and the firme land vntill hee came too Moscanbique which standeth in fifteene degrees of height of the South side sixe hundreth leages beyonde the cape of Buena Esperanca which place is nowe themoste principall porte that the Portugales haue in all those Seas Don Vasco taried a smal tyme in this place bicause it was then inhabited with Merchauntes of the secte of Mahoma which were come thither in the trade of merchandize and so hee ran along the coaste and touched in Mōbasa and in Melinde where he was well receiued of the king although hee were a Moore with whome hee concluded a peace and amytie in the name of the king Don Emanuel his Lord and maister And hauing well enformed and instructed himselfe of the coast of the India hee tooke experte Pilotes for the Nauigation and went along vppon his voiage passing ouer a gulfe of seuen hundreth leages in twenty and two dayes vntill hee came too the Citie of Calicut put in eleuen degrees and a quarter of the North side with greate ioy and gladnes too see himselfe at the end of his iorney And beeing at Anker without hee sent woorde too the king of his comming where hee was in a place fiue leages from the Citie who sent him woorde that hee was very glad of his comming and of his Embassadge tooke order that he shoulde passe his shippes too the Porte of Capocate a place moste sure where they might ryde at Anker by reason that it was in the Moneth of May which is in that Coūtry the coldest and hardest tyme of Winter in the yeere and when hee thought good he would aduise him to come to the Court. This region that commonly is called India is the Country with in which is conteined the two famous riuers Indus and Ganges which doo spring in the twoo mountaines Dalanguer and Nangracot so being ioyned one to thother that they are thought to be one and the people of that Country do thinke that they spring out of one common vaine and so runne into the great Ocean Seas The riuer Indus of whom al this Prouince tooke the name by the realme of Guacarate which commonly is called the west part of Cambaya and the riuer Ganges by that of Beugala towards the e◅stparts lying East and West vnder the tropike of Caucer ▪ ◅trauise of threehundreth leages from one mouth to thother from the which commeth out a point of the lande farre in to the Sea and sheweth it self very sharpe euen vntil it come to the cape Camori which lieth Noorth and South from the fountaines of these riuers in distaunce of 400. leages of length in seuen degrees and two terces of heigth of the North side And although that amongst the Princes of these Countries are but twoo differences of lawes Idolaters and Mahomets al the Coūtry is deuided in to many realmes states For although they are very warlyke and of littel fayths yet the height and sharpnes of the hilles and mountaines and the greate nūber of fearce bests which are not to be made tame the riuers the entering of the Seas do make it inuincible is the cause cause that al this region is not brought subiect to the Prince which is of most powre and principally by reason of a long tract and rowe of mountaines which the natural people of the Coūtry do cal Gates stretching from the North to the south in the length of 200. leages from one coast to thother as doeth the high mountains Apenino in Italie beginning at the west part at the riuer Caruants passing vnto the mountain called Delij very wel knowen of the sailers of that coast which standeth in xii degrees and a halfe in height of the North side where is a plaine peece of ground ouerflowen with water of sixe or ten leages as it seemeth by the bayes neere adioyning thervnto which may bee eightie leages long and the natural people of the Country do cal it Malabar where standeth the realme and Citie of Calicut this king beeing the greatest of powre of those of this prouince and therefore hee is intituled Camori which is asmuch too say as Emperour Two daies after that Don Vasco had placed his ships in the port of Capacote there came for him a seruant of the king to bring him too his presence whome they cal their Catual accompanied with 200. men of his garde who put him selfe into his iorney carying with him onely xii Portugales and one Moore called Monzaide ▪ This Monzaide was of the realme of Tunez who did him greate pleasure by reason hee was a faythful interpreter of whome he vnderstood the secrets of the land and the gouernement thereof and in the way came to receiue him another Catual of higher degree who did accompanie him vntil he came to the king who when he should receiue him put himselfe for Maiestie at the ende of a great chamber in a bed which they cal Catel appareled with a certaine kind of fine cloth made of cotton wool burnished set with roses of beaten gold and on his head a long high cap of cloth of gold of the fashion of a close mytre ful of pearles on his legges and armes he had great store of bracelets of golde and stone hee had his head lying vppon a Pillowe of plaine silke wrought with golde firisied there was leaning to the bed a Gentleman which helde a plater of golde in his handes with the leafe of Betely with which kind of leafe they vse to comfort the stomack And Don Vasco entring into the chamber there rose very neere vnto the king a man of great yeeres with whyte garments representing great honor who was his heigh Priest being the chiefe of the religious men of his gentilitie and tooke him by the hande and caried him to the kings presence who receiued him with a mery countenaunce and with a shewe of greate and seuere Maiestie without mouing himselfe more then lifting vp his head a little frō the Pillowe and when he layed down his head againe hee made signes to the high Priest that he should cause him to sit downe by the bed side ▪ And hauing spoken certaine generall woords with Don Vasco and receiued the Letter of Don Emanuel he saide that he woulde see it and woulde heare him when he was at more leysure and for that tyme he shoulde go to take his rest commaunding a Gentleman to haue care too lodge him see him wel vsed with good entertainemēt The next day Don Vasco would returne to speake with him and declare his embassadge but the Gentlemen which kept him company kept him backe declaring to him that the Embassadors which came to that Country were accustomed not too go to speake with the king but when it pleased his Maiestie to cal them but the Moore Monzaide as one which knewe wel the order that was vsed in these causes said vnto him that the most certaine order and custom of that Prince and of
they had departed from that vnknowen Countrey where they were before And the Barbarous people of that Prouince did not maruayle too see the Portugales as they of the other Coūtrey did but rather whē they sawe them kneele on their knees in the time of seruice they kneled downe after the same maner making the sayde shewe of prayers At the which sight the sayde Pedraluarez and all the rest of his people marueiled muche and were very glad to see them offer themselues to receyue their doctrin of saluation if they had had any to instruct them because he coulde not remaine there nor let to follow his iourney he dispatched foorth with the Captaine Gasper de Glemos that with his small shyp hee might returne backe too Portugale to geue newes to the king Don Emanuel of the discouerie of that Countrey which he had named Sancta Crus whiche nowe is called the Brasill by the name of the Woode that is brought from thence And when he had taken in fresh water and sawe the weather fayre hee determined to departe from thence towardes the Cape of Buena Esperanca and there hapned to him in the Goulfe so great stormes of wether that in his sight the Sea did swallowe vp foure of his ships with out the escaping of any of the people of the same and with the rest hee ran many dayes without bearyng any sayle vntil the sixtienth day of Iuly he found him selfe onely with sixe of his shippes a great way beyonde the Cape in the Coast of Zofala so beaten with weather and spoyled of theyr Masses yards Sayles and Tackles that they were more likely to returne then to passe foorth vppon their voyage But the General beyng a man of so great courage did set little by all these inconueniences so they came to Mosambike where they did repayre them selues of the hurtes whiche they had receiued in the tormentes of wether as also they were better receiued of the king then Don Vasco de Gama was They continued frō thence their voiage touching in Quiloa where they fel out with the king who was a Moore and that greeued to see any Christians in that coast But the king of Melindes who was their friend receiued them with great contentment confirmyng anew the friendship and the trade that Don Vasco had agreed vpon with him and from thence they ran at whart ouer the gulfe vntill they came to Calicut And although they were well receiued of the king yet things did happe in such sort that Pedraluarez fell out with him and in the ende there were staine certaine Portugales whiche were a land and for to reuenge their deathes he set fire on al the shippes that he found in the Port shot at the Citie and killed many of the people threw down many houses and buildinges ▪ so made sayle towardes Cochin which was xxx leages distant from that place lower in y course towards the South where he was well receiued of the king who offered to him all the Spicerie which he had neede of for to lade his shippes Also the king of Cana nor sent him the like worde because these Princes were enimies to the king of Calicut who was a greater Lorde than they were and they did acknowledge vnto hym superioritie And because they thought that the trade with the Portugales woulde bee profitable for them Pedraluarez did lade his shippes of as muche as they coulde carry wherewith he returned into Portugale by the same way that hee came which is different of that as is nowe vsed For that they do returne among an infinite number of Ilands of Maldiuia and those of the seuen brethren running to the South southwest Southwest and to the West Southwest hauing sight of many other Ilandes which are in those Seas And so they come along towardes the Cape of Buena Esperanca leauing the Ilande of Saint Laurence North of the side of the land And when Pedraluarez came to Portugale the king had sente the Captaine Iohn de Noua a Gallego borne with foure shippes vnto the same trade of the Spicerie And from that time forwarde they continued more and more in the saide Nauigation hauing alwayes shipyes of warre in those Indian Seas against the Moores of the streight of Mecha and the rest of the Ports of Arabia and against the king of Calicut who came and made warre with him of Cochin for the frendship and trade hee had with the Portugales and the Captaine Edward Pacheco shewed himselfe very valiant in his defence who was left therewith certaine souldiers for that purpose Alonso Alburquerque the most valiant knight and of most wisedome of as many of the gouernours as haue gone out of Portugale to that countrey For he being captaine general of the shippes of warre of that Sea did conquer the Citie of Ormos and many other places as well of those which are in the Coaste of Arabia as of Persia and made the king Zofadin too pay tribute who at that time was Lorde of that Realme and he burned and destroyed Calicut and gate of the Moores the Citie of Goa which is now the most principal place that the kinges of Portugale haue in the India whiche standeth more towarde the North then Calicut in the same Coast in fifteene degrees of height ▪ and Malaca standeth in that famous point in two degrees and a halfe of the Northside the whiche Prolome and the rest of the ancient Geographers did intitle Aurea Chersonesus in respect of the Ilande Samatra which is neere too him and one chanel doth deuide them vnderstanding that they were ioyned in one yeuen as the Morea is with the firm lande The longest part of this Ilande lyeth Northweast and Southeast and the Equinoctiall Line standeth ouer the middest of it And there remayneth behinde towardes the Weast neere to the Cape Camorie in the same Coaste the Ilande called Zeilan and by Prolome named Taprobana in distaunce of foure hundred leages from the one to the other according to the opinion of Portugale sailers and not by situation Geographicall by reason that the course lyeth East and West Betwene the which there is a great bay which is called the gulfe of Bengala which is the realme that Ganges doth run through al alōg the coast frō the cape Canori foure hundred ten leages towards the Northeast vnto the mouth of him and from them it returneth running towardes the South vnto the poynt of Malaca where Alonso de Alburquerque had knowledge of the Malucas and of the rest of the Ilandes and Realmes of that Sea and particularly of the great Realme of China which standeth in the same Coaste beginning his limits fiue hundred leages more forwarde towardes the West and there remaining in the middest of this precinct the Realmes of Siam Cambaia Champa and Guachinchina ¶ The sixth Chapter sheweth of the discription of the lande of China and the notable Prouinces and Realmes that are in it conteyned THis great kingdome whiche the
twoo portes or hauens the one is called Acapulco which standeth in xvii degrees a half of heigth which wil holde many shippes although they bee greate and thother is called the Puerto de Naâ—…edad which hath the entry in of it very lowe and standeth in nynetiene degrees and a terce large From these portes do goe foorth the shippes that doo sayle too the Philippinas and they goe too put themselues in the heighth that the course of the Iland is in for the tyme when they goo foorth vpon this Nauigation which is in the ende of October the windes are alwaies Northerly in that coast vntil the end of April Wherewithal they goe with the winde in theyr poope running west and from the ende of April vntil the ende of October they turne too blowe at West Southwest which serueth them too returne rising vpp intoo a higher degree that they lack no height They met at their going with the Ilands called Barbudos for they were so named for bicause such as do inhabite there do let their beards grow long These people are apparelled with mattes made of the bowes of date trees very fine and they haue no weapons nor warre with any CouÌ„trie and theyr vittaile are Cocos and rottes and fishe they haue hennes lyke to those of Spaine more towards the west They turne meete with the Ilands which they cal of the theeues which be xiii and they lye in length North and South the greatest may bee little greater then fourtie leages They are al wel neere after one fashion and trade The weapoÌ„s they haue he sâ—…ings roddes dryed with the fire which doo serue them in place of lances They shootte so farre with the sâ—…ings that no hargubuse can shoott fo far They liue with Ryce and fish Cocos rootes there are in theÌ„ great quaÌ„titie of Ginger so beyonde that more towardes the West they fal with the Ilandes of the Philippinas which are many The IlaÌ„d of Mindanas which is the firste of the South side it beginneth in fiue degrees in the height of the North and it lyeth out shewing it selfe in length as the rest do which stande as a company of trees in the Northnorthwest course vntil you come into xiii degrees and a terce where you meete with the Iland of Luzon This Iland is in length out vnto the nynetiene degree in the same course there is in it three places inhabited with Moores they know not perfectly of what secte they are of but they giue reuerence to Mahoma they eate no porke They haue many riuers wherein they gather golde it is distant from this firme land of China lesse then one hundreth leages and from the Cytie of Canton which falleth too the North part of it one hundreth thirtie little more Our Spaniards are in possession of the said Iland and by reason the trade is greate from it too the firme land and for the curious things that are come froÌ„ thence to the new Spayne and from thence too his maiestie now they cal him China Ann. 1279. Ann. 148 â–ª â—…nno 1516. Ann. 1492. â—…ausies very â—…otable Timber died Tyle not gathering filth A Tower. â—…o Beggers 〈◊〉 descripâ—… of the seâ—… all sorts of 〈◊〉 barkes 〈◊〉 gallies The coast of China is low like as Flaun ders coast is Shouldes anâ—… flats perilous to strange fleetes A pollitike â—…aw that purâ—…haseth insiâ—…ute benesites The kings nauie to cleare the coastes froÌ„ enemies and pirots dispath at thâ—… portes Galleries A pitch of lime and oyle of fishe This pitch is defensiue against the wormes DiscoÌ„moditie of the pitch Pumpes artificial Barkes innumerable Multitudes of families alwayes liuing on the water They breede â—…oultrie and â—…oule in the Barkes Gardens Water foule Rosiers Rewardes The foule returne by noise of the drum Egges hatched by 〈◊〉 perate heaâ—… of dâ—…urg a also by warmth of fire The politik increase aâ—… breeding oâ—… fishe â—…acrowes to 〈◊〉 fish with Astraungâ—… thing worâ—… the noting â—…traunge efâ—…ct in their riting â—…ree scholes The lawes â—…aught in Schooles Astronomers A not able â—…all Visitours of Schooles Ample houses with Princely pleasures Painted gates Graduating Choise of the Captaines Rare coÌ„ming of the king abroade Betwene gate 〈◊〉 than a dâ—… iourney 〈◊〉 horsebacâ—… A table oâ—… golde The kings title An arguâ—… of a largâ—… dominion 〈◊〉 officers prouince AL that is written of the great lordship of China in this woorke I haue gathered my selfe with great diligence and care of men worthie of faith Portingals that haue bene there with merchauÌ„dise of other buzines as also of the saide people of China which haue come too Spayne of whome I tooke that which I thought to be certaine most meete for this shorte discourse â–ª The 〈◊〉 of the Chapters 〈◊〉 are conteyned in this Booke THe first Chapter sheweth of the beginning that the kingdome of Portingale had and of the successe it had vntil that the king Don Iohn the first conquered Ceuta in Barbarie The second Chapter sheweth of the diligence that the Infant Don Henry did make to come to the knowledge of the Moores of Ceuta and of the Prouince of the Negros of Iolofe and of the armed shippes which he sent in the discouerie of the coast of Ginnea euen to his death The third chap. sheweth of the discouerie of the coast of Ginnea in the time of king Don Alonso eueÌ„ vnto his death and of the persons which king Don Iohn his sonne sent by the Mediterrane Sea that they might bring him relation of the state and trade of India and of the Embassage hee sent to the king of Aethiopia The fourth Chapter sheweth howe the king Don Emanuel sent by the nauigation of the cape of Buena Esperanca Don Vasco de Gama with an Embassage to the king of Calicute and of the successe he had vntill hee returned too Portingale The fifth Chapter sheweth how the king Don Emanuel sent an other great army vnto the India with Pedraluarez Cabral and how he discouered in this voyage the coast of Brasil as also of the rest of the shippes that continually went vntil they gat Malaca and so had knowledge of the coast of China The sixth Chapter sheweth of the description of the Countrey of China and of the Prouinces and notable Realmes that are conteyned in it The seuenth Chapter sheweth of the temperature of the land and the notable things that it bringeth forth The viij Chapter sheweth of the greatnes of the cities and temples buildings that are in all the Countrey of China The nienth Chapter sheweth of their faces apparel and conditions of this people The tenth Chapter sheweth of the nauigation the Chinas do make in the Sea and in the Riuers The eleuenth Chapter sheweth of the letters figures of the Chinas and of their studies ingenerall The xij Chapter sheweth how that of this great realme of China is King and lorde one onely Prince and of his counsaile and Maiestie and of his house and Court. The xiij Chapter sheweth of the Presidents and Ministers that are in euerie Prouince and the order which they haue in the gouernment of them The xiiij Chapter sheweth of the gouernment and preuention that the king hath and doth for the successe of his warres The xv Chapter sheweth of the Religion and Rites they haue and the Ceremonies they vse The xvj Chapter sheweth of the order that may be had whereby these people might become Christians and of the nauigation which is made from the newe Spaine vnto the Ilandes of the west partes called Philippinas Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson dwelling at the three Cranes in the Vine-tree 1579.
Fernando his vncle of good memorie who came to bee king of Aragon and father of the kinges Don Alonso of Naples and Don Iohn his brother which did succeede in that of Aragon and Sicilia and Grand father to the king Don Fernando the Catholike These Ilandes stande in the thirtieth three degrees of height Northeast and Southwest from the barre of Lishebron in one hundred and fiftie Leages trauies be distant frō the Canaria at the least 80. Leages North Northwest and South Southeast The Infant caused the discouerie of them to bee knowen to Poope Martin the fifth who at that tyme was president in the Catholike Churche and too other Princes of Christendome of the which there was restrainte for certaine yeres vntil y one Gill Yannes being borne in the towne of Logos wold passe y cape Boiador being a feareful thing in the opinion of Saylers of that time who was cause from that time forward that Nauigation was continued the longer and other Captaines comming to the Riuer which is called of Golde because they brought from thence the firste that came into Portugale and it standeth vnder the Tropick of Cancer in the twentieth three degrees and a half of height and the Cape of Blanco and Ilandes of Arguin standeth in twentie where the king Don Alonso his Cosin did commaunde after that to builde a forte and beyonde the Riuer which the naturall people of the Countrey do call Obedec the Portugales do call Sauage which doeth deuide the Countries of the Moores Azeneues and the Ialofes euen vntoo the Capeverdes which is of the moste knowen places in the West Ocean in the fifteene degrees of the North side and to the Weast part of him are within one hundred Leages of Trauisim the Ilands which are called of Gill Yannez and threescore Leagues beyonde that is the Great Riuer and eighty beyond that of Nunno and in seuen degrees and two Terces the mountaine Lioa whiche was the laste time that any discouerie was made in the lyfe of this moste Christiā Infant leauing to the king his Cosin to his successours the open way for the great Nauigations and roades which his subiectes haue made and doe make by all the East Countries with great prayse and estimation of the Portugale Nation The thirde Chapter of the discouerie which was made of the coastes of Ginea in the time King Don Alonso vnto his death of the persons that the King Don Iohn his sonne sent by the Sea Mediterran wherby they myght bryng relation of the states and trades of India and of the Embassage hee sent to the kyng of Aethiopia THE Infante beyng dead it did seeme too the King Don Alonso that it woulde bee a let to him if hee shoulde vnderstande farther in these discoueries by reason he minded to conquer Tanger and Arzila other forces that were neere to the Streightes which with great courage hee gote of the Moores and for the pretence y he had of the Realmes of Castile for his Cosin the Lady Iane daughter to the Queene his sister the second wife of the king don Henry the 4. with whō hee minded to marry hee gaue the discouerie for rent to a subiect of his called Iohn Gomez dwelling in Lisbon for two thowsande fiue hundred Ducates for fiue yeeres with condition that hee shoulde bee bounde to discouer within the sayde time fiue hundred Leagues of Coaste beyond the mountayne Lioa This man which was so bound ▪ did accomplishe his ◅ande very well discouering all these Coastes which they call the Mina whiche stretch in length in the course of the East and West vntyll they came to the Cape of saint Catherin that standeth in two degrees a halfe of height towards the South side so there remaineth behinde discouered the ilandes of the Prince and of Fernando and those of Sancto Thome ▪ being vnder the lyne Equinoctiall In this time died the king Don Alonso and Don Iohn the second his sonne succeeded him who sent foorth a Captain of his called Diego de Acambina with a great number of shippes to this Conquest who caused to bee builte the Castell of saint George with consent of the Prince Caramansa Lord of that Countrey Other Captaines of his discouered the Realmes of Congo and of Beni and the rest of the same Coaste whiche is to bee vnderstoode from the North too the South vntyl they passe the famous Cape of Buena Esperanca being the first Bartholomew Dias one of the officers of his house Of some Embassadours of these blacke kniges which they sent to Portugale and particularly of those of the king of Beni the king Don Iohn had knowledge that farre within the countrey there was a mightie Prince vnto whom some of them gaue obedience and by the maners and tokens that hee declared of him it seemed that hee was a Christian whereof it came to bee agreed vppon that hee should be Prester Iohn of whom then there was knowledge of and of the trade and riches of the India by meanes of certayne religious men Spaniardes that had beene at Hierusalem and like wise of other that were come into Spaine And for to certifie him self the better of the Trade and Nauigation and Portes of the India and of the power of Prester Iohn and of his religion of whom he minded to fauour himself for the trade of the Spicerie hee sent one Peter de Covillana seruaunt of his house and also Alonso de Paiba by the way of Italie that he might bryng him a true relation of all ▪ These men went to Naples and from thence they imbarked them selues for the Rhodes and from thence to Alexandria and too Cairo which at that time was a Royall seate of the Soldans of Aegypt vntill a fewe yeeres after in the yeere a thousande fiue hundred and sixteene Selim Emperour of the Turkes ouercame and slewe in a battayle neere to Damasco the Soldan Campson Gaurio and made himselfe Lorde of all those Realmes and from thence they went too the Citie of Adem whiche standeth at the entrie of Sinus Arabicos whiche is called the redde Sea in the part of Arabia Foelix where they departed one from another The Paiba towardes Aethiopia and the Covillana towardes the India where they agreed togeather to returne and ioyne themselues againe at a certaine time in the Citie of Cairo Covillana did embarke himselfe in a small shyppe of the Moores and came to Cananor and from thence to Calicut and Soa the moste principall Portes of that Coaste of the India and hauing well enfourmed himselfe to the states Trafficke and riches thereof he returned from thence to the Mine of Zofala ▪ which is in Aethiopia aboue Aegypt in nienteene degrees of the height of the Southside betweene Musambike and the Cape of Buena Esperanca and from thence he returned too Aden and to Cairo where hee vnderstoode that Paiba his companion died a fewe dayes before in that Citie And beyng readie to
departe for Portugale hee met with two Iewes of that Realme which went to seeke after him with the king Don Iohn his order because that one of them had beene in Babylon which are called Bagodad amongest those small Riuers of the riuer Euphrates that doe run iointly with that of Tiger into Sinus Persicos hee shoulde refourme him of the Trade and Traffike of the Ilande of Armos which was in the entrie of it in twentie and niene degrees of height of the North side where hee saide that thyther came all the Spices and Riches of the India with expresse coÌ„maundement to Covillana that if hee had not 〈◊〉 Prester Iohn â—…ee shoulde not returne without knowledge of him and that with the other Iewe hee woulde sende him relation of all that hee had seene and vnderstoode in his voyage the whiche hee did very effectually and when hee had dispatched hym hee returned with the other to Adem where they dyd embarke them selues to returne to Ormos â–ª And the thinges of that Ilande beeyng noted he left him there that hee might returne by lande with the Cafilas â–ª which are Carriers that carried Spices from thence to the Cities of Alexandrie â–ª Damasco in Suria â—… that he should continue goyng vppon his iourney vntill hee came to Portugale Hee returnyng to the red Sea â–ª and wente towardes the Courte of the Emperour of Aethiopia called by his owne people Alexander of whom bee was receiued with countenance of great contentinent esteeming much the embassage because it came from a Christian Prince from the partes of Europe And although that with all speede Covillana returned yet he had not in this good hay â–ª For that within a fewe dayes died the Emperour AlexaÌ„der And Nantâ—… his brother which did succeede him kept him there by force wherewithall he loste the hope to returne anye more too Portugale â–ª And by the aduice and relation hee sente with the Iewes and with others by diuers wayes the king Don Iohn determined too sende some Shippes by the Nauigation of the 〈◊〉 of Buena Esperanca vntoo the Trade of the Spicerie of the India And because that in this time which was in the yeere of one thousande foure hundred nientie and two they begunne too discouer the Weast Indias by Christopher Coloâ—… beyng a â—…inoues â—…orne who was the first that durst take so valiaunt an enterprise â–ª in â—…ande by the commaundement of the Catholike kinges Don Fernando and Ladie Elizabe These kings for the auoyding of differences made sâ—…te to the high Bishop Alexander the sixth who then was President in the Catholike Church that it woulde please him to appoint out and confirme to them theyr discoueries And the Pope beyng informed did graunt too the kynges of Castile the conquest of the Indias Ilandes and landes that should be discouered in the West parts and to the kings of Portugales that of Affrica and the Countries of the Caste partes in equall portions so that it might bee vnderstoode the Nauigation from one hundred leagues more too the Westwarde of the Ilandes of Cape verde whereof the king Don Iohn found him selfe agreeued because he gaue him no more space or Circuite towardes the West And so it was graunted with the will and consent of the Catholike kinges other three â—…undred and sixtie leages more towardes the West The king Don Iohn not vnderstanding at that time howe hurtful it would be to his successours for the pretence of the Ilandes of Malâ—…cas and because his life is waxed shorts it fortuned not in his time this Nauigation should be begun â–ª but was reserued by a diuine prouidence for the king Don Emanuel his Cosin that shoulde succeed him in those Realmes The fourth Chapter how that the king Don Emanuel sent by the way of Cape Buena Esperanca Don Vasco â–ª de Gama with an embassage to the king of Calicut of the successe he had vntil he returned to Portugal AND although that the King Don Iohn had prepared ships for the NauigatioÌ„ of the India â–ª WheÌ„ he died yet y king Don Iohn Emanuel coulde not see forward this iourney vntil the 2. yeere of his raigne with was in the yeare 1491 when as he sent although that they of his counsell were of contrarie opinion yet theÌ„ I say he sent Don Vasco de Gama a knight of his house and other twoo captaines in three shippes with ambassadge vnto the king of Calicut too the ende be might bee in league with him and with other kings of the same coast of India to obteine of them that hee and his successors might haue the trade of the spicerie graunted vnto them Nowe you shal vnderstand that the said Don Vasco departed with these shippes leauing the king and his court and al others very sad bicause he went vpon a voiage so long so daungerous so vnknowen And hee was fyue monethes in the Sea before hee coulde get as farre as the cape of Buena Esperanca by reason in those daies the Portugales sailed not by the Bowlyng in the hye Seas in such sort as they do now but alwaies weÌ„t neere to the coast of Ginea For although that in the tyme of the king Don Iohn they had knowledge of degrees and of the Astrolobe yet the Pilots which they caried with them durst not put themselues into any gulfe as they now do which doo runne from the tyme that they departe from Lishebron towards the southwest vntil they passe the Ilands of Puerto Sancto and the Medera and from thence towardes the south southeast to the sight of the Ilands of Canaria and then south passing betweene the firme lande and the Ilands of Cape Verde and South and by East vntill they put themselues in the height of the lyne and although that the cape of Buena Esperanca do fal Southeast of them they cannot make their way good by reason that in those Seas are many leuantes which are Eastsoutheast and Southeast windes that doeth cause them to fal ouer neere too the coast of Brasil and therefore they go by the Boweling running towardes the South Southeast South and Southwest according as winde and weather do giue them leaue vntill they put themselues intoo thirtie and six degrees sometymes in sight of the Ilandes of Tristan de Acunna which lye from the West parte of the cape Buena Esperanca foure hundreth and fiftie leages and at other tymes they runne into fourtie fourtie fiue degrees vntil they â—…nde Westerly windes wherewith they returne and runne towards the East and Eastnortheast too seeke the cape When Don Vasco de Gama passed he ran towards the Northeast along the coast and bicause he would put himselfe into the Sea when hee came to the cape of the currentes or tydes for feare he should put himselfe intoo any baie or shallow place and bicause he woulde passe along the coaste with al the vanâ—…age hee could he past and had no sight of the inhabitantes of Zofala betweene the Iland of Saincte Lorence
a certaine kinde of pumpes made of many peeces like to Anorias of Spaine put a long by the shippes sides within so artificially that one man sitting and moouing his feete continually as one that goeth vp a paire of staires pumpeth a great shippe in little time although she make verie much water The great store of Barkes that are for seruice in Riuers are innumerable and it is to the Barkemen an inheritante and continuall habitation They carie in them their wiues and children in one side of them coueved like a house and in the other side they haue made a place for the ease of their passengers And as the Riuers are verie great and broade and nauigable there are in them continually manie Barkes like to vittayling houses â–ª where is to be had meate and drinke verie delicious and there are like wise to be solde all fiue sortes of marchandize that are to bee founde in the great Cities Also there are manie poore people of the villages which are sitting at the Riuers sides they dwell also in Barkes in the water without hauing any other place to goe vnto the men their wiues and children they bring their couerings for to defende them from the raine and from the Sunne and they breede in them hennes Geese Pigeons and in the outside they make a little Garden wherein they plant flowers and some garden hearbs These get their liuing in going to worke in the Countrey in the small villages at all kind of worke And the women they passe ouer by Barke the way fairing men if any come and they also go vp and downe the Riuer with great long canes certaine smal baskets made of twigges tied at the ende where withal they catch shell fishe for to susteyne themselues In other greater Barkes goeth people of wealth and some Barkes do apperteine to riche men where their seruants are they haue in them certaine great cages made of Canes as long as the Barke wherein they are accustomed to bring vp three or foure thousande Duckes which they feede in this manner when it is day they giue them sod Kise not so much as may fill them and immediately they set open the doore where they are that they may cast themselues into the Riuer by a doore that is made of the same Canes And it is a maruellous thing to see the haste howe they goe out one vpon another vntill they come a lande where they goe feeding all the day vntill night in the places where Roses doe growe The owners of the Roses do giue to the Barkemen rewardes bycause they make cleane the places where the Roses growe of the grasse that growes among them at night they make a signe or noyse with a small drumme and then they come all home And although there are diuerse Barks togither they knowe to which Barke they should goe â–ª by reason of the sounde and they returne into the same Barke with the like furie they went forth And bycause there may be moued some question after what sort they raise and breede such great multitudes of Duckes and water foule you shall vnderstand that in the Sommer time they put two or three thousand egges into dung and with continual warmth and gentle heate thereof and with the time there commeth forth this broode as the Chickens doe in grand Cairo in Aegypt and in the Winter they make a great hearth vpon the which they put a great number of egges and vnderneath they make a soft mtidâ—… and gentle fire and so it continueth in one sort for certaine dayes vntill these broodes come foorth and this is the cause that there are such multitudes of them The Barkes of these fishers as well in the Sea as in the Riuers are innumerable for the which cause it is manifest that it is the best prouided Countrey of fish that is in the whole world For as I haue sayde although it be 500. leagues within the lande they eate euery day fresh fishe of the Sea. And for bycause this shoulde not seeme incredible I will referre mee to the order that they haue therfore euery yeare in the month of Februarie and March part of April when the great Freshes do come The fish of the Sea doe come to cast their spawne or egges at the going forth of the Riuers which is the cause that there doth breede great store of small fishe in the creekes thereof to which places all the fishermen doe come that dwell along the coast with their Barkes and nettes with them they fishe of this fishe and they cast them into certeine pondes which they make in the water after the maner of a rounde circle vpon great roddes and course nettes where they liue and are susteyned vntill the fishing be done which dureth certaine dayes In this time there they vse too come downe a great multitude of Barkes of all the Prouinces of the China of the innermost part of the lande in the which Barkes they bring manye Baskets made of twigges and lined with Paper layde vppon with Oyle that the water maye not come foorth and euerie one of these doe buy the Fishe that they haue neede of according to the Baskettes that they doe bring and forth with they returne againe into the lande moouing them euery day into other water for too sell them where best they may be payed for them And al men that are of abilitie doe buy of these baskets for the storing of their pondes which they haue at their houses and places of their inheritances And they are made to growe and increase in short time with the dung of Kine And in all the ditches of the Cities there is cast in and doe breede after this sort great quantitie the which the gouernours and officers of the King doe enioy whereby is vnderstoode the maruellous industrie which they vse for to enioy the great abundance thereof And the king hath for these fishings in all the cities which are built vpon the Riuers sides many sea Rauens or Cormorants putte into cubbes where they breede and multiplie with the which Cormorantes there is made a great fishing And the Barkes that are appointed for this fishing do come togither and are put in compasse in the middest of the Riuer and they doe binde fast the gorges or mawes of these birds bicause the fishe should not discende downe to the guttes and they cast them out to fishe and to swallow downe vntill they fill theyr mawes of small fishes and if they meete with any great one they take him out of his bill wherewith all they returne into the Barke to cast out all he hath taken After this sort they continue theyr fishing vntill they haue what they will and then they vnlose them and do returne them to their places that they may fill themselues at their owne will and so they put them into their cubbes as before Some part of these fishes the king doth giue to his
officers and the rest is distributed for the prouision of the Cities for to encrease his reuenues The Barkes wherein the gouernors and the officers do saile in haue their couerings high and theyr cabans verie well wrought and gilded both without and within with theyr windowes casementes adorned with fine shewes And the Barkes of the officers of lower degree are well neare built after the same maner and with as much gallantnesse There are so many Barkes of the one sort and of the other that they say commonly that theyr King maye make a bridge vpon Barkes that will reach from China to Malaca which is fiue hundreth leages distant The xi Chapter sheweth of the letters cyphers and figures of the people of China and of their studyes in generall THe people of China haue nō number of letters in their A B C for all that they write is by figures signifying the heauen which they call Guant by one onely figure which is this And the king which they cal Bontai which is this And in like order the earth the Sea and the rest of the Elaments and names vsing more than fiue thousande ciphers or figures different one from the other which they make verie readily I saw a China doe it and I requested him to write certaine names and he shewed to me the numbers that they doe account withall and they were easie to vnderstand and to summe and rest any maner of account by Arithmetike by them as well as by those of our ciphers they make the lines throughout both aboue and beneath verie equall and wich great order beginning contrarie to vs After the self same order they haue in their impression which they vsed many yeares before it was vsed in Europe Of their printed bookes which doeth treate of theyr Histories there were two of those bookes in the power of the most excellent Queene of Portugale the Ladie Katherine that now liueth And that which seemeth most to be marueyled at is that they speaking different languages in the most part of theyr Prouinces and the one vnderstande not the other by speache more than the Gascoines doe vnderstande the Valencianos yet generally they vnderstande one another by wryting for one maner of figure or cipher doth serue euerie one of them and to signifie to them any maner of name And although they declare one to another of them any worde that is straunge yet they vnderstande that it is the selfe same thing bycause they see plainely that it doeth signifie a Citie which is this and some doe call it Leombi and others Fu the one and the other doe vnderstand that it is to be vn ▪ derstoode a Citie and the like followeth in all other names And in this sort they talke one with another in writing those of Lapaon and Ilandes of the Lechios and the Realme of Guachinchina without vnderstanding anie woorde the one with another when they speake In all Cities the king hath generall Schooles at his owne cost and to them doe come an infinite number of Scholers to be taught A Frier named Gaspar de la Cruz being a religious mā of Portingale of the order of Saint Dominicke that was in that Countrey in the Citie of Canton and that wrote plentifully the things he saw and that which happened to him in the voyage sayeth that they teach in these their Schooles onely the lawes of the Realme and no other science But there bee some learned men that haue knowledge of the course of the heauens wherby they know the Eclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone and these teach to particular parsones of their owne free wil. And Iohn de Barros doeth say that beside the teaching of their owne lawes they also teach naturall Philosophie and that they be great Astrologers which he knoweth by relation of others and by a booke they brought him from thence of the scituation of the Countrey with a Commentarie vpon the same after the maner of an Itinerary with a Mappe or Carde Geographicall made by the sayde people of the China wherein is mention made of one wall which beginneth from the Citie of Ocoioy and standeth betweene two verie high mountaines euen like vnto a way passage or gate that passeth through that whole Region which doth runne from fortie three to fortie flue degrees from the West to the East and vntill it meete with another great hill which runneth out into the Easterly Seas after the maner of a head lande or Cape and seemeth to be in length more then two hundreth leagues which the kinges in times past did commaunde too buylde for to defende the incursions of the Tartares from his Countrey their auncient mortall enemies And all those Mountaines Rivers Cities and Townes with theyr names which Carde or Mappe did answere well to the booke after the maner as they vse there is after three sortes that is by stature league and iourney and wee vse the like And the first and least distance they call Lij which haue so much space as in a plaine grounde and a calme day the voyce of a man may be heard and ten of these Li◅s doe make one Pu which doe answere little more then a leage of ours of Spaine and ten Pues do make a dayes iourney which they cal Ichan And it is not to be marueyled that they do not scituate the distance of the lande with degrees answering too the celestial Orbe seeing that at the time of Ptolome it was not vsed of the Geographers notwithstanding that hee sayth they haue this vse in their Oroscopos when they vse their Astrologie The king doeth sende to these Scholers euerie yeare visitors to examine the students to see and vnderstand if they profite in learning And those which are able and learne wel they honor with woordes of commendation and do animate them that they go forwarde in theyr studie offering them to increase theyr liuings and those which do not profite in learning they commaunde to be put into Prison and they whip them and when they are altogither vnprofitable they dispatch them away euery three yeares The visitors vse this kinde of examination when they come to take residence of the Iudges and the Kinges Officers and they bring power and authoritie to graduate such as are able men and of sufficient knowledge in the lawe which is to make them sufficient for to serue the king in Offec◅s and gouernements as it is more at large declared in an other Chapter following The xii Chapter sheweth howe that of all this great Realme of China one onely Prince is King and Lorde and of his Councell and Maiestie of his house and Court. AL this great Realme is subiect to one onely king and monarche which doeth gouerne reigne in it And there doth succeede in the Realme from fathers to sonnes and for lacke of them it goeth to the next in kinred but as they marry manie wiues according to the maner of the Turkish