It standeth in the countrey of Bengala. Here be
many Tigers, wild Bufs, and great store of wilde foule:
they are very great idolaters. Tanda
standeth from the
river Ganges a league, because in times past the river
flowing over the bankes, in time of raine did drowne
the countrey and many villages, and so they do remaine.
And the old way which the river Ganges was woont to
run, remaineth drie, which is the occasion that the citie
doeth stand so farre from the water. From Agra downe
the river Jemena, and downe the river Ganges, I was
five moneths comming to Bengala, but it may be sailed
in much shorter time.
I went from Bengala into the country of Couche, which
lieth 25. dayes journy Northwards from Tanda
. The king
is a Gentile, his name is Suckel Counse: his countrey
is great, and lieth not far from Cauchin China: for they
say they have pepper from thence. The port is called
Cacchegate. All the countrie is set with Bambos or
Canes made sharpe at both the endes & driven into the
earth, and they can let in the water & drowne the ground
above knee deepe, so that men nor horses can passe.
They poison all the waters if any wars be. Here they
have much silke & muske, and cloth made of cotton.
The people have eares which be marvellous great of a
span long, which they draw out in length by devises when
they be yong. Here they be all Gentiles, and they will
kil nothing. They have hospitals for sheepe, goates,
dogs, cats, birds, & for all other living creatures. When
they be old & lame, they keepe them until they die. If
a man catch or buy any quicke thing in other places &
bring it thither, they wil give him mony for it or other
victuals, & keepe it in their hospitals or let it go. They
wil give meat to the Ants. Their smal mony is almonds,
which oftentimes they use to eat. From thence I returned
to Hugeli, which is the place where the Portugals keep
in the country of Bengala which standeth in 23. degrees
of Northerly latitude, and standeth a league from Satagan: they cal it Porto Piqueno. We went through the
wildernes, because the right way was full of thieves,
where we passed the countrey of Gouren, where we found
but few villages, but almost all wildernes, & saw many
buffes, swine & deere, grasse longer then a man, and
very many Tigers. Not far from Porto Piqueno southwestward, standeth an haven which is called Angeli, in
the countrey of Orixa. It was a kingdom of it selfe,
& the king was a great friend to strangers. Afterwards
it was taken by the king of Patan
which was their
neighbour, but he did not enjoy it long, but was taken
by Zelabdim Echebar, which is king of Agra, Delli, &
Cambaia. Orixa standeth 6. daies journey from Satagan,
southwestward. In this place is very much Rice, and
cloth made of cotton, & great store of cloth which is
made of grasse, which they call Yerva, it is like a silke.
They make good cloth of it which they send for India
& divers other places. To this haven of Angeli come
every yere many ships out of India, Negapatan, Sumatra,
Malacca, and divers other places; & lade from thence
great store of Rice, & much cloth of cotton wooll, much
sugar, & long pepper, great store of butter & other
victuals for India. Satagam is a faire citie for a citie
of the Moores, and very plentifull of all things. Here
in Bengala they have every day in one place or other
a great market which they call Chandeau, and they have
many great boats which they cal pericose, wherewithall
they go from place to place and buy Rice and many other
things: these boates have 24. or 26. oares to rowe them,
they be great of burthen, but have no coverture. Here
the Gentiles have the water of Ganges in great estimation, for having good water neere them, yet they will fetch
the water of Ganges a great way off, and if they have not
sufficient to drinke, they will sprinkle a litle on them,
and then they thinke themselves well. From Satagam
I travelled by the countrey of the king of Tippara or
porto Grande, with whom the Mogores or Mogen have
almost continuall warres. The Mogen which be of the
kingdom of Recon and Rame, be stronger then the king
of Tippara, so that Chatigan or porto Grande is oftentimes under the king of Recon.
There is a country 4. daies journie from Couche or
Quicheu before mentioned, which is called Bottanter and
the citie Bottia, the king is called Dermain; the people
whereof are very tall and strong, and there are marchants
which come out of China
, & they say out of Muscovia
or Tartarie. And they come to buy muske, cambals,
agats, silke, pepper and saffron like the saffron of Persia.
The countrey is very great, 3. moneths journey. There
are very high mountains in this countrey, & one of them
so steep that when a man is 6. daies journey off it, he
may see it perfectly. Upon these mountains are people
which have eares of a spanne long: if their eares be not
long, they call them apes. They say that when they be
upon the mountaines, they see ships in the Sea sayling
to and fro; but they know not from whence they come,
nor whether they go. There are marchants which come
out of the East, they say, from under the sunne, which
is from China
, which have no beards, and they say there
it is something warme. But those which come from the
other side of the mountains which is from the North, say
there it is very cold. These Northren merchants are
apparelled with woollen cloth and hats, white hosen close,
and bootes which be of Moscovia or Tartarie. They
report that in their countrey they have very good horses,
but they be litle: some men have foure, five, or sixe
hundred horses and kine: they live with milke and fleshe.
They cut the tailes of their kine, and sell them very
deere, for they bee in great request, and much esteemed
in those partes. The haire of them is a yard long, the
rumpe is above a spanne long: they use to hang them
for braverie upon the heades of their Elephants: they bee
much used in Pegu
and China
: they buie and sell by
scores upon the ground. The people be very swift on
foote.
From Chatigan in Bengala, I came to Bacola; the king
whereof is a Gentile, a man very well disposed and
delighteth much to shoot in a gun. His countrey is
very great and fruitful, and hath store of Rice, much
cotton cloth, and cloth of silke. The houses be very faire
and high builded, the streetes large, the people naked,
except a litle cloth about their waste. The women weare
great store of silver hoopes about their neckes and armes,
and their legs are ringed with silver and copper, and
rings made of elephants teeth.
From Bacola I went to Serropore which standeth upon
the river of Ganges, the king is called Chondery. They
be all hereabout rebels against their king Zelabdim
Echebar: for here are so many rivers & Ilands, that they
flee from one to another, whereby his horsemen cannot
prevaile against them. Great store of cotton cloth is
made here.
Sinnergan is a towne sixe leagues from Serrepore,
where there is the best and finest cloth made of cotton
that is in all India. The chiefe king of all these countries
is called Isacan, and he is chiefe of all the other kings,
and is a great friend to all Christians. The houses here,
as they be in the most part of India, are very litle, and
covered with strawe, and have a fewe mats round about
the wals, and the doore to keepe out the Tygers and the
Foxes. Many of the people are very rich. Here they
will eate no flesh, nor kill no beast: they live of Rice,
milke, and fruits. They goe with a litle cloth before
them, and all the rest of their bodies is naked. Great
store of Cotton cloth goeth from hence, and much Rice,
wherewith they serve all India, Ceilon, Pegu
, Malacca,
Sumatra, and many other places.
I went from Serrepore the 28. of November 1586. for
Pegu
in a small ship or foist of one Albert Caravallos,
and so passing downe Ganges, and passing by the
Island
of Sundiva, porto Grande, or the countrie of Tippera, the
kingdom of Recon and Mogen, leaving them on our left
side with a faire wind at Northwest: our course was
South & by East, which brought us to the barre of
Negrais
in Pegu
: if any contrary wind had come, we
had throwen many of our things over-boord : for we were
so pestered with people & goods, that there was scant
place to lie in. From Bengala to Pegu
is 90. leagues.
We entred the barre of Negrais
, which is a brave barre
& hath 4. fadomes water where it hath least. Three
dayes after we came to Cosmin, which is a very pretie
towne, and standeth very pleasantly, very well furnished
with all things. The people be very tall & well disposed;
the women white, round faced, with litle eies: the houses
are high built, set upon great high postes, & they go
up to them with long ladders for feare of the Tygers
which be very many. The countrey is very fruitful of
all things. Here are very great Figs, Orenges, Cocoes,
and other fruits. The land is very high that we fall
withall, but after we be entred the barre, it is very lowe
and full of rivers, for they goe all too and fro in boates,
which they call paroes, and keepe their houses with wife
and children in them.
From the barre of Nigrais to the citie of Pegu is ten
dayes journey by the rivers. Wee went from Cosmin to
Pegu
in
Paroes or boates, and passing up the rivers wee
came to Medon, which is a prety towne, where there be
a wonderfull number of Paroes, for they keepe their
houses and their markets in them all upon the water.
They rowe too and fro, and have all their marchandizes
in their boates with a great Sombrero
or shadow over
their heads to keepe the sunne from them, which is as
broad as a great cart wheele made of the leaves of the
Coco trees and fig trees, and is very light.
From Medon we went to Dela, which is a very faire
towne, and hath a faire port into the sea, from whence
go many ships to Malacca, Mecca
, and many other places.
Here are 18. or 20. very great and long houses, where
they tame and keep many elephants of the kings: for
there about in the wildernesse they catch the wilde
elephants. It is a very fruitfull countrey. From Dela we
went to Cirion, which is a good towne, and hath a faire
porte into the sea, whither come many ships from Mecca
,
Malacca, Sumatra, and from divers other places. And
there the ships staie and discharge, & send up their goods
in
Paroes to Pegu. From Cirion we went to Macao
,
which is a pretie towne, where we left our boats or
Paroes, & in the morning taking Delingeges, which are
a kind of Coches made of cords & cloth quilted, & caried
upon a stang betweene 3. or 4. men: we came to Pegu
the same day. Pegu
is a citie very great, strong, and
very faire, with walles of stone, and great ditches round
about it. There are two townes, the old towne and the
newe. In the olde towne are all the marchants strangers,
and very many marchants of the countrey. All the goods
are sold in the olde towne which is very great, and hath
many suburbes round about it, and all the houses are
made of Canes which they call Bambos, and bee covered
with strawe. In your house you have a Warehouse
which they call Godon, which is made of bricke to put
your goods in, for oftentimes they take fire and burne
in an houre foure or five hundred houses: so that if the
Godon were not, you should bee in danger to have all
burned, if any winde should rise, at a trice. In the newe
towne is the king, and all his Nobilitie and Gentrie. It
is a citie very great and populous, and is made square
and with very faire walles, and a great ditch round about
it full of water, with many crocodiles in it: it hath
twenty gates, and they bee made of stone, for every
square five gates. There are also many Turrets for
Centinels to watch, made of wood, and gilded with golde
very faire. The streets are the fairest that ever I saw, as
straight as a line from one gate to the other, and so broad
that tenne or twelve men may ride a front thorow them.
On both sides of them at every mans doore is set a
palmer tree which is the nut tree : which make a very
faire shew and a very commodious shadow, so that a
man may walke in the shade all day. The houses be
made of wood, and covered with tiles. The kings house
is in the middle of the city, and is walled and ditched
round about: and the buildings within are made of wood
very sumptuously gilded, and great workemanship is upon
the forefront, which is likewise very costly gilded. And
the house wherein his Pagode or idole standeth is covered
with tiles of silver, and all the walles are gilded with
golde. Within the first gate of the kings house is a
great large roome, on both sides whereof are houses
made for the kings elephants, which be marvellous great
and faire, and are brought up to warres and in service
of the king. And among the rest he hath foure white
elephants, which are very strange and rare: for there is
none other king which hath them but he: if any other
king hath one, hee will send unto him for it. When
any of these white elephants is brought unto the king,
all the merchants in the city are commanded to see them,
and to give him a present of halfe a ducat, which doth
come to a great summe: for that there are many merchants in the city. After that you have given your
present you may come and see them at your pleasure,
although they stand in the kings house. This king in
his title is called the king of the white elephants. If
any other king have one, and will not send it him, he
will make warre with him for it: for he had rather lose
a great part of his kingdome, then not to conquere him.
They do very great service unto these white elephants;
every one of them standeth in an house gilded with golde,
and they doe feede in vessels of silver and gilt. One of
them when he doth go to the river to be washed, as every
day they do, goeth under a canopy of cloth of golde or
of silke carried over him by sixe or eight men, and eight
or ten men goe before him playing on drummes, shawmes,
or other instruments: and when he is washed and
commeth out of the river, there is a gentleman which
doth wash his feet in a silver basin: which is his office
given him by the king. There is no such account made
of any blacke elephant, be he never so great. And surely
there be woonderfull faire and great, and some be nine
cubites in height. And they do report that the king hath
above five thousand elephants of warre, besides many
other which be not taught to fight. This king hath a
very large place wherein he taketh the wilde elephants.
It standeth about a mile from Pegu
, builded with a faire
court within, and is in a great grove or wood: and there
be many huntsmen, which go into the wildernesse with
she elephants: for without the she they are not to be
taken. And they be taught for that purpose: and every
hunter hath five or sixe of them: and they say that they
anoint the she elephants with a certaine ointment, which
when the wild elephant doth smell, he will not leave her.
When they have brought the wilde elephant neere unto
the place, they send word unto the towne, and many
horsemen and footmen come out and cause the she
elephant to enter into a strait way which doeth goe to the
palace, and the she and he do runne in: for it is like a
wood: and when they be in, the gate doth shut. Afterward they get out the female: and when the male seeth
that he is left alone, he weepeth and crieth, and runneth
against the walles, which be made of so strong trees,
that some of them doe breake their teeth with running
against them. Then they pricke him with sharpe canes,
& cause him to go into a strait house, and there they put
a rope about his middle and about his feet, and let him
stand there three or foure dayes without eating or drinking: and then they bring a female to him, with meat and
drinke, and within few dayes he becommeth tame. The
chiefe force of the king is in these elephants. And when
they go into the warres they set a frame of wood upon
their backes, bound with great cordes, wherein sit foure
or sixe men, which fight with gunnes, bowes and arrowes,
darts and other weapons. And they say that their skinnes
are so thicke that a pellet of an harquebush will scarse
pearce them, except it be in some tender place. Their
weapons be very badde. They have gunnes, but shoot
very badly in them, darts and swords short without points.
The king keepeth a very great state: when he sitteth
abroad as he doth every day twise, all his noble men
which they call Shemines sit on ech side, a good distance
off, and a great guard without them. The Court yard is
very great. If any man will speake with the king, he is
to kneele downe, to heave up his hands to his head, and
to put his head to the ground three times, when he entreth,
in the middle way, and when he commeth neere to the
king: and then he sitteth downe and talketh with the
king : if the king like well of him, he sitteth neere him
within three or foure paces : if he thinke not well of him,
he sitteth further off. When he goeth to warre, he goeth
very strong. At my being there he went to Odia in the
countrey of Siam
with three hundred thousand men, and
five thousand elephants. Thirty thousand men were his
guard. These people do eate roots, herbs, leaves, dogs,
cats, rats, serpents, and snakes; they refuse almost
nothing. When the king rideth abroad, he rideth with
a great guard, and many noblemen, oftentimes upon an
elephant with a fine castle upon him very fairely gilded
with gold; and sometimes upon a great frame like an
horsliter, which hath a little house upon it covered over
head, but open on the sides, which is all gilded with golde,
& set with many rubies & saphires, whereof he hath
infinite store in his country, and is caried upon sixteene
or eighteene mens shoulders. This coach in their
language is called Serrion. Very great feasting and
triumphing is many times before the king both of men
and women. This king hath little force by Sea, because
hee hath but very few ships. He hath houses full of
golde and silver, and bringeth in often, but spendeth
very little, and hath the mines of rubies and saphires, and
spinelles. Neere unto the palace of the king, there is a
treasure woonderfull rich; the which because it is so
neere, he doth not account of it: and it standeth open for
all men to see in a great walled court with two gates,
which be alwayes open. There are foure houses gilded
very richly, and covered with leade: in every one of them
are Pagodes or images of huge stature and great value.
In the first is the picture of a king in golde with a crowne
of golde on his head full of great rubies and saphires, and
about him there stand foure children of golde. In the
second house is the picture of a man in silver woonderfull
great, as high as an house; his foot is as long as a man,
and he is made sitting, with a crowne on his head very
rich with stones. In the third house is the picture of a
man greater then the other, made of brasse, with a rich
crowne on his head. In the fourth and last house doth
stand another, made of brasse, greater then the other,
with a crowne also on his head very rich with stones.
In another court not farre from this stand foure other
Pagodes or idoles, marvellous great, of copper, made in
the same place where they do stand; for they be so great
that they be not to be remooved: they stand in foure
houses gilded very faire, and are themselves gilded all
over save their heads, and they shew like a blacke
Morian. Their expences in gilding of their images are
wonderfull. The king hath one wife and above three
hundred concubines, by which they say he hath fourescore or fourescore and ten children. He sitteth in
judgement almost every day. They use no speech, but
give up their supplications written in the leaves of a tree
with the point of an yron bigger then a bodkin. These
leaves are an elle long, and about two inches broad; they
are also double. He which giveth in his supplication,
doth stand in a place a little distance off with a present.
If his matter be liked of, the king accepteth of his present,
and granteth his request: if his sute be not liked of,
he returneth with his present; for the king will not
take it.
In India there are few commodities which serve for
Pegu
, except Opium of Cambaia, painted cloth of S.
Thome, or of Masulipatan, and white cloth of Bengala,
which is spent there in great quantity. They bring
thither also much cotton, yarne red coloured with a root
which they called Saia, which will never lose his colour:
it is very wel solde here, and very much of it commeth
yerely to Pegu
. By your mony you lose much. The
ships which come from Bengala, S. Thome, and Masulipatan, come to the bar of Nigrais and to Cosmin. To
Martavan a port of the sea in the kingdome of Pegu
come
many ships from Malacca laden with Sandall, Porcelanes,
and other wares of China
, and with Camphora of Borneo,
and Pepper from Achen in Sumatra. To Cirion a port of
Pegu
come ships from Mecca
with woollen cloth, Scarlets,
Velvets, Opium, and such like. There are in Pegu
eight
Brokers, whom they call Tareghe, which are bound to
sell your goods at the price which they be woorth, and
you give them for their labour two in the hundred: and
they be bound to make your debt good, because you sell
your marchandises upon their word. If the Broker pay
you not at his day, you may take him home, and keepe
him in your house: which is a great shame for him. And
if he pay you not presently, you may take his wife and
children and his slaves, and binde them at your doore,
and set them in the Sunne; for that is the law of the
country. Their current money in these parts is a kinde
of brasse which they call Gansa, wherewith you may buy
golde, silver, rubies, muske, and all other things. The
golde and silver is marchandise, and is worth sometimes
more and sometimes lesse, as other wares be. This
brasen money doeth goe by a weight which they call a
biza; and commonly this biza after our account is worth
about halfe a crowne or somewhat lesse. The marchandise which be in Pegu
, are golde, silver, rubies, saphires,
spinelles, muske, benjamin or frankincense, long pepper,
tinne, leade, copper, lacca whereof they make hard waxe,
rice, and wine made of rice, and some sugar. The
elephants doe eate the sugar canes, or els they would
make very much. And they consume many canes likewise
in making of their Varellaes or Idole temples, which are
in great number both great and small. They be made
round like a sugar loafe, some are as high as a Church,
very broad beneath, some a quarter of a mile in compasse: within they be all earth done about with stone.
They consume in these Varellaes great quantity of golde;
for that they be all gilded aloft: and many of them from
the top to the bottome: and every ten or twelve yeeres
they must be new gilded, because the raine consumeth off
the golde: for they stand open abroad. If they did not
consume their golde in these vanities, it would be very
plentifull and good cheape in Pegu
. About two dayes
journey from Pegu
there is a Varelle or Pagode, which
is the pilgrimage of the Pegues: it is called Dogonne,
and is of a woonderfull bignesse, and all gilded from
the foot to the toppe. And there is an house by it
wherein the Tallipoies which are their Priests doe preach.
This house is five and fifty paces in length, and hath
three pawnes or walks in it, and forty great pillars
gilded, which stand betweene the walks; and it is open
on all sides with a number of small pillars, which be
likewise gilded: it is gilded with golde within and without.
There are houses very faire round about for the pilgrims
to lie in: and many goodly houses for the Tallipoies to
preach in, which are full of images both of men and
women, which are all gilded over with golde. It is the
fairest place, as I suppose, that is in the world: it
standeth very high, and there are foure wayes to it, which
all along are set with trees of fruits, in such wise that a
man may goe in the shade above two miles in length.
And when their feast day is, a man can hardly passe by
water or by land for the great presse of people; for they
come from all places of the kingdome of Pegu
thither at
their feast. In Pegu
they have many Tallipoies or priests,
which preach against all abuses. Many men resort unto
them. When they enter into their kiack, that is to say,
their holy place or temple, at the doore there is a great
jarre of water with a cocke or a ladle in it, and there they
wash their feet; and then they enter in, and lift up their
hands to their heads first to their preacher, and then to
the Sunne, and so sit downe. The Tallipoies go very
strangely apparelled with one camboline or thinne cloth
next to their body of a browne colour, another of yellow
doubled many times upon their shoulder: and those two
be girded to them with a broad girdle: and they have a
skinne of leather hanging on a string about their necks,
whereupon they sit, bare headed & bare footed : for none
of them weareth shooes; with their right armes bare and
a great broad sombrero or shadow in their hands to
defend them in the Summer from the Sunne, and in the
Winter from the raine. When the Tallipoies or priests
take their Orders, first they go to schoole untill they be
twenty yeres olde or more, and then they come before a
Tallipoie appointed for that purpose, whom they call
Rowli: he is of the chiefest and most learned, and he
opposeth them, and afterward examineth them many
times, whether they will leave their friends, and the
company of all women, and take upon them the habit of
a Tallipoie. If any be content, then he rideth upon an
horse about the streets very richly apparelled, with
drummes and pipes, to shew that he leaveth the riches of
the world to be a Tallipoie. In few dayes after, he is
caried upon a thing like an horsliter, which they call a
serion, upon ten or twelve mens shoulders in the apparell
of a Tallipoie, with pipes and drummnes, and many Tallipoies with him, and al his friends, and so they go with
him to his house which standeth without the towne, and
there they leave him. Every one of them hath his house,
which is very little, set upon six or eight posts, and they
go up to them with a ladder of twelve or foureteene
staves. Their houses be for the most part by the hie
wayes side, and among the trees, and in the woods. And
they go with a great pot made of wood or fine earth, and
covered, tied with a broad girdle upon their shoulder,
which commeth under their arme, wherewith they go to
begge their victuals which they eate, which is rice, fish,
and herbs. They demand nothing, but come to the doore,
and the people presently doe give them, some one thing,
and some another: and they put all together in their
potte: for they say they must eate of their almes, and
therewith content themselves. They keepe their feasts
by the Moone: and when it is new Moone they keepe
their greatest least: and then the people send rice and
other things to that kiack or church of which they be;
and there all the Tallipoies doe meete which be of that
Church, and eate the victuals which are sent them. When
the Tallipoies do preach, many of the people cary them
gifts into the pulpit where they sit and preach. And
there is one which sitteth by them to take that which
the people bring. It is divided among them. They have
none other ceremonies nor service that I could see, but
onely preaching.
I went from Pegu
to Jamahey, which is in the countrey
of the Langeiannes, whom we call Jangomes; it is five
and twenty dayes journey Northeast from Pegu
. In
which journey I passed many fruitfull and pleasant countreys. The countrey is very lowe, and hath many faire
rivers. The houses are very bad, made of canes, and
covered with straw. Heere are many wilde buffes and
elephants. Jamahey is a very faire and great towne, with
faire houses of stone, well peopled, the streets are very
large, the men very well set and strong, with a cloth
about them, bare headed and bare footed: for in all these
countreys they weare no shooes. The women be much
fairer then those of Pegu
. Heere in all these countreys
they have no wheat. They make some cakes of rice.
Hither to Jamahey come many marchants out of China
,
and bring great store of muske, golde, silver, and many
other things of China
worke. Here is great store of
victuals: they have such plenty that they will not milke
the buffles, as they doe in all other places. Here is great
store of copper and benjamin. In these countreys when
the people be sicke they make a vow to offer meat unto the
divell, if they escape: and when they be recovered they
make a banket with many pipes & drummes and other
instruments, and dansing all the night, and their friends
come and bring gifts, cocos, figges, arrecaes, and other
fruits, and with great dauncing and rejoycing they offer
to the divell, and say, they give the divel to eat, and
drive him out. When they be dancing and playing they
will cry & hallow very loud; and in this sort they say they
drive him away. And when they be sicke a Tallipoy or
two every night doth sit by them & sing, to please the
divell that he should not hurt them. And if any die he is
caried upon a great frame made like a tower, with a
covering all gilded with golde made of canes caried with
foureteene or sixteene men, with drummes and pipes and
other instruments playing before him to a place out of the
towne and there is burned. He is accompanied with all
his friends and neighbours, all men: and they give to the
tallipoies or priests many mats and cloth: and then they
returne to the house and there make a feast for two dayes :
and then the wife with all the neighbours wives & her
friends go to the place where he was burned, and there
they sit a certaine time and cry and gather the pieces of
bones which be left unburned and bury them, and then
returne to their houses and make an end of all mourning.
And the men and women which be neere of kin do shave
their heads, which they do not use except it be for the
death of a friend: for they much esteeme of their
haire.
Caplan
is the place where they finde the rubies, saphires,
and spinelles: it standeth sixe dayes journey from Ava in
the kingdome of Pegu
. There are many great high hilles
out of which they digge them. None may go to the pits
but onely those which digge them.
In Pegu
, and in all the countreys of Ava, Langeiannes,
Siam
, and the Bramas, the men weare bunches or little
round balles in their privy members: some of them weare
two and some three. They cut the skin and so put them
in, one into one side and another into the other side;
which they do when they be 25 or 30 yeeres olde, and at
their pleasure they take one or more of them out as they
thinke good. When they be maried the husband is for
every child which his wife hath, to put in one untill he
come to three and then no more: for they say the women
doe desire them. They were invented because they should
not abuse the male sexe. For in times past all those
countries were so given to that villany, that they were
very scarse of people. It was also ordained that the
women should not have past three cubits of cloth in their
nether clothes, which they binde about them; which are
so strait, that when they go in the streets, they shew one
side of the leg bare above the knee. The bunches aforesayd be of divers sorts: the least be as big as a litle
walnut, and very round: the greatest are as big as a litle
hennes egge: some are of brasse and some of silver: but
those of silver be for the king and his noble men. These
are gilded and made with great cunning, and ring like a
title bell. There are some made of leade, which they call
Selwy because they ring but litle: and these be of lesser
price for the poorer sort. The king sometimes taketh
his out, and giveth them to his noblemen as a great
gift: and because he hath used them, they esteeme them
greatly. They will put one in, and heale up the place in
seven or eight dayes.
The Bramas which be of the kings countrey (for the
king is a Brama) have their legs or bellies, or some part
of their body, as they thinke good themselves, made black
with certaine things which they have: they use to pricke
the skinne, and to put on it a kinde of anile or blacking,
which doth continue alwayes. And this is counted an
honour among them: but none may have it but the
Bramas which are of the kings kinred.
These people weare no beards: they pull out the haire
on their faces with little pinsons made for that purpose.
Some of them will let 16 or 20 haires grow together,
some in one place of his face and some in another, and
pulleth out all the rest: for he carieth his pinsons alwayes
with him to pull the haires out assoone as they appeare.
If they see a man with a beard they wonder at him.
They have their teeth blacked both men and women, for
they say a dogge hath his teeth white, therefore they will
blacke theirs.
The Pegues if they have a sute in the law which is so
doubtfull that they cannot well determine it, put two long
canes into the water where it is very deepe: and both the
parties go into the water by the poles, and there sit men
to judge, and they both do dive under the water, and
he which remaineth longest under the water doth winne
the sute.
The 10 of January I went from Pegu
to Malacca,
passing by many of the ports of Pegu
, as Martavan, the
Iland of Tavi, from whence commeth great store of tinne
which serveth all India, the
Ilands of Tanaseri, Junsalaon,
and many others; and so came to Malacca the 8 of
February, where the Portugals have a castle which
standeth nere the sea. And the countrey fast without
the towne belongeth to the Malayos, which is a kinde of
proud people. They go naked with a cloth about their
middle, and a litle roll of cloth about their heads. Hither
come many ships from China
& from the Malucos, Banda,
Timor
, and from many other
Ilands of the Javas, which
bring great store of spices and drugs, and diamants and
other jewels. The voyages into many of these Ilands
belong unto the captaine of Malacca: so that none may
goe thither without his licence: which yeeld him great
summes of money every yeere. The Portugals heere have
often times warres with the king of Achem which standeth
in the
Iland of Sumatra: from whence commeth great
store of pepper and other spices every yeere to Pegu
and
Mecca
within the
Red sea, and other places.
When the Portugals go from Macao
in China
to Japan
,
they carry much white silke, golde, muske, and porcelanes: and they bring from thence nothing but silver.
They have a great caracke which goeth thither every yere,
and she bringeth from thence every yere above sixe
hundred thousand crusadoes: and all this silver of Japan
,
and two hundred thousand crusadoes more in silver which
they bring yeerely out of India, they imploy to their great
advantage in China
: and they bring from thence golde,
muske, silke, copper, porcelanes, and many other things
very costly and gilded. When the Portugals come to
Canton in China
to traffike, they must remaine there but
certaine dayes: and when they come in at the gate of the
city, they must enter their names in a booke, and when
they goe out at night they must put out their names.
They may not lie in the towne all night, but must lie in
their boats without the towne. And their dayes being
expired, if any man remaine there, they are evill used and
imprisoned. The Chinians are very suspitious, and doe
not trust strangers. It is thought that the king doth not
know that any strangers come into his countrey. And
further it is credibly reported that the common people see
their king very seldome or not at all, nor may not looke
up to that place where he sitteth. And when he rideth
abroad he is caried upon a great chaire or serrion gilded
very faire, wherein there is made a little house with a
latise to looke out at: so that he may see them, but they
may not looke up at him: and all the time that he passeth
by them, they heave up their hands to their heads, & lay
their heads on the ground, and looke not up untill he be
passed. The order of China
is when they mourne, that
they weare white thread shoes, and hats of straw. The
man doth mourne for his wife two yeeres, the wife for
her husband three yeeres : the sonne for his father a yeere,
and for his mother two yeres. And all the time which
they mourne they keepe the dead in the house, the bowels
being taken out and filled with chownam or lime, and
coffined : and when the time is expired they carry them out
playing and piping, and burne them. And when they
returne they pull off their mourning weeds, and marry at
their pleasure. A man may keepe as many concubines as
he will, but one wife onely. All the Chineans, Japonians,
and Cauchin Chineans do write right downwards, and
they do write with a fine pensill made of dogs or cats haire.
Laban is an Iland among the Javas from whence come
the diamants of the New water. And they finde them in
the rivers: for the king will not suffer them to digge the
rocke.
Jamba is an Iland among the Javas also, from whence
come diamants. And the king hath a masse of earth
which is golde; it groweth in the middle of a river: and
when the king doth lacke gold, they cut part of the earth
and melt it, whereof commeth golde. This masse of earth
doth appeare but once in a yere; which is when the water
is low: and this is in the moneth of April.
Bima is another Iland among the Javas, where the
women travell and labour as our men do in England, and
the men keepe house and go where they will.
The 29 of March 1588, I returned from Malacca to
Martavan, and so to Pegu
, where I remained the second
time untill the 17 of September, and then I went to
Cosmin, and there tooke shipping; and passing many
dangers by reason of contrary windes, it pleased God
that we arrived in Bengala in November following: where
I stayed for want of passage untill the third of February
1589, and then I shipped my selfe for Cochin. In which
voyage we endured great extremity for lacke of fresh
water: for the weather was extreme hote, and we were
many marchants and passengers, and we had very many
calmes, and hote weather. Yet it pleased God that we
arrived in Ceylon
the sixth of March, where we stayed
five dayes to water, and to furnish our selves with other
necessary provision. This Ceylon
is a brave Iland, very
fruitfull & faire; but by reason of continuall warres with
the king thereof, all things are very deare: for he will
not suffer any thing to be brought to the castle where the
Portugals be: wherefore often times they have great want
of victuals. Their provision of victuals commeth out of
Bengala every yere. The king is called Raia, and is of
great force: for he commeth to Colombo
, which is the
place where the Portugals have their fort, with an
hundred thousand men, and many elephants. But they
be naked people all of them; yet many of them be good
with their pieces which be muskets. When the king
talketh with any man, he standeth upon one legge, and
setteth the other foot upon his knee with his sword in his
hand: it is not their order for the king to sit but to stand.
His apparell is a fine painted cloth made of cotton wooll
about his middle: his haire is long and bound up with a
little fine cloth about his head : all the rest of his body is
naked. His guard are a thousand men, which stand
round about him, and he in the middle; and when he
marcheth, many of them goe before him, and the rest
come after him. They are of the race of the Chingalayes,
which they say are the best kinde of all the Malabars.
Their eares are very large; for the greater they are, the
more honourable they are accounted. Some of them are
a spanne long. The wood which they burne is Cinamom
wood, and it smelleth very sweet. There is great store of
rubies, saphires, and spinelles in this Iland: the best
kinde of all be here; but the king will not suffer the
inhabitants to digge for them, lest his enemies should
know of them, and make warres against him, and so
drive him out of his countrey for them. They have no
horses in all the countrey. The elephants be not so great
as those of Pegu
, which be monstrous huge: but they say
all other elephants do feare them, and none dare fight with
them, though they be very small. Their women have a
cloth bound about them from their middle to their knee:
and all the rest is bare. All of them be blacke and but
little, both men and women. Their houses are very little,
made of the branches of the palmer or coco-tree, and
covered with the leaves of the same tree.
The eleventh of March we sailed from Ceylon
, and
so doubled the
cape of Comori. Not far from thence,
betweene Ceylon
and the maine land of Negapatan, they
fish for pearles. And there is fished every yere very
much; which doth serve all India, Cambaia, and Bengala,
it is not so orient as the pearle of Baharim in the gulfe of
Persia. From cape de Comori we passed by Coulam,
which is a fort of the Portugals: from whence commeth
great store of pepper, which commeth for Portugall: for
oftentimes there ladeth one of the caracks of Portugall.
Thus passing the coast we arrived in Cochin the 22 of
March, where we found the weather warme, but scarsity
of victuals: for here groweth neither corne nor rice:
and the greatest part commeth from Bengala. They have
here very bad water, for the river is farre off. This bad
water causeth many of the people to be like lepers, and
many of them have their legs swollen as bigge as a man
in the waste, & many of them are scant able to go.
These people here be Malabars, and of the race of the
Naires of Calicut: and they differ much from the other
Malabars. These have their heads very full of haire, and
bound up with a string: and there doth appeare a bush
without the band wherewith it is bound. The men be
tall and strong, and good archers with a long bow and
a long arrow, which is their best weapon: yet there be
some calivers among them, but they handle them badly.
Heere groweth the pepper; and it springeth up by a
tree or a pole, and is like our ivy berry, but something
longer like the wheat eare: and at the first the bunches
are greene, and as they waxe ripe they cut them off and
dry them. The leafe is much lesser then the ivy leafe
and thinner. All the inhabitants here have very little
houses covered with the leaves of the coco-trees. The
men be of a reasonable stature; the women litle; all
blacke, with a cloth bound about their middle hanging
downe to their hammes: all the rest of their bodies be
naked: they have horrible great eares with many rings
set with pearles and stones in them. The king goeth
incached, as they do all; he doth not remaine in a place
above five or sixe dayes: he hath many houses, but they
be but litle: his guard is but small: he remooveth from
one house to another according to their order. All the
pepper of Calicut
and course cinamom groweth here in
this countrey. The best cinamom doth come from
Ceylon
, and is pilled from fine yoong trees. Here are
very many palmer or coco trees, which is their chiefe
food: for it is their meat and drinke : and yeeldeth many
other necessary things, as I have declared before.
The Naires which be under the king of Samorin, which
be Malabars, have alwayes wars with the Portugals.
The king hath alwayes peace with them; but his people
goe to the sea to robbe & steale. Their chiefe captaine is
called Cogi Alli; he hath three castles under him. When
the Portugals complaine to the king, he sayth he doth not
send them out: but he consenteth that they go. They
range all the coast from Ceylon
to Goa, and go by foure
or five parowes or boats together; and have in every
one of them fifty or threescore men, and boord presently.
They do much harme on that coast, and take every yere
many foists and boats of the Portugals. Many of these
people be Moores. This kings countrey beginneth twelve
leagues from Cochin, and reacheth neere unto Goa. I
remained in Cochin untill the second of November, which
was eight moneths; for that there was no passage that
went away in all that time: if I had come two dayes
sooner I had found a passage presently. From Cochin I
went to Goa, where I remained three dayes. From
Cochin to Goa is an hundred leagues. From Goa I
went to Chaul, which is threescore leagues, where I
remained three and twenty dayes: and there making my
provision of things necessary for the shippe, from thence
I departed to Ormus; where I stayed for a passage
to Balsara fifty dayes. From Goa to Ormus is foure
hundred leagues.
Here I thought good, before I make an end of this
my booke, to declare some things which India and the
countrey farther Eastward do bring forth.
The pepper groweth in many parts of India, especially
about Cochin: and much of it doeth grow in the fields
among the bushes without any labour: and when it is ripe
they go and gather it. The shrubbe is like unto our ivy
tree: and if it did not run about some tree or pole, it
would fall downe and rot. When they first gather it,
it is greene; and then they lay it in the Sun, and it
becommeth blacke.
The ginger groweth like unto our garlike, and the
root is the ginger: it is to be found in many parts of
India.
The cloves doe come from the
Iles of the Moluccoes,
which be divers Ilands : their tree is like to our bay
tree.
The nutmegs and maces grow together, and come from
the
Ile of Banda : the tree is like to our walnut tree, but
somewhat lesser.
The white sandol is wood very sweet & in great request
among the Indians; for they grinde it with a litle water,
and anoynt their bodies therewith: it commeth from the
Isle of Timor.
Camphora is a precious thing among the Indians, and
is solde dearer then golde. I thinke none of it commeth
for Christendome. That which is compounded commeth
from China
: but that which groweth in canes and is the
best, commeth from the great
Isle of Borneo.
Lignum Aloes commeth from Cauchinchina.
The benjamin commeth out of the countreys of Siam
and Jangomes.
The long pepper groweth in Bengala, in Pegu
, and in
the
Ilands of the Javas.
The muske commeth out of Tartarie, and is made after
this order, by report of the marchants which bring it to
Pegu
to sell; In
Tartarie there is a little beast like unto
a yong roe, which they take in snares, and beat him to
death with the blood: after that they cut out the bones,
and beat the flesh with the blood very small, and fill the
skin with it: and hereof commeth the muske.
Of the amber they holde divers opinions; but most men
say it commeth out of the sea, and that they finde it upon
the shores side.
The rubies, saphires, and spinelles are found in
Pegu
.
The diamants are found in divers places, as in
Bisnagar,
in Agra, in
Delli, and in the
Ilands of the Javas.
The best pearles come from the
Iland of Baharim in the
Persian sea, the woorser from the Piscaria
neere the
Isle
of Ceylon, and from Aynam a great Iland on the Southermost coast of China
.
Spodium and many other kindes of drugs come from
Cambaia.
Now to returne to my voyage; from Ormus I went to
Balsara or Basora, and from Basora to Babylon: and we
passed the most part of the way by the strength of men by
hailing the boat up the river with a long cord. From
Babylon I came by land to Mosul, which standeth nere to
Ninive
, which is all ruinated and destroyed; it standeth
fast by the river of Tigris
. From Mosul I went to
Merdin, which is in the countrey of the Armenians; but
now there dwell in that place a people which they call
Cordies, or Curdi. From Merdin I went to Orfa, which
is a very faire towne, and it hath a goodly fountaine ful
of fish; where the Moores hold many great ceremonies
and opinions concerning Abraham; for they say he did
once dwell there. From thence I went to Bir, & so
passed the river of Euphrates
. From Bir I went to
Aleppo, where I stayed certaine moneths for company;
and then I went to Tripolis; where finding English
shipping, I came with a prosperous voyage to London,
where by Gods assistance I safely arrived the 29 of
April 1591, having bene eight yeeres out of my native
countrey.