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. XXXV. The Prison of Xinanguibaleu, wherein those are kept, which have been condem∣ned to serve at the reparations of the wall of Tartaria; and another inclo∣sure, called the Treasure of the dead, with the revenues whereof this prison is maintained. (Book 35)

DEsisting now from speaking in particular of the great number of the rich and magnificent buildings, which we saw in this City of Pequin, I will only insist on some of the Edifi∣ces thereof, that seemed more remarkable to me then the rest, whence it may be easie to infer, what all those might be, whereof I will not make any mention here to avoid prolixity; And of these neither would I speak, were it not that our Lord may one day permit, that the Portugal Nation, full of valour, and of lofty courage, may make use of this relation for the glory of our great God, to the end that by these humane means, and the assistance of his divine favor, it may make those barbarous people understand the verity of our holy Catholique faith, from which their sins have so far esloigned them, as they mock at all that we say to them thereof: Hereunto I will adde, that they are extravagant, and senceless, as they dare boldly affirm, that only with beholding the face of the Son of the Sun, which is their King, a soul would be more happy then with all other things of the world besides, which perswades me that if God of his infinite mercy and goodness would grant, that the King of the people might become a Christian, it would be an easie matter to convert all his Subjects, whereas otherwise I hold it difficult for

so much as one to change his belief, and all by reason of the great awe they are in of the Law, which they fear and reverence a like, and whereof it is not to be believed how much they che∣rish the Ministers. But to return to my discourse, the first building which I saw of those that were most remarkable, was a prison, which they call Xinanguibaleu, that is to say, The in∣closure of the Epiles; the circuit of this prison is two leagues square, or little less, both in length and bredth: It is inclosed with a very high wall without any battlements; the wall on the outside is invironed with a great deep ditch full of water, over the which are a many of draw∣bridges, that are drawn up in the night with certain iron chains, and so hang suspended on huge cast pillars; In this prison is an arch of strong hewed stone, abutting in two towers, in the tops whereof are six great sentinel bells, which are never rung but all the rest within the said inclo∣sure do answer them, which the Chineses affirm to be above an hundred, and indeed they make a most horrible din. In this place there are ordinarily three hundred thousand prisoners, between seventeen and fifty, whereat we were much amazed, and indeed we had good cause, in regard it is a thing so unusual and extraordinary. Now desiring to know of the Chineses the occasion of so marvellous a building, and of the great number of prisoners that were in it; they an∣swered us, that after the King of China, named Crisnago Docotay, had finished a wall of three hundred leagues space betwixt this Kingdom of China, and that of Tartaria, as I have de∣clared other where, he ordained by the advice of his people, (for to that effect he caused an Assembly of his Estates to be held) that all those which should be condemned to banishment, should be sent to work in the repairing of this wall, and that after they had served six years to∣gether therein, they might freely depart, though they were sentenced to serve for a longer time, because the King pardoned them the remainder of the term by way of charity and alms; but if during those years, they should happen to perform any remarkable act, or other thing, where∣in it appeared they had advantage over others, or if they were three times wounded in the Sal∣lies they should make, or if they killed some of their enemies, they were then to be dispensed with for all the rest of their time, and that the Chaem should grant them a certificate there∣of, where it should be declared why he had delivered them, and how he had thereby satisfied the Ordinances of War. Two hundred and ten thousand men are to be continually entertained in the work of the wall, by the first institution, whereof defalcation is made of a third part, for such are dead, maimed, and delivered, either for their notable actions, or for that they had accomplished their time: And likewise when as the Chaem, who is as the chief of all those, sent to the Pitaucamay, which is the highest Court of Justice, to furnish him with that num∣ber of men, they could not assemble them together so soon as was necessary, for that they were divided in so many several places of that Empire, which is prodigiously great, as I have deliver∣ed before, and that withall a long time was required for the assembling them together, another King, named Gopiley Aparau, who succeeded to that Crisnago Dacotay, ordained that the great inclosure should be made in the City of Pequin, to the end that as soon as any were con∣demned to the work of this wall, they should be carried to Xinanguibaleu for to be there al∣together, by which means they might be sent away without any delay, as now is done. So soon as the Court of Justice hath committed the prisoners to this prison, whereof he that brings them hath a Certificate, they are immediately left at liberty, so that they may walk at their pleasure within this great inclosure, having nothing but a little plate of a span long, and four fingers broad, wherein these words are engraven, Such a one of such a place hath been con∣demned to the general exile for such a cause, he entred such a day, such a month, such a year. Now the reason why they make every prisoner to carry this plate for a testimony of their evil actions, is, to manifest for what crime he was condemned, and at what time he entred, be∣cause every one goes forth conformably to the length of time that shall be since he entred in. These prisoners are held for duly delivered when they are drawn out of captivity for to go and work at the wall, for they cannot upon any cause whatsoever be exempted from the prison of Xinanguibaleu, and the time they are there is counted to them for nothing, in regard they have no hope of liberty but at that instant when their turn permits them to work in the reparations, for then they may be sure to be delivered, according to the ordinance whereof I have made mention before. Having now delivered the occasion whereof so great a prison was made▪ be∣fore I leave it I hold it not amiss to speak of a Fair, which we saw there, of two that are usu∣ally kept every year, which those of the Country call, Gunxinem, Apparau, Xinanguibaleu, that is to say, The rich Fair of the prison of the condemned; These Fairs are kept in the months of Iuly, and Ianuary, with very magnificent feasts, solemnized for the invocation of

their Idols; And even, there they have their plenory indulgences, by means whereof great ri∣ches of gold and silver are promised them in the other world. They are both of them frank and free, so as the Merchants pay no duties, which is the cause that they flock thither in such great number, as they assured us that there were three millions of persons there; And forasmuch as I said before, that the three hundred thousand that are imprisoned there, are at liberty, as well as those that go in and out, you shall see what course they hold to keep the prisoners from get∣ting forth amongst others. Every one that is free and comes in hath a mark set on the wrist of his right arm with a certain Confection made of Oyl, Bitumen, Lacre, Rubarb, and Alum, which being once dry cannot be any wayes defaced, but by the means of vinegar and salt mingled to∣gether very hot; And to the end that so great a number of people may be marked, on both sides of the gates stand a many of Chainpatoens, who with stamps of lead, dipt in this Bitumen, imprints a mark on every one that presents himself unto them, and so they let him enter; which is only practised on men, not upon women, because none of that Sex are ever condem∣ned to the labour of the wall. When therefore they come to go out of the gates, they must all have their arms bared where this mark is, that the said Chaintapo••ns, who are the Porters and Ministers of this affair, may know them, and let them pass; and if by chance any one be so un∣happy as to have that mark defaced by any accident, must even have patience, and remain with the other prisoners, in regard there is no way to get him out of this place if he be found with∣out that mark. Now those Chaintapoens are so dextrous and well versed in it, that an hundred thousand men may in an hour go in and out without trouble, so that by this means the three hundred thousand prisoners continue in their captivity, and none of them can slip away amongst others to get out. There are in this prison three great inclosures like great towns, where there are a number of houses, and very long streets, without any lanes; and at the entrance into each street there are good gates, with their sentinel bells aloft, together with a Chumbim, and twen∣ty men for a Guard; within a flight shoot of those inclosures are the lodgings of the Chaem, who commands all this prison, and those lodgings are composed of a number of fair houses, wherein are many out-Courts, Gardens, Ponds, Halls, and Chambers, inriched with excellent inventions, able to lodge a King at his ease, how great a Court soever he have. In the two prin∣cipal of these Towns there are two streets, each of them about a flight shoot long, which abut upon the Chaems lodgings, arched all along with stone, and covered over head like the Hospital at Lisbon, but that they far surpass it. Here are all things to be sold that one can de∣sire, as well for victual, and other kind of provisions, as for all sorts of Merchandise, and rich wares. In those arched streets, which are very spacious and long, are these two Fairs kept every year, whither such an infinite multitude of people resort, as I have declared before. Moreover with∣in the inclosure of this prison are divers woods of tall and high trees, with many small streams, and ponds of clear sweet water for the use of the prisoners, and to wash their linnen, as also sundry Hermitages, and Hospitals, together with twelve very sumptuous and rich Monasteries, so that whatsoever is to be had in a great Town, may in great abundance be found within the inclosure, and with advantage in many things, because the most part of these prisoners have their wives and children there, to whom the King gives a lodging answerable to the houshold, or family, which each one hath.

The second of those things, which I have undertaken to relate, is another inclosure we saw almost as big as the former, compassed about with strong walls, and great ditches.* 1.1 This place is called Muxiparan, which signifies The treasure of the dead, where are many towers of hew∣ed carved stone, and steeples diversly painted. The walls on the top are in stead of battlements invironed with iron grates, where there are a number of idols of different figures, as of Men, Serpents, Horses, Oxen, Elephants, Fishes, Adders, and many other monstrous forms of crea∣tures, which were never seen, some of Brass, and Iron, and others of Tin, and Copper; so that this infinite company of several figures joyned together is one of the most remarkable and plea∣santest things that can be imagined. Having past over the bridge of the ditch we arrived at a great Court that was at the first entrance, inclosed round about with huge gates, and paved all over with white and black stones in checquer work, so polished and bright, as one might see himself in them as in a looking glass; In the midst of this Court was a pillar of Jasper six and thirty spans high, and as it seemed all of one piece, on the top whereof was an idol of silver in the figure of a woman, which with her hands strangled a Serpent, that was excellently ena∣m••lled with black and green. A little further at the entrance of another gate, which stood be∣tween two very high towers, and accompanied with four and twenty pillars of huge great

stone, there were two figures of men, each of them with an iron club in his hand, as if they had served to guard that passage, being an hundred and forty spans high, with such hideous and ugly visages, as makes them even to tremble that behold them; The Chineses called them Xixipatau Xalican, that is to say, The blowers of the house of smoak. At the entring into this gate there were twelve men with halberds, and two Registers, set at a table, who e••rolled all that entred t••ere, unto whom every one paid a matter of a groat: when we were entred with∣in this gate, we met with a very large street, closed on both sides with goodly arches, as well in regard of the workmanship, as the rest, round about the which hung an infinite company of little bells of lattin by chains of the same mettal, that moved by the air, made such a noise as one could with much ado hear one another: This street might be about half a league long, and within these arches, on both sides of the way, were two rows of low houses, like unto great Chur∣ches, with steeples all guilt, and divers inventions of painting: Of these houses the Chineses assured us there was in that place three thousand, all which from the very top to the bottom were full of dead m••ns skuls, a thing so strange, that in every mans judgment a thousand great shops could hardly contain them. Behind these houses, both on the one side and the other, were two great Mounts of dead mens bones, reaching far above the ridges of the houses, full as long as the street, and of a mighty bredth. These bones were ordered and disposed one upon another so curiously and aptly, that they seemed to grow there; Having demanded of the Chi∣neses whether any register was kept of these bones, they answered, there was, for the Tala∣grepos, unto whose charge the administration of these three thousond houses was commited, enrolled them all; and that none of these houses yield••d less then two thousand Taeis reve∣nue out of such lands, as the owners of these bones had bequeathed to them for their souls health; and that the rent of all these three thousand houses together amounted unto five milli∣ons of gold yearly, whereof the King had four, and the Talagrepos the other for to defray the expences of this Fabrick; and that the four appertained to the King, as their Support, who dispenced them in the maintenance of the three hundred thousand prisoners of Xinanguibaleu. Being amazed at this marvel, we began to go along this street, in the midst whereof we found a great Piazza, compassed about with two huge grates of lattin, and within it was an Adder of brass infolded into I know not how many boughts, and so big that it contained thirty fa∣thom in circuit, being withall so ugly and dreadful, as no words are able to describe it. Some of us would estimate the weight of it, and the least opinions reached to a thousand quintals, were it hollow within, as I believe it was. Now although it was of an unmeasurable great∣ness, yet was it in every part so well proportioned, as nothing can be amended, whereunto also the workmanship thereof is so correspondent, that all the perfection which can be desi∣red from a good workman is observed in it. This monstrous Serpent, which the Chinese call, The gluttonous Serpent of the house of smoak, had on the top of his head a bowl of iron, two and fifty foot in circumference, as if it had been thrown at him from some other place; Twenty paces further was the figure of a man of the same brass in the form of a Gyant, in like manner very strange and extraordinary, as well for the greatness of the body, as the hugeness of the limbs: This Monster held an iron bowl just as big as the other aloft in both his hands, and beholding the Serpent with a frowning and angry countenance, he seemed as though he would throw this bowl at him. Round about this figure was a number of little idols all guilt on their knees, with their hands lifted up to him, as if they would adore him. All this great edifice was consecrated to the honour of this Idol, called Mucluparon, whom the Chineses affirmed to be the treasurer of all the dead mens bones, and that when the gluttonous Serpent before mentioned came to steal them away, he made at him with that bowl which he held in his hands, whereupon the Serpent in great fear fled immediately away to the bottom of the pro∣found house of smoak, whither God had precipitated him for his great wickedness; and fur∣ther that he had maintained a combate with him three thousand years already, and was to con∣tinue the same three thousand years more, so that from three thousand to three thousand years he was to imploy five bowls, wherewith he was to make an end of killing him; H••reunto they added, that as soon as this Serpent should be dead, the bones that were there assembled, would return into the bodies, to which they appertained formerly, and so should go and remain for ever in the house of the Moon; To these brutish opinions they joyn many others such like, unto which they give so much faith, that nothing can be able to remove them from it, for it is the doctrine that is preached unto them by their Bonzes, who also tell them that the true way to make a soul happy, is to gather these bones together into this place, by means whereof there

is not a day passes but that a thousand or two of these wretches bones are brought thither. Now if some for their far distance cannot bring all the bones whole thither, they will at least∣wise bring a tooth or two, and so they say that by way of an alms they make as good sa∣tisfaction as if they brought all ••he rest; which is the reason that in all these chunel houses there is such an infinite multitude of these teeth, that one might lade many ships with them.

We saw in a great Plain without the walls of this City another building,* 1.2 very sumptuous and rich, which they call Nacapirau, that is to say, the Queen of Heaven, for it is the opinion of these blinded wretches, that our Lord above is married like the Kings here below, and that the children which he hath had by the Nacapirau, are the Stars we see twinkling in the Fir∣mament by night, and that when any exhalation comes to dissolve in the air, they say that it is one of his children that is dead, whereof his other brothers are so grieved, that they shed such abundance of tears, as the earth is watered therewith, by which means God provides us of our living, as it were in manner of alms bestowed for the souls of the deceased. But letting pass these and other such like fooleries, I will only intreat of such particulars, as we observed in this great Edifice, whereof the first was one hundred and forty Convents of this accursed Religion, both of men and women, in each of which there are four hundred persons, amounting in all to six and fifty thousand, besides an infinite number of religious servants, that are not obliged to their vow of profession that are within, who for a mark of their Priestly dignity are clothed in violet, with green stars on them, having their head, beard, and eye-brows shaven, and wear∣ing beads about their necks to pray with, but for all that they crave no alms, by reason they have revenue enough to live on. The next was an inclosure within this huge building, a league in circuit, the walls whereof were built upon arches, vaults, of strong hewed stone, and under∣neath them were Galleries, invironed all about with ballisters of lattin; within this inclosure at a gate, through which we past, we saw under most deformed figures the two porters of hell, at least they believe so, calling the one Bacharon, and the other Quagifau, both of them with iron clubs in their hands, and so hideous and horrible to see to, that it is impossible to behold them without fear. Having past this gate under a chain, that went a cross from the brest of one of these divels to the other, we entred into a very fair street, both for bredth and length, inclosed at either end with many arches, diversly painted, on the top whereof were all along two rows of idols to the number of five thousand; Now we could not well judg of what matter these idols were made, howsoever they were guilt all over, and upon their heads they wore myters of sundry inventions. At the end of this street was a great square place, paved with black and white stone, and compassed about with four rows of gyants in brass, each of them fifteen foot high, with halberds in their hands, and their hair and beards all guilt, which was not only a very pleasing object to the eye, but also represented a kind of majestical great∣ness. At the end of this place was Quiay Huyan, the god of rain, which idol was so huge, that with his head he touched the battlements of the tower, being above twelve fathom high; he was likewise of brass, and both from his mouth, head, and brest, at six and twenty several places came out streams of water: Having past between his legs, which stood stradling at a great distance, one from another, we entred into a large room, as long as a Church, where there were three ships set upon very big and high pillars of Jasper; all along the walls thereof on both sides were a many of idols, great and little in divers forms all guilt, fitted and dispo∣sed in such order, as they took up all the bredth and length of the walls, and seemed at first sight to be all gold: At the end of this room or temple upon a round Tribunal, whereunto one as∣cended by fifteen winding stairs, was an altar, proportionable to the same Tribunal, whereon stood the image of Nacapirau, in the likeness of a very fair woman, with her hair hanging up∣on her shoulders, and her hands lifted up to Heaven. Now for that she was guilt all over with fine gold, and that with a great deal of art and care, she glistered in that manner as it was un∣possible to continue looking on her, so dazled were a mans eyes with the rayes that darted from her. Round about this Tribunal on the first four stairs were the Statues of twelve Kings of China in silver, with crowns on their heads, and maces on their shoulders; a little lower were three rows of idols guilt, kneeling on their knees, and holding up their hands, and all about hung a number of silver candlesticks with seven branches apiece. When we were out of this, we went through another street all arched like that by which we entred in, and from this we p••ssed through two other streets full of very stately buildings, and so came to a gate, that stood between four high towers, where there was a Chifuu, with thirty Halberdiers, and

two Registers, which wrot down the names of all that went in and out, as they did ours, and so we gave them about a groat for our passage out.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 2.
• * 1.2

  §. 3