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. XLIII. Our Departure from the City of Uzamguee, and our adventures till our arri∣vall at the Isle of Tanixumaa, which is the first Land of Jap∣pon; with our going ashore there. (Book 43)

UPon the twelfth of Ianuary we departed from the City of Vzamguee, exceedingly re∣joycing at our escape from so many labours and crosses,* 1.1 which we before had sustained, and imbarqued our selves upon a river, that was above a league broad, down the which we went seven dayes together, beholding in the mean time on either side thereof many fair Towns, and goodly Boroughs, which by the outward appearance we believed were inhabited by very rich people, in regard of the sumptuousness of the buildings, not only of particular houses, but much more of the Temples, whose steeples were all covered over with gold, as likewise in reg••rd of the great number of Barques and Vessels, that were on this river, abundantly fraught with all sorts of provisions and merchandise. Now when we were come to a very fair Town, called Qua••geparun, containing some eighteen or twenty thousand fires, the Naude∣lum, who was he that conducted us by the express commandm••nt from the King, stayed there twelve dayes ••o trade in exchange of silver and pearl; whereby he confessed to us that he had gained fourteen for one, and that if he had been so advised as to have brought salt thither, he had doubled his mony above thirty times: we were assured that in this Town the King had yearly out of the silver Min••s above fifteen hundred Picos, which are forty thousand Quintals of our weight, besides the huge revenue, that he drew out of many other different things: This Town hath no other fortification then a weak brick wall, eight foot high, and a shallow ditch some thirty foot broad; The inhabitants are weak and una••med, having neither Artille∣ry, nor any thing for their defence, so that five hundred resolute souldiers might easily take it. We parted from this place on Tuesday morning, and continued our course thirteen dayes, at the end whereof we got to the Port of Sanchan, in the Kingdom of China. Now because there was no shipping of Malaca there, for they were gone from thence nine dayes before, we went seven leagues further to another Port, named Lampacau, where we found two Juncks of Malaya, one of Patana, and another of Lugor; And whereas it is the quality of us Portugals to abound in our own sence, and to be obstinate in our opinions, there arose amongst us eight so great a contrariety of judgment about a thing, wherein nothing was so neces••ary for us, as to maintain our selves in peace and unity, that we were even upon the point of killing one another; But because the matter would be too shamefull to recount in the man∣ner as it past, I will say no more but that the Necoda of the Lorche, which had brought us thither from Vzamguee, am••zed at this so great barbarousness of ours, seperated himself from us in such displeasure, that he would not charge himself either with our messages or letters, saying, that he had rather the King should command his head to be cut off, then to offend God in car••ying with him any thing whatsoever that belonged to us. Thus different as we were in opinions, and in very bad terms amongst our selves, we lingered above nine dayes in this lit••le Island, during which time the three Juncks departed without vouchsafing to take us in, so that we were constrained to remain in these solitud••s, exposed to many great dangers, out of which I did not think that ever we could have escaped, if God had not been extraordinarily merciful unto us; for having been there seventeen dayes in great misery and want; it hapened that a Pyrat, named Samipocheca, arrived in this place, who having been defeated, went fly∣ing from the Fleet of Aytao of Chincheo, that of eight and twenty Sayl, which this Pyrat had, had t••ken six and twenty of them from him, so that he had with much ado escaped with those only two remaining, wherein the most part of his men were hurt, for which cause he was cons••rained to stay there seven dayes to have them cured: Now the present necessity in∣forcing us to take some course whatsoever it were, we were glad to agree for to serve under him until such time as we might meet with some good opportunity to get unto Malaca. Those twenty dayes ended, wherein yet there was no manner of reconciliation between us, but still continuing in discord we imbarqued our selves with this Pyrat, namely three in the Junk where he himself was, and five in the other, whereof he had made a Nephew of his Captain. Having left this Island with an intent to sail unto a Port, called Lailoo, some seven leagues from Chincheo, we continued our voyage with a good wind all along the Coast of Lamau for the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of nine dayes, until that one mo••ning when we were near to the river of salt, which is

about five leagues from Chabaquea, it was our ill fortune to be assailed by a Pirate, who with seven great Juncks fell to fighting with us from six in the morning till ten of the clock before noon, in which conflict we were so entertained with sho••, and pots full of ar••••fic••al fire, that at last th••re were three S••il burnt, to wit, two of the Pirats, and one of ours, which was the Junck wherein the five Portugals were, whom we could by no means succour, for that then most of our men were hurt; But at length towards night being well refreshed by the af∣ternoons gale, it pleased our Lord that we escaped out of this Pirats hands. In this ill equipage wherein we were we continued our course for three dayes together, at the end whereof we were invironed by so great and impetuous a Tempest, that the same night in which it seized us we lost the Coast, and because the violence of the Storm would never suffer us after to re∣cover it again, we were forced to make with full Sail towards the Islands of the Lequios, where the Pirate, with whom we went, was well known, both to the King, and those of the Country; with this resolution we set our selves to ••ail through the Archipelage of these Islands, where not withstanding we could not make land, as well for that we wanted a Pilot to steer the vessel, ours being slain in the last fight, as also because the wind and tide was a∣gainst us; Amidst so m••ny crosses we beat up and down with labour enough from one ••homb to another for three and twenty dayes together, at the end whereof it pleased God that we discovered land, whereunto approaching to see if we could descry any appearance of a Port, or good anchorage, we perceived on the South-coast near to the Horizon of the Sea a great fire, which perswaded us that there we might peradventure find some Borough, where we might furn••sh our selves with fresh water, whereof we had very great need. So we went and rode just before the Island in seventy fathom, and presently we beheld two Almedias come towards us from the Land with six men in them, who being come close to the side of our Junck, and having complemented with us according to their manner, demanded of us from whence we c••me? whereunto having answered, that we came from China with merchandise intending to trade in this place if we might be suffered, one of the six replyed; That the Nautaquim, Lord of that Island, called Tanixumaa, would very willingly permit it upon payment of such customs as are usual in Iapan, which is, co••••inued he, this great Country that you see here be∣fore you: At these news, and many other things, which they told us, we were exceeding glad, so that after they had shewed us the Port, we weighed anchor, and went and put our selves un∣der the lee-shoar of a cr••ek, which was on the South-side, and where stood a great Town, named Miay-gimaa, from whence there came instantly abord of us divers Paraoos with re∣freshments, which we bought.

We had not been two hours in this Creek of Miaygimaa, when as the Nautaquim,* 1.2 Prince of this Island of Tanixumaa came directly to our Junck, attended by divers Gentlemen and Merchants, who had brought with them many Chests full of silver Ingots, therewith to barter for our commodities; so after ordinary complemen••s past on either side, and that we had given our word for his easiest coming aboard of us; he no sooner perceived us three Portugals, but he demanded what people we were, saying, that by our beards and faces we could not be Chi∣neses: Hereunto the Pirate answer••d, That we were of a Country called Malaca, whither many years before we were come from another Lend, named Portugal, which was at the further end of the world; At these words the Nautaquim remained much amazed, and turning himself to his followers; Let me not live, said he unto them, if these men here be not the Chenchicogis, of whom it is written in our books, that flying on the top of the waters they shall from thence subdue the inhabitants of the earth, where God hath created the riches of the world, wherefore it will be a good fortune for us if they come into our Country as good friends. Thereupon having called a woman of Lequia, whom he had brought to serve as an interpre∣ter between him and the Chinese, Captain of the Junck; Ask the Necoda, said he unto h••r, where he met with these men, and upon what occasion he hath brought them hither with him into our Country of Jappon? The Captain thereunto replied, That we were honest men and Merchants, and that having found us at Lampacau, where we had been cast away, he had out of charity taken us in, as he used to do unto all such as he met withall in the like case, to the end that God might out of his gracious goodness be thereby moved to deliver him from the danger of such violent Tempests, as commonly they that sail on the Sea are subject to perish in. This saying of the Pirate seemed so reasonable to the Nautaquim, that he presently came abord of us, and because those of his Train were very many, he commanded that none but such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he named should enter in. After he had seen all the commodities in the Junck, he sate

him down in a Chair upon the Deck, and began to question us about certain things which he desired to know, to the which we answered him in such sort, as we thought would be most agreeable to his humour, so that he seemed ••o be exceedingly satisfied therewith▪ In this man∣ner he entertained us a good while together, making it apparent by his d••mands that he was a man very curious, and much inclined to hear of novelties, and rare things. That done he took his leave of us, and the Necoda, little regarding the rest, saying, Come and see me at my house to morrow, and for a present bring me an ample relation of the strange things of that great world through which you have travelled, as also of the Countries that you have seen, and withall remember to tell me how they are called, for I swear unto you that I would far more willingly buy this commodity then any that you can sell me. This said, he returned to Land, and the next morning as soon as it was day he sent us to our Junck a great Parao, full of divers sorts of refreshments, as Reasons, Pears, Melons, and other kinds of f••uits of that Country; In exchange of this present the Necoda returned him by the same messenger divers rich pieces of stuff, together with certain knacks and rarities of China, and withall sent him word, that as soon as his Junck should be at anchor, and out of danger of the weather, he would come and wait on him ashore, and bring him some patterns of the commodities which we had to sell; as indeed the next mor••ing he went on land, and ca••ried us three along with him, as also some ten or eleven of the chiefest of the Chineses of his Company, to the end that at this first sight he might settle a good opinion of himself in this people for the better satisfaction o•• that va∣nity whereunto they are naturally inclined; we went then to the Nautaquims house, where we were very well entertained, and the Necoda having given him a rich present, shewed him the patterns of all the commodities he had, wherewith he rested so contented, that he sent presently for the principal Merchants of the place, with whom ••he Necoda having agreed up∣on a price for his commodities, it was resolved that the next day they should be transported from the Junck unto a certain house, which was appointed for the Necoda and his people to remain in till such time as he should set sail for China: After all this was concluded, the Nau∣taquim fell again to questioning of us about many several matters, whereunto we rendred him such answers as might rather fit his humour, then agree with the truth indeed, which yet we did not observe but in some certain demands that he made us, where we thought it necessary to make use of certain particulars altogether fained by us, that so we might not derogate from the great opinion he had conceived of our Country. The first thing he propounded was, how he had learned from the Chineses and Lequios, that Portugal was far richer, and of a larger ex∣tent, then the whole Empire of China, which we confirmed unto him. The second, how he had likewise been assured, that our King had upon the Sea conquered the greatest part of the world, which also we averred to be so; The third, that our King was so rich in gold and silver, as it was held for most certain, that he had above two thouand houses full of it even to the very tops; but thereunto we answered, that we could not truly say the number of the houses, because the Kingdom of Portugal was so spacious, so abounding with treasure, and so populous, a•• it was impossible to specifie the same. So after the Nautaquim had entertained us above two hours with such and the like discourse, he turned him to those of his Train, and said, Assuredly not one of those Kings, which at this present we know to be on the earth, is to be esteemed happy, if he be not the vassal of so great a Monarch as the Emperour of this people here. Whereupon having dismissed the Necoda and his Company, he intreated us to passe that night on shore with him, for to satisfie the extream desire that he had to be inform∣ed from us of many things of the world, whereunto he was exceedingly carried by his own inclination; withall he told us, that the next day he would assigne us a lodging next to his own Pallace, which wa•• in the most commodious place of the Town, and for that in∣stant he sent us to lie at a very rich Merchants house, who entertained us very bountifully that night.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1
• * 1.2

  §. 2.