On The 20th Of September They Came To The Island
Of Cerne Or Cisne, In Lat.
21 deg.
S. to which they gave the name of
Mauritius. Here they found tortoises of such magnitude that one of
them carried two men on its back, and birds which were so tame as to
allow themselves to be killed with sticks, whence they concluded that
the island was not inhabited. At Banda they joined the other three
ships, and having laded four with spices they were sent away to Holland,
while the other three went on to the Moluccas. On the 21st January 1598,
they discovered the Great Java[420], and touched at the port of
Tuban, after which they came to Madura an island in lat. 2 deg. 30' S.
on the 27th of that month. At this place they endeavoured to ransom some
of their countrymen who had been cast away in their former ships, and
some others who had been made prisoners for endeavouring to pass false
money; but as the natives demanded too high a ransom, they attempted to
rescue them by force; but two boats full of armed men being sunk in the
attempt, they were forced to comply with the terms demanded. They
settled a trade at Amboina, and two of the ships opened a factory at
Banda, where they loaded with spice and returned into Holland on the
20th of April 1600. Those who were left in the remaining ship at Amboina
went to Ternate in the Moluccas where they were well received by the
king, and after procuring a lading of cloves returned home.
[Footnote 419: We have no means of correcting the strange chronology of
this voyage, wonderful even in the opinion of De Faria. He names the
Dutch Admiral Neque; but as qu in Portuguese is used to mark the
sound of k or hard c, we have ventured to give this first successful
rival of the Portuguese trade in India the name of Van Nec. - E.]
[Footnote 420: Borneo is probably here meant, as they could not have
been in Banda without seeing both Sumatra and Java. - E.]
Don Alexius de Menezes archbishop of Goa went about this time to visit
the Christians of St Thomas, who lived dispersedly in the mountains of
Malabar, in Muli, Turubuli, Maota, Batimena, Diamper,
Pimienta, Tetemute, Porca, Paru, and Cartuti. These Christians
continued stedfast at the faith till about the year 750, yet with some
tincture of error. About the year 810 the second Thomas, formerly
mentioned, came to this country, where he repaired the churches that had
been erected by the apostle and restored the true doctrine; but about
the year 900 this church was overrun by the Nestorian heresy. In the
year 890 two Chaldeans came here from Babylon, named Mar Xarsio
and Mar Prod, who divided the district into two bishoprics, and were
ever afterwards prayed to as saints, till our archbishop ordered this to
be discontinued, as he much suspected they had not been legitimately
canonized.
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