CHAP. XV. Antonio de Faria's setting forth for the Isle of Ainan, his arrival at the River of Tinacoren; and that which befell us in this Voyage. (Book 15)
* 1.1AS soon as Antonio de Faria was ready, he departed from Patana on a Saturday the ninth of May, 1540. and steered North North-west, towards the Kingdom of Champaa, with an intent to discover the Ports and Havens thereof, as also by the means of some good booty to furnish himself with such things as he wanted; for his haste to part from Patana was such, as he had not time to furnish himself with that which was necessary for him, no not with victual and warlike ammunition enough. After we had sailed three days we had sight of an Island, called Pullo Condor, at the height of eight degrees and three quarters, on the North Coast, and almost North-west towards the mouth of the River of Camboia, so that having rounded all the Coast, we discovered a good Haven Eastward, where in the Island of Camboia, distant some six leagues from the firm Land, we met with a Junk of Lequios, that was going to the Kingdom of Siam with an Embassador from the Nautauquim of Lindau, who was Prince of the Island of Tosa, and that had no sooner discovered us but he sent a message by a Chinese Pilot to Antonio de Faria, full of complements, whereunto was added these words from them all: That the time would come when as they should communicate with us in the true love of the Law of God, and of his in••inite clemency, who by his death had given life to all men, and a perpetual inheritance in the house of the good, and that they beleeved this should be so, after the half of the half time was past. With this complement they sent him a Courtelas of great value, whose handle and scabbard was of gold, as also six and twenty Pearls in a little Box likewise of gold, made after the fashion of a Salt-seller, whereat Antonio de Faria was very much grieved, by reason he was not able to render the like unto this Prince, as he was obliged to do, for wh••n the Chinese arrived with this message they were distant above a league at Sea from us. Hereupon we went ashore, where we spent three days in taking in fresh water, and fishing. Then we put to Sea again, laboring to get to the firm Land, there to seek out a River, named Pullo Cambim, which divides the State of Camboia from the Kingdom of Champaa, in the height of nine degrees, where arriving on a Sunday the last of May, we went up three leagues in this River, and anchored just against a great Town, called Catimparu, there we re∣mained twelve days in peace, during the which we made our provision of all things necessary. Now b••cause Antonio de Faria was naturally curious, he endevored to understand from the people of the Country what Nation inhabited beyond them, and whence that mighty River took its sou••ce; whereunto he was answered, that it was derived from a lake, named Pinator, d••stant from them Eastward two hundred and sixty leagues in the Kingdom of Quitirvan, and that it was invironed with high mountains, at the foot whereof, upon the brink of the water, were eight and thirty villages, of which thirteen were very great, and the rest small, and that only in one of the great on••s, called Xincaleu, there was such a huge myne of gold, as by the re∣p••••t of those that lived thereabout, there was every day a bar and a half drawn out of it, which, according to the value of our mony, makes two and twenty millions in a year, and that four Lords had share in it, who continually were in war together, each one striving to make himself master of it; I, and that one of them, named Raiahitau, had in an inner yard of his house, in pots under ground, that were full to the very brims, above six hundred bars of gold in powder, like to that of Mexancabo of the Island of Samatra; And th•••• if three hundred