Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

6. PEGV.

PEGV is bounded on the East, with Jangoma, and a part of Siam; on the North, with the kingdomes of Brama; on the West and South, with the kingdome and Golf of Bengala. So called from Pegu the chief City, as that is by the name of the River upon which it standeth. Divided commonly into the kingdoms and estates of 1. Verma, 2. Macin, 3. Orrachan, 4. Martavan, and 5. Pegu spe∣cially so called.

1. VERMA is the name of a small kingdome bordering upon Bengala, and so denominated from Verma, the chief Town thereof. A kingdome which hath no Port or Haven at all; and therefore wholly freed of Moores and Mahometans, which can be said of no other of these Indian king∣doms.

The people black, naked above the Waste, and covered beneath it onely with a veil of Cotton: in matter of Religion Gentiles, and in wane right valiant. This last apparent by the long and frequent warres which they had with the Peguans: to whom made Tributary in conclusion, but not fully con∣quered.

2. MACIN, so called from Macin the chief City thereof, is another of these Peguans kingdoms. Of small esteem but for the great quantity of the sweet-wood by the Latines called Lignum vitae, by the natives Calamba, so much in use for Funeralls and Bathes, (as was said before;) held also by the Indians for a Sovereign and unparallell'd Medicine against many dangerous diseases; great quantities whereof are brought hence yearly by the Merchant. One of the first kingdoms which was conquered by the king of Barma, (upon whom it bordereth) in the beginning of his Fortunes.

3. ORRACHAN or Arrachan, lieth on the West of Macin, and the South of Verma, environed round with mountains and impassable woods. Chief Towns thereof, 1. Dia ga, taken and destroyed by the Portugals, in the quarrels betwixt them and the king of Arrachan. Anno 1608. ••. Sundiva, situate in an Iland unto which it gives name, fix leagues off from the continent of Bengala, to which it formerly belonged. Subdued by the Portugals, Anno 1602. and from them taken by this king about two years after, and made a member of his kingdom. The Iland 30 leagues in compass, very strong, fruitfull, and the Town well fortified. 3. Arrachan, the head City, which gives name to all, distant from the Sea 45 miles, but seated on a large and capacious River. The king and kingdom of no note, till the ruins of Pegu, to the Crown whereof it once pertained. In the desolation of which State the king here∣of combining with him of Tangu, besieged the second Tanguan king in the Castle of Macan; and had betwixt them the whole pillage of that wealthy City, together with the possession of the best Towns of it. After this victory, he returned to Arrachan in triumph, leading with him the white Elephant: of the king of Pegu, sumptuously adorned; the brother and two sonnes of the Peguan following in the Pag••ant. A solemn and magnificent entry. The better to assure himself of his new dominions, this king bestowed upon the Portugals the fort of Siriangh, on the River of Pegu. For which favour ill-requited by the Portu∣gals, who had taken his sonne, and put him to a grievous ransom, they brake out into open warres. In the pursuit whereof, after many losses, the king recovered from them the Isle of Sundiva, and manning out a Fleet of 1200 sail (of which 75 were of so great burden as to carry every one, twelve peeces of Ordnance) and in that fleet 30000 Souldiers, 8000 hand-guns, and 3500 greater peeces, besieged the Fortress: as∣sisted in that action also by the king of Tangu. And though he failed in his design, yet like enough he had prevented the king of Av••, who took it in the year 1613 as before is said, had he not been outed in the mean time of his own kingdom, by the king of Barma: of whole great rise, the conquering of the Realms of Macin and Arrachan, were the first foundation.

4. MARTAVAN, the richest of these kingdoms, lieth South to Arrachan, a little turn∣ing towards the West. The soyl so fertile that it yieldeth three Harvests in a year, and sent annually 15 ships to Cochin, and as many to Mala••a, laden with Rice. Rich also in Mines of Iron, lead, steel, brass, silver, gold, and Rubies: and very liberally provided of Springs and Rivers. The Forrests well-stored with Harts, Bores, and Buffoles, store of Pines and Palms: the woods with Sugar-canes, many ex∣cellent fruits; the ordinary herbs and shrubs either Medicinal or odoriferous. The principall City of it called also Martavan, situate on an Haven open at all times of the year, and not choked with sands, as u∣sually other Havens are in the Indian winter: of great trading, much splendour, and a temperate a••••. Faithfull unto the last to the Crown of Pegu, to the Kings whereof their own were subjects and in that constancy they twice repulsed the king of Siam who then had conquered the most part of the Kingdome of Pegu. Angry whereat, the Siamite caused two of his cowardly Captains to be cast into a chaldron of scalding oyl: and at the third assault became master of it. Bannalaius the old King hereof (99 years old) with his heir apparent, and 200000 of his Subjects, being compelled to hide themselves in the woods and Desarts.

5. PEGV, the most predominant Kingdom, lieth like a Crescent or half-moon on the Gulf of Bengala; extending on that coast from Negrais unto Tavan the next Town of Siam, for the space of three hundred miles, and upwards; but little less in breadth, if not quite as much. So called from the River Pegu, which runs thorow the middest of it, and gives this name also unto Pegu the most noted City.

The Soyl hereof exceeding fruitfull, by reason of the annuall overflowings of the River, which do yearly fatten it, fit to bear wheat, and of Rice yielding an incredible quantity. It affordeth also many Rubies, great numbers of Civet-Cats, plenty of ••••cca, (a Gum there made by Ants, as here Bees make wax) store of Elephants, and abundance of Parats which speak plainer, and are much fairer than in any place else.

The people of a mean stature, somewhat corpulent, and naturally beardless. If any stragling hair thrust forth, they alwayes carry Pinsers with them, to pull them out. Nimble and strong, but yet not very fit for warre; spending too much of their strength in the love of women, to which most passionably addicted. They black their teeth, because they say that dogs teeth be white: and wear no cloths but on their heads and about their nakedness. Said by the Jews to be descended from some of the Tribes of Israel confined hither by Solomon: but by the Peguans themselves, to be begotten of a dog and a China woman, which

were saved here upon a Shipwrack. By Religion for the most part Gentiles, imagining innumerable worlds one after another, and a determinate number of Gods for every world: more Orthodox in assigning after this life according to the merits of the party deceased, one place of Torments, and another of Delights and pleasures, if they had not added a third also for satisfaction.

Chief Cities of this Kingdome, 1. Cosin, seated in a Territory full of Woods, as those Woods of Tigers, Wild Bores, Apes, and Parats: the houses made of Canes, which serve here for tim∣ber, (some of them being as bigge as Hogs-Heads) covered over with thatch. 2. Joccabel, a great City, on the River Pegu. 3. Dian, on the same River also, where they make Barks or Vessels as big as Galeasses; which serve both for trade and liabitation. 4. Coilan, a City four-square, and each square four miles. 5. Lanagon, a pleasant Town, and full of Palm-trees. 6. Dala, in which were the Kings Stables for his ordinary Elephants: his four White Elephants (for so many he had) being alwaies kept about the Court, not seen abroad but in great solemnities, when trap∣ped in furnitures of Gold, and no less honoured by the people, than the King himself: called therefore King of the White Elephant by the neighbouring Princes. 7. Silvanpede, where many victualling Barkes are made to serve for dwelling on the Sea. 8. Mevcao, where they use to unload such goods as are to pass by Land to Pegu. Neighboured by the strongest Castle in all this Kingdome, and therefore chosen by the King for his place of Retreat, when distres∣sed by the Kings of Arrachan; and Tangu. To the last of which making choice to yield up his person, with his Wife and Children, because he had maryed him to his Sister, he was by him perfidiously and basely murdered. 9. Siriangh, a strong peece on the mouth of the River, given by the King of Arrachan; to the Portugals, and by them committed to the keeping of Philip de Britto, in the year one thousand six hundred, or thereabouts. Who having made it good against him, and the King of Tangu his Associate, for the space of thirteen years toge∣ther; was at last forced to yield himself prisoner to the King of Av••, by whom cruelly tortured on a spit. 10. Pegu, the glory of these parts, great, strong, and beautifull; Divided into two Towns, the Old and the New; the Old, inhabited by Merchants, the New, by the King and his Nobility. The houses made of wood, but covered with Tiles; a Coco-Tree before every house, yielding a comfortable shade, and a pleasant shew. The Steetes as strait as any line, and so broad that ten or twelve men may ride abrest in the narrowest of them. In figure square, each square having five Gates, besides many Turrets; all of them beautifully gilded. The whole well walled with walls of stone, environed on all sides with great Datches; and in the middest the Royall Palace, walled and ditched about, most sumptuously gilded; but specially the Temple or Idol-chapel, the walls whereof were hid with Gold, the Roof tiled with Silver.

In this magnificent Palace lived the Peguan Kings, in as much pomp and pleasure as the world could yield: his empire not extending only over these kingdoms now described, but over all the Provinces or kingdoms of the Bramane also; which he governed by his severall Vice-Roys, or rather TRIBUTARIE kings. A happiness too great to continue long. For in the year 1567. the Vice-Roy or Tributary king of Tangu, by the aid of his faction, and reputation of his vertues, entered into rebellion, and slaying the Nobles of the Land, usurped that kingdome. After this he subdued the Cities and kingdoms of Calam, Melintay, Prom, Miranda, and Ava, inhabited all of them by the Brames or Bramanes; and ther∣fore taking to himself the title of king of Brama, because his fame and fortunes took their rise from his victories over them. Following the course of his Successes, he first assailed the Cities of Odia, and Siam, but repulsed with loss. To make amends for which misfortune, he beleaguered Pegu, and subdued it; and by the reputation which he got in that action, returning to the siege of Siam, had it yielded to him. Dying he gave the kingdome of Ava unto one of his Brothers; that of Peam to one of his grandsonnes; the kingdome of Jangoma to a younger sonne, but born after the time of his obtaining the Crown of Pegu; and finally that of Pegu, with the Soveraignty over all the rest, to his eldest sonne, a Prince of vicious and tyrannical nature; and not more cruell to his subjects, than they disobedient to him. Whereupon prepa∣rations are made on both sides, the people to defend their liberty, the King to preserve his Royalty. Du∣ring these civill discords, the titulary king of Stam, whose late overthrow was not yet fully digested, came violently into the Countrey of Pegu; burning Corn, Grass, and Fruits; killing man, woman, and child, and having satisfyed his Fury, returned to his home. This spoil of the fruits of the Earth, was but a pr••logue to an unsupportable famine, which consumed all the inhabitants of this flourishing king∣dome, except such whom the Granaries of the City of Pegu preserved, Anno 1598. For here the Fathers devoured their Children, the stronger preyed upon the weaker; not only devouring their more fleshy parts, but their entrails also: nay they broke up the skulls of such as they had slain, and sucked out their brains. This calamity incited another Tributary Prince of Tangu, to make his best advantage out of his neighbours affliction; though made his Brother-in-Law, and advanced to great honours by his Father. For justly fearing the displeasure of his angry Prince, to whose aid he had refused to come, when sent for by him, he joined himself with the king of Arrahan, besieged his Lord and Soveraign in the Fort of Meccao. Brought to extremities, the unfortunate Prince, thought best to put himself into the hands of his brother of Tangu; who assaulted and entred Pegu, where he found as much treasure as 600 Elephants, and as many horses, could conveniently carry away. This havock being made, he villanous∣ly murdered the King, Queen and their Children, and departed; leaving the gleaning of his spoil to the King of Arrachan: who, Anno 1600, was expelled by the King of Siam, who enjoyed it not long. For the King of Barma having with an Army of an hundred thousand fighting men, and four∣ty

thousand Elephants, subdued the Kingdomes of Macin, and Arrachan, followed the cur∣rents of his Victories; conquered Siam, drove the king thereof from PEGV, where he hath built a most Magnificent Palace: and is now the sole Monarch of the twelve kingdomes of this India.

A more particular relation of this King, and his new-settled Estate, we cannot yet understand: what his Revenues are, what his Government, what his Forces. Merchants, whose inquisitive∣ness into the State-Matters of other Princes, is dangerous to their trading, cannot give us any full satisfaction: Scholars and Statists are not permitted to observe; and such of the Natives as could give us the most light, are not suffered to travell. Onely we may conjecture by the great Wealth of those several Princes, and the vast Armies by them raised in their severall Territories, that his Annual Revenues, Casualties, and united Forces must be almost infinite.