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. XIII. My departure from Malaca to go to Pan; that which fortuned after my arrival there; with the murther of the King of Pan, and the cause thereof. (Book 13)

TO return unto the Discourse where I left, I say,* 1.1 that when I was recovered of the sickness which I got in my Captivity at Siaca, Pedro de Faria, desiring to find out some occasion to advance and benefit me, sent me in a Lanchara to the Kingdom of Pan with goods of his, to the value of ten thousand duckets, for to consign them into the hands of a Factor of his, that recided there, named Tome Lobo, and from thence to go to Patava, which is an hundred leagues beyond that. To that purpose he gave me a Letter and a Present for the King, and an ample Commission to treat with him about the redemption of five Portugals, who in the Kingdom of Siam were Slaves to Monteo de Bancha his Brother-in-law. I parted then from Malaca upon this employment, and the seventh day of our Voyage, just as we were opposite to the Island of Pullo Timano, which may be distant from Malaca some ninety leagues, and ten or twelve from the mouth of the River of Pan, a little before day we heard at two several times great lamentations at Sea, and being not able in regard of the darkness of the night to know what it was, we were all suspended into divers opinions, for that we could not imagine what it should be, in so much that to learn the certainty thereof I caused them to hoist up sail, and row towards that part where we heard the lamentation, every one looking down round about close to the water, the better to discern and hear that of which we were in such doubt. After we had continued a pretty while in this manner, we perceived far from us a black thing that floated on the Sea, and unable at first to discover what it was, we advised together about it. Now there being but four Portugals of us in the Lanchara, we were all of different minds, so that I was told how I was to go directly to the place whither Pedro de Faria had sent me, that losing but an hours time I might endanger the Voyage, and hazard the goods, and so for want of performing the duty of my charge I might very much wrong him. Whereunto I an∣swered, that happen what might, I would not leave off laboring to know what it was, and that if in so doing I committed any fault, the Lanchara appertained to none but Pedro de Fa∣ria, unto whom my self was to render an account of the goods in it, and not they, that had nothing else in the Vessel but their persons, which were in no more danger then mine: During this debate it pleased God that the day appeared, by the light whereof we perceived p••ople that

were cast away, who floated pell-mell together upon planks, and other pieces of wood: Whereupon without further fear we turned our prow towards them, and with force of sails and oars we made to them, hearing them cry six or seven times, without using any other speech, Lord have mercy upon us. At the sight of this strange and pitiful spectacle we remained so a∣mazed, that we were almost besides our selves, and causing some of the Mariners to get with all speed into the Cock-boat, they fetcht three and twenty persons of them into the Lanchara, namely fourteen Portugals, and nine Slaves, which were all so dis-figured in the face, as they made us afraid to look on them, and so weak as they could neither speak nor stand. After they had been thus taken up by us, and entreated in the best manner we could, we demanded of them the cause of their mis-fortune, whereunto one of the company we••ping answered, My Masters, I am named Fernand Gil Porcal••o, and the eye, which you behold I want, was strucken out by the Achems at the siege of Malaca, when as the second time they came to sur∣prize Dom Est••vano de Gama, who desiring to do something for me, because he saw me poor, as I was at that time, gave me leave to go to the Molucques, where would to God I had ne∣ver been, since my Voyage was to have so bad a success: for after I departed from the Port of Talagame, which is the Roade of our Fort at Ternate, having sailed three and twenty days with a favorable gale in a Junck that carried a thousand bars of Cloves, worth above an hundred thousand duckets, my ill fortune would, that at the point of Surabaya in the Isle of Iaoa, there arose so impetuous a North-wind, that our Junck brake in the prow, which constrained us to lighten the hatches; So we passed that night by the shoar, without bearing so much as a rag of sail, by reason the Sea was exceedingly moved, and the waves most insupportable. The next day we perceived that our Junk sank, so that of an hundred forty and seven persons that were in her there were saved but six and twenty, and now it is fourtain days that we have been upon these planks, having during all that time eaten nothing but a slave of mine that dyed, with whom we have sustained our selves eight days, and the very last night two Portugals more dyed, on whom we would not feed, although we were very much prest to it by our hunger, because we hoped that this or the next day would give an end both to our lives and misery.

* 1.2The relation, which this man made us, having rendred us all very pensive, and full of amaze∣ment to see him and his companions reduced to so deplorable an estate, we greatly wondered at the means, whereby God had so miraculously delivered them, wherefore we gave him most humble thanks for it, and comforted our new guests, in representing unto them all those things which the duty of true Christians and our poor captivity obliged us to tell them. After that we bestowed part of our clothes on them, and layd them in our ordinary beds, then we apply∣ed those remedies to them, which we thought necessary for their recovery; for not having slept of a long time, they were so exceeding dizzy in the head, that they would fall down stunn••d in such sort, as they continued without any knowledg for an hour together. This done, we went to seek out the Port of Pan, where we arrived near about midnight, casting anchor in the Roade, just against a little inhabited place, called Campalaru. The next morning by break of day we rowed up the River about some league to the Town, where we found Tome Lobo, who, as I have already declared, resided there, as Factor for the Captain of Malaca, into whose hands I consigned all the Merchandise that I brought along with me. The same day three of the fourteen Portugals, which we took up at Sea, dyed, whereof the afore-named Fernando Gil Porcalho was one, as also five young men that were Christians, whom we cast all into the Sea, with great stones tyed to their feet and about their necks for to make them sink to the bottom, in regard we could not be permitted to bury them in the Town, although Tome Lobo offered them forty duckets for that purpose, the reason they alledged was, that if they should suffer it, their Country would remain accursed, and incapable of nourishing any thing, because the deceased were not purged from the Hogs flesh they had eaten, it being the most de∣testable and enormous sin of all others; As for those which rested alive, Tome Lobo gave them very good entertainment, and furnished them with all things that they wanted, until such time as they recovered and returned to Malaca. Not long after, preparing my self for my Voyage to Patana, Tome Lobo very earnestly desired me not to go thither, and told me that he held not himself safe in that Town, by reason he was advertised that one Taan N••rrafa, a man of reputation, and of the chiefest of the Town, had sworn to burn him in his house, with all the goods that were in it, saying, that at Malaca the Captains Factor had taken from him the va∣lue of five thousand duckets in Benjamin, Silk, and wood of Aloes, at a far lower rate then it was worth, and that he had payd him at his own pleasure, and therewith not contented had

in part of payment given him rotten stuffs, which he could make nothing of; moreover, that for all his five thousand duckets worth of Commodities, that in Malaca would have yielded him ten thousand, and by exchange of vendible wares, he might easily have returned, would have made him ten thousand more, he never could get above seven hundred duckets; and there∣fore to be revenged of this wrong, he had picked quarrels of purpose to tole him forth to kill him, in regard whereof he instantly desired me to stay, and not abandon him and the Captains stock to such apparant danger: Whereupon having used all the reasons I could to facilitate my voyage, he would by no means approve of them, but contradicted me in all my propositions. For conclusion, I remonstrated unto him, that if it were his ill fortune, as he said he feared, to be killed for that which he had, I should be in no better case, and therefore I marvelled why he would let those eleven Portugals go, with whom rather he should have imbarqued himself for Malaca. Hereunto after a little pause he made answer, that he was very sorry he had not done so, but since it was now too late, he intreated me not to forsake him in this extremity, and that for the Captains sake, who he knew would not take it well I should leave him so alone with his goods, which were no less worth then thirty thousand duckets, besides those belonging to him∣self, that amounted to almost as much more. This request of his made to me with such instance on the one side, somewhat perplexed me, and on the other considering the extream hazard I ran if I stay'd, I knew not what to resolve; At length after I had well thought of the matter, I was constrained to come to this accord with him, that in case he did not within fifteen days imbarque himself with me in my Lanchara for Patana, with all his Commodities reduced into gold, or stones, whereof there was great plenty in the Town, that then I might go where I pleased without him; an offer that he was forced to accept of, and so we remained agreed.

The fear Tome Lobo was in, left that wherewithall he was threatened should befall him,* 1.3 made him use such diligence in selling away of his commodities, that by means of the good peny-worths he afforded them at, in less then eight days he cleared his Warehouse, and the other places wherein they lay; so that utterly refusing Pepper; Cloves, and such other Drugs, which took up too much room, he trucked all away for gold of Menencabo, for Diamonds of Lavo and Taucampura, and Pearls of Borneo. Now having made a full dispatch of all, and that we were resolved to imbarque the next day, by ill fortune a most terrible accident happened the night ensuing, which was, that one, named Coin Geinal, the King of Borneo's Embassador, who had been three or four years resident in the King of Pan's Court, and a marvelous rich man, killed the King upon finding him in bed with his wife, which caused such a commotion in the Town, that it seemed to be a Tumult of Hell rather then any humane business; Whereupon certain rogues and vagabonds, that wished for nothing more then such like occasions, to the end they might do what before for fear of the King they durst not enterprize, made a Troop of five or six hundred, which separated into three bands, went directly to the house, where Tome Lobo dwelt. Having assaulted it in six or seven places, they entred by force, notwithstanding all the resistance we could make, and that in defending it we lost eleven men, whereof the Por∣tugals, which came with me from Malaca, were three. During this violence, all that Tome Lobo could do was to escape away with six great blows of a sword, one of the which had cut his right cheek almost away, so as he was like to dye of that hurt. We were both of us then constrained to abandon the house to them, together with all the goods that were in it, and re∣tire to the Lanchara, where we remained with five Boys and eight Mariners, not having so much as the worth of a peny left of all our merchandize, which amounted to fifty thousand crowns in gold and stone only. In this Lanchara we past away all the night very much afflict∣ed, and still harkening what might be the end of this mutiny, which was risen among the peo∣ple, as I have before related. At length perceiving the matters grew worse and worse, and that there was no hope for us to recover any part of our goods, we thought it a far safer course to go away to Patana, then by staying to run a hazard of being killed, as above four thousand persons were. With this resolution we parted from this place, and in six days arrived at Patana, where we were very well received by the Portugals which were in that Country, unto whom we recounted all that had past at Pan▪ and the pitious estate wherein we had left that miserable Town. This accident very much afflicted them, so that desiring to give some remedy there∣unto, with a true affection of charitable Christians they went all to the Palace of the King, and complained to him of the wrong that had been done to the Captain of Malaca, beseeching him thereupon they might be permitted to recover, if it were possible, the loss they had sustain∣ed, and have leave granted to right themselves upon any merchants goods belonging to the

Kingdom of Pan, to the value of the sum they had been despoyled of. The King having heard their complaint, and presently granting what they demanded; It is reasonable, said he, that you should do as you have been done unto, and that you should spoyl them that first have spoyled you, especially in a matter that concerns the Captain of Malaca, unto whom all of you are so much obliged. The Portugals, having rendred him very humble thanks for this grace, re∣turned to their houses, where they concluded to seize upon all the goods they could meet with belonging to the Kingdom of Pan, until such time as they had fully recovered their loss. It hapned then about nine days after they being advertised, that some ten leagues off, in the river of Calantan, were three Junks of China, very rich, and appertaining to Mahometan Merchants, Natives of the Kingdom of Pan, that by foul weather at Sea were constrained to put in there, our people resolved to fall upon them: To which effect, out of three hundred Portugals, that were then in the Country, we chose out fourscore, with whom we imbarqued our selves in two Foysts, and one round ship, well provided of all things we thought to be necessary for this en∣terprize. So we departed three days after with all speed, for fear lest the Mahometans of the Country, having discovered our design, should advertise them of it whom we went to seek; Of these three vessels one Ioano Fernandez Dabrea, born in the Isle of Madera, was General, who with forty Soldiers went in the round ship, and the other two Foysts were commanded by Laurenco de Goes, and Vasco Sermento, both of them of the City of Braganea in Portugal, and very well experienced in Sea-service. The next day we arrived at the river of Calentan, where as soon as we decryed the three Junks riding at anchor, which we had been told of, we set very valiantly upon them, and albeit those that were in them did at first do their best endevor to defend themselves, yet at length all their resistance was in vain, for in less then an hour we reduced them all under our power, so as seventy and four of theirs were slain, and but three of ours, though we had many men hurt. I will not hold you here with any particular discourse of what was done on either side, let it suffice, that after the three Junks had rendred themselves, we presently set sail, and carryed them away with us in all haste, because the whole Country thereabout was in an uproar, directing our course towards Patana, where by the favor of a fair wind we arrived the next day in the afternoon: Having then cast anchor, we saluted the Town with a peal of Ordnance in sign of joy, which put the Mahometans of the Country out of all patience; for though we stood in the terms of good friends with them, yet they left not to use all possible means, both of Presents which they gave to the Governors and the Kings Favorites, and otherwise, for to make our prizes voyd, and that the King would expel us out of his dominions, whereunto he would at no hand consent, saying, that he would not for any thing in the world break the peace, which his Ancestors had made with the Christians of Ma∣laca, ••nd that all that he could do therein was to become a third betwixt them: Whereupon he de••••••ed us, that the three Necodas of the Junks, so are the Commanders of them called in that Country, restoring unto us what had been taken from the Captain of Malaca, we would like∣wise render unto them as well their vessels free, as the overplus, a matter which Ioano Fer∣nandez Dabrea, and the rest of the Portugals very willingly agreed unto, to testifie the desire they had to content him; As indeed he was exceedingly well pleased with them for it, which he expressed both in courteous language, and many promises of his future favor. Thus were the fifty thousand duckets recovered, that Pedro de Faria and Tome Lobo had lost, and the Portugals were in great esteem over all that Country, so that their valor rendred them very formidable to the Mahometans. A little after the Soldiers assured us, that in the three Junks we had taken, there was only in lingo••s of silver, besides the other merchandize wherewithall they were laden, to the value of two hundred Taieis, which in our mony amounts to an hun∣dred thousand duckets.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.
• * 1.2

  §. 2.
• * 1.3

  §. 3.