The voyages and adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, a Portugal, during his travels for the space of one and twenty years in the Kingdoms of Ethiopia, China, Tartaria, Cauchinchina, Calaminham, Siam, Pegu, Japan, and a great part of the East-Indiaes with a relation and description of most of the places thereof, their religion, laws, riches, customs, and government in time of peace and war : where he five times suffered shipwrack, was sixteen times sold, and thirteen times made a slave / written originally by himself in the Portugal tongue and dedicated to the Majesty of Philip King of Spain ; done into English by H.C. Gent.

CHAP. IX. The Arrival of an Embassador at Malaca from the King of Aaru to the Captain thereof; his sending me to the said King, my coming to Aaru, and that which happend to me after my departing from thence. (Book 9)

* 1.1FIve and twenty days after my coming to Malaca, Dom Stephano de Gama being still Cap∣tain of the Fortress, an Embassador arrived there from the King of Aaru, for to demand succor of men from him, and some munitions of War, as Powder, and Bullets, for to defend himself from a great Fleet that the King of Achem was setting forth against him, with an in∣tention to deprive him of his Kingdom, and so be a nearer neighbor unto us, to the end that having gained that passage, he might afterwards send his forces the more easily against our For∣tress of Malaca: whereof Pedro de Faria was no sooner advertised, but representing unto himself how important this affair was for the service of the King, and preservation of the For∣tress, he acquainted Dom Stephano de Gama with it, in regard his Command of the place was to continue yet six weeks longer; howbeit he excused himself from giving the succor, which was required, saying, that the time of his Government was now expiring, and that his being shortly to come in the duty of his charge did oblige him to take care of this business, and to think of the danger that menaced him. Hereunto Pedro de Faria made answer, that if he would relinquish his Government for the time he had yet to come in it, or give him full power to dis∣pose of the publique Magazins, he would provide for the succor that he thought was necessary. In a word, and not to stand long on that which past betwixt them, it shall suffice to say, that this Embassador was utterly denyed his demand by these two Captains, whereof the one alledg∣ed for excuse, that he was not yet entered upon his Charge, and the other that he was upon the finishing of his: whereupon he returned very ill satisfied with this refusal, and so far resented injustice, which he thought was done unto his King, as the very morning wherein he imbarqued himself, having met by chance with the two Captains at the gate of the Fortress, he said aloud before them publiquely with the tears in his eyes; O God! that with a soveraign Power and Majesty raignest in the highest of the Heavens, even with deep sighs fetch'd from the bottom of my heart, I take thee for Iudg of my cause, and for witness of the just occasion I have to make this request to these Captains here, and that in the name of my King, the faithful Vassal of the great King of Portugal, upon homage sworn by his Ancestors to the famous Albu∣que••que, who promised us, that if the Kings of our Kingdom did always continue true and loyal Subjects to his Master, that then both he and his successors would oblige themselves to defend them against all their enemies, as belonged to their soveraign Lord to do; wherefore since we have continued still loyal to this day, what reason have you, my Masters, not to ac∣complish this obligation, wherein your King and you are so deeply engaged, especially seeing you know that only in respect of you this perfidious Tyrant of Achem takes our Country from us; For there is nothing he so much reproacheth us withall, as that my King is as good a Por∣tugal, and Christian, as if he had been born in Portugal; and yet now that he desires you to suc∣cor him in his need, as allyes and true friends ought to do, you excuse your selves with reasons that are of no validity. The succor we require of you for to secure us, and to keep this faithless wretch from seizing on our Kingdom, is a very small matter, namely, forty or fifty Portugals, that may instruct us in the military art, together with four barrels of Powder, and two hun∣dred Bullets for field Pieces; a poor thing in comparison of that you have. Now if you can yet be perswaded to grant us this little ayd, you shall thereby so much oblige our King, as he will ever remain a faithful slave to the mighty Prince of Portugal, your Master and ours, in whose name I beseech you, once, twice, nay an hundred times, that you will perform that ap∣pertains unto your duty to do, for this which I thus publikely demand of you is of so great importance, that therein consists, not so much the preservation of the Kingdom of Aaru, as the safety of this your Fortress of Malaca, which that Tyrant of Achem our enemy so extreamly desires to possess, and to that purpose he hath gotten the assistance of divers strange Nations; but because he finds that our Kingdom is a let to the execution of his design, he en∣deavors to usurp it upon us, and then he intends to guard this Straight in such sort, as he will quite exclude you from all Commerce with the Spices of Banda and the Molucques, and from all the Trade and Navigation of the Seas of China, Sunda, Borneo, Timor, and Jappon, and this his own people stick not to boast of even already, being also further manifested by the accord,

which he hath lately made with the Turk, through the interpos••ure of the Bassa of grand Cairo, who in consideration thereof hath promised to ay•• him with great Forces: Wherefore at length give ear unto the request which I have made unto you in the name of my King, and that so much concerns the service of yours, for since you may yet give a remedy to the mischief, which you see is ready to fall, I desire you to do it speedily; And let not one of you excuse himself by alledging that the time of his Government is almost at an end, nor the other, that he is not as yet entered upon his Charge, for it is sufficient that you know you are both of you equally ob∣liged thereunto.

Having finished this speech in form of a request, which availed him nothing, he stooped down to the ground, from whence taking up two stones, he knocked with them upon a Piece of Ordnance, and then the tears standing in his eyes he said, The Lord, who hath created us, will defend us if he please, and so imbarquing himself he departed greatly discontented for the bad answer he carried back. Five days after his departure Pedro de Faria was told how all the Town murmured at the small respect, that both he and Dom Stephano had carried to that poor King, who had ever been a friend both to them, and the whole Portugal Nation, and conti∣nually done very good offices to the Fort, for which cause his Kingdom was now like to be taken from him: This advice causing him to see his fault, and to be ashamed of his proceeding, he labored to have palliated it with certain excuses, but at last he sent this King by way of succor fifteen quintals of fine Powder, an hundred pots of Wild-fire, an hundred and fifty Bullets for great Ordnance, twelve Harquebuzes, forty sacks of stones, threescore Headpieces, and a Coat of guilt Mail, lined with Crimson Sattin for his own person, together with many other garments of divers sorts, as also twenty pieces of Caracas, which are stained linnen, or Cotten Tapestry, that come from the Indiaes, and cloth of Malaya, wherewith they usually apparel themselves in that Country, as well for his wife, as his daughters. All these things being laden aboard a Lanchara with oars, he desired me to conduct and present them from him to the King of Aaru, adding withall, that this business greatly concerned the King of Portugals service, and that at my return, besides the recompence I should receive from him, he would give me an extraordinary pay, and upon all occasions employ me in such Voyages, as might redound to my profit; whereupon I undertook it, in an ill hour as I may say, and for a punishment of my sins, in regard of what arrived unto me thereupon, as shall be seen hereafter. So then I imbarqued my self on Tuesday morning, the fifth of October, 1539. and used such speed, that on Sunday following I arrived at the River of Panetican, upon which the City of Aaru is scitu∣ated.

I no sooner got to the River of Panetican, but presently landing I went directly to a Trench,* 1.2 which the King in person was causing to be made at the mouth of the River for to impeach the Enemies dis-imbarquing; Presenting my self unto him, he received me with great demonstra∣tion of joy, whereupon I delivered him Pedro de Faria's Letter, which gave him some hope of his coming in person to succor him, if need required, with many other complements, that cost little the saying, wherewith the King was wonderfully contented, because he already imagined that the effect thereof would infallibly ensue; But after he saw the Present I brought him, con∣sisting of Powder, and Ammunitions, he was so glad, that taking me in his arms, My good friend, said be unto me, I assure thee that the last night I dreamt how all these things, which I behold here before me, came unto me from the King of Portugal, my Masters Fortress, by m••ans whereof, with Gods assistance, I hope to defend my Kingdom, and to serve him, in the manner I have always hitherto done, that is, most faithfully, as all the Captains can very well testifie, which have heretofore commanded in Malaca. Hereupon questioning me about certain matters, that he desired to know, as well concerning the Indiaes, as the Kingdom of Portugal, he recommended the finishing of the Trench to his people, who wrought very ear∣nestly and chearfully in it, and taking me by the hand, on foot as he was, attended only by five or six Gentlemen, ••e led me directly to the City, that was about some quarter of a league from the Trench, where in his Palace he entertained me most magnificently, yea and made me to sa∣lute his wife, a matter very rarely practised in that Country, and held for a special honor, which when I had done with abundance of tears he said unto me, Portugal, here is the cause that makes me so much to redoubt the coming of mine Enemies, for were I not withheld by my wife I swear unto thee by the Law of a good and true Moor, that I would prevent them in their de∣signs without any other ayd then of my own Subjects; for it is not now that I begin to know what manner of man the per••idious Achem is, or how far his power extends; Alas! it is the

great store of Gold, which he possesseth, that covers his weakness, and by means whereof he wageth such forces of strangers, wherewith he is continually served: But now that thou mayst on the other side understand how vile and odious poverty is, and how hurtful to a poor King, such as I may be, come thee along with me, and by that little which I will presently let thee see thou shalt perceive, whether it be not too true, that Fortune hath been exceeding niggardly to me of her goods; Saying so, he carried me to his Orsenal, which was covered with thatch, and shewed me all that he had within it, whereof he might say with reason, that it was no∣thing in comparison of what he needed for to withstand the attempts of two hundred and thir∣ty Vessels, replenished with such warlike people, as the Achems and Mulabar Turks were; Moreover, with a sad countenance, and as one that desired to discharge his mind of the grief he was in for the danger was threatened him, he recounted unto me, that he had in all but six thou∣sand men Aaruns, without any other forraign succor, forty Pieces of small Ordnance, as Fal∣conets, and Bases, and one cast Piece, which he had formerly bought of a Portugal, named Antonio de Garcia, sometimes Receiver of the Toll and Customs of the Ports of the Fortress of Pacem, whom Georgio ••' Albuqurque caused since to be hanged and quartered at Malaca, for that he treated by Letters with the King of Bintham about a plot of Treason, which they had contrived together; He told me besides, that he had also forty Muskets, six and twenty Elephants, fifty Horsemen for the guard of the place, eleven or twelve thousand staves hardened in the fire, called Salignes, whose points were poysoned, and for the defence of the Trench fifty Lances, good store of Targets, a thousand pots of unslack'd Lime made into Powder, and to be used in stead of pots of Wild-fire, and three or four Barques full laden with great flints; In a word, by the view of these, and such other of his miseries, I easily perceived he was so unpro∣vided of things necessary for his defence, that I presently concluded the Enemy would have no great ado to seize on this Kingdom: Nevertheless he having demanded of me what I thought of all this Ammunition in his Magazin, and whether there were not enough to receive the guests he expected, I answered him, that it would serve to entertain them; but he understand∣ing my meaning stood musing a pretty while, and then shaking his head, Verily, said he unto me, if your King of Portugal did but know what a loss it would be to him, that the Tyrant of Achem should take my Kingdom from me, doubtless he would chastise the little care of his Captains, who, blinded as they are, and wallowing in their avarice, have suffered my Enemy to grow so strong, that I am much afraid they shall not be able to restrain him when they would, or if they could, that then it must be with an infinite expence. I labored to answer this which he had said unto me with such resentment, but he confuted all my reasons with so much truth, as I had not the heart to make any farther reply; withall he represented divers foul and enormous actions unto me, wherewithall he charged some particulars amongst us, which I am contented to pass by in silence, both in regard they are nothing pertinent to my discourse, and that I desire not to discover other mens faults; For a conclusion of his speech, he related unto me the little punishment which was ordained for such as were culpable of these matters, and the great re∣wards that he had seen conferred on those which had not deserved them; whereunto he added, that if the King desired throughly to perform the duty of his Charge, and by Arms to conquer people so far distant from his Kingdom, and to preserve them, it was as necessary for him to punish the wicked, as to recompence the good. This said, he sent me to lodg in a Merchants house, who for five days together, that I remained there, entertained me bravely, though to speak truth I had rather have been at that time in some other place with any poor victuals, for here I was always in fear, by reason of the Enemies continual alarms, and the certain news that came to the King the next day after my arrival, how the Achems were already marching towards Aa∣ru, and would be there within eight days at the farthest, which made him in all haste to give directions for such things as he had not taken order for before, and to send the women, and all that were unfit for War, out of the City five or six leagues into the Wood, amongst the which the Queen her self made one, mounted on an Elephant. Five days after my arrival, the King sent for me, and asked me when I would be gone, whereunto I replyed, at such time as it would please his Greatness to command me, though I should be glad it might be with the soon∣est, for that I was to be employed by my Captain with his Merchandise to China: Thou hast reason, answered he; then taking two Bracelets of massy Gold off from his wrists, worth some thirty Crowns, I pre-thee now, said he, giving them to me, do not impute it to miser∣ableness that I bestow so little on thee, for thou mayst be assured, that it hath been always my desire for to have much for to give much; withall I must desire thee to present this Letter, and

this Diamond from me to thy Captain, to whom thou shalt say, that whatsoever I am further engaged to him in for the pleasure he hath done me by succoring me with those Ammunitions he hath sent me by thee, I will bring it to him my self hereafter, when I shall be at more liberty then now I am.

Having taken leave of the King of Aaru, I presently imbarqued my self,* 1.3 and departed about Sun-set, rowing down the River to an Hamlet, that is at the entrance thereof, composed of ten or eleven houses covered with ••traw: This place is inhabited with very poor people, that get their living by killing of Lezards, of whose livers they make a poyson, wherewith they anoint the heads of their arrows; For the poyson of this place, chiefly that, which is called Pocausilim, is held by them the best of those Countries, because there is no remedy for him that is hurt with it. The next day, having left this small Village, we sailed along the coast with a land wind until evening, that we doubled the Islands of Anchepisan, then the day and part of the night following we put forth somewhat farther to Sea: But about the first watch the wind changed to the North-east, for such winds are ordinary about the Isle of Samatra, and grew to be so tempestuous, that it blew our mast over board, tore our sails in pieces, and so shattered our Vessel, that the water came in that abundance into her at two several places, as she sunk in∣continently to the bottom, so that of eight & twenty persons, which were in her, three and twen∣ty were drowned in less then a quarter of an hour. For as five that escaped by the mercy of God, we passed the rest of the night upon a Rock, where the waves of the Sea had cast us. There all that we could do was with tears to lament our sad fortune, not knowing what counsel or course to take, by reason the Country was so moorish, and invironned with so thick a Wood, that a bird, were she never so little, could hardly make way through the branches of it, for that the trees grew so close together; We sat crouching for the space of three whole days upon this Rock, where for all our sustenance we had nothing but Snails, and such filth, as the ••oam of the Sea produced there. After this time, which we spent in great misery and pain, we walked a whole day along by the Isle of Samatra, in the owze up to the girdle-stead, and about Sun-set we came to the mouth of a little River, some Crossbow-shot broad, which we durst not un∣dertake to swim over, for that it was deep, and we very weak and weary; so that we were forced to pass all that night, standing up to the chin in the water. To this misery was there adjoyned the great affliction which the Flies and Gnats brought us, that coming out of the neighboring Woods, bit and stung us in such sort, as not one of us but was gore blood. The next morning as soon as we perceived day, which we much desired to see, though we had lit∣tle hope of life, I demanded of my four companions, all Mariners, whether they knew the Country, or whether there was any habitation thereabout; Whereupon the eldest of them, who had a wife at Malaca, not able to contain his tears, Alas! answered he, the place that now is most proper for you, and me, is the house of death, where ere it be long we must give an account of our sins, it therefore behoves us to prepare our selves for it without any further delay, and patiently to attend that which is sent us from the hand of God: For my part, let me intreat thee to be of a good courage whatsoever thou seest, and not be terrified with the fear of dying, since, every thing well considered, it matters not whether it be to day, or to morrow. This spoken, he embraced me, and with tears in his eyes desired me to make him a Christian, because he beleeved, as he said, that to be so was sufficient to save his Soul, which could not otherwise be done in the cursed sect of Mahomet, wherein he had lived till then, and for which he craved pardon of God. Having finished these last words, he remained dead in mine arms, for he was so weak, as he was not able to subsist any longer, as well for that he had not eaten ought in three or four days before, as in regard of a great wound the wrack of the Lanchara had given him in his head, through which one might see his brains all putrefied and corrupted, occasioned both for want of looking unto, as by salt water and flies that were gotten into it. Verily this accident grieved me very much, but for my self I was in little better case, for I was likewise so weak, that every step I made in the water I was ready to swoon, by reason of cer∣tain hurts on my head and body, out of which I had lost a great deal of blood. Having buried him in the owze the best we could, the other three Mariners and my self resolved to cross the River, for to go and sleep on certain great Trees, that we saw on the other side, for fear of the Tygers and Crocodiles, whereof that Country is full, besides many other venomous creatures, as an infinite of those copped Adders I have spoken of before in the sixth Chapter, and divers sorts of Serpents with black and green scales, whose venom is so contagious, as they kill men with their very breath. This resolution being thus taken by us, I desired two of them to swim

over first, and the other to stay with me for to hold me up in the water, for that in regard of my great weakness I could hardly stand upon my legs: whereupon they two cast themselves presently into the water, exhorting us to follow them, and not be afraid; But alas! they were scarce in the midst of this River, when as we saw them caught by two great L••zards, that before our faces, and in an instant tearing them in pieces, dragged them to the bottom, leaving the water all bloody, which was so dreadful a spectacle to us, as we had not the power to cry out; and for my self, I knew not who drew me out of the water, nor how I escaped thence, for I was gone before into the River as deep as my waste, with that other Mariner which h••ld me by the hand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.
• * 1.2

  §. 2.
• * 1.3

  §. 3.