rariety of the thing The cittie where the king Zamallaco hath his being is within the land of Chiawle 7. or 8. dayes iorney which citty is called Abneger 70. miles from Chiawle towards the Indies is the porte of Dabull a Hauen of the king Zamallaco from thence to Goa is 150. miles Goa GOa is the principallest citie that the portingales haue in the Indies where in the Vizeroye with his royall court is resident and is in an Iland which may be in circuit 25. or 30. miles and the citie with his boroughs is resonable bigge and for a cittie of the Indies it is resonable fayre but the Iland is farre more fayrer for it is as it were full of goodly gardens replenished with diuers trées with the Palmer trées as is aforesaid This citie is of great trafique for all sorts of marchandize which they trade withall in those parts the fléete which coÌ„meth euery yeare from Portingale which are 5. or 6. great ships that come directly for Goa and they arriue there ordinarily the 6. or 10 of September there they remaine 40. or 50. daies from thence they goe to Cochin where they lade for Portingale and often times they lade one ship at Goa and the other at Cochin for portingale Cochin is distante from Goa 300. miles the cittie Goa is sciuate in the kingdome of Dialcam a king of the Mores whose chiefe citie is op in the countrey 8. dayes iorney and is called Bisapor this kinge is of great power for when I was in Goa in the yeere of our Lord 1570. this king came to giue assault to Goa being encamped néere vnto it by a Riuer side with an armie of 2 hundreth thousande men of war and he lay at this seige 14. moneths in which time there was peace concluded as report went amongst his people there was great calamitie and mortality which bred amongst them in the time of winter and also killed very many Elephants Then in the yeare of our Lord 1567. I went from Goa to Bezeneger the chiefe citie of the kingdome of Marsinga 8. daies iorney from Goa within the land in the company of two other Marchants which carried with them 300 Arabian Horses to that king because the Horses of that countrey are of a small stature and they paye well for the Arabian Horses it is requisite that the Marchants sell them well for that they stand them in great charges to bring them out of Persia to Ormus from Ormus to Goa where the ship that bringeth 20 Horses and vpwardes payeth no custome neither ship nor goods whatsoeuer whereas if they bring no Horses they pay 8. per cento of all their goods and at the going out of Goa the Horses pay custome 42. Pagodies for euery Horse which Pagody may be of starling money 6 shillings 8 pence they be peeces of gold â—f that valew so that the Arabian Horses are of greate valew in those countries as 300. 400. 500. Duckets a horse and to a thousand Duckets a horse Bezeneger THe cittie of Bezeneger was sacked in the yeare 1565 by 4 kinges of the Mores which were of great power might the names of these foure kings were these following The first was called Dialcan the second Zamaluc the third Cotamaluc the fourth Viridy and yet these foure kings were not able to ouercom this cittie the king of Bezeneger but by treason This king of Bezeneger was a Gentile and hauing amongst all other of his Captaines two which were notable and they were Mores and these two Captaines had either of them in charge 70 or 80 thousand men These two Captaines being of one Religion with the foure kings which were Mores wrought meanes with them to betray their owne king into their hands The king of Bezeneger estéemed not the force of the foure kings his enimies but went out of his Citie to wage battell with them in the fields which when the armies were ioined the battell lasted but a while not the space of foure houres because the two traytorous Captaines in the chéefest of the fight with their companies turne their faces against their king and made such disorder in his armie that as astonied they set themselues to flight thirtie yeares was this kingdome gouerned by thrée brethren which were tyrants the which kéeping the rightfull king in prison it was their vse euery yeare once to shew him to the people and they at their pleasures ruled as they listed These brethren were thrée Captaines belonging to the father of the king they kept in prison which when he died left his sonne verye yoong and then they tooke the gouernment to themselues the chéefest of these thrée was called Ramaragio and he sat in the roiall throne and was called king the second was called Temiragio and he tooke the gouernement on him the third was called Bengatre and he was captaine generall of the armie These thrée brethren were in this battell in the which the chéefest and the last were neuer heard of quicke nor dead Onely Temeragio fled in the battell hauing lost one of his eyes when the newes came to the cittie of the ouerthrow in the battell the wiues and children of these thrée tyrants with their lawfull king kept prisoner fled away spoiled as they were and the foure kings of the Mores entred the citie Bezeneger with great triumph and there they remained sirmoneths searching vnder houses and in all places for mony and other things that were hidden and theÌ„ they departed to their owne kingdomes because they were not able to maintaine such a kindome as that was so far distant from their owne countrie When the kings were departed from Bezeneger this Temiragio returned to the Citie and then began for to re-populate it and sent word to Goa to the Merchants that if they had anye Horsses to bring them to him and he would pay well for them and for this cause the aforesaid two marchants that I went in company withall carried those Horsses that they had to Bezeneger Also this Tyrant made an order or lawe that if anye Merchant had anye of the Horsses that were taken in the aforesaid battell or warres although they were of his owne marke that he would giue as much for them as they would and beside he gaue generall safe conduct to all that should bring them when by this meanes hee sawe that there were great store of Horsses brought thether vnto him hee gaue the Merchaunts faire wordes vntill such time as hee sawe they could bring no more Then he licensed the Merchants to depart without giuing them anye thing for theyr Horsses which when the poore men sawe they were desperate and as it were madde with sorrowe and greefe I rested in Bezeneger seauen moneths although in one moneth I might haue discharged all my businesse for it was necessary to rest there vntil the waies were cléere of théeues which at that time ranged vp and
a hat made of the 〈…〉 of a trée to keepe him from the raine and Sunne or otherwise they ride on horseback with their feet bare in the styrops all sortes of Women whatsoeuer they be weare a smocke downe to the girdle and from the girdle downwards to the foote they were a cloth of thrée brases open before so straite that they cannot goe but they must shewe their secrete as it were aloft and in their going they faine to hide it with their hande but they cannot by reason of the straightnesse of their cloth They say that this vse was inuented by a queene to be an occasion the sight thereof might remooue from men the vices against nature which they are greatly giuen vnto which sight shuld cause them to regard women the more also the Women goe bare footed their armes laden with hoopes of golde and iewels And their fingers full of pretious rings with their haire rolled vp about their heads Many of them weare a cloth about their shoulders in steade of a clocke Now to finish y t which I haue begun to write I say that those partes of the Indies is verie good because that a man y â— hath little shall make a great deale therof alwaies they must gouerne themselues that they be taken for honest men for why to such there shall neuer want help to do wel but he that is vicious let him tarrie at home and not go thither because he shall alwayes bee a begger and dye a poore man FINIS The Authors going from Venice to Cipris and Tripolye The Riuer Euphrates Feluchia a small Citie in Euphrates Mosule The Arabian theeues are in number like to Antes The old Babylon hath great trade with Merchants still Raffes made of blowen hides to carie victuals to Babilon A prettie deuice A bridge made of boates The Tower of Babell of ancient memory These bricks be in thicknes 6 or 7 inches a foote and a halfe square seene by our owne countreymen whome I knowe A thing wonderfull This hole whereout coÌ„meth this pitch is most true for that I know of our own countrimen which haue seene it and they say that out of the hole there commeth as it were puffing with bellows both water and pitch and the water and pitch runneth into the valey or Iland wher the pitch resteth and the water runneth into the riuer Euphrates and it maketh all the riuer to be as it were brackish with the smell of pitch and Brimstone Zizarii an ancient people At the castell of Corna the riuer Euphrates Tigris do meet Ormus is the barennest Iland in all the world Carichii an Iland in the gulfe of Persia Ormus is alwaies replenished with abundance of victuall and yet there is none that groweth in the Iland Great trade of merchandize in Ormus The election of the king of Ormus A priuelege for MerchaÌ„ts Goa is the cheefest citie that the Portingals haue in the Indies Dui Cambaya a countrey abounding with all plentic Cambaietta Macareo is a â—ide or curant as we terme it Amadauar a citie in Cambaia A thing most lamentable A merueilous great trade in Gambyette A very good order for merchant straÌ„gers if they will Marchants that trauell to the Indies must carry their prouisioÌ„ of how sholde with them Chiawle two Cities Great store of men of warre and rouers on the coast of Cambaya The grear Magoll was king of Agray and Delay A meruelous fond delight in women Tana a countrey inhabited with Portingales Armesine a kind of silke like taffitie Chiawle two Citties Note the pollicie of the Portingales Creat trafique with merchandize The Palmer Tree is the most commodious tree in the world Note the commodities of the Tree A very fruitefull tree Scauasches are as onr great Mawudes A thing almost incredible but I haue seene of their Mattes The commodities that come out of Cambaya Great Ordinance made in peeces and yet seruiceable The cheefest place the Portingales haue in the Indies Note the ariuall of the Portingall ships in the Indies A very good sale for Horsses A most vnkind wicked treason against their prince this they haue for giuing credit to strrngers rather then their owne natiue people The sacking of the citie An excellent good polliciâ— to entrap meÌ„ Marke this detestable order of the Gentiles A discription of the burning place Feasting and dancing wheÌ„ they should moorne ☞ An adamanâ— heart Moorning when they shuld reioice A worse order then the first Vngodlye deedes to murther the people The cause why the women do â—o burne themselues Penegonde Thâ— getting of Diamants Marke the discription of this pallace A thing rare to be found in England Palanchine is a small litter borne of foure men Men ride on Bullocks and trauell with them on the waye A prety iest A hard matter for traueilers This is straÌ„ge that euery nobleman may coyne what money he would The marchaÌ„dize that come in out to Bezeneger euery yeare The apparell of those people Their winter is our suÌ„mer Foure small fortes of the Portingales The commodities that go out of the kingdome of Cananor Bettell is a very profitable hearbe in that cuntry Enimies to the king of Portingales Within Cochineis the kingdome of Pepper The pepper that the Portingales bring is not so good as that which goeth for Meca which is brought hether by the straights Great priuileges that the Citizens of Cochin haue The small power of the king of Cochine Amochy and Nayrii are very hardye men haue their wiues common A very straÌ„ge thing hardlye to be beleued The merchaÌ„dize that the Portingales carye from Cochine Note the departing of the ships from Cochine At Caocomery endeth the coast of the Indies The order how they fishe for pearles Dutie paid to the king of Portingale for the fishing of perles These Perles are prised according to the caracts which they waye euerye caract is foure graines and these meÌ„ that prise them haue an instrument of copper with holes in it which be made by degrees for to sort the Perles withal Great trouble and danger Great dangers for ships Colomba a hold of the Portingales The pollicy of the son depriued the father of his kingdome Cayro is a stuffe that they make ropes with the which is the barke of a tree The cutting gathering of sinamon A rare thing A foolish feare of Portingales S. Thomas his sepulcher A discription of S. Thomas his towne called of the Portingales S. Tome A painted kind of cloth and dyed of diuers colours which those people delight much in esteeme them of a great price In the Ilande of Banda they lade Nutmegs for ther they growe In the Ilands of Andeman they eate one another The Mowsies is a kind of fruite growing in clusters and are 5 or 6 inches long 2 peece they growe 5. or 7. on a cluster are a very good meate In any a frute like to a Tâ—â—nep deliciouâ— to eat The commodities that grow
else with the fléete of the Portingales as aforesaid in fine the kingdome of Cambaia is a place of great trade and hath much doings and tratique with all men although hetherto it hath bin in the hands of tyrants bicause that at 75 yeares of age the true king being at the assault of Dui was there slaine whose name was Sultan Badu at that time foure or fiue Captaines of the armie deuided the kingdome amongst themselues and euery one of them shewed in his conntrey what tyrannye he could but twelue yeares agoe the great Magoll a More king of Agray and Delay fortie daies iorney within the land of Amadauar became the gouernour of all the kingdome of Cambaia without anye resistance because he being of great power and force with people deuising which waye to enter the land there was not any man that would make him any resistance although they were tirants and a beastly people they were soone brought vnder obedience that in that time I owelled in Cambaietta I saw very meruelous things there were such an infinit number of Artisicers that made Bracelets called Mannij or Bracelets of Elephants téeth of diuerse colours for the women of the Gentiles which haue their armes full decked with them and in this order there is spent euery yeare many thousands of Crownes the reason whereof is this that when there dyeth any whatsoeuer of the kindred then in signe and token of moorning and sorrow they breake all their bracelets from their armes and presentlye they goe and buie new againe because that they had rather to be without theire meat then without their bracelets Daman Basan Tana HAuing passed Dui I came to the second city that 〈…〉 Portingales haue called Daman scituate in the territorie of Cambaya distant from Dui 120. miles it is no towne of marchandize saue of Rice and Corne and hath many villages under it which in time of peace the Portingale haue theire pleasure in them but in time of wars the enemies haue the spoyle of them in such wise that the Portingales haue little benefite by them Next vnto Daman you shall haue Basan which is a filthy place in respect of Daman in condition in this place is Rice corn timber to make ships and gallies and a small distance beyond Basan is a smal Iland called Tana a countrey very populous with Portingales Mores and Gentiles these haue nothing but Rice there are many makers of Armesine and weauers of Gerdles of wooll and bumbast black and red like to Moocharies Chiawle and the Palmer tree BEyond this Iland you shall find Chiawle in the Firme land and they are two cities one of the Portingales and the other of the Mores that Citie that the Portingales haue is scituate â—ower then the other gouerneth the mouth of the harbor and is very strongly walled and as it were a mile and a 〈…〉 lâ—â— distant from this is the Citie of the Mores gouerned by their king Zamalluco In the time of wars there cannot any great shippe come to the cittie of the Mores because the Portingales with their Ordinance will sinke them for that they must perforce passe by the Castles of the Portingales both the Citties are portes of the sea and are great cities and haue vnto them great traffique trade of marchandize of all sortes of spices Drugges Silke cloth of silk Sandolo Marfine Versiue Procelane of China Ueluets and Scarlets y â— come from Portingale and from Meca with many other sorts of marchandize There commeth euery yeare from Cochin and from Canenor 10. or 15. great shipe laden with great Nuts cured and with sugar made of the self same Nuts called Giagra the trée wheron these nuts do grow is called the Palmer trée throughout al the Indies and especially from this place to Goa there is great abouÌ„dance of them and it is like to the Date trée in the whole world there is not a trée more profitable and of more goodnes then this trée is neither do men reape so much benefite of any other trée as they do of this ther is not any part of it but serueth for some vse none of it is worthy to be burnt with the timber of this trée they make shippes wthout the mixture of any other trée and with the leaues thereof they make sailes and with the fruict therof which be Nuts wherof they make wine and of the wine they make Sugar and Placetto which wine they gather in the spring of the yeare out of the middle of the trée where continually there goeth â— runneth out whit liquor like vnto water in that time of the yeare they put a vessell vnder euery tree and euery euening and morning they take it away full then distilling it with fire it maketh a very strong liquor and then they put it into Buts with a quantity of Zibibbo white or black in short time it is made a perfect wine after this they make of the nuts great store of oyle of the trée they make great quantity of Boordes and quarters for buildings Of the barke of this Trée they make Cables Ropes and other furniture for Ships and as they saye these Ropes be better then they that are made of Hempe they make of the bowes Beadsteds after the Indies fashion and Scauasches for Marchandyze the leaues they cut the as verye small and weaue them and so make sayles of them for all manner of shipping or else very fine Mats and then of the first rynde of the Nutte they stampe and make thereof perfecte Ockom to talke Shippes great and small and of the harde Barke thereof they make spoones and other vessells for meate in such wise that there is no parte thereof throwne away or cast to the fire when these Mats be gréene they are full of an excellent swéete water to drink and if a man be thirsty with the liquor of one of the mats he may satisfie himselfe and as this Nut ripeth the liquor thereof turneth all to â—ernell There goeth out of Chiawle for Mallaca for the Indies for Maca for Portingale for the coastes of Mallendy for Ormus as it were an infinite number and quantitie of goods and marchandize that come out of the kingdom of Cambaia as cloth of Bumbast white painted printed great quantitie of Indico Opinione Gotone Silke of euery sorte great store of boraso in Pasta great store of Fetida great store of Iron Corne other marchandize The More king Zamalaco is of great power as one that at néede may commaund and hath in his campe two hundred thousand men of warre and hath great store of Artillerie some of them made in péeces which for their greatnes they cannot be carried too and fro yet although they be made in péeces they are so commodious that they worke with them meruelous well whose shotte is of stone and there hath béene of that shot sent vnto the king of Portingale for the
séeke me whereas I thought I should not haue found so much goodnes in them because they were paid their money afore hand as is the vse I had thought to haue seene them no more before their comming I was determined to pluck the Cane wherin my Jewels were bidden out of my cowtch and to haue made me a walking staffe to carry in my hand to Goa thinking that I should haue gone thether on foote but by the faithfulnesse of my Falchines I was rid of that trouble and so in fower dayes they carried me to Goa in which time I made hard fare for y e théeues left me neither money golde nor siluer that which I did eat was geuen me of my men for gods sake and after at my comming to Goa I payde them euery thing rially all that I had of them from Goa I departed for Cochin which is a voyage of 300. miles and betwéene these two Cties are many holds of the Portingales as Onor Mangalor Barzelor Cananor The holde or forte that you shall haue in going from Goa to Cochin that belongeth to the Portingales is called Onor which is in the kingdome of the Quéene of Battacella which is tributary to the king of Bezeneger there is no trade there but onely a charge with the Captaine and company he kéepeth there and passing this place you shall come to another small Castell of the Portingales called Mangalor and ther is a very small trade onely for a little Rice and from thence you go to a little fort called Barzelor there they haue good store of Rice which is carried for Goa and from thence you shall go to a cittie called Cananor which is a Hargabush shot distant from the chiefest citie that the king of Cananor hath in his kingdome being a king of the Gentiles and he and his are a very naughty and malicious people alwayes hauing delight to be in wars with the Portingales and when they are in peace it is for the intrest to let their marchādize passe there goeth out of this kingdome of Cananor all the Cardomomo great store of pepper Ginger Honey Ships laden with greate Nuttes greate quantity of Archa which is a fruict of the biggnes of Nutmegges which fruict they eat in all those parts of the Indies and beyonde the Indies with the leafe of an hearbe which they call Bettell the which is like vnto our Juye leafe but a little lesser and thinner they eate it made in Plaister◠with the lime made of Oystershelles and thorowe the Indies they spend greate quantitie of money in this composition and is vsed dayly which thing I woulde not haue beléeued if I had not séene it The customers get greate profite by these Hearbes for that they haue custome for them when these people eate and chaw this in their mouthes it maketh theire Spittle to be redde like vnto blood and they saye that it maketh a man to haue a very good stomacke and a swéete breath but sure in my iudgement they eate it rather to fulfill theire filthy lustes and of a knauerye for this Hearbe is moyste and hote and maketh a very strong expultion From Cananor to Crangenor which is another small forte of the Portingales in the Land of the king of Crangenor which is another king of the Gentiles and a Countrey of small importaunce and of a hundreth and twenty miles full with theeeues being vnder the king of Callicut a king also of the Gentiles and a great enemie to the Portingales which when he is alwayes in warres he and his countrey is the Neast and resting for straunger théeues and these be called Moores of Carposa because they weare on theire heads long red Hattes and these théeues parte y e spoyles that they take on the sea with the king of Calicut for he geueth leaue vnto all that wil go a roauing liberally to go in such wise that all along that coast there is such a number of Théeues that there is no sayling in those Seas but with great Shippes and very well armed or elle they must goe in company with the army of the Portingales from Crangenor to Cochin is 15. miles Cochine COchine is next vnto Goa the chéefest place that the Portingales haue in the Indies and there is great trade of Spices drugs and all other sorts of Merchandize for the kingdome of Portingale and there with in the lād is the kingdom of Pepper which Pepper the Portingales lade in their ships by boulke and not in sacks the Pepper that goeth for Portingale is not so good as that which goeth for Meca bicause that in times passed the officers of the king of Portingale made a contract with the king of Cochine in the name of the king of Portingale for the prices of Pepper and by reason of that agréement betwéene them at that time made the prise can neither rise nor fall which is a verye lowe and base price and for this cause the Uillaines bring it to the Portingales gréene and full of filthe The Mores of Meca that giue a better price haue it cleane and drye and is better conditioned all the spices and drugs that is brought to Mecha is stolne from thence as Contrabanda Cochine is two cities one of the Portingales and another of the king of Cochines that of the Portingales is scituat néerest vnto the sea that of the kings of Cochin is a mile and a halfe vp higher in the land but they are both set on the banckes of one riuer which is very great and of a good depth of water which riuer commeth out of the mountains of the king of the Pepper which is a king of the Gentiles in whose kingdome are manye Christians of S. Thomas order the king of Cochine is also a king of the Gentiles and a great faithfull fréend to the king of Portingale and to those Portingales which are marryed and Cittizens in the Cittie Cochine of the Portingales and by this name of Portingales throughout all the Indies they call all the Christians that come out of the West whether they be Italians Frenchmen or Almaines and all they that mary in Cochine doo get an office according to the trade hee is of this they haue by the great priuilege the Cittizens haue of that City bicause there is two principall commodities that they deale withall in that place which are these the great store of silke that commeth from China and the great store of Sugar which commeth from Bengala the married Citizens paye not anye custome for these two commodities for all other commodities they pay foure per cento custum to the king of Cochine rating their goods at their owne pleasure those which are not married and strangers pay in Cochine to the king of Portingale eight per cento of all manner of merchandize I was in Cochine when the Uiceroye of the king of Portingale wrought what he could to breake the priuelege of the Citizens and
the Indies often times there is not stormes as is in other countries but euerie ten or twelue yeeres there is such tempests and stormes that it is a thing incredible but to those that haue séene it neither doe they knowe certaine what yeere it will come Unfortunate are they that are at Sea in that yéere and time of Touffon because few there are that escape that daunger In this yéere it was our chance to bee at Sea with the like storme but it happened well vnto vs for that our Shippe was newly ouer-plancked and had not any thing in her saue victuall and balastes Siluer and Golde whiche from Pegu they carrie to Bengala and no other kinde of Merchandise This Touffon or cruell storme endured thrée dayes and thrée nightes In which time it caried away our sayles yardes and Rother and because the Shippe laboured in the Sea we cut our mast ouer boâ—rd which when we had done she laboured a greate deale more then before for when our Mast was gone the Shippe laboured worse then before in such wise that the Shippe was almoste full with Water that came in ouer the highest and so went downe and for the space of three dayes and three nightes sixtie men did nothing but bale out Water out of her in this wise twentie men in one place and twentie men in another place and twentie in another place and for all this storme the Shippe was so good that shée tooke not one iot of Water alowe through the sides but all ranne downe through the hatches that those sixtie men did nothing but cast the Sea into the Sea And thus driuing two and fro as the winde and Sea woulde wée were driuen in a darke night about fowre of the clocke and cast on a Sholde yet when it was day we coulde neither sée land on one side nor other knew not where wee were And as it pleased the deuine power there came a great waue of the Sea and so driue vs beyond the Shold And when we felt the Ship aâ—lote wee rose vp as men reuiued because the Sea was calme and smoth water and then sounding we found twelue fadome Water and within a while after we had but â—iâ—e Fadom and then presently we came to anckor with a small anckor that was left vs with the sterne for all our other were lost in y â— storme by and by the Shippe was a ground and stroke and then wée did prop her that shee shoulde not ouerthrowe When it was day the ship was all a drye and found the Shippe a good mile from the sea on drie Lande This Toffon béeing ended we discouered an Ilande not farre from vs and we went from the ship on the Sandes to see what Ilande it was and we founde it a place inhabited and to my iudgement the firtelest Ilande in all the Worlde the which is deuided into two pars by a chanel which passeth be twéen it w t great trouble we brought our ship into y â— chanell which parteth the Ilande with a flowing Water and there we determined to stay fortie dayes to refresh vs and when the people of y e Iland saw the Ship and that we were comming a lande presently they made a place of Bazar or a market with Shops right ouer against the Ship with all manner of prouision of victualles to eat which they brought downe in great abundance and solde it so good cheape that we were amazed at the cheapenesse thereof I bought many salted kine there for the prouision of the Ship for halfe a Larine a peece which Larine may be twelue shillinges sixe pence and verie good and fat and fowre wilde hogges ready dressed for a Larine a great fat henne for a Bizze a peece which is at the most a pennie and the people tolde vs that we were deceiued the halfe of our monie because we bought thinges so déere Also a sacke of fine Ryce for a thing of nothing and consequently all other things for humaine sustenance were in such abundance that it is a thing incredible but to them that haue seene it This Ilande is called Sondiua belonging to the kingdom of Bengala distant 120 miles from Chitigan to which place we were bound The people are Moores and the King a verie good man of a Moore king for if he had béene a Tyrant as others bee hee might haue robbed vs of all because the Portugall Captaine of Chitigan was in armes against the Retor of that place and euerie day there were some slaine at which newes wee rested there with no small feare kéeping good watch ward abroad euerie night as the vse is but the gouernour of the Towne did coÌ„fort vs and bad vs that we should feare nothing but that we should repose our selues securely without any danger although the Portugalles of Chitigan had slaine the Gouernour of that Citie and saide that wée were not culpable in that fact and more he did vs euerie day what pleasure he coulde which was a thing contrarie to our iudgementes considering that they and the people of Chitigan were both subiectes to one King We departed from Sondiua and came to Chitigan the great port of Bengala at the same time that the Portugalles had made peace and taken a truce with the gouernours of the Towne with this condition that the cheefe Captaine of the Portugalles with his Shippes shoulde depart without any lading for there were then at that time eightéene Shippes of Portugalles great and small This Captaine being a Gentleman and of good courage Yet for all this he was contented to depart to his greate hindrance rather then hee woulde séeke to hinder so manye of his freendes as were there as also because the time of the yéere was spent to goe to the Indies The night before he departed euerie Shippe that had any lading in them put it a boorde of the Captaine to helpe to ease his charge and to recompence his courtesies In this time there came a Messenger from the King of Rachim to this Portugall Captaine who saide in the behalfe of his King that hée had heard of the courage and valure of him desiring him gentlie that he woulde vouchsafe to come with this Shippe into his port and comming thither hee shoulde bee verie well entreated This Portugall went thether and verie well satisfied of this King This King of Rachim hath his seate in the middle coast betweene Bengala and Pegu and the greatest enemy hee hath is the King of Pegu which King of Pegu imagineth night and day to make this King of Rachim his subiect but by no meanes he is able to do it because the King of Pegu hath no power nor armie by sea And this King of Rachim may arme two hundreth Galleyes or Fusts by Sea and by Lande he hath certaine sâ—uses with the which when the king of Pegu pretendeth any harme towardes him hee may at his pleasure drowne a great part
in the kingdom of Assi The great trade that is at Malacca Voiages which are onlye for the king and his noble men At the Moluccos they lade the Cloues The ship of Drugs so termed of the Portingales The distance of places Ilands not discouered A kind of iealious people China is vnder the gouernment of the great Tartar The riches of China It is a most excellent fine mettall as may be made Tymor an Iland from whence commeth all the white SaÌ„dolo A market kept aboord of the ships A prince of a merueilous strength and power Treason Great triumphâ— The mountains of Zerziline A miserable thing They would haue giuen two hundred a halfe of pepper for a small dish of water and they woulâ— not take it their miserie was so great A rare thing The loue of the King to strangers was so great that he would take no custome of them The commodities that goe out of Orisa This cloth we call Nettle cloth In this Bengala they lade Nutmegges for there they growe The Riuer of Ganges Bazaras and Paâ—uas are the names of the Barkes that they row in the Riuer Ganges A town made for two or three monthes and then burnt The commodities that are laden in Satagan These Gentiles are Idolators Moores are of the sect of Mahomet A Ceremonye of the gentiles when they are dead Portingales doo not drink of the water of the Riuer Ganges Mergy a harbour where ships land Niper Wine is a most excellent drink Niper Wine good to cure the french disease Niper Wine very deere in the Indians Great extremitie at Sea This Tortu go is a shell fishe which liueth in y â— Sea and yet laieth his Egges in the Sand I haue seene 200. and od egges in one of their bâ—â— lies Tauay vnder the King of Pegu. Martauan a Citie vnder the King of Pegu. A custom that these People haue when the King is in the warres A lawe in Pegu for killing of men Great pride of the Portin galles A good discrete way taken for safe garde of his goods A reuenge on the Portingales Pegu is the name of the Kingdome and y â— choice Citie is called after that name A thing most meruailous that at the comming of the tide that the earth should quake This tide is like to the tides in our Riuer of Seuerne These tides make their iust course as oâ—rs doo This Macareo is a tide or a coraot Houses made of Cane and couered with leaues of trees Godon is a plaâ—e or house for merchants to lay their goods in The forme of the building of the new Cittye of Pegu. A rich and stately Pallaice Fower white Eliphants This mony cald tansa is halfe a ducket which may be three shillings and foure pence The Prince valure of a King to hazard his whole Kingdome â—o◠〈…〉 Eliphant Eliphantes houses golded ouer with Golde and â—aue theâ—â— meat giuen them in vessells of Siluer and Golde A warhke pollicie An execllent deuice to â—unâ— and take wilde Elliphants A subtill composition An excellent pastime of the Eliphants These canes are like to theÌ„ in Spaine which they call Iaco deâ—ore A strange thing that a beast so wilde should in so short time be made â—ame The greatest strength that the King of Pegu hath A goodly order in a barberous people The order of their weapons and number of his men Exercise in armes is the cheefest defence of a Cuntry 26. crowned Kinges at his commaund 15. hundreth thousand men in one Camp A people of a hard nature and fit for warres Eating of Serpents This King of Pegu is the great King of Tartaria which we call the great Cam or the King of Qâ—in say The riches of this Ring of Pegu. An excellent fine mettall made by a mixture of Copper and Lead The great pompe of this King The order of their going This King hath one wise and 300. concubines The order of Iustice No difference of person before the king in controuersies or in Iustice If we had such paper in England sutes in law would not hang so long The commodities that are ventured in Pegu. Note the de parture of the Ships from S. Tomes to Pegu. Commodities brought into Pegu. The Chickenâ— are peeces of Golde woorth sterling 7. shillinges The Custome house of Pegu is in y â— Kinges house Great rigour for the stea ling of Cust omes Iewells paye custome In those Centries there is another inner lodging but euery man that trauelleth must hier his house and bring his necessaries with him Description of the fruitfulnes of that soyle Deling is a small litter caried with men as is aforesaide Most vile filching of goods Pay custome of the same goods Tareghe are names of the brookes The brokers are lowed to make good al the debts to the merchant A law for banckroutes Euery man may stampe what mony â—e will Buy Golde filuer with copper and leade The order of their monye How a man may despose him selfe for the trade in Pegu. Good instructions The merchandise that goe out of Pegu. Idoll houses what fashion they are of Idoll houses couered with Golde An honest care of hea then people Bargaines made with the nipping of Fingers vnder a cloth The Authors desire to see his Cuntry This Touffon is an extraordinary storme at Sea Touffon commeth but euery 10. or 12. yeeres A heauy case A manifest token of the ebbing and flowing in those Cuntries This Iland is called Sondâ—ua Victualles good cheap Sondiua is the fruitfull leâ—t Cuntry in all the world Chitigan is a port in Bengala where the Portingalles goe with their ships The King of Rachim neighbour to Bengala The force of the King of Rachim The commodities that goe from Chitigan to the Indies The Portingall ships depart toward Portingall out of the harbor of Cochine Goa was besieged A Chicken or a Henne cost 6. shillinges OpiuÌ„ a good Commoditye in Pegu. A reconing before the hoste Pepper tree Ginger Cloues Nutmegs and Maces White Sandolo Canfora LignuÌ„ Aloes Beniamin Long Pepper This Muske the Iewes doâ— counterâ—eite and open the Cods and take out halfe the good muske and take and beat the flesh of an asse and put that in the roome of it Amber Rubies Saphires and Spinelly Pearles Spodiom On the coaste of Melindy in Ethiopia in the land of Caferaria the great trade that the Portingalls haue Buying and selling with out woords one to anoâ—hes Golden trades that the Portingalls haue An order how to prouide to goe ouer the Desart from Babilon to Alepo 36 daies iourny ouer the Wilderne An order how to prouide for the going to Ierusalems Counsell of the author A very good order that they haue in those Cuntries for the recouering of the Goods of the dead Those Merchants that dieth in Pegu loâ—e the one third of their goods to the King Order of apirell in Pegu. The order of the womens aparell in Pegu. An admonition of the Author
THE Voyage and Trauaile OF M. CAESAR FREDERICK MERCHANT OF VENICE INTO the East India the Indies and beyond the Indies Wherein are contained very pleasant and rare matters with the customes and rites of those Countries ALSO HEEREIN ARE DISCOVERED the Merchandises and commodities of those Countreyes aswell the aboundaunce of Goulde and Siluer as Spices Drugges Pearles and other Iewelles Written at Sea in the HERCVLES of London comming from Turkie the 25. of March 1588. For the profitable instruction of Merchants and all other trauellers for their better direction and knowledge of those Countreyes Out of Jtalian by T H. AT LONDON Printed by RICHARD JONES and EDWARD WHITE 18. Iunij 1588. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HOnourable CHARLES Lord Howard Baron of Effingham Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter Lorde high Admirall of England and one of her Maiesties most Honourable priuie Counsaile Thomas Hickock wisheth long life in good health with much encrease of Honour and all happy successe HAuing Right Honourable long time purposed to put somewhat in practize that I might present to your honourable viewe the weaknesse of my abilitie hath hitherto holden mee in doubt whither I were best by writing to shew my good wil or by staying my penne to conceale the same But being at Sea in March last in the Hercules of London I resolued to take in hand the translating of this little worke out of Italian into Englishe aswell in regarde of the newnesse therof being neuer printed before that time as also for the rarenesse of the subiect and matter it treateth off and the commoditie thar Merchants and other my Cuntrimen may reape by it And hauing finished the same presuming more vpon your honourable curtesie then vpon the worthinesse of so small a woorke and hoping of your honourable fauour for the defence therof I am bolde in all humble and dutifull sort to present the same to your honourable viewe and protection not as a thing worthy the patronage of so honorable a personage as your honour is but as a token of my dutifull affection and bounden duty to your Lordship beseechiug you therfore to vouchsafe of the same with so good a will as I present it vnto you And so most humbly I take my leaue beseeching the almightie to blesse and prosper you in all your honourable enterprises to the good liking of her Maiesty and profite of the Common-weale Your Honours most humble and ready at commaund Thomas Hickock Caesar Frederick to the Reader I Hauing Gentle Reader for the space of eighteene yeeres continually coasted trauailed as it were all the East Indies and many other countreyes beyonde the Indies wherein I haue had both good and yll successe in my trauells I haue seen vnderstood many things worthy the noting and to bee knowne to all the world the which were neuer as yet written of any I thought it good seeing the almightie had giuen mee grace after so long perilles in passing such a long voyage to returne into my owne Country the noble Citie of Venice I say I thought it good as breefely as I could to write and set foorth this voiage made by mee with the meruellous things I haue seene in my trauels in the Indies The mightie Princes that gouern those Cuntreys Their Religion and faith that they haue the rytes and customes which they vse and liue by of the diuers successe that hapned vnto me and howe many of these conntreys are a bounding with spices drugs and Iewels giuing also profitable aduertisement to all those that haue a desire to make such a voyage And because that the whole world may more commodiously reioice at this my trauell I haue caused it to bee printed in this order and nowe I present it vnto you Gentle and Jouing Readers to whome for the varieties of thinges herein conteined I hope that it shall bee with great delight receiued and thus God of his goodnesse keepe you ¶ To the courteous Reader BEing at Sea Gentle and friendly Reader in this my last voyage to Tripoly in Anno. 1587. This little Booke of M. Caesar Fredericks Merchant of Venice comming into my handes which when I had read it ouer I was desirous to translate the same out of Italian into our vulgar tongue In which Booke Gentle Reader thou must not looke for a garden of sweete English Roses meaning pleasant English termes but thou shalt finde bancks full of Sauory for I haue not beene a Scholler brought vp to write fine Schoole-termes but haue simplie folowed the Authors sence in that phraze of speech that we commonly vse In which Booke if thou readest it through thou shalt find good sauour to thy selfe and profite to thy Countrie And as the author was in traualing these Countries eighteene yeres and got great benefite in them with a small stocke so mayest thou if thou wilt trauell those Countries and get great gaine as he did For why the way is layde open before thee and as thou readest consider with thy selfe that he which looketh on a Iewell perceiueth not at once all the faultes in it but when many eyes haue the same some findeth one fault and some another so that the blemishes cannot be hid So Gentle Reader thou mayest see that in this worke which I coulde not see wherein if thou finde a blemish in this my simple worke I pray thee hartily couer the same with the shadowe of Patience or else friendly correct the same and not rashly to iudge or contemne the paines of a willing minde so shall I be encouraged to take the like paines in annother Thus I refer to the Epistle of the author wherein thou shalt vnderstande the effect of this booke and all the trauails that he tooke in those Countries read I say then iudge of the matter according to thy good discretion Thus I leaue thee to the tuition of the almighty who euer keepe thee in health and giue thee in the Lorde thy owne hearts desire T. Hickock ¶ A voyage to the East Indies and beyond the Indies c. IN the yeere of our Lorde God 1563. I Caesar Frederick being in Venice and very desirous to sée the Easte partes of the worlde I Shipped my selfe in a shippe called the Gradaige of Venice with certaine merchandise gouerned by M. Iacamo Vatica which was bound to Cypris with his ship with whome I went and when wee were ariued in Cipris I left that ship and went in a lesser to Tripoly in Soria where I stayde a while Afterward I I tooke my iourney to Alexo there I acquainted my selfe with merchantes of Armenia and Moores that were Merchants and consorted to go with them to Ornus and we departed from Alepo and in two dayes iourny and a halfe we came to a Citie called Bir. Of the Citie of BIR. BI R is a small citie verie scarce of all maner of victuals and neere vnto the walls of the city runneth the riuer of Euphrates in this citie the
merchants deuide themselues into companies according to their merchandice y â— they haue there either they buy or make a boat to carie them their goods to Babylon downe the riuer Euphrates with charge of a merchant and mariners to conduct the boat in the voiage these boats are in a manner flat bottomed yet they be verie strong and for all that they are so strong they wil serue but for one voiage They are made according to the sholdnes of the riuer because that the riuer is in many places ful of great stones which doth greatly hinder and trouble those that go down the riuer These boats serue but for one voiage downe the riuer vnto a village called Feluchia because it is impossible to bring them vp the riuer backe againe At Feluchia the merchants plucke their boates in peeces or else sell them for a small price For that at Bi r they cost the merchants forty or fiftie chickens apeece and they sell them at Feluchia for 7 or 8 chickens a peece because that when the merchants return from Babylon backe again if they haue merchandice or goods that oweth custome then they make their returne in fortie dayes through the wildernesse passing that way with a great deale lesser charges then the other way And if they haue not merchandise that oweth custome then they goe by the way of Mosule where it costeth them great charges both the Carauan and companie from Bi r where the merchantes imbarke them selues to Feluchia ouer against Babylon if the riuer haue good store of Water they shall make their voiage in fifteene or eightéene daies downe the Riuer and if the Water be lowe and it haue not rained then it is much trouble and it will bee fortie or fiftie dayes iourny downe because that when the barkes strike on the stones that be in the Riuer then they must vnlade them which is great trouble and then lade them againe when they haue mended their boat therefore it is not necessarie neither doe the merchants goe with one boate alone but two or three that if one boate split and bee lost with striking on the sholdes they may haue another redy to take in their goods vntil such time as they haue meÌ„ded the broken boate and if they drawe the broken boate a land to mend her it is harde to defend her in the night from the great multitude of Arabians y t wil come downe there to rob you in the riuers euery night wheÌ„ you make fast your boat to the banckside you must kéepe good watch against the Arabians which are theeues in number like to ants yet wheÌ„ they come to rob they wil not kil but steal run away hargubushes is a very good weapen against theÌ„ for y â— they stand greatly in feare of the shot as you passe the riuer Euphrates from Bi r to Feluchia there is certaine places which you must passe by where you pay custome certain madines vpon a bale which custom is belonging to the son of Aborise king of the Arabians and desart and hath certain Cities and villages on the riuer Euphrates Feluchia and Babilon FEluchia is a village where they that come from Bi r do vnbarke themselues and vnlade their goods and it is distant from Babilon a daies iorney a halfe by land Babilon is no great Cittie but it is very populous and of great trade of Strangers because it is a great through fare for Persia Turkia and Arabia and verye oftentimes there goeth out froÌ„ thence Carauans into diuers countries and the citie is verye copious of victuals which cometh out of Armenia downe the riuer of Tigris on certaine Zattares or Raffes made of blowne hides or skins called Vtrij This riuer Tigris dooth wash the walles of the citie these Raffes are bound fast together and then they lay boards on the aforesaid blowne skins and on the boards they lade the commodities so come they to Babilon where they vnlade theÌ„ being vnladen they let out the winde out of the skins and lade them on Cammels to make another voyage This Citie of Babilon is scituate in the kingdome of Persia but now gouerned by the Turkes On the other side of the riuer towards Arabia ouer against the citie there is a faire place or towne and in it a faire Bazarro for Merchants with verie manie lodges where the greatest part of the Merchants Strangers which come to Babilon doolye with their merchandize The passing ouer Tigris from Babilon to this Borough is ouer a long bridge made of boates chained together with great chaines prouided that when the riuer waxeth great with the aboundance of raine y â— falleth then they open the bridge in the middle where the on halfe of the bridge falleth to the walles of Babilon and the other to the brinkes of this borough on the other side of the riuer as long as the bridge is open they passe y â— riuer in small boates with great danger because of the smalnes of the boates and the ouer lading of them that with the fiercenes of the streame they be ouerthrowne or els the streame dooth carrie them awaie so that by this meanes many people are lost and drowned this waye by proofe I haue many times séene Of the Tower of Babilon THe Tower of Nembroth or Babel is scituate on y â— side of Tigris that Arabia is and in a very greate plaine distant from Babilon 7. or 8. miles which town is ruinated on euery 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 parte of it standing which is compassed and almost couered with the aforsaid fallings this Tower was builded and made of fower square Brickes which Brickes were made of earth and dried in the Sun in maner forme following first they laid a lay of Bricks theÌ„ a Mat made of Canes square as the Bricks and in stead of lime they daubed it with earth these Mattes of Canes are at this time so strong that it is a thing wonderfull to beholde being of such antiquitie as it is I haue gone round about it and haue not found any place where there hath bin any doore or entrance it may be in my iudgement in circuit about a mile and rather lesse then more This Tower in effect is contrary to al other things which are seene a far off for they séeme small and the more néere a man commeth to them the bigger they be but this Tower a far off séemeth a very great thing and the neerer you come to it the lâ—sser My iudgment and reason of this is that because the Tower is set in a very great plaine and hath nothinge more about to make any show sauing the ruines of it which it hath made round about and for this respect that discrying it a far off that peece 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 Babilon and Basora FRom Babilon I departed for Basora shipping my selfe in one of the barks that vse to go in the riuer Tigris froÌ„ Babilon to Basora and from Basora to Babilon which barks are made after the manner of Fusts or Galliots with a Speron and a couered poope they haue no pumpe in theÌ„ because of the great aboundance of pitch which they haue to pitch them withall which pitch they haue in abundance two dayes iorney from Babilon neere vnto the riuer Euphrates there is a citie called Ayit néere vnto which citie there is a great plaine full of pitch very meruelous to beholde and a thing almost incredible that out of a hole in the earth which continually throweth out pitch into the ayre with continual smoake which pitch is throwne with such force that being hot it falleth like as it were sprinkled ouer all the plaine in such aboundance 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 truth it is a thing very notable to be marked and by this pitch the people haue great benefite to pitch their barks which barks they call Daneck and Saffin When the riuer of Tigris is well replenished with water you may passe from Babilon to Basora in 8. or 9. daies and sometimes more and somtimes lesse we were halfe so much more which is 14 or 15. daies because the waters were lowe they may sayle day and night and there is some places in this way where you pay so many Madiens on a baâ—le if the waters be low it is 18. dayes iorney Basora BAsora is a Cittie of the Arabians which of osde time was gouerned by those Arabians called Zizarii but nowe it is gouerned by the great Turke where he keepeth an army to his great charges The Arabians called Zizarii haue the possession of a great Countrey and cannot be ouercome of the Turk because that the sea â—ath deuided their countrey into an Iland by channels with the ebbing flowing of the 〈…〉 for that cause the Turk cannot bring an army ag 〈…〉 neither by sea nor by land and another reason is the inhabitants of that Iland are verye strong and warlike men a daies iorney before you come to Basora you shall haue a little castel or fort which is set on that point of the land where the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris méete together and the castell is called Corna at this point the two riuers maketh a monsirous great riuer and runneth into the sea which is called the gulfe of Persia which is towards the South Basora is distant from the sea fiftéene miles and it is a cittie of great trade of Spices drugges which come from Ormus Also there is great store of corne Rice and Dates which the countrey dooth yéeld I shipped my selfe in Basora to go for Ormus and so we sailed through the Persian sea 600 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 stéed of calking they lay betwéene euerie board certaine strawe which they haue and so they sowe board and board together with the strawe betwéene where through 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 vntill at length we arriued at an Iland called Carichii from whence we sailed to Ormus in sight of the Persian shore on the left side and on the right side towards Arabia we discouered infinit Ilands Ormus ORmus is an Iland in circuit 25 or 30 miles and it is the most 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 necessarye for mans life is brought out of Persia 12 miles of and out of other Ilands néere therevnto adioining in such aboundance and quantitie that the citie is alwaies replenished with all manner of store there is standing néere vnto the waters side a verie faire castell in the which the captaine of the king of Portingale is alwaies resident with a good band of Portingales and before this castell is a verye fayre prospect in the citie dwelleth the married men Soldiers and Merchants of euery nation amongst whom there is Mores and Gentiles In this Citie there is verie great trade for all sorts of Spices drugs Silke cloth of Silke Brocardo and diuers other sorts of merchandize which come out of Persia and amongst all other trades and Merchandize the trade of Horsses is very great there which they carry from thence into the Indies This Iland hath a More king of the race of the Persians who is created and made king by the captaine of the castell in the name of the king of Portingale At the creation of this king I was there and saw the ceremonies that they vse in it which are as followeth The old King being dead the Captaine of the Portingales chooseth another of the blood Royall and maketh this election in the Castell with great ceremonies and when he is elected the Captaine sweareth him to be true and faithfull to the king of Portingale as his Lord and Gouernor and then he giueth him the Scepter Regall after this with great feasting and pompe with great company he is brought into the Roiall palace in the citie This king kéepeth a good traine and hath sufficient reuenues to maintaine himselfe without troubling of any bicause the Captaine of the Castell dooth maintaine and defend his right and when that the Captaine and he ride together he is honored as a King yet he cannot ride abroade with his traine without the consent of the captaine first had it behooueth them to doo this and it is necessarie bicause of the great trade that is in the citie their proper language is the Persian toong There I shipped my selfe to go for Goa a Cittie in the Indies in a Ship that had foure score horsses in hir this is to aduertise those Merchants that go from Ormus to Goa to ship themselues in those Ships that carrie Horsses because euery Ship that carrieth twentie Horsses or vpwards are priueleged that all the Merchandize whatsoeuer they carrie that they owe no custome whereas the Ships that carrieth not Horsses are bound to paâ—â— eight per cento of all the goods they bring Goa Dui and Cambaia GOa is the principallest Cittye that the Portingales haue in the Indies where is resident the Viceroy with his court and ministers of the king of Portingale froÌ„ Ormus to Goa is 990 miles distance in which passage the first Cittie that you come to in the Indies is called Dui and is scituate in
a little Iland in the kingdome of Cambaia which is the greatest strength that the Portingals haue in all the Indies yet a small Citty but of great trade because there they lade verye manye great Shippes for the straight of Meca and Ormus with merchandize and these Ships belong to the Mores and Christians but the Mores cannot trade neither saile into those seas without the licence of the Viceroye of the king of Portingale otherwise they are taken and made good prises The merchandize that they lade these Ships withall commeth from Cambaietta a porte in the kingdome of Cambaia which they bring from thence in small barkes because there can no great ships come thether by reason of the sholdnes of the water thereabouts and these sholds are 100 or 80 miles about in a straight or golfe which they call Macareo which is asmuch to say as a race of a tide bicause the waters there ran out of that place without measure so that there is no place like to it vnlesse it be in the kingdome of Pegu where there is another Macareo where the waters run out with more force then these doo The principalest Citie in Cambaia is called Amadauar it is a daies iorney and a halfe from Cambietta it is a verye great Citty and very populous and for a Citie of the Gentiles it is very well made and builded with faire houses and large streats with a faire place in it with many ships at sight like to Cayro but not so great also Cambaietta is scituate on the Seas side and a very faire Citie the time that I was there the citie was in great calamity and scarcenes so that I haue séene the men of the countrey that were Gentiles take their children their sonnes and their daughters and haue desired the Portingales to buie them and I haue séene them sold for eight or ten Laâ—ines a peece which maye be of our money x. s. or â—iii s. iiii d. for all this if I had not seene it I could not haue beléeued that there should be such a trade at Cambaietta as there is for in the time of euery new Moone and euery full Moone the small barkes innumerable come in and out for at those times of the Moone the tides and waters are higher than at other times they be These barkes be lade in with all sorts of spices with silke of China with Sandole with Elephants téeth Veluets of Verzini great quantity of Pannina which commeth from Meca Chickenoes which be péeces of gold worth seuen shillings a péeâ—e sterling with mony with diuerse sorts of other merchandize also these barkes lade out as it were an infinit quantitye of cloth made of Bumbast of all sorts as white stamped and painted with great quantitie of Indico dryed Ginger and conserued Myrabilony drye and condyt Boraso in paste great store of Sugar great quantitye of Gottone aboundance of Opioum Assa Fetida Puchio with many other sorts of drugs The Torbants are made in Dui great stones like to Corneolaes Granats Agats Diaspry Calcidonij Amatisti and some kind of naturall DiamaÌ„ts There is in the City of Cambaietta an order but no mâ—n bound to kéepe it but they that wil but all the Portingale merchants kéepe it the which is this There is in this Cittye certaine Brokers which are Gentiles and of great authoritye and haue euery one of them fiftéene or twentie seruants and the Merchants that vse that countrey haue their Brokers with the which they be serued and they that haue not beene there are informed by their friends of the order of what Broker they shall be serued now euery fifteene daies as abouesaid that the fleete of small Ships enter into the port the Brokers come to the water side and these merchants assoone as they are come a land doo giue the cargason of all their goods to that Broker that they will haue to doo their busines for them with the markes of al the faroles and packs they haue and the Marchant hauing taken a land all his furniture for his house because it is néedful that the Marchants that trade the Indies carry prouision of houshould with them because that in euery place where he commeth he must haue a new house The Broker that hath receiued his Cargason commaundeth his seruants to carry the Marchaunts furniture for his house home and loade it on some cart and carry it into the citty where the Brokers haue diuers empty houses and méete for the lodging of MarchaÌ„ts furnished only with bedsteads tables chayres and empty Jares for water then the Broker sayth to the Marchant go and repose your selfe and take your rest in the citty the Broker tarrieth at y â— water side with the Cargason and causeth all his goods to be discharged out of the Ship and payeth the custome 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 demaundeth of the Marchant if he haue any desire to sell his goods or marchandize at the prizes as such wares are worth at that present time and if he haue a desire to sel his goods presently then at that instant the Broker selleth it away After this the Broker saythe to the Marchant you haue so much of euery sorte of marchandize neat and cleare of euery charge and so much ready money and if the Marchant wil imploy his money in other commodities then the broker telleth him that such and such commodities wil cost so much put a borde without any manner of charges the Marchant vnderstanding the proposed maketh his accompt and if he thinke to buye or sell at the prizes currant he giueth order to make it away if he haue commodity for 20 thousand Duckets all shall be bartred or sould away in 15 dayes without any care or trouble and when as the Marchant thinketh that he cannot sell his goods at the price currant he may tarry as long as he will but they cannot be soulde by no man but by that Broker that hath taken them a land and paide the custome and perchance tarrying sometimes for sale of their commoditye they make good profit and sometimes losse but those merchandize that come not ordinarily euery fiftéene daies in taring for the sale of them there is great profit The barkes that lade in Cambaietta they go for Dui to lade the Ships that go for the straights of Meca and Ormus and some go for Chiaull and Goa and these Ships be very well appointed or else are guarded with the Armods of the Portingales and is for this respect for that there is so many Corsaries which go coursing alongst that coast and robbing and spoiling and for feare of those théeues there is no safe sailing in those Seas but with ships very well appointed and armed or
emptie and there is dwelling in them nothing as is reported but Tigers and other wilde beasts The circuit of this Citty is foure and twentie miles about and within the walles certaine mountaines the houses stand walled with earth and plaine all sauing the thrée palaces of the thrée tyrant brethren and the Pagodies which are Idoll houses these are made with lime and fine marble I haue seene many kings Courts and yet haue I seene none in greatnes like to this of Bezeneger I saye for the order of his Pallace for it hath nine gates or ports First when you go into the place where the king did lodge there is fiue great portes or gates these are kept with Captaines and Souldiers then within these there are foure lesser gates which are kept with Porters without the first gate there is a little porche where there is a Captaine with fiue and twentie Souldiers that keepeth watche and warde night and daye and within that another with the like garde where through they come to a verye faire Courte and at the ende of that Courte there is another porche as the first with the like guarde and within that another Courte and in this wise are the first fiue gates garded and kept with those Captaines and then the lesser gates within are kept with a garde of Porters which gates stand open the greatest part of the night bicause the custome of the Gentiles is to do their busines and make their feasts in the night rather then by day the Citye is verye safe from théeues for the Portingall Merchants sléepe in the stréetes or vnder porches for the great heate that is there and yet they neuer had any harme in the night At the end of two moneths I determined to go for Goa in the companye of two other Portingale Merchants which were making readye to depart with two Palanchines or little Litters which are very commodious for the waye with eight Falchines which are men hired to carrie the palanchines eight for a palanchine foure at a time they carry them as we vse to carrie barrowes and I bought me two Bullocks one of them to ride on the other to carrie my victuals and prouision for in that countrey they ride on Bullockes with Pannels as we terme them girths and Bridles and they haue a verye good commodious pace from Bezeneger to Goa in summer it is 8 daies iorney but we went in the midst of winter in the moneth of July and were 15 daies comming to Ancole on the sea coast so in 8. daies I had lost my two bullocks for he that carried my victuales was weake could not goe the other when I came to a riuer where was a little Bridge to passe ouer I put my Bullock to swimming in the midst of the riuer there was a little Iland vnto the which my Bullock went and finding pasture there he remained still in no wise we could come to him and so perforce I was forced to leaue him at that time there was much raine and I was forced to goe 7. daies a foote with great paines and by great chance I met with Falchines by the way that I hired to carrie my clothes victuales we had great trouble in our iorney for y ◠euery day we were taken prisoners by reason the great dissention in that kingdom and euery morning at our departure we must pay rescat 4. or 5. Pagies a man and another trouble we had as bad as this that when as we came into a new gouernors country as euery day we did yet for that thy were all tributorie to the king Bezeneger yet euery one of them stamped a seuerall coyne of Copper so that the money that we tooke this day would not serue the next at length hy the help of God we came safe to Ancola which is a countrey of y e quéens of Gargo pam tributary to y e king of Bezeneger The marchandize that went euery year from Goa to Bezeneger was Arabian Horses Veluets Damasks Sattens Armesine of Portingale and péeces of China Saffron Scarlets from Bezeneger they had in Turky for their commodities Jewels and Pagodies which be Duckets of gold the apparrell that they vse in Bezeneger is Veluet Satten Dammaske Scarlet or white bumbast cloth acording to the estate of the person with long hats on their heads called Colae made of Veluet Satten Dammask or Scarlet girding themselues in stead of girdels with some fine white bumbast cloth they haue breeches after the order of the Turks they weare on their feete plaine high things called of them aspergh and at their eares they haue hanging great plenty of Golde Returning to my voyage when we were together in Ancola one of my companions that had nothing to loose tooke a guide and went to Goa whether they goe in 4. dayes the other portingale not being disposed to go tarried in Ancola for that winter the winter in those parts of the Indies beginneth the 15. of May and lasteth vnto the end of October as we were in Ancola there came another Marchant of horses in a planchine and two portingale Souldiers which came from Zeland and two carriers of letters which were Christians borne in the Indies all these consorted to go to Goa together and I determined to go with them and caused a pallanchine to be made for me very poorely of Canes and in one of them Canes I hid priuily all the Jewels I had and according to the order I tooke eight Falchines to carrie me and one daye about eluen of the clocke we set forwards on our iourney and about two of the clock in the afternoone as we passed a mountaine which deuideth the territorie of Ancola and Dyalcan I being a little behind my company was assaulted of by eight théeues foure of them had Swords and Targats and the other foure had Bowes Arrowes when the Falchines that carried me vnderstood the noyse of the assault they let the palanchine me fall to the ground ran away and left me alone with my clothes wrapped about me presently the théeues were on my necke and riseling me they stripped me starke naked and I fained my selfe sicke bicause I would not leaue the Palanchine and I had made me a little bed of my clothes the théeues sought it very narowly and subtilly and found two pursses that I had well bound vp together wherein I had put my Copper mony which I had changed for foure pagodies in Ancola the théeues thinking it had béene so manye Duckets of Golde searched no further then they threw all my clothes in a bush and hied them away and as God would haue it at their departure there fell from them a handkercher and when I sawe it I rose from my Palanchine or Couche and tooke it vp and wrapped it together within my Palanchine Then these my Falchines were of so good condition that they returned to
not so good as the other is and in these woods groweth much Pepper Negapatan FRom Zeyland within y e Iland to go with small ships to Negapatan within the firme land 72. miles of is a very great citie very populous of Portingales and Christians of the countrey and parte Gentiles it is a countrey of small trade neither haue they any trade there saue a good quantity of Rice and cloth of bumbast which they carry into diuers parts it was a very plentifull countrey of victuales but now a great deale lesse that abouÌ„dance of victuales caused many Portingales to go thither and build houses dwell there with small charge This Citie belongeth to a noble man of the kingdome of Bezeneger being a Gentile neuerthelesse the Portingales and other Christians are well intreated there haue their Churches there with a Monastery of S. Francis order with great deuotion and verye well accommodated with bouses round about yet for all this they are amongst tyrants which alwaies at their pleasure may doo them some harme as it happened in the yeare of our Lord God 1565 which I remember verye well how that the Naic that is to saye the Lord of the Citie sent to the Cittizens to demand of them certaine Arabian Horsses and they hauing denied them vnto him and gainesaid his demand it came to passe that this Lord had a desire to sée the Sea which when the poore Citizens vnderstood thereof they doubted some euill to heare a thing which was not woont to bee they thought that this man would come to sacke the Citie and presently they imbarked themselues the best they could with their mooueables merchandize Jewels money and all that they had and caused the ships to put from the shore when this was doone as their ill chauÌ„ce would haue it the next night following there came such a great storme which put all the ships a land perforce and brake them to péeces and all the goods that came a land and was saued was taken from them by the Soldiors and armye of this Lorde which came downe with him to sée the sea and were attendant at the Sea side not thinking any such thing to haue hapned Saint Thomas or san Tome FRom Nega patan sollowing my voyage towards the East a hundreth fiftie miles I found the house of blessed S. Thomas which is a Church of great deuotion and greatlye regarded of the Gentiles for the great miracles that they haue heard hath béene doone by that blessed Apostle néere vnto this Church the Portingales haue builded them a Citie in the countrie subiect â—o the king of Bezeneger which Cittye although it be not verye greate in my iudgement it is the fayrest in all that parte of the Indyes and it hath verye fayre houses and fayre Gardens in vacant places very well accommodated it hath stréetes large and straight with many churches of great deuotion their houses be set close vnto an other with little doores euery house hath his defence so that by that meanes it is of force suffitient to defend themselues against that countrey the Portyngales there haue no other possession but their Gardens and houses that are within the Cittie the customes belong to the king of Bezeneger which are very small and easye for that it is a Countrey of great riches and great trade there commeth euery yeare two or thrée great ships very riche besides many other small ships one of the two great ships goeth for Pegan and the other for Mallaca laden with fine bumbast cloth of euery sort painted which is a rare thing because those kind of clothes shew as they were gilded with diuers colours and the more they be washed the liuelier the colours wil shew also there is other cloth of bumbast which is wouen with diuers colours are of great valew also they make in Sane Tome great store of red Yarne which they dys with a roote called Saya and this colour will neuer wast but the more it is washed the more redder it will shew they lade this yarne the greatest parte of it for Pegan because that there they worke and weaue it to make cloth according to their owne fashion and with lesser charges It is a meruelous thing to them which haue not séene the laging and vnlading of men and marchaÌ„dize in S. Tome as they do it is a place so dangerous there a man cannot be serued with small barkes neither can they do their busines with the boates of the shippes because they would be beaten in a thousaÌ„d peeces but they make certain barkes of purpose highe which they call Masady they be made of little Boardes one Board sowed to another with small cordes and in this order are they made And when they are thus made and that they will embarke anye thing in them eythe men or goodes they lade them a land and when they are laden the Barke men shruste the boate with her lading into the streame and with greate spéede they make haste all that they are able to rowe out against the huge waues of the sea that are on that shore vntill that they carry them to thâ— Shippes and in like manner they lade these Masudies aâ— the Shippes with marchandize and men when they come néere the shore the Bark-men kéepe out of the Barke into the Sea to kéepe the Barke right that shée cast not thwart the shore being kept right the Suffe of the Sea setteth her lading drye a land without any burt or daunger and sometimes there is some of them that is ouerthrowne but there can bee no great losse because theâ— lade but a little at a time all the marchandize that they laâ— outwardes they emball it well with Oxe hides so that if â—â— take wette it can haue no great harme In my voyage returning in the yéere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred sixtye and sixe I went from Goa vnto Malacca in a Shippe or Galion of the King of Portingales which went vnto Banda for to lade Nutmegs and Maces from Goa to Malaca one thousand eight hundred miles we passed within the Iland Zeyland and went through the chanell of Nicubar or else through the channell of Sombrero which is by the middle of the Iland called Sumtara called Taprobana from Nicuber to Pigue is as it were a rowe or chaine of an infinite number of Ilandes of which many are enhabited with wilde people and they call those Ilandes the Ilands of Andeman and they call their people sauadge or wilde because they eate one another also these Ilandes haue warre one with another for they haue small Barkes and with them they take one an other and so eate one an other and if by euill thaunce any Ship be loste on those Ilands as many haue béene there is not one man of those Ships lost there that escapeth vneaten or vnstaine these people haue not any acquaintance with any other people neither haue
they trade with any but line onely of such fruites as those Ilands yeeldeth and if any Ship come néere vnto that place or coast as they paase y ◠way as in my voiage it happened as I came from Malaca through the channell of Sombrero there came two of theyr barckes neere vnto our shippe laden with fruite as with Mouces which we call Adams apples with fresh nuttes and with a fruite called Inany which fruite is lyke to our Turnops but is verye sweete and good to eate they would not come into the shippe for any thing that we could doo neither would they take any mony for theyr fruite but they would trucke for olde shirtes or peeces of olde linnen breches these ragges they let downe with a rope into their barke vnto them and looke what they thought those things to be worth so much fruite they would make fast to the rope and let vs hale it in and it was tolde me that at sonetimes a man shall haue for an olde shirte a good péece of Ambar Sumatra THis Iland of Sumatra is a great Iland and deuyded and gouerned by many Kinges and deuided into many channels where through there is passage vpon the head land towards the West is the kingdome of Assi and gouerned by a Moore King this king is of great force and strength as he that beside his great kingdome hath many foists and Gallies In his kingdome groweth great store of Pepper Ginger Beniamin he is an vtter enemie to the Portingale and hath diuers times beene at Malacca to fight against it and hath doone great harme to the bowroughes thereof but the Cittie alwaie defended him valientlie and with theyr ordinaunce dyd great spoyle to hys Campe at length I came to the Cittie of Malacca The Cittie Malacca MAlacca is a Cittie of merueitous great trade of all kind of Merchanbize Which commeth from diuers parts bicause that all the Ships that saile in these seas both great and small are bound to touch at Malacca to paye their custome there although they vnlade nothing at all as we do at Elsinor and if by night they escape away and pay not their custome then they fall into a greater danger after for if they come into the Indies and haue not the seale of Malacca they paye double custome I haue not passed farther then Malacca towards the East but that which I will speake of here is by good information of them that haue béene there The sailing from Malacca towards the East is not common for all men as China and Giapan and so forwards to goe who will but onlye for the king of Portingale and his nobles with leaue granted vnto them of the king to make such voiages or to the iurisdiction of the captaine of Malacca where he expecteth to know what voiages they make from Malacca thether and these are the kings voiages that euery year ether departeth from Malacca two Galions of the kings one of them goeth to the Mulluccos to lade Cloues and the other goeth to Banda to lade Nutmegs and Maces These two Galians are laden for the king neither doo they carrye anye particular mans goods sauing the portage of the Marriners and Soldiors and for this cause they are not voiages for Merchants bicause that going thether he shall not haue where to lade his goods of returne and besides this the Captaine will not carrye anye Merchant for either of these two places There goeth small Ships of the Mores thether which come from the coast of Iaua and change or guild their commodities in the kingdom of Assa and these be the Maces Cloues and Nutmegs which go for the straights of Meca The voiages that the king of Portingale granteth to his nobles are these of China and Giapan from China to Giapan and from Giapan to China and from China to the Indies and the voiage of Bengaluco Sonda with the lading of fine cloth and euery sort of Bumbast cloth Sonda is an Iland of the Mores neere to the roast of Giaua and there they lade Pepper for China The ships that goeth euerye yeare from the Indies to China is called the Ship of Drugs because she carieth diuers drugs of Cambaya but the greatest part of hir lading is siluer From Malacca to China is 1800. miles and from China to Giapan goeth euery yeare a great ship of great importance laden with silke which for returne of their silke bring bars of Siluer which they truck in China that is distant betwéene China an◠Giapan 2400 miles and in this waye there is diuers Ilands not very big in the which the Friers of S. Paule by the helpe of God make many Christians there like to themselues from these Ilands hether wards is not yet discouered for the great sholdnes of Sands that they find The Portingales haue made a small Citie neere vnto the coast of China called Macha whose church and houses are of wood and hath a Bishoprike but the customes are of the king of China and they go and pay it at a Cittie called Canton which is a Cittie of great importance and verye beautifull two dayes iorneye and a halfe from Macheo which people are Gentiles and are so iealious and fearefull that they would not haue a stranger to put his foote within their land so that when the Portingales goe thether to paye their custome and to buye their Merchandize they will not consent that they shall lye or lodge within the Cittie but sendeth them forth into the subburbs The countrie of China is in the kingdome of great Tartaria and is a very great countrye of the Gentiles and of great importance which may be iudged by the riche and precious merchandize that come from thence the which I beléeue are not better nor greater quantitie in the whole worlde then these are that come from thence First great store of gold which they carye to the Indies made in plates like to little Ships and in value 23 caracts a péece very great aboundance of fine Silke Cloth of Damaske and Taffitle great quantitie of Muske great quantity of Occom in bars great quantitie of Quicksiluer and of Cinaper great store of Camfora an infinite quantity of Procellane made in vessels of diuers sorts great quantitie of painted cloth and squares infinite store of the rootes of China euery yeare there commeth from China to the Indies two or three great Ships laden with most riche and precious Merchandize The Rubarbe commeth from thence ouer land by the waye of Percia because that euery yeare there goeth a great Carauan from Percia to China which is in going thether six moneths Carauan arriueth at a cittie called Lanchine the place where the king is resident with his court I spake with a Persian that was thrée yeares in that Cittie of Lanchine and he told me that it was a great Citie and of great importance The voiages of Malacca which are in the
custome but Rubies Safyres and Spynelles pay no custome in nor out because they are founde growing in that countrie I haue spoken before how that all Merchantes that meane to go thorow the Indies must carie all manner houshoulde stuffe with them which are necessarie for a house because that there is not any lodging nor Innes nor hostes nor chamber roome in that Countrie but the first thing a man doth when hee commeth to anie Citie is to hier a house either by the yéere or by the moneth or as he meanes to stay in those partes In Pegu their order is to hier their houses for sixe moneths Nowe from Cosmin to the Citie of Pegu they goe in sixe howers with the flood and if it be ebbing Water then they make fast their boate to the Riuer side and there tarrie vntill the Water flowe againe It is a verie commodious and pleasant voyage hauing on both sides of the riuers manie great villages which they call Cities in the which Hennes Pygions Egges Milke ryce and other things bee verie good cheape It is all plaine and a goodly Countrey and in eight dayes you may make your voyage vp to Macceo distant from Pegu twelue myles and there they discharge their goodes and lade it in Carts or Waynes drawn with Oxen and the merchauntes is caried in a closet which they call Delinge in the which a man shall bee verie well accommodated with Cushions vnder his head and couered for the defence of the Sunne and raine and there hée may sleepe if he haue wil therunto and his fowre Falchiues carie him roming away changing two at one time and two at another The custom of Pegu and fraight thether may amount vnto twentie or twenty two per cento and 23. according as he hath more or lesse stolen from him that day they custome the goods It is requisite that a man haue his eyes watchfull and to be carefull and to haue manie friendes for when they custome in the great hall of the King there commeth manie Gentlemen accompanied with a number of their slaues and these gentlemē haue no shame that their slaues rob straungers whether it be cloth in shewing of it or any other thing they laugh at it And although the merchantes helpe one another to kéep watch and looke to their goodes they cannot looke to that so narowly but one or other will rob something either more or lesse according as their Merchandise is more or lesse and yet in this day there is a worse thing then this although you haue set so manie eyes to looke there for your benefite that you escape vnrobbed of the slaues a man cannot choose but that he must be robbed of the officers of the custome house For paying the custome with the same goods often times they take the best that you haue and not by rate of euerie sort as they ought to doe by which meanes a man payeth more then his duety at length when you haue dispatched the goodes out of the custome house in this order the Merchant causeth them to bee caried to his house and may doe with them at his pleasure There is in Pegu eight Brokers of the Kings which are called Tareghe who are bounde to sell all the merchandize to come to Pegu at the common or the corent price then if the merchants will sell their goodes at that price they sell it away and the Brokers haue two in y ◠hundreth of euerie sort of Merchandise and they are bounde to make good the debtes of that goodes because it is solde by their handes or meanes and on their wordes and oftentimes the merchant knoweth not to whome he giueth his goodes yet hee cannot lose any thing thereby for that the broker is bounde in any wise to pay him and if the merchant sell his goodes without the consent of the broker yet neuerthelesse he must pay him two percento and be in daunger of his mony but this is verie seldome seene because the Wife Children and slaues of the debttor are bounde to the creditor and when his time is expired and paiment not made the creditor may take the debter and carie him home to his house and shut him vp in a Magazen whereby presently he hath his monie and not beeing able to pay the creditor hee may take the wife children and slaues of the debtor and sell them for so is the law of that kingdome The corant mony that is in this citie and throughout all this kingdome is called Gansa or Ganza which is made of Copper and Leade It is not the monie of the King but euerie man may stampe it that will because it hath his iust partition or valure but they make many of them false by putting ouermuch leade into them and those will not passe neither will any take them With this money Ganza you may buy Golde or Siluer Rubies and Muske and other thinges For there is no other mony corant amongest them And Golde Siluer and other Merchandise is one time déerer then another as all other things bee This Ganza goeth by weight of Byze and this name of Byza goeth for the accounpt of the waight and commonly a Byza of a Ganza is worth after our account halfe a ducket little more or lesse and according as Golde and Siluer is more or lesse in price but the Byza neuer changeth euerie Byza maketh a hundreth Ganza of waight so the number of the mony is Byza They that goe to Pegu to buy Jewels and if hée will doe well it behoueth him to bee a whole yéere there to doe his businesse if he will doe it well For if so bée that hee would returne with the Ship he came in he cannot doe anie thing well for the breuity of the time because that when they custome their goodes in Pegu that come from S. Tome in their Shippes it is as it were about the natiuitie and when they haue customed their goods then they must sell it for credite for a moneth or two and then at the beginning of March the Shippes depart The Merchants that come from S. Tome take for the paiment of their goods gold and siluer which is neuer wanting there And 8. or 10. daies before their departure they are all satisfied also they may haue Rubies in paiment but they make no account of them they that will winter there for another yéere it is needefull that they be aduertized that in the sale of their goodes that they sperify in their bargain the term of two or thrée mōths paiment and y ◠their paiment shal be in so many Ganza and neither golde nor siluer because that with the Ganza they may buy and sell euerie thing with great aduantage And howe néedefull it is to be aduertized that when they will recouer their payments in what order they shall receiue their Ganza because hee that is not practicke may doe him selfe great
wrong in the waight of the Gansa as also in the falsenesse of them in the waight hee may bee greatly deceiued because that from place to place it doth rise and fall greatly and therefore when any man will receiue money or make paiment hee must take a publique wayer of money a day or two before hee goe about his businesse and giue him in payment for his labour two Byza a moneth and for this hee is bounde to make good all your mony heerby and to maintaine it for good for that hee receiueth it and seales the bagges with his Seale and when hee hath receiued any store there hee causeth it to bee brought into the Magasea of the Merchant that is the owner of it That mony is verie waightie for forty Byza is a great Porters burden and also where the Merchant hath any paymente to bee made for those goodes whiche hee buyeth the Comon wayer of mony that receiueth his mony must make the payment thereof So that by this means the Merchant with the charges of two Byzes a moneth receiueth and payeth out his monie without losse or trouble Those merchandise that goe out of the Pegu are these as Gold Siluer Rubies Saphyres Spynelles great store of Beniamen long Peper Leade Lacca Ryce Wine some Sugar yet there might be great store of Sugar made in the Cuntry for that they haue abundance of Canes but they giue them to Eliphants to eat and the people consume great store of them for foode and many more doe they consume in vaine things as these In that Kingdome they spend many of these Sugar canes in making of houses and tents which they call Varely for their Idoles which they call Pagody whereof there is great abundance great small and these houses are made in forme to little hilles like to Sugar loaues or to Belles and some of these houses are as high as a reasonable stéeple at the foote they are verie large that some of them bee in circuit a quarter of a mile the said houses within are full of earth and walled round about with brickes and dirt in stead of lyme and without forme from the top to the foot they make a couering for them with Sugar Canes and plaistered with lyme all ouer for otherwise they woulde be spoyled by the great abundance of rain that falleth in those Countreyes also they consume about these verely or Idoll houses great store of lease Golde for that they ouerlay al the toppes of the houses with gold and some of them is couered with Golde from the toppe to the foote In couering whereof there is great store of Gold spent for that euerie ten yeeres they new ouerlay them with gold from the top to foote so that with this vanitie they spende great aboundaunce of gold For euerie ten yeeres the raine doth consume the Golde from these houses And by this meanes they make Gold dearer in Pegu then it would bee if they cōsumed not so much in this vanitie Also it is a thing to be noted in the buying of Jewels in Pegu for he that hath no knowledge shall haue as good Jewels and as good cheap as he that hath beene practized there a long time which is a good order which is this There is in Pegu fowre men of good reputatiō which are called Tareghe or brokers of Jewels These fowre men haue all the Jewels or Rubies in their handes and the Merchant that will buy commeth to one of these Tareghe and telleth him that he hath so much money to imploy in Rubies For through the handes of these fowre men passeth all the Rubies for they haue such quantity that they knowe not what to doe with them but sell them at a moste vile and base price When the Merchant hath broke his minde to on of these Brokers or Tareghe they carie him hōe to one of their Shops although he haue no knowledge in Jewels and when the Jewellers perceiue that hee will employ a good rounde summe they will make bargaine and if not they let him alone The vse generally of this Citie is this y ◠when any Merchant hath brought any great quantity of Rubies and haue agréed for them the Merchant carieth them home to his house let them bee of what valure they wil he shall haue space to looke on them and relooke them two or thrée dayes and if hee haue no knowledge in them he shal alwayes haue many Merchants in that City that hath very good knowledge in Jewels with whome hee may alwayes conferre and take counsell with them and shewe them vnto whome he will and if he finde that hee hath not employed his money well he may returne his Jewelles backe to them whome hee had them of without any losse at all Which thing is such a shame to the Tereghe to haue his Jewels returne that he had rather to beare a blowe on the face then that it shoulde be thought that he shoulde sell them so deere to haue them returned For these men haue alwayes great care that they make good employmentes especially to those that haue no knowledge This they doe because they woulde not loose their credite and when those Merchantes that haue knowledge in Jewelles buy any if they buy them déere it is there owne faults and not the Brokers yet it is good to haue knowledge in Jewelles by reason that he may somewhat ease the price There is also a verie good order for which they haue in buying of Jewelles which is this there is many merchants that standeth by at the making of the bargaine and because they shall not vnderstande howe the Jewels be solde The Broker and the Merchants haue their handes vnder a cloth and by touching of fingers and nipping the ioynts they knowe what is done what is bidden and what is asked So that the standers by know not what is demanded for them although it be for a thousand or ten thousand Duckets For euerie ioynt and euerie finger hath his signification For if the Merchants that stand by should vnderstand the bargain it woulde breede great controuersie amongest them and at my beeinge in Pegu in the moneth of August in Anno 69. and hauing gotten well by my endeuor I was desirous to sée mine owne Countrie and I thought it good to goe by the way of Saint Tome but then I should tarrie vntill March In which iourney I was councelled yea and fullie resolued to goe by the way of Bangala with a Shippe there ready to depart for that voyage And when wee were departed from Pegu to Chitigan a greate harbour or port from whence there goeth small Shippes to Cochin before the fléete departe for Portugall in which Shippes I was fully determined to goe to Lyshborn so to Venice When I had thus resouled my selfe I went a boord of the Shippe of Bengala at which time it was the yeere of Touffon and to vnderstand what this Touffon is vnderstand that in
and those berryes be graynes in Peper so that when they gather them they bee gréene and then they lay them in the Sunne and they become blacke The Ginger groweth in this wise the Land is tilled and sowen and the herbe is like to Panyzzo and the roote is the Ginger These two spices growe in diuers places The Cloues came all from y e Moluches which Moluches are two Ilands not verie great and the trée that they grow on is like to our Lawrell trée The Nutmegs and Maces which growe both together are brought from the Iland of Banda whose tree is like to our Walnut tree but not so big All the good white Sandolo is brought from the Iland of Timor Canfora being compound commeth all from China and al that which groweth in canes commeth from Bruneo and I think that this Canfora coÌ„meth not into these partes For that in India they consume great store and that is very deare The good Lignum aleos commeth from Chochinchina The Beniamen commeth from the kingdome of Assi and Sion Long Peper groweth in Bengala Pegu and Giaua Muske commeth from Tartaria which they make in this order as by good information I haue been told there is a certain beast in Tartaria which is wild as big as a wolfe which beast they take aliue beat him to death with small staues that his blood may be spread through his whole bodie then they cut it in péeces and take out all the bones and beat the flesh with the bloud in a morter verie small and drie it and make purses to put it in of the Skinne and these bee the coddes of muske Truely I knowe not whereof the Amber is made and there is diuers opinions of it but this is most certaine it is cast out of the Sea and throwne a land and found vpon the sea banckes The Rubyes Saphyres and the Spynelly they be gotten in the kingdome of Pegu. The Diamandes they come from diuers places and I know but three of theÌ„ That sort of Diamands that is called Chiappe they come from Bezeneger Those that bee pointed naturally come from the land of Dely and from Iaua but the Diamonds of Iaua are more waightie then the other I coulde neuer vnderstand from whence they that are called Balasy come Pearles they fish them in diuers places as before in this booke is showne From Cambaza as the Spodiom coniealeth in certaine canes I founde manye of them in Pegu when I made my house there because that as I haue saide before they make their houses there of wouen Canes like to mattes From Chianela they trade alongest the coast of Melyndy in Ethiopia within the lande of Caferaria on that coaste are many good harbors kept by the Moores Thither the Portugalles bring a kinde of Bombast cloth of a Lowe price and greate store of Paternosters or beads made of paltrie glasse which they make in Chiawle according to the vse of the Countrie from thence they carry Eliphants teeth for India Slaues called Caferi and some Amber and Golde On this coast the king of Portugall hath his castle called Mozenbich which is of great importaunce as any castle that he hath in all his Indies vnder his protection and the captaine of this castle hath certaine voiages to this Caferaria to which places no merchantes may go but by the agent of this Captaine and they vse to goe in small ships and trade with the Caferaries and their trade in buying and selling is without any spéeche one to the other In this wise the Portugalles bring their goods by litle and litle alongst the sea coast and lay it down and so depart and the Cafer merchants come see y e goods there they put down as much gold as they think the goods is worth and so goeth his way and leaueth his gold and the goods together then commeth the Portugal and finding the gold to his content he taketh it and goeth his way into his ship then commeth the Cafer and taketh away the goodes carieth it away and if hee find the golde there still it is a signe that the Portugalles are not contented and if the Cafeâ— thinke he hath put to little he addeth more as he thinketh the thing is worth and the Portugalles must not stand with them to strickt for if they doe then they will haue no more trade with them For they disdain to be refused when they think that they haue offered ynough for they be a peeuish people and haue dealt so of a long time by this trade the Portugals change their commodities into gold and cary it to the Castle of Mozonbich which is an Iland not farre distant froÌ„ the firm land of Caferaria on the cost of Ethiopia distant from y e India 2800 miles Now to return to my voiage wheÌ„ I came to Ornus I found ther M. Fra 〈◊〉 is Berettine of Venice wee fraighted a barke together to go for Basora for 70 duckets with vs there went other merchaÌ„ts which did ease our fraight very coÌ„modiouslie we came to Balzora ther we staied â—o days for prouiding a Carauan of barks to go to BabyloÌ„ becase they vse not to goâ— or 3 barks at once but 25 or 30 because in y â— night they caÌ„not go but must make theÌ„ fast to y e banks of the riuer then we must make a very good strong gard to be wel prouided of armor for respect safegard of our goods because y e number of theeues is great y â— come to spoil rob y e merchants when we depart froÌ„ Babylon we go a litle with our sail the voiage is â—8 or 40 days long but we were 50 dayes on it when we came to Babylon we staid ther 4 months vntil the Carauan was ready to go ouer the wildernes or desert for Alepo in this citie we were 6. merchants y â— accompanted together 5 Venecians a Portugal whose names were as foloweth Messez Florinasa w t one of his kinsmen Meser Andrea depolo the Portugall and M. Franses berettin and I so we furnished our selues with victuals beanes for our horses for 40 days we bought horses and Mewles for that they be verie good cheape there I my self bought a horse there for 11 akens and solde him after in Lepo for 30 duckets Also wee bought a Teant which did vs verie great pleasure we had also amongst vs 32 Camels laden w t merchandise for the which we paide 2 duckets for euery camels lading for euery ten camels they made 11 for so is ther vse custom We take also with vs 3 men to serue vs in the voiage which are vsed to go in those voiages for 5. Dd. a man bound to serue vs to Alepo so y â— we passed very wel without any trouble when the camels cal down to rest our pauilioÌ„ was
of his Countrey So that by this meanes he cutteth off the way that the King of Pegu shoulde come with his power to hurt him From y e great port of Chitigan they carie for the Indies great store of ryce verie great quantitie of Bombast cloth of euerie sorte Sugar Corne and Money with other merchandise And by reason that Warres was in Chitigan the Portugall Shippes tarried there so late that they ariued not at Cochin to soone as they were wont to doe other yeares For which cause the fléete that was at Cochin was departed for Portugalle before they ariued there and I being in one of the small Shippes before the fléete in discouering of Cochin wee also discouered the last Shippes of the Fleete that went from Cochin to Portugall where shee made saile for which I was meruelouslie discomforted because that all the yeere following there was no goinge for Portugalles and when wee ariued at Cochin I was fully determined to goe for Venice by the way of Ormus and at that time the Citie of Goa was besieged by the people of Dâ—alâ—an but the Citizens forced not this assault because they supposed that it woulde not continue long For all this I imbarked my selfe in a Gallie that wente for Goa and there to Ship my selfe for Ormus but when we came to Goa the viceroy woulde not suffer any Portugall to depart by reason of the Warres And beeing in Goa but a small time I fell sicke of an infirmitie that helde mee fowre moneths which with Phisicke and diet cost mée eight hundreth Duckets and there I was constrayned to sell a small quantitie of Rubies to sustaine my néed and I solde that for fiue hundreth Duckets that was worth a thousande and when I began to waxe well of my diseaze I had but litle of that monie left euerie thing was so scarse For euerie Chicken and yet not good cost mee seuen or eight lyuers which is six shillings or six shillinges eight pence beside this great charges the Apothecaries with their medicines was no small charge to mée At the end of six moneths they raised the siedge then I began to worke for Jewels were risen in their prices for whereas before I solde a fewe of refused Rubies I determined to sell the rest of all my Jewelles that I had there and to make an other voyage to Pegu. And for this cause for that at my departure from Pegu Opium was in great request then I went to Cambaya to imploy a good rounde summe of money in Opium and there I bought sixtie percells of Opyum which cost me two thousand and a hundreth Duckets euerie Ducket at fowre shillings two pence and more I bought three bales of Bombast cloth which cost mee eight hundred Ducketts which was a good commoditie for Pegu when I had boughte these thinges the viceroy commanded that the custom of the opium should be paid in Goa and paying custom there they might carie it whether they would I shipped my 3 bales of cloth at Chiale in a ship that we wente for Cochin and I wente to Goa to pay to the aforesaid custome for my Opium and from Goa I departed to Cochin in a ship that was for the voyage of Pegu and went to winter then at S. Tomes when I came to Cochin I vnderstoode that the ship that had my 3. bales of cloth was cast away and lost so y â— I lost my 800 Seraffines or duckets and departing from Cochin to go from S. Tome I in casting about for the Ilande of Zeiland the Pilote was deceiued for that the cape of the Iland of Zeyland lieth far out into the sea and the Pilot thinking that he might haue passed hard abord the cape and paying remour in the night when it was morning we were farre within the cape and past all remedy to goe out by reason the windes blewe so fearcely against vs. So that by this meanes wee lost our voyage for that yere and we went to Manar with the ship to Winter there the Ship hauing lost her masâ—tes and with great diligence we hardly saued her w t great losses to the captaine of the Ship because hee was forced to fraight another Ship in S. Tomes from Pegu with great losses interest I with my frends agréed together in Manar to take a bark to cary vs to S. Tomes which thing we did w t al the rest of the merchants ariuing at S. Tomes I had news through or by the way of Bengala y â— in Pegu Opium was verie dear I knew that in S. Tome there was no Opium but mine to go from Pegu that yeere so that I was holden of all the Merchantes there to be verie rich and so it would approued if my aduerse fortunes had not beene contrarie to my hope which was this At that time there went a great shippe from Cambaya to the King of Assi with great quantitie of Opium and there to lade Peper in which voyage there came such a storme that the ship was forced with wether to go romor 800 miles by this means came to Pegu Wheras they ariued a day before me so that Opion which was before verie deare was now at a base price so that which was solde for fiftie Bize before was solde for two Bizze and halfe there was such quantitie came in that Ship so that I was gladde to stay two yeeres in Pegu vnlesse I would haue giuen away my commoditie and at the ende of two yéeres I made of my 2100 Duckets which I bestowed in Cambaya I made but a thousand Duckets Then I departed againe from Pegu to goe for the Indies and for Ormus with greate quantitie of Lacca and from Ormus I returned into the Indies for Chiall and from Chiall to Cochin and from Cochin to Pegu Once more I lost occasion to make mee ritch for wheras I might haue brought good store of Opion again I brought but a little being fearefull of my other voyage before In this small quantitie I made good profite And nowe againe I determined to goe from my Countrey and departing from Pegu I tarried and wintered in Cochin and then I left the Indies and came for Ormus I thinke it verie necessarie before I ende my voyage to reason somewhat and to shew what fruits the Indies doth yéelde and bring foorth First in the Indies and other East partes of India there is Peper and Ginger which groweth in all partes of India And in some partes of the Indies the greatest quantities of Peper groweth in amongst wilde bushes without any manner of labour sauing that when it is ripe they goe and gather it The trée that the Peper groweth on is like to our Juie which runneth vp to the toppes of trees wheresoeur and if it should not take hold of some tree it would ly flat and rotte on the grounde This Peper trée hath his flower and berry like in all partes to our Juie berry