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. XLV. The great mishap that befel the King of Bungo's Son, with the ex∣tream danger that I was in for the same; and what followed thereupon. (Book 45)

A Little after the King caused me to approach unto his bed, where he lay sick of the Gout, when I was near him,* 1.1 I pree thee, said he unto me, be not unwilling to stay here by me, for it does me much good to look on thee, and talk with thee; thou shalt also oblige me to let me know whether in thy Country, which is at the further end of the world, thou hast not learn'd any remedy for this disease wherewith I am tormented, or for the lack of appetite, which hath continued with me now almost these two months without eating any thing to speak of. Hereunto I answered, that I made no profession of physick, for that I had never learnt that art, but that in the Junck, wherein I came from China, there was a certain wood, which in∣fused in water healed far greater sicknesses then that whereof he complained, and that if he took of it, it would assuredly help him; To hear of this he was very glad, insomuch that trans∣ported with an extream desire to be healed, he sent away for it in all haste to Tanixumaa, where the Junck lay, and having used of it thirty dayes together, he perfectly recovered of this dis∣ease, which had held him so for two years together, as he was not able to stir from one place to another. Now during the time that I remained with much content in this City of Fuchea, being some twenty dayes, I wanted not occasions to entertain my self withall; for sometimes I was imployed in answering the questions, which the King, Queen, Princes, and Lords asked of me, wherein I easily satisfied them, for that the matters they demanded of me, were of ve∣ry little consequence. Other-whiles I bestowed my selfe in beholding their Solemnities, the Temples, where they offered up their prayers, their warlike Exercises, their naval Fleets, as also their fishing and hunting, wherein they greatly delight, especially in the high flying of Falcons, and Vultures. Oftentimes I past away the time with my Harquebuse in killing of Turtles, and Quailes, whereof there is great abundance in the Country. In the mean season this new manner of shooting seemed no less marvellous and strange to the inhabitants of this Land, then to them of Tanixumaa, so that beholding a thing which they had n••ver seen before, they made more reckoning of it then I am able to express, which was the cause that the Kings se∣cond Son, named Arichaudono, of the age of sixteen or seventeen years, and whom the King wonderfully loved, intreated me one day to teach him to shoot, but I put him off, by saying that there needed a far longer time for it then he imagined, wherewith not well pleased, he complained to his Father of me, who to content the Prince desired me to give him a couple of charges for the satisfying of his mind; whereunto I answered, that I would give him as many as his Highness would be pleased to command me. Now because he was that day to dine with his Father, the matter was referred to the afternoon, howbeit then too there was nothing done, for th••t he waited on his Mother to a Village adjoyning, whither they came from all parts on pilgrimage by reason of a certain feast, which was celebrated there for the health of

the King: The next day this young Prince came with only two young Gentlemen waiting on him to my lodging, where finding me asleep on a Mat, and my Harquebuse hanging on a hook by, he would not wake me till he had shot off a couple of charges, intending, as he told me af∣terwards him••elf, that these two shoots should not be comprised in them I had promised him: H••ving then commanded one of the young Gentlemen, that attended him, to go softly and kindle the Match, he took down the Harquebuse from the place where it hung, and going to charge it, as he had seen me do, not knowing how much powder he should put in, he charged the Piece almost two spans deep, then putting in the bullet, he set himself with it to shoot at an Orange tree that was not far off, but fire being given, it was his ill hap that the Harquebuse brake into three pieces, and gave him two hurts, by one of the which his right hand thumb was in a manner lost, instantly whereupon the Prince fell down as one dead, which the two Gentlemen perceiving, they ran away towards the Court, crying along in the streets that the strangers Harquebuse had killed the Prince; At these sad news the people flocked in all haste with weapons and great cries to the house where I was; Now God knows whether I was not a little amazed when coming to awake I saw this tumult, as also the young Prince lying along upon the floor by me weltring in his own blood without stirring either hand or foot; All that I could do then was to imbrace him in my arms, so besides my self, as I knew not where I was. In the mean time, behold the King comes in a Chair carried upon four mens shoulders, and so sad and pale, as he seemed more dead then alive; after him followed the Queen on foot leaning upon two Ladies, with her two daughters, and a many of women all weeping. As soon as they were entred into the Chamber, and beheld the young Prince extended on the ground, as if he had been dead, imbraced in my arms, and both of us wallowing in blood, they all concluded that I had killed him, so that two of the Company drawing out their Scymi∣tars, would have slain me; which the King perceiving, Stay, stay, cried he, let us know first how the matter goes, for I fear it comes further off, and that this fellow here hath been cor∣rupted by some of those Traitors kinred, whom I caused to be last executed. Thereupon com∣manding the two young Gentlemen to be called which had accompanied the Prince, his Son, thither, he questioned them very exactly; Their answer was, that my Harquebuse with the inchantments in it had killed him: This deposition served but to incense the Assistants the more, who in a rage addressing themselves to the King; What need, Sir, have you to hear more, cried they? here is but too much, let him be put to a cruel death: Therewith they sent in all hast for the Iarabuca, who was my Interpreter, to them; now for that upon the arrival of this disaster he was out of extream fear fled away, they brought him straightly bound to the King, but before they fell to examining of him, they mightily threatned him, in case he did not con∣fess the truth; whereunto he answered trembling, and with tears in his eyes, that he would reveal all that he knew. In the mean time being on my knees, with my hands bound, a Bonzo, that was President of their Justice, having his arms bared up to his shoulders, and a Poynard in his hand dipped in the blood of the young Prince, said thus unto me, I conjure thee, thou Son of some Divel, and culpable of the same crime, for which they are damned that inhabit in the house of smoak, where they lye buried in the obscure and deep pit of the Center of the earth, that thou confess unto me with a voice so loud, that every one may hear thee, for what cause thou hast with these sorceries and inchantments killed this young innocent, whom we hold for the hairs, and principal ornament of our heads. To this demand I knew not what to answer upon the suddain, for that I was so far besides my self, as if one had taken away my life, I believe I should not have felt it; which the President perceiving, and beholding me with a terrible countenance, Seest thou not, continued he, that if thou doest not answer to the que∣stions I ask thee, that thou mayst hold thy self for condemned to a death of blood, of fire, of water, and of the blasts of the wind; for thou shalt be dismembred into the air, like the fea∣thers of dead fowl, which the wind carries from one place to another, separated from the body with which they were joyned whilest they lived. This said, he gave me a great kick with his foo•• for to rowse up my spirits, and cried out again, Speak, confess who they are that have corrupted thee? What sum of mony have they given thee? how are they called? and where are they at this present? At these words being somewhat come again to my self, I answered him, that God knew my innocence, and that I took him for witness thereof▪ But he not contented with what he had done began to menace me more then before, and set before my eyes an in∣finite of torments and terrible things; wherein a long time being spent, it ple••sed God at length that the young Prince came to himself, who no sooner saw the King his Father, as also his Mo∣ther

and Sisters dissolved into tears, but that he desired them not to weep, and that if he chan∣ced to die, they would attribute his death to none but himself, who was the only cause thereof, conjuring them moreover by the blood, wherein they beheld him weltring, to cause me to be unbound without all delay, if they desired not to make him die anew: The King much ama∣zed with this language, commanded the Manacles to be taken off which they had put upon me; whereupon came in four Bonzoes to apply remedies unto him, but when they saw in what manner he was wounded, & that his thumb hung in a sort but by the skin, they were so troubled a•• it, as they knew not what to do; which the poor Prince observing, Away, away, said he, send hence these divels, and let others come that have more heart to judg of my hurt, since it hath pleased God to send it me; Therewith the four Bonzoes were sent away, and other four came in their stead, who likewise wanted the courage to dress him, which the King perceiving was so much troubled as he knew not what to do, howbeit he resolved at length to be advised therein by them that were about him, who counselled him to send for a Bonzo, called Teix••andono, a man of great reputation amongst them, and that lived then at the City of Facataa, some seventy leagues from that place; but the wounded Prince not able to brook these delayes; I kn••w not, answered he, what you mean by this counsel which you give my Father, seeing me in the deplorable estate wherein I am, for whereas I ought to have been dr••st already, you would have me stay for an old rotten man, who cannot be here until one hath made a journy of an hundred and forty leagues, both in going and coming, so that it must be a month at least before he can arrive, wherefore speak no more of it, but if you desire to do me a pleasure, free this Stranger a little from the fear you have put him in, and clear the room of all this throng, he that you believe hath hurt me will help me as he may, for I had rather die under the hands of this poor wretch, that hath wept so much for me, then be touched by the Bonzo of Faca••a••, who at the age he is of, of ninety and two years, can see no further then his nose.

Notes

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