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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64809	The history of the Sevarites or Sevarambi, a nation inhabiting part of the third continent commonly called Terræ australes incognitæ with an account of their admirable government, religion, customs, and language / written by one Captain Siden, a worthy person, who, together with many others, was cast upon those coasts, and lived many years in that country.; Histoire des Sevarambes. English	Allais, Denis Vairasse d', ca. 1630-1672.; Roberts, A., 17th cent.	1675 (1675)	Wing V20; ESTC R13659	118,902	302

bring to light These were the last words of the dying Gentleman who a few hours after gave up his Soul to God and who according to his Friends testimony was a very sober discreet and worthy Person After his Death his Heir examined the Papers and found they were written for the most part in Latine the rest in French Italian and Provencal the diversity of which Languages put him to a great deal of trouble for he did not understand them all neither was he willing to trust the Writings into Strangers hands These difficulties together with the confusion of the Wars that followed and several troublesome Affairs were the reason why he kept this History concealed all this while not knowing whom to trust it with But being come from Holland into England since the Peace was proclaimed betwixt the two Nations and having contracted some acquaintance and friendship with me he did me the favour a while ago to intrust me with his Papers and desired my assistance in putting them into an orderly method I perused them and found the matter therein contained so extraordinary and wonderful that I was never at rest till I had disposed them into a good order and contexture which I at last effected not without much labour and pains with the Gentlemans help and counsel Now we were a while uncertain in what Language we should publish this History he being inclined to do it in Latine or French But at last I prevailed with him and perswaded him to let me Print it in English taking the whole task upon my self But before we proceeded in that design I was desirous to enquire after the truth of this discovery some other way and told him it were very material to send into Holland to know of the Officers of the Admiralties there whether any such Ship as the Golden Dragon herein mentioned was at any time gone from thence for Batavia To which he readily answered he had satisfied himself therein and found upon examination that a Vessel of that name was gone from the Texel at the time herein expressed with all the other Circumstances But this was not enough to satisfie me because I had nothing but his bare Affirmation I therefore went to Mr. Van Dam Advocate to the East-India Company But this could not be done because the Dutch Gentleman was then in Flanders whereupon he intreated him to write to him and desire him to give the best account he could of it which he readily consented to and having sent a Letter to his Friend concerning this matter received the following answer which we have faithfully translated out of French and inserted it here SIR ACcording to your desire and for your Friends satisfaction I shall tell you that when I was at Batavia in the year 1659 a Dutch Seaman named Prince hearing that I had been near the South-Continent told me that some years before I do not remember how many nor at what height he was cast away in a new Ship called the Green or Golden Dragon which carried a great deal of Money designed for Batavia and about four hundred people who for the most part had got into the said Land and kept there the same Discipline they had at Sea That having entrenched themselves with what they had saved and among the rest most of their Victuals they made a new Pinnace out of the broken pieces of their Ship casting Lots for eight men whereof this Seaman was one to go to Batavia to inform the General of the Holland Company of their disaster to the end he might send Ships to fetch those who had been cast away That Pinnace being come to Batavia with much ado The said General dispatched presently a Frigot which being come to that Coast they sent their long Boat ashore with many men who landed at the place and height to them described before but found no body there They ranged along that Coast till they lost their Boat and some of their men through the badness of the weather which that Coast is very subject to and so returned to Batavia without effecting any thing The General sent a second Frigot which likewise came back with no better success than the former People speak differently of that Country some saying that in the Inland there are People of a great Stature others that they are little and subtile and that they carry those they can catch into the inner parts of the Land along with them I was like to have landed there but as through Gods special favour a sudden calm in the night saved us from being cast away soon after a sudden storm made us alter our minds of landing there and we thought our selves happy to get to Sea again This is all I can tell you of this business Your Friends may hear more of this Ship from those who belong to the East-India Company General Maetsuycker was then and is still General in Batavia but I had this account only of the Seaman above mentioned The Land of this Country is reddish and barren and the Coasts as if they were enchanted by reason of frequent storms which hinder much those who will land there And that is the reason why the aforesaid Frigots lost their Boats and men They could not land every where and this Seaman is of opinion they could not find the right place I remain Bridges Oct. 28. 1672. Your most humble Servant Th. S. This is the true Copy of the Letter sent to this French Gentleman who has given me the Original and I have it still in my possession He added That the Savoyard took a Copy of it and told him that he himself had made great enquiry after a Gentleman of his Country who was said to have gone in this Ship That the same Gentleman had been a great Traveller and had left an Estate near Nice de Provence where he was born and that his Kindred not having heard from him for many years were much troubled to know what was become of him All these things are in my opinion very strong Arguments to establish the truth of this History since they agree so well with the History it self in all the Circumstances of Time Place and Person and are attested by so many credible Witnesses which are yet alive for the most part and who living in several places not knowing one another and having no interest in the publishing of this Story cannot rationally be suspected to have all joyned together to give credit to a Fictitious Narration But I leave the Reader to the liberty of using his own Judgment and content my self with shewing the Reasons which have been able to convince mine I wish that those who shall read this most delightful and admirable Relation may reap some profit out of it either in point of Pleasure or Utility it being a very ingenious Piece and the most perfect model of Government I ever read or heard of in my life D. V. The History of the Sevarites or Sevarambi MY

THE HISTORY OF THE Sevarites or Sevarambi A Nation inhabiting part of the third CONTINENT Commonly called Terrae Australes Incognitae WITH An Account of their admirable GOVERNMENT RELIGION CUSTOMS and LANGUAGE Written By one Captain Siden A Worthy Person Who together with many others was cast upon those Coasts and lived many Years in that Country LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun at the West End of St. Pauls Church-Yard 1675 THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER THere are many who having read Plato's Commonwealth Sir Thomas More 's Vtopia the Lord Verulam's New Atlantis which are but Ideas and ingenious fancies are apt to suspect all relatons of new discoveries to be of that kind and chiefly when they find in them any thing extraordinary and wonderful But although these persons are to be commended for being wary and cautious yet it is but so long as they keep within the bounds of moderation and do not pass to the excess of incredulity For as some men through a believing simplicity are easily imposed upon and receive that for a truth which in effect is not one So others on the contrary through a contrary humour are apt to reject as fabulous that which often proves to be a real truth This clearly appears in the case of Vergilius Bishop of Collen who was like to have suffered a severe punishment for affirming that There were Antipodes neither could any thing save him but a publick Recantation Columbus was looked upon here in England and afterward in France as a brain-sick Fellow for saying There was Land on the West parts of the Ocean Yet the Voyages since made round the World have justified Vergilius his opinion And the discovery of America where we have many flourishing Plantations has sufficiently evidenced the truth of Columbus his Assertion The Histories of Peru Mexico China c. were at first taken for Romances by many but time has shewed since that they are verities not to be doubted of Those remote Countries were for thousands of years unknown to the People of Europe and so are still many others perhaps and at this day we know little more of them than what lies upon the Sea-coasts But how should we have a perfect knowledge of remote Countries lately discovered since there are many parts of Europe very little known yet and some not at all Nay the British Islands are not perfectly described And before their last Civil Wars the Highlands of Scotland many parts of Ireland and other smaller Isles about were very little known to the People of England And their Customs Laws and Religion are things we have not yet had any very good account of Few Travellers make it their business to write Histories and make descriptions of those Countries they have travelled in for most of them being Merchants or Seamen they mind little more than their Trade and being intent upon gain and profit seldom busie themselves in making observations Besides few of them are qualified for the writing of Books if they were never so willing and fewer have time and opportunity to apply themselves to that study so it falls out that we have few exact relations of remote Countries although they be often seen and even described in Maps For an Instance The Isle of Borneo lies near Java and in the way to China it is one of the biggest in the world according to Geographical Descriptions and yet we have very little knowledge of it although the Dutch have very large Dominions in Java and other Islands about it and sail daily by it in their way to Jappan and China Many other places there are which Sailers take no more notice of than as it is necessary for their Ships to avoid them And how can it be expected we should have any good descriptions of them unless some great Powers should undertake it and send fit persons for that purpose with all the helps and encouragement requisite in so useful and honourable a design Among all remote Countries there is none so vast and so little known as the third Continent commonly called Terra Australis It is true Geographers give some small and unperfect descriptions of it but it is with little knowledge and certainty and most of their draughts may be suspected and look'd upon as imaginary and fictitious Sure it is that there is such a Continent many have seen it and even landed there but few durst venture far in it if any there were and I do not think that any body hath made any true description of it either for want of knowledge or other necessary means and opportunities This History will supply that defect in a great measure if it be true as I have reason to believe upon these grounds First Upon the testimony of the Reporter who doth not only herein affirm this History to be true but did it also by word of mouth a good while before and again near the time of his death when he gave his Papers to the Gentleman who did lately put them into my hands These two Gentlemen came to know one another at Smirna a little before the Dutch Fleet departed from thence in or about the year 1607. and being both bound for Holland they came together in the same Ship where by a daily converse they contracted a very strict friendship This Fleet being attacked in its return there were many men killed and wounded and among the rest the Author of this Relation called Captain Siden was mortally wounded and lived but little after the fight Upon his death-bed he made his Friend Heir of what he had in the Ship and spake to him in this manner as the Gentleman himself hath often declared to me Sir Since it is Gods Decree that I should live no longer I patiently submit to his Divine Will without any murmuring But before I die I am willing to dispose of a Chest I have in this Ship where you will find some Money and a few Jewels of no great value I confess but such as they are I give them to you and I am sorry they are not better worth your acceptance I give you also the Chest and every thing in it and though it seems the whole is worth but little yet you will find a great Treasure in it and that is the History of my Adventures in the South Continent as you have heard me relate to you several times You will find it in a great disorder and confusion for the most part and written in several Languages as being intended only to serve for memoires till I could digest them into an orderly contexture But since God will not permit me to do it my self I commit it to your care knowing you are an ingenious person and give you full power and authority to dispose of the said Papers as you will think most convenient assuring you upon my death bed as I have done before in several discourses that they contain nothing but truth which I hope time and further experience will