The Ninth District Begins With The Province Of Nanking, And Extends To
The Farthest Discovered Land On The Coast Of Tartary.
[Footnote 84:
De Faria omits the kingdom of Tonkin or Tonquin, which
intervenes between Cochin-China and China: Perhaps at that time Tonkin
may have been: De Faria is incorrect in his account of the provinces of
China. Those on the coast are, Quantung, Footchien, Tchetchiang,
Kiangnan, Shantang, Petcheli; or six maritime provinces, instead of
three only in the text. The others are, Yunnan, Quangsee, Kaeitchou,
Hooquang, Setchuen, Sifan, Honan, Shensee, and Shansee; or nine inland
provinces; making fifteen in all, as in the text. - E.]
[Footnote 85: Or Nizam-al-mulk, and Adel-khan. - E.]
I shall speak in the sequel concerning the many islands along this
extensive coast of Asia, as they came to be discovered in the
navigations of the Portuguese; but the principal of them may be here
mentioned by name, as the Maldives, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Borneo,
Banda, Timor, Celebes, the Moluccas, Mindanao, Luconia, and Japan.
Having thus given a sketch of the Asian coast, we proceed to consider
its inhabitants. Although there are many and various modes of worship in
Asia, the chief religions may be mentioned under four heads, the
Christian, Jewish, Mahometan, and Pagan; the two first of which are for
the most part under the slavery of the other two, against which the
Portuguese waged war. The power of the Mahometans and Pagans is thus
divided. All the coast from the river Cintacora opposite the island of
Anchediva, to the north and west is subject to the Mahometans, and all
to the eastwards to the Pagans; except the kingdom of Malacca, part of
Sumatra, and some parts of Java and the Moluccas, which are held by the
Mahometans.
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