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Day They Discovered The Islands Of Nangnitur, And Then Entered Upon
Seas Till Then Unknown By The Portuguese.
Having crossed a gulf of 40
leagues, they discovered the high mountain, of Nangalaci, and held on
their course northwards.
At the end of ten days they anchored in a river
where they saw white people like the Chinese, but differing in language,
and could never prevail to have any intercourse with them. After eight
days sailing they entered the strait of Silcapaquim, in which they
spent five days in sight of many populous towns. But this course
appearing dangerous, they steered up the river Humbepadam by the
advice of Similau, passing to the east of the mountain Fangus, and
came thirteen days afterwards to the bay of Buxipalem in the latitude
of 30 deg., which produces fish, serpents, and crocodiles of wonderous size,
and many sea-horses. Farther on they came to the bay of Calinclam,
surrounded with high mountains, whence four great rivers fall into the
sea. They next sailed under the great mountain Botinasora, abounding
in lions, rhinoceroses, tigers, ounces, and other wild beasts, and then
past Gangitanu, inhabited by the Gigahui, a wild gigantic people,
some ten and some eleven spans high, of whom they saw fourteen of
both sexes. They have good complexions, being white and red, but very
ill-favoured features. Antonio gave them some procelain dishes and silk,
for which they seemed thankful, and brought some cows and deer in
return, but their language could not be understood.
At length they arrived in the bay of Nanking, and six days afterwards
to the great city of Pamor, whose bay was almost hid under three
thousand vessels. Fearing danger here they stood off and came to
Tanquilem, where Similau and 36 Chinese seamen ran away for fear;
because Antonio, weary of the voyage, and finding that Similau could
give no good account of where they were, threatened to kill him. Similau
was not indeed ignorant, but he was so terrified by the ill usage of the
Portuguese that he knew not what he said, and they were afraid that
either he knew not the coast or meant to betray them. It was a great
error to believe him at Liampo, and to use him ill at Nanking where
they had most need of him. In fine the Portuguese gave themselves up for
lost, not knowing where they were till some of the natives informed them
that they were only ten leagues from the island of Calempluy, on which
they sore repented the ill usage they had given to Similau. Doubling
Cape Guinaytarau, after a tedious voyage of two months and a half,
they discovered the island of which they were in search in the middle of
the river. This island is quite plain and seemed four miles round. Next
morning Antonio sailed round it in his galliots, and found it surrounded
by a wall of jasper so closely built that it seemed all one stone.
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