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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40887	The Portugues Asia, or, The history of the discovery and conquest of India by the Portugues containing all their discoveries from the coast of Africk, to the farthest parts of China and Japan, all their battels by sea and land, sieges and other memorable actions, a description of those countries, and many particulars of the religion, government and customs of the natives, &c. : in three tomes / written in Spanish by Manuel de Faria y Sousa ... ; translated into English by Cap. John Stevens.; Asia Portuguesa. English	Faria e Sousa, Manuel de, 1590-1649.; Stevens, John, d. 1726.	1695 (1695)	Wing F428; ESTC R2613	684,223	1,508

the second and third Tomes which will soon follow this that is my first in this Nature after several years spent in far different Imployments THE PREFACE THE narrow Bounds of the Kingdom of Portugal could now no longer contain the greatness of its Natives Hearts Therefore carried on by a Glorious Boldness they so far extended those limits that they infinitely exceeded the measure of the first Matter Great undertakings are subject to the dangers of great disappointments But Fortune whose only care it then seemed to be not to expose them to the Eyes of the World with any disgrace having measured their strength and capacity found it necessary to encrease their Dominions by adding to them at one time great part of Mauritania then a greater of Ethiopia at another time that vast extent of Asia and lastly that not inconsiderable Region of America called Brazil or New Lusitania Having conquered the West they passed to the South and having subdued this they went on to the East All they attempted with their Arms they perfected with their Fortune who seemed to be listed in their Service Such was their Conduct in the most difficult Enterprizes whereby they enlarged themselves so as to have room to breath the greatness of their Spirits that what in other Nations by reason of its immoderate greatness would have threatned ruin in this seems a most admirable Ornament of most various matter wherewith the Temple of the Christian Fame is illustrated and adorned At length these Great Spirits spread themselves over all the Land and Seas and to make the whole circumference of them their bounds overrunning that vast distance that is from the Coasts of Spain to those of China and filling both the Hemispheres with the Glory of their Name They followed the Sun from his Setting to his Rising and equalled his Course The Exploits performed in this wonderful Course in the space of 233 Years are the subject of this Second Work which I now take in Hand pursuant to what I promised in the first of our Europe the general applause that has met with calls on me for the performance of this Here will be seen Actions by how much the more admirable the less Credible and indeed more truly real than in appearance probable For though true it does not seem likely that sometimes 100 Men indifferently Armed should encounter great Armies much better provided These are the Actions which may justly entitle the Performers to be stiled Heroes a Name since given gratis to whom it was not due For a great number to overcome a lesser though equal in Arms and Courage is rather the effect of Number than Valour and seems to carry more of Cowardise than Virtue Hence it is that those who are so overcome though they lose the Field do not lose the Glory but if duly weighed merit the greater Esteem for that they dared encounter at so great a disadvantage We may therefore with reason affirm that the Portugueses on these occasions merited admiration either as Conquerors or Conquered as Conquerors for having overcome as Conquered for having dared much This had been before their Fate in Europe against the Roman and African Multitudes that overrun all Spain Let us see whether the same Fortune attends them in Asia Without doubt it does Soon shall we see innumerable Multitudes flying from their small Numbers and looking back with amazement to see who pursues and destroys them We shall see them drove by the terror of the Looks not the Number of those who press them We shall see Battels fought with such resolution that neither the Victor shall rejoice nor the Overcome lament In Sieges such barbarous obstinacy that despairing of Victory they will burn themselves with all they hold precious that their Enemies may reap no other Fruit of their Conquest but the dismal spectacles of the Flames We shall see not only Valour but Rage and Despair overcome The toil of coming at the Enemies will be greater sometimes than that of defeating them We may be sometimes overpowered by Number not overcome by Valour for though upon some occasions Fortune forsook all yet few were forsaken of their Courage These Generous Spirits looked upon the hardships of the Campagne no otherwise than if they had been the conveniences of their Houses and upon doubtful Battels as sure Victories With the first they began to raise I will not say Forts but Draughts of those they afterwards erected To these and chiefly to the Capitol of Goa shall be brought by force or come through fear many Princes in Chains and many by their Embassadors Nothing will appear in that Noble City but Triumphs Nothing less in the Triumphs than the People and Riches of all Asia these in the Hands of the Conquerors and those in the Chains of their Captivity But there is nothing in them we look upon with more delight than the Elephants loaded with Castles and the Carriages with Guns which not long before were our Terror these for their Greatness and Number those for their Number and Rarity Religion which we value above all and which was the chief ground of all these Undertakings will be more exalted trampling upon Idolatry for at each stroke of the Evangelical Sword fell a thousand Idols of the Pagods and a thousand Pagods in the Theaters of Battle It will appear that many Families held themselves in greater account for being overcome by us and in consequence thereof the Conquerors and Conquered joined and united in the Sacred Bonds of frequent Marriages and many overcoming those by whom they had before been defeated under our Ensigns and that the Monuments of our Victories are not now Broken-arms and Warlike Engines hanging on Trees upon Mountains but Cities Islands and Kingdoms first groaning under our Feet and then worshipping our Government Some warned with the Example of others Ruins shall prevent their own by accepting of our Proposals For in the beginning we invited all to embrace our Amity esteeming it a greater happiness to gain voluntary Friends than to make forced Slaves By express Order from our Kings we endeavoured to heap great Riches extend our Dominions and acquire Glory rather with Politick Reason than Odious Violence We modestly courted those we could invade forcibly In fine we shall see the Portugues Arms not content with the West piercing through and spreading over the East sailing unknown Seas trampling Provinces and incredible Difficulties discovering sundry Nations planting among them firm Fortresses and other Buildings And lastly giving Honour to their Country and Light to the World with their Discoveries and Conquests in so remote Regions Thus taming various and obstinate Spirits and Humours with Persuasions when they prevailed and with Valour when they refused to hearken to us we shall of sundry Elements compose a Body worthy those Noble Spirits that sailed thither worthy the Zeal of those Kings who sent and the Magnificence of the Captains that Commanded them All the Actions shall be such as deserve not

follows is more His Men seeing the Portugueses come loaded with Riches advised him to make use of that Opportunity and not show too much Weakness or Pity And he fearing lest Covetousness should make them Disobedient laboured with soft Expressions and sweet Words to disswade them from their wicked Design 12. They all submitted themselves to their Officer's Reasons and with kind Usage much comforted the Disconsolate Portugueses who continued there till Alibec being gone they returned to Mascate always relating and admiring how honourably that Moor treated them without suffering the least wrong to be offered to their Persons or Goods 13. The News of the Ruine of Mascate being brought to Ormuz The Commander D. Gonçalo de Meneses caused the Gallies to be closely watched and Ships to be fitted out immediately to follow them He made Luis de Almeyda Commander in chief giving him a Galleon a Galley and six other vessels with Four hundred good Men. But he not observing the Orders of Meneses that were to follow the Galleys fell into the Coast of the Naytaques where they intended to Surprize the beautiful and rich City Pesani But Francis Machado having given the Alarm by falling upon some People that were passing in two Boats the Inhabitants all fled 14. They plundered the City without Honour or Danger and after burnt it and near Fifty Sail that were in the Bay The very same Fate attended the City Guadel not inferior to Pesani and that of Teis of the Abindos a barbarous and fierce Nation the last of Gedrosia on the Banks of the River Calamen the People of it join with the Naytaques in their Piracies 15. All these Things were begun though not absolutely transacted when D. Francis de Mascarennas arrived in India with the Title of Viceroy being the first sent by our first King Philip who was second of Spain Ferdinand Tellez left the Government in a peaceable Condition and the Sea of Goa well furnished with good Ships He was the last Governor appointed by the Portugues Authority in Number the Thirtieth held it Six Months the First of the Name and Fourth of the Sirname The End of the Third Part. THE PORTUGUES ASIA TOM II. PART IV. CHAP. I. Of the Gods Surpestitions and Opinions of the Asiaticks particularly the Indians and among them the Malabars 1. I Have purposely omitted giving so particular an Account and Description of the People and Countries mentioned in this History as will be expected from me to avoid interrupting the series of Affairs and connexion of Matter reserving it still for a more proper place The grand Revolution of the Kingdom of Portugal now brought under a foreign Prince puts a Period to the Proceedings of our own that we may begin again with what was transacted under our new Sovereigns Here then it will not be amiss to give the Curious the Satisfaction of some further Information touching the Indians Ethiopians Chineses and Iapans but still with my usual brevity dividing among them this Fourth Part of this Second Volume As Asia is divided into several Empires so it is inhabited by many very different sorts of People and each People distinguished by very opposite Customs Yet those that are of one Belief agree in the essential Part though they differ in Form It is so in India as well as any other considerable Portion of the World and therefore the Malabars one of the Nations thereof may inform us of the Religion and Government of all the rest 2. As to the Frame of the World they believe it had a beginning and will have an end but then begin again and in that manner will be everlasting that all things after having encreased diminish that in the beginning as One thousand and Animals were produced One thousand died but now for One thousand produced One thousand and one die that the reason why more die is because the heat of the Sun increases that in the end a violent Wind shall dissolve all things that nothing shall then remain but the Deity Ixoreta as in the first Chaos that he shall be reduced to the bigness of an Egg and this to the quantity of a Dew drop scarce discernable that after it has sounded like a Cricket it shall increase by the same measure it diminished and shall produce within it self the five Elements for they reckon the Heaven the fifth that their increasing shall burst the Egg in the middle that there shall appear in it seven shels put together like an Onion that the Egg being divided into two unequal parts the biggest will be the Heavens and the lesser the Earth that the Gods were and shall be so formed again The Egg being open the Deity will be placed in the upper part on the Earth will appear a Mountain of Silver on the top whereof will be seen the instruments of Generation which they call the true Ixoreta or Deity the true God and Causa Causarum because all things in the World proceed from the Union of the instruments of Generation therefore they particularly adore the noblest that it is the Male and place its Image in their Pagods and on their ways This they reign to have three Rines from which proceed the three Gods Bramá Vist●… and Givem or Ixora 4. Of the superior and inferior productions this is their Opinion Ixora with this instrument of Generation which was of a prodigious bigness plowed up the Earth for the space of Seven hundred thousand loxenas each of these when greatest is four Leagues and when least a League and a halfe from the Furrows sprung seven Seas and seven Lands the ridges were the Mountains the furrows the Vales and Waters Then from Ixoras back came the Woman called Cbati this has some resemblance with Eve's being made of Adams Rib and was separated from it by virtue of some words and they resolved to have copulation The length of the Generating Instrument called Linga wherewith Ixora had plowed the Ground hindred he cut it into eighteen pieces whereof were made the Weapons they use as the Spear Sword Bow and Buckler Then Ixora with his Finger opened the way of Generation in Chati which shed much Blood he received it in his Hands and throwing it up into the Air suddenly of it were produced the Sun Moon Stars Roses Flowers Sweet-herbs and Snakes which they use in their Ceremonies both being then fit for Copulation by them the World was Peopled the Beasts and Devils produced and Heaven filled with Spirits which they say are Thirty three Millions 5. The Heaven is fixt upon the Earth not the Earth the Center of it The Sun and Moon move like the Fish in the Water by Day from East to West by Night they run about the Northward not under the Earth but along the edge of the Horrizon they doubt whether the Earth be supported upon a Bulls-horns or upon the Snake called Ananta their Paradize is in some Mountain The Snake Bassagui fighting with the Wind would not let it

more Heads what he would lay on them Then One thousand Heads sprung out from her and as many Hands from him to lay on them He has two Wives Laexemi and Pumedevi the first scraches his Head the other his Feet 2. Vistnu was born or transformed nine times into a Fish a Tortoise a Hog half-a Man half a Lion a Bramen Siriparexi Rama Siri Rama Belapader and Siri Christna and is to be born the Tenth time In the first shape he overcame Breniacxem in the bottom of the Sea taking from him the Law he had stole from the heavenly Spirits In the second he reconciled the Difference between the celestial and infernal Spirits about parting the Ambrosia from Poison and giving this to the latter and that to the former With Ambrosia he cured King Devaindra who being Cursed by Rixi for lying with his Wife was cover'd all over with Privy-Members which were converted into Eyes 3. The Sea is salt because the great Raxi Ag●…ssia having drunk it all up at the request of Vistnu pissed it out That there might be no Thieves in the World he appointed Guards these were Indra King of the higher Spirits Vani God of Fire Pidarpati King of the Devils Varuna God of the Water Maril God of the Wind Cabera God of Riches and other Persons of Note The Malabars in their Poems make a Jest of this because they are all Theives 4. Mave●… Lord of the World kept Mankind in such plenty that none remembred God Vistnu in one of his Changes remedied this and then from the Water which washed one of his Feet came the River Ganga which therefore is the Purgatory of such as when they die are washed therein Venus endeavouring to hinder the Reformation of Mankind lost an Eye 5. The Bramenes are the Masters of the Indian Religion and proceed from Fishermen because the Malabar Churches were delivered to Fishermen upon condition they should always wear some mark of their Trade This is the cause they wear abou●… their Necks some threads of their Nets This is the Original of those Threads they wear never before mentioned by another Writer 6. Vistnu turned himself into Siri Rama and his Snake Ananta Chocra and Buzio into Men. Siri Rama killed Tarb●…ga Wife to R●…jada that was a Man-eater and had the Face of a Lioness and wore two Elephants as Pendants her Cloathing Snakes her Weapon a Trident she lived in a Mountain of Bones of the People she had eaten Siri married the Daughter of King Genega and went to do Penance for killing Tar●…ega His Wife went with him and he obtained of Rixi Anisoya that he should be always Victorious and his Wife appear Beautiful to him They went to Ceylon where Churp●…naga Sister to Ravena King of that Island being a Widow asked Siri Rama to get her a Husband he bid her chuse among the Heavenly Gods and she liked none of them but Lacxena Brother to Siri Rama who despised and cut off one of her Breasts of the Blood whereof sprung the Leeches 7. Her Brother Ravena for Revenge ●…ole Siri Rama's Wife Sida The manner of looking for finding and recovering her is so tedious preposterous and foolish as well as the foregoing part it is not worth the strickest Curiosity to read it What follows is little better but something of this monstrous Medley is fit to be related to show the prodigious stupidity of these Opinions 8. Siri Rama having found his Wife and seeing she was very Beautiful said she had wronged him and lain with his Enemy He threatned to kill her and she offered to Purge her self by Fire and kindled one so fierce the heavenly Spirits could not endure it she stripped her self naked and walked seven times round it then turning to the East said When Ravena stole and would have taken me by the hand I doubt whether his Shadow touched me Afterwards in the Island Ceylon seti●…●…e under the Tree Axogani he fell at my feet to overcome me and I doubt whether the Crown he had on his head touched them There was nothing more that I know of between me and him Then she threw her self into the Fire and could not be seen for some time then the God of Fire came out and bidding Siri Rama hold out his Hands dropt Sida upon them assuring him her Honour was unstained 9. This done Siri Rama placed Bixivem on the Throne of Ceylon and went himself to possess that of Aioddia after he had spent Fourteen Years in these Affairs The Princes People Celestial Spirits and Dancing Women received him The Queens prevailed with Sida to show them the Figure of Ravena she drew him with Chalk on a Board which shook as Siri Rama sate on it not knowing his Enemy's Picture was thereon The Queens told him Sida had painted him and he again jealous though she was with Child ordered Lecxena to carry her to a Mountain and there kill her He carried but left her there alive She was delivered of two Sons very like Siri Rama who seeing them and knowing she was not dead was satisfied He went to fetch her but could not for Pumi Goddess of the Earth opened it and swallowed her up His Sons succeeded him in the Crown of Ajodda CHAP. III. Other Metamorphoses and the Consequences of them of the God Brama and the Foundation of Pagods an Account of the famousest of them 1. VIstnu turned himself into his younger Brother Siri Christna who was born very beautiful At the hour of his Birth the Palace was filled with Brightness though it was Mid-night the Doors flew open and the Fetters fell off that held Bassudever He arose and took the Child to carry it to Amparhi and by the way the Waters of two Rivers divided themselves that he might pass dry Camusem consulting Diviners about the Birth of this Child which was the first Quarter of the Moon on a Thursday in August the Sun being in Leo and the Moon in Taurus in the time of Minabixam they answer'd Siri Christna would govern the whole World and would kill him in the Sixteenth Year of his Age. They advised him to send a Woman that had venomous Milk that sucking her might be his Death but the Child instead of her Milk sucked out her Soul and she died to the astonishment of his Mother Axoda who was present Thus he escaped other Dangers from his Enemies and at Seven Years of Age was skilled in all Sciences and among other Extravagancies defloured the Maids he played with 2. His Mother whipped and causing him to open his Mouth to discover whether he smelt of some Butter 't was said he had eaten she saw within Heaven and Earth and her self She frighted bid him shut his Mouth but he would not till she promised him Figs or Sugar and other things and that she would carry him to the River to make Pipes to play upon He to be revenged on the Women watched a Bath where they came and

Estate so that some have above 1000 this sacrifice is to obtain Riches for themselves revenge and destruction of their Enemies Many have in their Houses familiar Devils which they call Cutichates every Day they offer something to them they get by them and some have 300 of them They make them enter into the bodies of those they would be revenged of whereof they make great advantage for many pay to be delivered from them By the help of them converted into the shapes of Beasts they hurt People and infest whole Towns There are those living who have seen the Town of Cranganor burnt by this means At Pudiangale near Calicut a Woman had one of these and saw it in the shape of a Cock a Monkey and a little black Boy with a Truncheon in his Hand these are not punished in Malabar but their Kings make use of them in danger The very Heathens observe that all those who follow that course live and die miserably 3. In sickness they consult Wizards not Doctors they say a Devil causes the Disease and bringing him into the Sick Man make him tell the Reason of molesting him then they promise him something to go out again and he does it They think the Small-pox is Cured with an offering to Patracale who they affirm causes them The Gout they believe is caused by ●…ive she Devils like Sows tothem they offer Food fit for such Beasts that they may transfer the Disease to their Enemies 4. They adore and offer Sacrifice to venemous Snakes that they may not hurt with their Poyson The Lawyers on the first Day of September do the same to their Books 5. Their Baths are used rather to cleanse the Soul than the Body they know the ten Commandments but think not themselves bound by them It is a great Sin if a Nobleman is touched by one that is not such though he be never so great by learning by the Sword or by Virtue And even Riches there cannot prevail to gain this point The King of Travanco●… being resolved to become a Bramene though not of that descent was told he must first be bore of a Cow be made one of Gold so big that going into it he was born out of it he offered it to the Bramenes with a great Snm of Gold and obtained the dignity but not Hereditary 6. They purge themselves from venial Sins by putting their Heads under Water one of these is a Nobleman touching a Plebean and to prevent it the latter cries as he goes Po po po that is have a care another is touch●…ng the Dead or their Friends within fifteen Days another to touch Meat with the right Hand when they Eat another to touch them so touched or their Houses or Wells to touch another with the right ●…and whilst Eating to touch a grain of Rice fallen as it is taken up to touch a drop of Water disturbed by one not so noble Mortal Sins are not forgiven so he who commits them remains subject to Death and the Lord of the Earth as long as he lives The mortal are these To use Pots touched by Men de●…led to Eat Rice before Purification to Eat it boyled by a Man of base race to have to do with a Woman of that sort to Eat Rice into which is fallen the least grain out of another Man's plate 7. Their bathing is thus They believe the stone of the bath is the God Brama the lips of it Vistnu and all together Ixora When they go in their nakedness is covered with a rag or leafe in the Water they write Om with one Finger and throw Water over it with three believing the three Gods bathed there Then dividing the Water dip their Heads and after cast up some towards eight parts of the World offering Water to the eight Guardians thereof They call upon Siri Pagod and wash their Faces three times they also cast Water up towards Heaven offering it to the Sun then wash their Hands and Feet On the Palm of their left Hand they put Ashes of Cows-dung and sprinkle it and believe the left Hand is the Earth the right Heaven and and the Palm the place of Generation laying one Hand upon the other and shutting them close they say Let the end of the World come 8. This they do in imitation of Ixoras's Egg and think the upper Hand when opened represents Heaven the lower the Earth with the right Thumb they write upon the Ashes Iara that is the Fight that was in the Egg between Fire and Water Then that all their limbs may be sanctified they touch with their Hand the principal parts of the Body from the privy parts to the crown of the Head and the Ears Elbows Knees and great Toes They hold their hands as if they gave something to two Spirits who they say attend on us writing our good works on the right Hand and the bad on the left the same they do to the eight Guards of the World turning about The last ceremony is to rub the Forehead Shoulders and Breast with Ashes taken with two Fingers and the Thumb of the right Hand in honour of the three Gods 9. The bathing called Titan performed in the Sea is very solemn before it they perform a ceremony in which they offer 〈◊〉 a sort of flowers prostrating themselves three times on the ground once in reverence to the Pagod once to the Sun and once to the Sea The chief places they resort to for this bathing are three on the Coast of Travancor viz. Baçora Rettor●… and 〈◊〉 the Days appointed are the first of each Moon chiefly those of Iuly and Ianuary but if the New-Moon fall on a Wednesday it adds so much to this devotion that the Mountains and Valleys can scarce contain the multitude of Pilgrims that resort from above Five hundred Leagues distance of all Sexes Ages and conditions and all a foot Above all others the Ganga of Bengala is held in veneration for this washing 10. Ashes of Cows dung is their chief Purgation powdering their Forehead Shoulders and Breast with it the more of it their Iogues or Religious Men have upon them the more Holy they are reputed they carry it in purses to recompence the Alms that are given them The Reason they esteem this Powder is this Ixora was sanctified by the Ashes of Gevelinga Vistnu desiring to partake of this blessing and impart it to Mankind carryed a Cow to 〈◊〉 where she got a mouthful of that dust Vistnu took her dung in which was that Ashes she had Eaten and burning it made more Ashes which he shared with Man 11. They also dissolve the same dung and sprinkle their Houses and Highways with it to purify them with this is the way dayly sprinkled through which Zam●…ri goes from his Pallace to the Pagod and his Table cloth and a Gold dish on which the Meat is brought As soon as they see a Cow piss they run and catch it in their hands drink part and sprinkle