presented them with defiance But ours vnderstanding now that they were not comparable vnto them auoyded the Tryall as much as they could knowing well by experience they were growne more certaine to hit where they would with their Artillary then others are with the Harquebusse which also they are ready and well practised in going out daily by troopes into the Field to exercise it Moreouer that which further encouraged him much to that resolution of reuoulting and banding himselfe against his Prince was the sight of a hundred Gallies and more of his owne by which meanes being become to be powerfull at Sea as well as he was by his Artillary at Land it was easie for him to accomplish his designe against the King of Tunchim his Lord. Seeing also that his continuall commerce with Iapan had brought into his Countrey great store of Swords and Cemiters of that Countrey which are of an excellent temper Hee was also prouided with a great number of Horses which though they be but little are very seruiceable and generous on which they fight with darts and exercise themselues daily therein The power of this King is such that hee is able to bring threescore thousand men into the field Which notwithstanding hee is not without feare of the King of Tunchim whose forces are foure times more Therefore to keepe him in good termes and to maintaine good Intelligence with him he payeth him a Tribute of all his Kingdome doth yeeld that may be acceptable to him particularly of Gold and Siluer of Rice and further furnishing him with Boardes and other wood wherewith to build his Galleries Now the only occasion that made him resolue to make League with the Son of the late King who at this day hath the Gonernment of the last Prouince of Tunchim bordering vpon China was that hee remaining Vanquisher and making himselfe Master of all Tunchim Cochin-China might be discharged of the Tribute To vnderstand the same the better it must bee knowne that whiles I was in Cochin-China it was not the Son of the late King of Tunchim that tooke possession of the Kingdome but his Vnckle out of whose hands the Young Prince escaped to saue his life into the last Prouince of that Kingdome confining vpon China where being acknowledged to bee the Sonne of the King disceased the people chose him to be their Prince and by his good Gouernement he wan their hearts in such sort that the King of Tunchim his Vncle entred into great apprehension lest he should ioyne in League with the King of Cochin-China who possessed the other end of his Countrey and inclosing him betweene them dispossesse him of the Kingdome vsurped For preuenting whereof hee sent yeere by yeere a great and puissant Army against this Prince to defeate him But all in vaine for the Army being of necessity to passe fiue or sixe dayes Iourney through wayes where there was no other water to drinke but of certaine Riuers which descended out of the enemies Countrey they found those waters poysoned by the Prince his people with a certaine Hearbe in such sort that as well men as Horses that dranke thereof dyed Whereby the Armie was enforced to retire after much expence and great paines taken to little purpose Their Millitary discipline and manner of gouerning themselues in the Warres is much like that of Europe They obserue the same order in making their Sâ—uadrons in going to Skirmishes in Assaults and in Retreatings And this King hath Warre ordinarily in two places of his Kingdome For first it standeth him vpon to stand alwayes on his guard on that side next to the King of Tunchim who doth menace him vncessantly and alwayes maketh some onsets on his Confines Therefore the King of Cochin-China keepeth his residence in Sinuua being the furthest and last prouince of his Kingdome that he may be euer in readinesse with his Forces on the frontiers of Tunchim which is the entry to a very puissant Prouince that is ordinarily prouided of Gouernours of great experience and knowledge in the Warres Secondly he is kept in continuall Alarmes on the West-side in the last Prouince of his Kingdome called Renram by the king of Chiampa whose assaults he doth easily repell in regard he is not so mighty as himselfe and needeth no other forces thereunto but those of the same Prouince the Gouernour whereof with his Souldiers is sufficient to defend it Moreouer he is continually leuying and raising of armies to succour the King of Cambogia who hath married a naturall daughter of his furnishing him with Gallies and with men against the King of Siam In such sort that on all sides as well by sea as by land he maketh the glorious name and reputation of the Armes of the Cochin-Chinois to be renowned On the Sea he maketh warre with his Gallies each of which hath sixe pieces of Cannon and is also well furnished with Musket-shot And it will not be found strange that the King of Cochin-China hath alwayes more then an hundred Gallies well furnished in good readinesse if one know in what manner he prouideth for it For the Cochin-Chinois vse not to make Galli-slaues of their delinquents or others but when they are to put themselues to fight at Sea they furnish their Gallies with as many men as are requisite in this manner They send out secretly and suddenly many Seriants and Commissioners who going throughout all the Kingdome ere men are aware with the Kings authority doe seise and presse all such as they find fit to handle an Oare and bestow them in the Gallies vnlesse by reason of their birth and extraction or for some other consideration they be exempted and priuilidged And that course must not be thought so hard and difficult as at first it may seeme because they are as well intreated in the Gallies as any where else And yet better payd and besides their Wiues their Children and all their Familie is maintained at the Kings charge with whatsoeuer is needfull according to their rancke and condition during all the time that their Husbands are thus absent And they serue not onely to tug at the Oare but also to fight vpon occasion To which purpose they haue euery one his Harquebusse and Musket giuen him with Darts Coutelasse and Cemeters and as the Cochin-Chinois are hardie and valiant in their approaches with their Oares and with their Muskets and Iauelins they are no lesse in the encounter and close medly where they make rare proofes of their valour Their Gallies are not so great nor so large as ours but they are so brauely bedecked with Gold and Siluer that they are a glorious spectacle to behold The Fore-castle namely which they account the most honourable place is all of Gold This is the Captaines place and the chiefe of his company The reason they giue for it is that the Captaine being to be the formost vpon all occasions ought therefore to be in the most hazardous place of all the Gallie Amongst other
COCHIN-CHINA Containing many admirable Rarities and Singularities of that Countrey Extracted out of an Italian Relatiòn lately presented to the POPE by CHRISTOPHORO BORRI that liued certaine yeeres there And published by ROBERT ASHLEY Cum hac persuasione viuendum est Non sum vni angulo natus Patria mea totus hic mundus est Seneca LONDON Printed by Robert Raworth for Richard Clutterbuck and are to be sold at the signe of the Ball in Little-Brittaine 1633. To the Right worthy Knight Sir Maurice Ahbot Gouernour of the Honourable Company of Merchants trading to the East Indies and the rest of that renowmed Society HAuing of late yeeres addicted my selfe especially amongst other Studies to a more curious search and inquisition of this glorious and wondrous workemanship of the World whereof the one moity is in a maner vnknowne to the other endeauouring to giue my selfe some satisfaction by all such Relations and Discoueries as I could procure of those Conntreys least knowne vnto vs whether described by our Countreymen or by other forraine Trauellers I became so affected with the following Relation of Cochin-China by an Italian Iesuite who as it seemeth had beene resident there some yeeres that I conceiued the description hee maketh of the Countrey and the Commodities thereof would not onely giue some contentment to the curiosity of others but might also happely be vsefull to our Countreymen that trade and traffique in those Easterne parts If not to open a traffique to China it selfe on which it confineth yet at the least to giue occasion of further enquiry and discouery whether the Commodities of the Countrey be such as are pretended and the accesse of all Strangers so freely inuited as is heere insinuated I am not ignorant that your trading into these remote parts of the East Indies hath had many opposers especially of the ignorant and weaker sort who suppose the Treasure of the Realme to be exhausted thereby in regard that they haue heard of much Money carried thither as well as other Commodities and some late disasterous euents and accidents as if it were no good husbandry to cast seed into the ground because we are not alwayes assured to haue a happy Haruest But this must not make any wise man impatient in his expectation of better successe which commonly commeth by a constant continuance of all so well grounded proceedings For the case hauing beene well canuased and euery obiection discussed your experience hath taught and your remonstrance to the Parliament hath manifested that as the publike profit by forraine Trade is the only meanes whereby we gaine Treasure for Mines wee haue none which doe afford it So the remotest traffique is alwayes most beneficiall to the publike Stocke and the Trade to the East Indies doth farre excell all others I shall not need to enter into particulars how many braue Ships are by this Trade yeerely builded rigged and furnished how many good Marriners made and imployed how many Artificers and handicrafts men set on worke how many idle persons are taught to be seruiceable Sea-men how our Enemies are affronted and our Concurrents counter poised which with many other obseruatious haue beene by sundry of your selues very euidently declared I will onely conclude that seeing it is so many wayes apparent that the Kings Customes are so much by your trading into these remotest regions increased His Fame thereby spread into Persia India Iapan China Iaua and euen to the ends of the world dispersed His whole Realme and Kingdome thereby so much strengthened safegarded and enriched with the Renowme Honour and reputation thereof so much raised end enlarged I could wish that as the remote Nauigation published by the Venetian Rhamusius awakened the Industry of M ◠Hakluyt and happely of M r. Purchas after him to their diligent gatherings of the most remarkeable Voyages of our Nation so some other able person of which our Countrey hath good store were encouraged and stirred vp to continue such Collections Yet not onely to the recording the exploits of our owne Nation but also to collect and publish what they find worth the regarding amongst Forreiners that may any way be seruiceable for the instruction of ours To such end this Relation is addressed vnto you that if you find ought that may be vsefull therein you may make your benefit thereof as it seemeth others of our neighbour Nations haue in some sort sought and attempted or at least by your owne farther experience controll and rectifie their mistakings To which purpose I cast this poore Mite into your rich Treasury and remaine a well wisher to your worthy endeauours Robert Ashley The Preface Apologeticall TWo sorts there are most like among others to bee least satisfied with the Publication of this Relation Whereof the one may suppose the Countreyes of China and Cochin-China so far distant and with which wee haue no Commerce to concerne vs so little that it is but lost labour to be curious or inquisitiue how Men liue there or what commodities those Countreyes yeeld and that therefore it were more safely and more wisely done to looke neerer home to our owne and to our Neighbouring-Countreyes with whom wee haue more to doe Another sort there is that suddenly censure all strange Reports of things which they haue not seene at home or are not common in the Countreyes next consining to bee leasings and lies Condemning not onely our Countrey-man Sir Iohn Mandeuile and with him Paulus Venetus and other modern Authors of fables and fictions but euen Plinie Solinus Strabo and that ancient Historian Herodotus whose incredible seeming narrations the French-man Henery Stephens in his Apology hath made more credible by modern examples which worke the Translater of it into English hath entitled A World of Wonders To this latter sort who would bee thought wise because they are not giuen to bee credulous I answere first That albeit credulity be an Argument of too much facility yet the way to the discouery of Truth is not in the other extremity Stulti dum vitant vitia in contraria currunt Wee must therefore learne to doubt and suspend our Iudgement in things not yet throughly discouered and hearken to that of the great Philosopher Theophrastus which hee had from Heraclitus Res Mundi pulcherrimae ob arrogantiam hominum ignorantur dum nihil statuunt credere nisi humana Mens rationem illius perceperit Let vs also consider that if Columbus had obtained no credit with any in his strange vndertakings as indeede hee had none with the Multitude nor with many of the wiser sort so great a part of the World as America is found to be whose furthest extent towards the North is not yet knowne had beene vndiscouered To the first sort who would not haue vs too curiously inquisitiue of such remote Countreys as China and Cochin-China where wee haue no Commerce I answere that howsoeuer China giueth no easie accesse vnto Strangers who knoweth what alteration of time may breede seeing wee
find sundry Relations of Portugals that haue penetrated into it And diuers Iesuits forty or fifty yeeres resident in it Besides that yeerely there is a Faire held at Canton where there is free accesse to Strangers of all Nations for certaine moneths But by this present Relation it appeareth to be cleane contrary in Cochin-China where they admit all Strangers of what Nation soeuer to haue Trade and Traffique which being so I finde not our owne Nation excluded Yet admit that there were no likelihood of accesse How sweete and pleasant how ingenious and ingenuous is the curious Inquisition and speculation of this admirable workmanship of the World and the nobler parts thereof I will take a Testimony or two both of Ancient and Moderne Authors Seneca enquiring after Happinesse affirmeth Curiosum nobis Natura Ingenium dedit Artis sibi pulchritudinis suae conscia spectatores nos tantis rerum spectaculis genuit fructum sui perditura si tam magna tam clara tam subtiliter ducta tam nitida et non vno genere formosa Solitudini oftenderet Vt scias illam spectari voluisse non tantum aspici And againe Ego terras omnes tanquam meas videbo meas tanquam omnium Ego sic viuam tanquam sciam alijs me natum Naturae rerum hoc nomine gratias agam Quo enim melius genere negotium meum agere potuit vnum me donauit omnibus vni mihi omnes Amongst other Moderne Authors Postellus himselfe a great Traueller saith Homo Natura praeter proprium loquendi munus quo differt a caeteris animantibus id etiam habet quod peregrina omnia admiratur ad insolita obstupescit atque externis potius quam domesticis capitur And another industrious Author of latter time Ingenium humanum est curiosum nouitatis atque varietatis auidum semper desiderat aliud genus remotum And a little after Quae noua quae rara vndeas Ingenium humanum afficiunt vt stolidus videri debeat qui de his talibus non aueat disserere neque secum ipse meditetur ea solicitet cum cura pernoscendi I haue therefore thought that happely there may be many others which finding the like affections in themselues may make vse of what is heere presented The Contents of the Booke CHAP. I. OF the Name Situation and Greatnesse of this Kingdome CHAP. II. Of the Climate and quality of the Countrey of Cochin-China CHAP. III. Of the Fertillity of the Land CHAP. IIII. Of the Elephants and Rhinoceros CHAP. V. Of the Temperament Manners and Customes of the Cochin-Chinois Of their manner of Liuing Clothing and Medicines CHAP. VI. Of the Ciuill and Politicke Gouernement of Cochin-China CHAP. VII Of the Forces of the King of Cochin-China and of the Warres he hath within his Kingdome CHAP. VIII Of the Commerce Ports and Hauens of Cochin-China A Relation of the Kingdome of COCHIN-CHINA CHAP. I. Of the Name Situation and Greatnesse of this Kingdome COchin-China being so named by the Portugals is called in the language of the Originarie inhabitants Anam which is the West in regard it is situate on the West of China in respect whereof the Iapaneses called it by the name of Coci which in their tongue hath the same signification that Anam hath with the Cochin-Chineses But the Portugals which trafique in Anam are they which of the Iaponian word Coci and of China haue made and compounded this word Cochin-China being as much to say as Cochin of China to distinguish it from Cochin a City of India frequented by them And whereas in many Mapps Cochin-China is commonly called or designed by the name of Cauchin-China or Cauchine or some other It proceedeth either of their 〈…〉 apting the proper name or else because the makers of the Mapps would signifie that this Kingdome is the entrance and beginning of China Cochin-China on the South confines with the kingdome of Chiampa about the 11. degree of Northerly Latitude on the North side yet somewhat Eastward it bordereth on Tunchim on the East side it hath the Sea of China and on the West Northwest the kingdome of Lays In length Cochin-China is held to extend aboue an hundred Leagues on the Sea coast from the kingdome of Chiampa in 11. degrees of Northerly Latitude reaching to the gulfe of Anam in the eleuation of about 17. degrees of the same where the estate of the King of Tunchim beginneth In breadth it is of no great extent being straitned within the space of twenty Italian miles all a plaine countrey bounded on the one side with the Sea and hemmed in on the other with a great ranke of mountaines inhabited by the Kemois which signifieth Saluages for although they bee Cochin-Chineses they will not acknowledge the King nor obey him in any thing cantoning and fortifying themselues in those mountaines almost inaccessible Cochin-China is diuided into fiue Prouinces The first where the King maketh his abode ioyneth vpon Tunchim and is called Sinuua The second is named Cacciam in which the Prince the Kings sonne doth reside as gouernour The name of the third is Quamguia The fourth Quignim to which the Portugals haue giuen the name of Pulucambis The fifth which bordereth on the Kingdome of Champa is called Renram CHAP. II. Of the Climate and quality of the Countrey of Cochin-China THis Kingdome being as hath beene said betweene the 11. and 17. degree of Northerly latitude it followeth consequently that the Countrey is rather hot then cold Yet it is not so hot as India though it haue the same eleuation of the Pole and bee likewise vnder the Torrid Zone The reason of which difference is because that in India there is no distinction of the foure Seasons of the Yeere In regard that there their Summer continueth for the space of nine Moneths together during which no cloud appeareth in the skie neither by day nor night in such sort that the Aire is alwayes scorched by reuerberation of the Sun-beames The other three Moneths they call Winter not because they are without heate but by reason of the continuall raines which are ordinary there both night and day at that season And notwithstanding it naturally seemes that such continuall raine should somewhat refresh the Aire Yet the same falling in the Moneths of May Iune and Iuly when the Sun is at his highest in the Zenith of India no windes then stirring but those that are very hot the Aire is thereby so stuffed and thickned that the heat is then sometimes lesse tollerable then in the midst of Summer it selfe during which there commonly come from the sea some gentle cooling windes to refresh the Land without which gracious particular Prouidence of God those Countreyes would be inhabitable This is not so in Cochin-China which enioying the foure seasons of the Yeere howsoeuer not so exactly distinguished as in Europe is much better tempered thereby For notwithstanding that in their Summer which comprehendeth the three
Earledome or Marquisate in acknowledgment of their deserts they reward them by subiecting so many persons vnto them as a certaine number of the Kings subiects and vassalls who in what part of the Kingdome soeuer they be are bound to acknowledge him for their Lord to whom the King hath giuen them to serue him with their Armes when he shall be occasioned to vse them as also to pay him all such duties as they payed before to the King And so as we say such a one is Lord of such a place Earledome or Marquisate they say such a one hath the command of fiue hundred men this other of a thousand the King hath increased this mans command to a thousand more and of the other to two thousand so augmenting their greatnesse their dignities riches and commodities by giuing of them more vassalls Of their Warres wee shall speake in the next Chapter There remaineth yet somewhat to be said concerning their Ciuill Gouernement First they dispatch all their affaires more readily rather according to the Martiall Law More belli then by pleadings at the Barre with Iudges Notaries and Procttors with their dilatory proceedings The Vice-Royes and Gouernours of Prouinces supplying all those offices and giuing publike audience foure houres euery day in a faire large Court within their Pallace two houres in the forenoone and two houres in the afternoone Thither goe all that haue controuersie to represent their pretensions and their plaints and the Vice-Roy or Gouernour leaning on a window vnderstandeth the grieuances of each one after the other And because the Gouernours are ordinarily men of good iudgement and experience in affaires questioning the parties to good purpose and obseruing also the apprehension of the assistants which they coniecture by their countenance and the approbation which they haue of the demandant or defendant they discouer easily the trueth of the businesse forthwith and pronounce their sentence aloud without delay which is presently executed without appeale or any other formality whether it bee death or banishment or whipping or pecuniary amends chastising euery offence as the Law requireth The crimes whereof they are most commonly accused which are seuerely chastised among them are many But aboue all they punish rigorously the false accusers Theeues and Adulterers When the first are conuicted to haue charged any falsly with a crime whereof he was not guilty hee is condemned without mercy to endure the same punishment which the other should haue suffered if he had committed that whereof he was accused And indeed experience hath made it appeare to be the best course of sifting out the trueth Their theeues are punished according to the proportion of the theft If they haue stollen any thing of great value they cut of their heads If of lesse consequence as a Hen they lose only a finger and for the second offence they cut off another If they be taken with a third they must loose an eare and for the fourth offence they cut off the necke The adulterers be they men or women are exposed to the Elephants who kill them in the manner ensuing The offender is conducted out of the Towne into a Plaine where in the presence of an infinite number of people he is brought into the midst of the place with his hands and feet tied neere vnto the Elephant vnto whom the sentence of the party that is to be put to death is read that he may execute it from point to point The order being this That first he shall seize on him take him and straine him with his trunke and hold him so suspended in the aire shewing him to all the world then that he cast him vp with violence and receiue him againe on the point of his teeth that by the heauy fall of his weight he may gage himselfe thereon and that then he dash him against the ground and that in the end hee tread him vnder his feet All which the Elephant doth without failing in any one point to the great astonishment and terrour of all that are present who by the punishment which they see inflicted on another doe learne that fidelity is to be kept betweene those that are married It will not be amisse being now discoursing of married folkes to relate some particularities concerning the marriages of that Countrey It hath not beene seene that the Cochin-Chinois though they be Gentiles haue contracted marriages within the degrees forbidden by Gods Law or the Law of Nature neither within the first degree of the collaterall Line of Brothers and sisters But in the other degrees marriage is permitted so that he haue but one wife It is true that the richer sort vnder the title of their greatnesse and liberality are accustomed to haue many Concubines taxing them with auarice and miserablenesse that doe not keepe as many as their reuenues will maintaine These are called their second third and fourth wiues which they tooke after the first which is accounted and is truly and really their wife and to her it appertaineth to choose the rest according to her liking and to giue them to her husband Yet their marriages are not indissoluble their Lawes permitting a diuorce though not altogether at the will of either party for they must first prooue the suggestion for which they would leaue one the other which being auerred it is lawfull for them to withdraw themselues from the first and to marry againe The husbands bring the Dowries and relinquish their owne houses to dwell with their wiues by whose meanes they are maintained and by whom all the houshold affaires are managed for there they beare the charge and gouernement of the Family whiles the husband keepeth himselfe within doores not putting himselfe to any paine contenting himselfe to be prouided of what is needfull for his food and raiment CHAP. VII Of the Forces of the King of Cochin-China and of the Warres he hath within his Kingdome IT hath beene touched already in the beginning of this History how that Cochin-China being a Prouince dismembered from the great Kingdome of Tunchim was vsurped vniustly by the Grandfather of the King that now reigneth who hauing the Gouernment rebelled against the King of Tunchim Whereunto he was not a little emboldened when hee saw himselfe suddenly furnished with diuers Pieces of Artillery recouered and gotten out of the Ship-wracke of sundry Ships of the Portugals and Hollanders against the Rockes which men afterwards gathered vp by those of the Countrey Whereof there are to be seene at this day threescore of the greatest in the Kings pallace alone yet remaining The Cochin-Chinois being now become so expert in the managing of them that they surpasse our Europeans For indeed they did little else euery day but exercise themselues in Shooting at a Marke Whereupon they became so fierce and so glorious and to haue so great an opinion of their owne valour that as soone as they perceiued any of our Ships of Europe to come towards their Ports the Kings Cannoniers presently
defensiue Armes they vse little Bucklers or Targets of an Ouall forme of such a length that they will commonly couer the whole Man being so light also that they are nothing cumbersome In their Townes in this Kingdome their Houses being built but of boards as I haue said and supported with Pillars of Wood they haue this aduantage that if the Enemie come with such Forces as they find themselues vnable to resist euery one taketh his houshold-stuffe and flieth to the Mountaines setting their Houses on fire and leauing nothing of value therein In such sort that the Enemy finding no place wherein hee may sortifie and maintaine himselfe is forced to retire out of the Countrey and they returning againe doe soone build themselues other Houses as good and restore their Townes in as good plight as they were before CHAP. VIII Of the Commerce Ports and Hauens of Cochin-China THe Realme of Cochin-China being so abundant in all sorts of Commodities as we haue said for the life of man the people are the lesse addicted to trauell abroad and to traffique elsewhere They doe neuer therefore make further Voyages by Sea then within the view of the Coasts and bankes of their welbeloued Countrey Yet are they neuerthelesse willing to giue all Strangers free accesse into their Ports and take a singular pleasure to see others come to Trade and traffique in their Countrey not onely out of their Neighbour Prouinces and Kingdomes but also from remote Countreyes To which end they neede not vse much Art seeing that Strangers are allured thither fast enough by the fruitfulnesse of the Countrey and the riches ouerflowing therein And therefore not onely those of Tunchim of Cambogia of Cinceos and others their Neighbours doe traffique there but euery day there arriue Merchants of Countreyes further distant and from China Macao Iapan Manilla and Malacca which bring Siluer into Cochin-China for the merchandize of the Countrey Which are not bought but exchanged with the same Siluer which is sold there as Merchandize the price thereof being raised or diminished according to the great or little plenty thereof euen like Silke and other Wares The Money with which all things are bought is of Letton of the like Value as a French Double or a Stiuer of the Netherlands This Money is exactly round Printed and marked with the Kings Armes euery Peece hauing a hole in the midst through which they are filed by thousands euery file or string of them worth about two crownes The Chinois and the Iaponois are they that make the chiefe negotiation of Cochin-China in a Faire which is yeerely held in one of their Ports for some foure moneths together the one bring on their Ionks the value of foure or fiue millions in siluer and the other vpon certaine vessells which they call Somes an infinite quantity of fine silke with other of their countrey merchandise The King receiueth a great reuenue out of this Faire by his duties and imposts and the Countrey an vnspeakeable gaine And as on the one side the Cochin-Chinois haue no wrought Stuffes nor Manufactures because they doe not apply themselues to Manuary trades by reason of that idlenesse into which their plenty hath plunged them and that on the other side they are easily inueigled with the curiosities comming from other places which they higly esteeme they will buy them at what price soeuer they be set and doe not spare for money to haue such things which of themselues are of little worth such as Combes Needles Bracelets Beades of glasse to hang in their eares and such other trifles and womanish curiosities And I remember that a Portugal hauing brought from Macao into Cochin-China a boxe full of Needles which could not cost him aboue thirty Ducats got aboue a thousand selling them for a Riall a piece in Cochin-China which had not cost him aboue pence a piece in Macao In conclusion they vie one with the other in buying whatsoeuer they see so it be new and brought from farre for which they disburse their siluer without difficulty They are very desirous of our Hatts our Caps Girdles Shirts and all our other garments because they differ from theirs But aboue all they make most esteeme of Corall Concerning their Ports It is certainely a thing worthy admiration that within the space of little more then an hundred leagues there are reckoned aboue threescore places fit and apt to land in which commeth of this that there are in that Coast many great Armes of the Sea The goodliest Port where all the strangers ariue and where that famous Faire is kept which we haue mentioned is that of the Prouince Cacciam Men doe enter thereinto by two mouthes of the Sea the one is called Puluciambello and the other Turon These mouthes are distant three or foure leagues asunder by which after that the Sea thus diuided in two Armes hath extended it selfe seuen or eight Leagues within the Land as two Riuers that are disioyned It reioyneth in the end and casteth it selfe into a great Riuer where the Vessels also meete that come in on either side The King of Cochin-China permitted the Iaponians and Chinois to make choyce of a commodious place to build them a Citie in for the more Commoditie of the Faire whereof wee haue spoken This Citie is called Faiso which is so great that one may well say that there are two Townes the one of the Chinois and the other of the Iaponois Each of them hauing his Quarter apart and their seuerall Gouernours and liuing after their owne manner That is the Chinois according to their owne particular Lawes and Customes of China and the Iaponians according to theirs And because as wee haue said the King of Cochin-China doth refuse no Nation to enter but leaueth it free for all sorts of Strangers the Hollanders came thither also as well as the rest with their Ships laden with diuers kindes of Merchandise Whereupon the Portugals of Macao designed to send an Ambassadour to the King to intreat him that the Hollanders as their sworne enemies might be excluded out of Cochin-China Wherein they imployed a braue Captaine called Ferdinand de Costa who effected it with good successe yet not without much difficulty preuailing so farre that the King by his Edict or Proclamation forbad the Hollanders to approach the Countreyes vnder his obedience or paine of their liues But those of Macao apprehending afterwards that the said Edict was not well obserued thought good to send a new Embassage into Cochin-China to obtaine a Confirmation thereof and charged their Deputies to make the King vnderstand that the affaire concerned his owne Interest and that if hee did not preuent it he might haue cause to feare that the Hollanders in time being so crafty and cunning as they are would assay to inuade some part of his Kingdome of Cochin-China as they had already some other places of the Indies But certaine Persons of good vnderstanding in that Countrey aduised them not to speake in that sort to the King because that would be the very way to make the Hollanders haue permission to come to Traffique in that Countrey and to inuite all Holland thither The Maxime of the Cochin-Chinois being not to acknowledge euer any the least apprehension of any Nation in the World Cleane contrary to the King of China who fearing all shutteth the Gate against Strangers permitting no traffique in his Kingdome This is that little which I haue thought good to relate concerning the Temporall estate of Cochin-China according to that knowledge I could get during the space of some yeeres whiles I remained there the Aire being so benigne that they neuer haue any Pestilence neither doe the people know what kind of thing it is or what it meaneth FINIS De beata vita De orbis conc lib. 3. cap. 25. Kekerm phys lib. 2. cap. 3.