The estates, empires, & principallities of the world Represented by ye description of countries, maners of inhabitants, riches of prouinces, forces, gouernment, religion; and the princes that haue gouerned in euery estate. With the begin[n]ing of all militarie and religious orders. Translated out of French by Edw: Grimstone, sargeant at armes.

A DISCOVRSE OF THE KING OF CALICVT.

The Contents.

1. THe length and breadth of the realme of Calicut, and a description of the chiefe towne, and the manner of their buildings. 2. The soile abounding in pepper, and what kind of tree beares this spice: the time and manner how they plant it, and gather it. 3. Of ginger, aloes, and other fruits which this countrie yeelds, with the manner how to gather it. 4. A description of the beasts and birds which this countrie breeds, and among others the Sarau, which hath a better voice than the parret. [ C] 5. Of apes and monkies; and of a wonderfull tree which beares dates or nuts, of which they make roapes, cloth like vnto sattin, wine, sugar, and oyle. 6. Of two kinds of serpents in this countrie, whereof the one is not venimous. 7. Of the king of Calicuts mariage, who neuer takes a wife vntill she be deflowred by the chiefe of their priests. 8. Of the fiue orders of the realme, and how euery Estate liues; especially the nobilitie & merchants. 9. Their manner of writing vpon the leaues of palme trees with pens of yron. 10. Their wealth in the trafficke of pepper, ginger, syn••mon, cloues, nutmegs, mace, muske, pearle, cods of spikenard and mirabolans incens, aloes, camphier, and cassia. 11. Their forces in footmen, and armies at sea: their armes and manner of fighting. 12. What forces the king may bring as well to fi••••d, as to sea. 13. The [ D] succession of the crowne of Calicut transferred to the kings sisters children, and why: and how the creditor, pursues his debtor in this countrie. 14. Of the abhominable idolatrie of them of Calicut, worshipping the deuill with a miter, in an oratorie full of figures of deuills. 15. Of the sacrifices which the Bramins offer vnto the deuill. 16. A generall pardon celebrated euery yere by the Bramins, and graunted vnto the people in a certain temple of the prouince.

[ I] THe chiefe realme of the countrie of Malabar is that of Calicut, al∣though it runs but fiue and twentie leagues a long the sea. The king of this countrie is powerfull and renowned, and exceeds all the rest of those countries▪ in dignitie: they call him Zamorin, which is [ E] as much to say as Emperor, according to the commaundemen of Pereimall king of all Malabar, who hauing diuided his Estate into many parts, whenas he meant to go to Meque, there to end his daies, he left the name of Zamarin to this king of Calicut. This realme is but fiue and twentie leagues long, and ten broad. The chiefe town which giues name vnto the whole realme is scituated vpon the sea, and is three miles long: it hath no walls, and containes about six thousand houses standing a good distance one from another. It hath a mile in length beyond the port called Capocate. The houses of this towne are built low and of small price, for that they find water before they haue digded fiue foot; so as they can∣not lay any deepe foundations. Merchants houses are valued at twentie crowns or there [ F] abouts; but those of the common sort are not sold for aboue ten. The heigth of these houses doth equall a man on horsebacke.

[ A] ¶ The Qualitie.

THe soile of Calicut yeelds pepper, whereof they gather some within the towne. The [ II] stalke of it is weake, and hath need of some prop or supporter to hold it vp like vnto the vine. It resembles Iuie, which as it growes creepes on, and when it can come to any tree neere vnto it, it embraceth it, and ties it selfe vnto it. This tree, or rather shrub, hath many branches which are two or three spans long. The leaues are like vnto the apple trees of Assyria, but they are greater and thicker, and haue small crosse veines. In [ B] euerie plant there are six branches hanging downe a foot long: and they are in colour like vnto grapes which are not ripe. They gather it in October and Nouember, being somewhat greene, the which they drie in the Sun vpon mats or couerings made of reeds, and in three daies it grows blacke as it is brought into these parts. Finally, they neither cut it nor manure it in any sort, for that the soyle brings it forth without any labour. Pli∣•••••• saith, that the shrubs of pepper are like vnto our Iuniper, and that some in his time ma••ntained, that they did not grow but about Mount Caucasus, which is directly opposit a••••••nst the Sun: but at this day we find the contrary by the nauigation of the Portugals.

••he countrie of Calicut doth also beare ginger, which is a kind of root that lies not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 three or foure spans in the ground like vnto reeds. Whenas they draw out the [ III] [ C] g••••ger, they leaue one betwixt two knots, and they couer the root or seed with th•• ••arth, and the yeare after, they gather the fruit, that is to say, ginger. In plaine coun∣tr•••••• they haue a fruit like vnto the Myrobolan, but in those soyles which be red, they ga∣th•••• all sorts of them. They haue also some other fruits and shrubs, a•• Iaceres, Ambe, ••••••ocapel, Comolangue, and diuers others which are vnknowne to vs, amongst which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 haue a tast like vnto small peaches, others to d••maske prunes▪ some to figges, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to melons. There growes Alloes, which is a gum they gather from a shrubbed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which hath but one root like vnto a staffe planted in the ground. It hath the bodie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and red, the scent strong, and the tast bi••ter.

Calicut they find many beasts as Lyons, Beares, S••agges, Goats, Wolues, Oxen, [ IIII] [ D] 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Elephants, and others, yet they say that not any one of these beasts breed there, bu•• are brought from other places. As for birds, there are parrats, some greene, some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 others of diuers colours: whereof there are such numbers as they are forced to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the fields to keepe their Rice, least they should deuoure it. They make a won∣d••••••••ll noyse▪ and are sold for little. There is another kind of bird called Sarau, which are somewhat lesse than parrats, but they sing more sweetly. Flowers are alwaies in their vi∣gou•• and the trees greene during the whole yere, by reason that the aire is sweet and tem∣perat and it seemes alwaies to be a spring.

This countrie hath also store of Apes and Monkeys, which do much annoy husband∣•••••••• especially the poorer sort, for that they run vp the trees which are like vnto [ V] nut∣•••••••• [ E] and spoile the liquor whereof the Indians make their drinke, and ouerthrow the ves∣•••••••• wherein they receiue it: for they haue a kind of tree which excels all others in boun∣•••••••• beares Dates like vnto the Palme; it yeelds wood for the fire, they gather nuts 〈…〉〈…〉 of a good ••ast▪ they make ropes; and draw from it fine cloth, wine, sugar, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and the first fruits, which this tree beares, are nuts, like vnto dates, from which they 〈…〉〈…〉 first filme and cast it into the fire. There is another tree which is not much vnlike 〈…〉〈…〉 beares Cotton, and Cypres, or Cobweb lawne: of these leaues they make 〈…〉〈…〉 stuffe in a m••ner like vnto Sattin or Taffa••a, then they spin the sides, and make 〈…〉〈…〉; and vnder the later barke, there is a nu•• as big as ones little finger. Finally, 〈…〉〈…〉 water with the nut, & as the nut grows▪ so the water encreaseth; yea in such [ F] 〈…〉〈…〉 the nut is come to perfection, the inner part is full of water, the which is 〈…〉〈…〉 differs not much from Poo••e-water, whereof they make verie fat oyle. 〈…〉〈…〉 and ••••••ning they make a•• incision in the bodie of this tree, and draw from 〈…〉〈…〉 liq••our▪ which serues them as sweet wines.

〈…〉〈…〉 of this countrie are verie high ••or the most part, & almost as big as swine, [ VI] 〈◊〉〈◊〉

they haue foure feet which are foure cubits long, and they breed and liue in moorish pla∣ces. [ A] The inhabitants say, that these serpents haue no poyson. There are others whose poyson is so deadly, as if they haue once drawne bloud from any one, he dies sodainly. There are some as bigge as aspikes, and others much bigger, who kill a man if they once bite him, of which kind there are verie many.

¶ The Manners.

[ VII] WHernas the king marries a wife, his manner is not to lie with her, vntill she be de∣floured by the most honourable of all the priests, & the king giues him fiue hun∣dred [ B] crownes for this goodly exploit. Whenas he takes his refection, he lies vpon the ground without couering or ••apestrie, and hath priests about him, who assist at his dinner and supper, & come not within foure paces of him, but giue eare to the kings words with great reuerence.

[ VIII] Next vnto the king, the priests are held most honourale, & after them the Naires, who are held in the like esteeme there, as gentlemen be in these countries: they weare swords, bucklers, pikes, or halberds, when they go abroad. The third order is of artizans & trades∣men. The fourth of fishermen. The fift, of them that gather pepper, wine, and nuts: and the last, of such as sow and reape Rice, and these are not much esteemed by the gentlemen and priests. The king and queene weare no stately garments, & the inhabitants of towns are in a maner naked, hauing onely a thin cloth made of cotton to hide their priuie parts. [ C] Whenas the king goes forth to hunt, or for any other cause, the priests keepe the queene. The gentlemen and merchants liue after this manner: if any friends be married, many times they change wiues to make their friendship more firme: and as for the children, he that is the father must keepe them. There are some others which liue after another maner, for that one wife marries seuen husbands, and they lie with her one after another, and if it happen she be with child, she giues it to which of the seuen she please, and he may not refuse it. They lie vpon the ground when they eat, and vse the leaues of trees in stead of spoones. They that follow the king, weare vpon their heads, bands of silke died in scarlet. All suffer their haire to grow; but after the ••ings death his subiects cut their haire and beards, in signe of mourning, some after one sort, others after another. [ D]

The women are not giuen to doe any thing, but to decke themselues, to seeme more pleasing; so as when they go abroad, although they be naked, yet are they laden with gold and pretious stones hanging at their eares, neckes, legs, armes, and vpon their brests.

[ IX] They write vpon the leaues of palme trees with pens of yron, without any inke.

¶ The Riches.

[ X] THe great traffique which they haue in Calicut, makes the country exceeding rich, for that they not onely venter their pepper and ginger to merchant strangers, but they [ E] also make them to take in spices there which come from other places: for they bring sy∣namon thither from an island called Zeylon, fiftie German leagues beyond Calicut, to∣wards the East; and pepper from Comnucol, which is twelue leagues beyond Calicut: they haue cloues from Meluze, which is some leagues distant from Calicut; nutmegs, and mace; from the Mol••ques; muske from Pegu; pearles from the island of Ormus, cods or huskes of Nard, Mirabolans of Cambaya; Incens of Arabia; Aloes and Cam∣phir of Lyui, or China, being fiftie leagues distant from Calicut; long pepper of Suma∣tra; and Brasil from Darnasser, or Turnasser. Caliout doth also send forth Cassia, which growes in that territorie. All these kinds of merchandise which they carrie from this towne, which is in a maner the common trade of Arabian merchants which traffique in∣to the East, is the cause that it is growne one of the richest places of the Indies, the which may well appeare by the riches of the prince, of whose reuenues we haue no certaine re∣lation. Thus much onely we can say, that the traffique of spices which they haue there, is of such consequence, as it not onely makes the princes rich by the meanes of their im∣posts

[ A] and customes; but also doth so inrich the merchants, as some of them may in wealth equall some dukes in Europe, and kings in Africke.

¶ The Forces.

IN the prouince of Malabar they make not war continually on horsebacke, not so much [ XI] for that the countrie breeds no horse (seeing that they bring them great numbers out of Persia and Arabia) but for that the countrie will not beare it. For as in Sueden their foot∣men vse no pikes, nor their horsemen lances, by reason of the woods which hinder the vse of them: euen so in Malabar they do not commonly vse horses, by reason that the [ B] countrie is straight, and crost in very many places with riuers, armes of the sea, and moores. Wherefore their forces must consist of footmen, and in armies at sea. The foot∣men of this countrie are very well ordered and disciplined.

First the souldiers are all gentlemen, and are called Naires. These being seuen yeares old are sent as it were to the schole of warre, whereas certaine men excellent in that art, stretch their sinews and joints, annointing them often with the oile of Sesame, by which meanes they get an admirable disposition of nimblenesse, so as they will turne their joints and members which way they please, as if they had no bones. After which they do exercise them continually in the managing of armes, and for that they thinke no man can grow excellent in many things, they giue themselues to one kind of weapon as they [ C] find themselues disposed. Their armes in former time were the pike, the bow, the sword and the buckler; but since that the Portugals came into that countrie, they haue learned the art of casting the ordnance, and making of harqu••buzes, and to handle them, yea and to make all things that are necessarie to the vse of them; so as their poulder is much better than ours. They go naked to the warres, except the nauell, and vse neither head∣peece, nor corslets: hence it comes that they are so actiue in combats, and in all militarie affaires. They present themselues sodenly to the enemie, and retire in an instant like vnto faulcons. When they thinke they are farthest off, they are at their enemies backes; so as it is hard to flie from them, or to follow them; for they are so swift on foot, as the Parthi∣•••••• were on horsebacke. If it be needfull to ioine and s••ght (which they doe not but vpon necessitie, or some great occasion) they strike most commonly with the point. They car∣rie [ D] certaine plates of brasse, or siluer tied to the handle of their swords, and the noise ther∣of serues them as a trumpet or drum, to encourage them to fight.

There is among the Naires a rancke of souldiers, which they call Amoques, who with great execrations (to the which they submit themselues with their families and posteri∣••••••) make profession to reuenge the wrongs done to their companions. But if any one k••••he king, they runne with such furie to reuenge, as the greatest daungers cannot stay them: by reason whereof as the number of the Amoques is great or small, so the kings at the Indies are held more or lesse powerfull. That which doth augment the courage of the Naires, and make them not to regard daungers, is, for that they haue no particular [ E] 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For many ages since, a prince of those countries brought in the communitie of women. We must also add hereunto the great libertie, or rather arrogancie of these ••••••••••••os, for that it is not lawful for the people to approach neere vnto them, which if they do, they are ill intreated. These Naires send their seruants before to the corners of streets, •••••• aduertise the people of their comming, and to make them giue way. If it be true, that ••••••••anissaries grow more valiant in war by reason of the libertie which is giuen them du∣••••••g peace: the Naires who suffer themselues not to be looked on by men of base condi∣tion should become more couragious; for which consideration they do not commonly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in townes, but abroad, hauing their houses ditched about with thicke hedges and ••••••ds, and such intricat waies, as they seeme to be Laberynths.

[ E] If anyone desires to know what forces the king of Calicut may bring to field, it may ••••••eare by the enterprises which he hath made against the Portugals, for in the yere 1503 [ XII] ••••••drew together sixtie thousand fighting men, against Edward Pacheco generall for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 king of Portugal, who at that time defended the king and realme of Cochin, conti∣••••••••ng in this enterprise the space of fiue months, in the which he had two hundred ships

of war. In the yere 1529 he besieged the fort which the Portugals had made at Calicut, [ A] and continued the warre all the Winter, and notwithstand that the Portugals shewed great valour in the defence of this place, yet they ruined it of themselues, considering the power of this king. In like manner in the yeare 1560 he besieged the fort of Chiael with ninetie thousand men, the which he tooke, forcing the Portugals which were with∣in it to yeeld.

As for sea forces, he hath shewed his power many times: for that being maister of ma∣ny ports which are much frequented, when he lists he armes a great number of vessells. It is true that at this day, all the sea forces of the Indies are much inferiour both in regard of ships and souldiers, to those of the Portugals, to whom the vse of defensiue armes giues a [ B] great aduantage both at sea and land. For doubtlesse it is hard, but a naked man should feare yron, and he that is couered with good armes should be more hardie than one that is disarmed. Wherefore we see that those people which vse no defensiue armes in warre, make rather profession of agilitie than of force, and to fight in flying than in a ioined bat∣taile, trusting more to their great numbers, than to their valour.

¶ The Gouernment.

[ XIII] WHenas the king is dead, his children succeed not, but his sisters sonne remaines prince of Calicut, for that (as they say) it is the Bramin, and not the king which [ C] had the queenes maidenhead; and withall, that there is continually one of these priests with the queene to keepe her companie. They vse this kind of justice, that if any one hath slaine a man, he is impaled aliue, and afterwards hanged: but if he hath but hurt him, he is discharged in paying a fine vnto the prince.

As for debts, the creditor seeing that his debtor doth but satisfie him with words, he retires the contract, and taking the greene barke of some tree, he pursues the debtor, and hauing ouertaken him, he binds him with this barke, coniuring him in the behalfe of the Bramins and the king, not to remoue out of the place vntill he hath satisfied him. He that is thus coniured stirs not out of the place vntill he hath paied; for if he made any of∣fer to flie, he should be put to death without remission. [ D]

¶ The Religion.

[ XIIII] THey of Calicut beleeue one God, creator of heauen and earth, and the first cause of all that is in the world: but they make him idle, and say that to resthim selfe, he hath giuen the gouernment of the world to the deuill, whom they hold to be coelestiall, to the end that he might be Iudge of the earth, and punish, or recompence men according to their actions and merits. They call this deuill Deume, or the god Tameran.

The king of Calicut hath an Oratorie in his pallace full of figures of deuills, as feare∣full as we paint them in these parts, and not much bigger than medalls: but in the middest [ E] of this chappell, there is a throne of brasse, on the which there is set a deuill of the same substance, hauing vpon his head a miter, like vnto the Popes. There are three great horns vpon this miter, and on the forehead of this idoll, foure. He hath a gaping throat, with foure great, long, and very sharpe teeth of either side, a deformed nose made like a hauks bill, glistring eyes, and hideous, with a furious and fearefull countenance: the fingers are made like hookes, and the toes like vnto a cockes spurs. This deuill holds the soule of a man in his throat, and another in his hand to do the like.

[ XV] The sacrificators whom they call Bramins are bound euery morning to wash this mon∣ster with rose water, and other sweet liquors, pouring forth before him many aromaticall smells. Whenas they cast incens they prostrat themselues, and they do sacrifice some∣times [ F] in the weeke to this idoll. Their sacrifice is made after this manner: They haue a table made like vnto an altar, being a foot and a halfe high, two foot broad, and about three long, spreading vpon it all sorts of flowers, and sweet poulders. After this they haue a vessell of siluer full of cockes bloud, the which they set vpon burning coales,

[ A] with many arromaticall things for Incens: then taking the Censor, they enuiron the Altar, and perfume it; and whilest this is doing, there is a little siluer bell which rings continually. Then they cut the throat of a cocke, which is appointed for the sacrifice, with a siluer knife, with the which they flourish a certaine time. Whilest that the Priest doth the sacrifice, he hath his feet and armes inricht with peeces of siluer, which make a sound like vnto bells, and withall, he hath a jewell which hangs about his necke downe his sto∣mach, and this is a marke to distinguish the Bramins from the rest of the people. The sacrifice being ended, he takes wheat in either hand, & goes backward out of the temple, holding his eyes still fixed vpon the Idoll, vntill that he came neere vnto a tree, which is [ B] without the circuit thereof, and then he scatters the corne which he had in his hands, the which he layes vpon his head, then returning into the Oratorie, he takes away the orna∣ment of the Altar. The king neuer eats, before that some one of these Bramins hath gone and offered some meat vnto the deuil, and presently, as soone as he hath dined, these Priests gather vp the remainder, and glue it vnto crowes. Neither the king, nor the chiefe of the town, dare eat any flesh without permission from the Bramins, whereas other men may eat any indifferently, except it be cowes flesh.

It will not forget a general pardon which they haue yerely in December, which draws [ XVI] the people from all the countries and neighbour prouinces to come and visit a Temple of their Idoll, the which is built in the middest of a lake, where there is to be seene two [ C] goodly rankes of pillars, and a great lampe made like vnto a ship full of oyle, to giue light 〈◊〉〈◊〉 about. This Temple is great, and enuironed of all sides with trees, and no man may enter into this Temple, before he hath washed himselfe in the lake: Whenas any enter into this place, the Bramins doe besprinkle them with the oyle of the lampe, then they go and present themselues to the sacrifice, and hauing worshipped, and prayed vnto the deuill, euerie man retires. In the meanetime, the Bramins promise them generall pardon of their faults: and for the space of three daies, this place is as it were a Sanctuarie, and free retreat for all men; so as no man dare wrong another, nor take reuenge of their ene∣mie, no not pursue an offend or by justice.