The Voyages To Many Of These Islands Belong
To The Captain Of Malacca, So That No One Can Go There Without His
Licence, By Which He Draws Large Sums Of Money Every Year.
The
Portuguese at Malacca are often at war with the king of Acheen in the
island of Sumatra; from whence comes great store of pepper and other
spices yearly to Pegu, Mecca, and other places.
When the Portuguese go from Macao in China to Japan, they carry much
white silk, gold, musk, and porcelain, and bring from thence nothing but
silver. A great carak goes on this voyage every year, and brings from
thence about 600,000 crusadoes: and all this silver of Japan, and
200,000 more which they bring yearly from India, they employ to great
advantage in China, whence they bring gold, musk, silk, copper,
porcelains, and many very costly articles richly gilded. When the
Portuguese go to Canton in China to trade, they are only permitted to
remain there a certain number of days. When they enter the gates of the
city, they have to set down their names in a book, and when they go out
at night must put out their names, as they are not allowed to remain in
the town all night, but must sleep in their boats. When their time of
stay is expired, if any one remain, he is liable to be imprisoned and
very ill used, as the Chinese are very suspicious and do not trust
strangers; and it is even thought that the king of China does not know
of any strangers being admitted into his dominions. It is likewise
credibly reported, that the people of China see their king very seldom,
or not at all, and may not even look up to the place where he sits. When
he goes abroad, he is carried in a great chair or _serion_, splendidly
gilded, on which is made a small house with a lattice to look through,
so that he cannot be seen but may see about him. While he is passing,
all the people kneel with their faces to the ground, holding their hands
over their heads, and must not look up till he is past.
In China, when in mourning, the people wear white thread shoes and straw
hats. A man mourns two years for his wife, the wife three years for her
husband, the son a year for his father, and two years for his mother.
During the whole time of mourning the dead body is kept in the house,
the bowels being taken out, filled with _chaunam_ or lime, and put into
a coffin. When the time expires, it is carried out with much playing and
piping, and burned. After this they pull off their mourning weeds, and
may marry again when they please. All the people of China, Japan, and
Cochin-china, write downwards, from the top of the page to the bottom
using a fine pencil made of dogs or cats hair.
_Laban_ is an island among the Javas, whence come the diamonds of _the
new water_. They are there found in the rivers, as the king will not
allow them to be dug for in the rock. _Jamba_ is another island among
the Javas, from whence also diamonds are brought. In this island the
king has a mass of earth growing in the middle of the river, which is
gold; and when he is in want of gold, they cut part of this earth and
melt it, whereof cometh gold. This mass of earth is only to be seen once
a year, in the month of April, when the water is low. _Bima_ is another
island among the Javas, where the women labour as our men do in England,
and the men keep the house or go where they will[427].
[Footnote 427: All the names of these islands among the Javas, or isles
of Sunda are unintelligibly corrupt. - E.]
The 28th of March 1588, I returned from Malacca to Martaban, and thence
to Pegu, where I remained the second time till the 17th of September,
and then went to Cosmin where I took shipping; and escaping many dangers
from contrary winds, it pleased God that we arrived in Bengal in
November. I had to remain there, for want of a passage, till the 3d
February 1589, when I embarked for Cochin. In this voyage we suffered
great hardships for want of water; for the weather was very hot, and we
were many on board, merchants and passengers, and we had many calms. It
pleased God that we arrived in Ceylon on the 6th of March, where we
staid five days, to furnish ourselves with water and necessary
provisions.
Ceylon is a beautiful and fertile island, yet by reason of continual
wars with the king, every thing is very dear, as he will not suffer any
thing to be brought to the castle belonging to the Portuguese, so that
they are often in great want of victuals, and they are forced to bring
their provisions every year from Bengal. The king is called rajah and is
very powerful, for he comes sometimes against Columbo, where the
Portuguese have their fort, with 100,000 men and many elephants. But
they are all naked people, though many of them are excellent marksmen
with their muskets. When the king talks with any man, he stands on one
leg, setting the other foot on his knee, with his sword in his hand; as,
according to their customs the king never sits. He is dressed in a fine
painted cotton cloth wrapped about his middle; his hair long and bound
about his head with a small fine cloth, and all the rest of his body
naked. His guard is a thousand men, which stand round about him. They
are all Chingalese, who are said to be the best kind of the Malabars.
They have very large ears, as the larger they are the more honourable
they are esteemed, some being a span long.
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