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. LXVI. That which befell us, untill our departure towards the Port of Zunda, from whence we s•••• sail for China, and what afterwards happened unto us. (Book 66)

* 1.1THree daies after so cruell and horrible a mutiny, whenas all things were peaceable, the principall Heads of this commotion fearing as soon as a Pangueyran should be elected, that they should be punished according to the enormity of their crime, they all of them set sail without longer attending the danger which threatned them. They de∣parted away then in the same Vessells wherein they came, the King of Panaruca, their Admirall, being not possibly able to stay them, but contrarily was twice in jeopardy of losing himselfe in endeavouring to do it with those few men that were of his party. Thus in the space of two daies only, the two thousand sailes which were in the Port went away, leaving the Town still burning, which was the cause that those few Lords, which remained, being joyned together, resolved to pas•• unto the Towne of Iapara, some five leagues from thence towards the Coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This re∣solution being taken, they put it presently in execution, to the end that with the more tranquillity (for the popular commotion was not yet well appeased) they might make election of the Pangu••yran, which properly signifies Emperor; As indeed they created one, called Pat•• Suday••, Prince of S••rubayaa, who had been none of those eight Pre∣tendents of whom we have spoken; but this election they made, because it seemed to them necessary for their common good, and the qui••t of the Country: All the inhabi∣tant•• ••o were exceedingly satisfied with it, and they immediately sent th•• Panarut•• for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to a place some dozen leagues from thence, called Pisammenes, where he at that time lived. Nine dayes after he was sent for, he failed not to come, accompanied with above two hundred thousand men, imbarqued in fifteen hundred Calaluz••s and Iuri∣pangos. He was received by all the people with great demonstrations of j••y, and a lit∣tle after he was crowned with the accustomed ceremonies, as Pangueyran of all the countries of Ia••a, Bala, and Mad••ra, which is a Monarchy that is very populous, and exceeding rich and mighty. That done, he returned to the Towne of Demaa, with an intent to have it rebuilt anew, and to restore it to its former estate. At his arrivall in that place, the first thing he did was to give order for the punishing of those which were found attainted and convict••d of the sacking of the Town, who proved not to be a∣bove five thousand, though the number of them was far greater, for all the rest were fled away, some here, some there. Th••se wretches suffered onely two kinds of death, some were impaled alive, and the rest were burned in the very same ships wherein they were apprehended; and of four daies, wherein this justice was executed, there past not one without the putting to death of a great number, which so mightily terrified us Portugals that were there present, as seeing the commotion very great still over the whole country, and no likelyhood that things would of a long time be peaceable, we humbly desired the King of Zunda to give us leave to go to our ship which lay in the Port of Bant••, in regard the season for the voyage to China was already come. This

King having easily granted our request, with an exemption of the customes of our Mer∣chandise, presented every one of us besides with an hundred duckats, and to each of the heirs of fourteen of ours, which were slain in the war, he gave three hundred, which we accepted of as a very honorable reward, and worthy of a most liberall, and good natu∣red Prince. Thus went we presently away very well satisfied of him to the Port of Banta, and there we remained twelve whole daies together, during the which vve made an end of preparing our selves for our voyage. After this, vve set saile for China in the company of other four ships, vvho vvere bound for the same place, and vve took a∣long vvith us the same Ioan•• Rodriguez, vvhom vve incountred at Passeruan, as I have before declared, that had made himself a Brachman of Pagode, called Quiay Nacorel, and as for him he had named himself Gauxita•• Facal••m, vvhich is as much to say as, the Councell of the Saint. The same Ioane Rodriguez no sooner arrived at China, but he im∣barqued himselfe for Malaca, vvhere (through the grace of God) he vvas reconciled a∣nevv to the Catholike faith, and after he had continued a year there, he died vvith great demonstrations of a good and true Christian, vvhereby it seems vve may believe that our Lord received him to mercy, since after so many years profession of an infidell, he reser∣ved him to come and die in his service, for vvhich be he praised for evermore. Our five ships then, vvith vvhich vve parted from Zunda, being arrived at Chinche••, vvhere the Portugals at that time traded, vve abode three moneths and an half there vvith travell and danger enough of our persons; for vve vvere in a country, vvhere nothing but re∣volts and mutinies vvere spoken of. Withall, there vvere great armies afoot all alongst the Coast, by reason of many robberies vvhich the Pyrats of Iapon had com∣mitted thereabout, so that in this disorder there vvas no meanes to exercise any commerce, for the Merchants durst not leave their houses to go to Sea. By reason of all this vve vvere constrained to passe unto the Port of Chabaqu••a, vvhere vve found at an∣chor sixscore Iuneks▪ vvho having set upon us, took three of our five Vessells, vvherein four hundred Christians vvere killed, of which fourscore and two vvere Portugals. As for the other tvvo Vessells, in one of the vvhich I vvas, they escaped as it vvere by miracle. But because vve could not make to Land, by reason of the Easterly vvinds vvhich vvere contrary to us all that same moneth, vve vvere constrained (though to our great grief) to regain the Coast of Iaoa. At length after vve had continued our course by the space of tvvo and tvventy daies vvith a great deal of travell and danger, vve discovered an Island called Pullo Condor, distant eight degrees, and one third of heighth from the bar of the Kingdome of Camboya. Whereupon as we were even ready to reach it, so fu∣rious a storm came from the South Coast, as we were all in jeopardy to be cast away. Ne∣verthelesse driving along we got to the Isle of Lingua, where a tempest surprised us at West and South-West, with so impetuous a wind, as strugling against the billow, it kept us from making use of our sails: so that being in fear of rocks and shelves of sand, which were on the Prow side, we steered the other way, untill that after some time the Forekeel of our Poup opened within nine hand-bredths of the water, which was the cause, seeing our selves so neer unto death, that we were inforced to cut down our two masts, and to cast all our Merchandises into the Sea, whereby our Ship was somwhat eased. This done, vvhereas vve had left our ship the rest of the day, and a good part of the night to the mercy of the Sea, it pleased our Lord out of an effect of his divine justice, that without knowing how, or without seeing any thing, our ship ran her self against a rock, with the death of seventy and tvvo persons. This miserable successe so deprived us of all our understanding and forces, that not so much as one of us ever thought of any way saving himself, as the Chineses, whom we had for Mariners in our Junck had done, for they had so bestirred themselves all the night long, that before it was day they had made a raft of such planks and beams as came to their hands, tying them to∣gether in such sort with the cordage of their sails, that forty persons might abide upon it with ease. Now whereas we were all in an imminent danger, and in a time wherein (as they say) the father does nothing for the son, nor the son for the father, no man took care but for himselfe alone, whereof we had a fair example in our Chinese-Mari∣ners, whom we accounted but as our slaves; for Martin Esteuez, the Captain and Master of the Junck, having intreated his own servants, vvho vvere upon the raft, to receive him amongst them, they ansvvered him, that they could not do it at any hand, vvhich

coming to the ears of one of ours called Ruy de Moura, whereas he could not indure that these persidious villains should use us with so much discourtesie and ingratitude, he got him up on his feet from a place where he lay hurt, ••nd made unto us a short speech, whereby he represented unto us, That we were to remember how odious a thing cowardice was; and withall, how absolutely it imported us to seize upon this raf•• for the saving of our lives. To these words he added many other such like, which so incouraged us, that with one accord, and with one and the same resolution, whereunto the present necessi∣ty obliged us, being but eight and twenty Portugals, we set upon the forty Chineses which were upon the raft. We opposed our swords then to their iron hatchets, and fought so lustily with them, as we killed them all in the space of two or three Credoes. It is true indeed, that of us eight and twenty Portugals, sixteen were slain, and twelve e∣scaped, but so wounded, that four of them died the next day. This was an accident, whereof no doubt the like hath seldome been heard of▪ or seen, whereby one may clear∣ly perceive how great the misery of humane life is, for it was not twelve hours before, when as we all imbraced each other in the ship, and behaved our selves like right bre∣thren, intending to die for one another, and so soon after our sins carried us to such great extremity, as hardly sustaining our selves upon four scu••vy planks, tied together with two ropes, we kissed one another with as much barbarisme, as if we had been mor∣tall enemies, or something worse. It is true, that the excuse which may be alledged thereupon is, that necessity, which hath no law, compelled us thereunto.

* 1.2Whenas we were were Masters of this raft, which had cost us and the Chineses so much bloud, we set upon it eight and thirty persons of us that we were, of which there were twelve Portugals, some of their children, our servants, and the remainder of those that were hurt, whereof the most part died afterwards. Novv forasmuch as we were so great a number upon a very little raft, where we floated at the mercy of the waves of the Sea, the water came up to our middles, and in this fashion we escaped from that dangerous and infortunate rock, one Saturday, being Christmas day, one thousand five hundred forty and seven, with one only piece of an old counter-point, which served us for a ••ail, having neither needle no•• compasse to guide us: True it is, that vve supplied this defect vvith the great hope which we had in our Lord, whom we invoked incessant∣ly with groans and sighs, that were accompanied with abundance of tears. In this piti∣full equipage we navigated four vvhole dayes without eating any thing, so that upon the fifth day necessity constrained us to feed on a Cap••a•• which died amongst us, with vvhose body vve sustained our selves five dayes longer, vvhich made up the nineth of our voyage, so that during other four, vvherein vve continued in this case, vve had nothing els to eat but the foam and sl••me of the Sea; for vve resolved to die vvith hunger ra∣ther then feed on any of those four Portugals vvhich lay dead by us. After vve had vvandred thus at the mercy of the Sea, it pleased our Lord out of his infinite goodness to let us discover land on the tvvelfth day, vvhich vvas so agreeable a sight to us, as the joy of it proved mortall to some of ours, for of fifteen of us that vvere still alive, four died suddainly, vvhereof three vvere Portugals; so that of eight and thirty persons vvhich had been imbarqued on the raft, there vvas but eleven that escaped, namely seven Portugals, and f••ur of our boyes. In the end having got to land, vve found our selves in a shallovv rode, fashioned much like to an Haven, vvhere vve began to render infinite thanks to God for having thus delivered us from the perills of the Sea, promising our selves also, that through his infinite mercy he vvould dravv us out of those of the land. Having then made provision of certain shell-fish, as oysters, and sea-crabs to nourish our selves vvithall, because vve had observed hovv all this country vvas very desert, and full of Elephants and Tygers, we got up into certain trees, to the end we might avoid the fury of these beasts, and some others which we saw there; then when as we thought that we might proceed on our way with less danger, we gathered us together, & went on tho∣rough a vvood, where to secure our lives, we had recourse to loud cries, and hollowings. In the mean time, as it is the property of the divine mercy never to forsake the poore sufferers that are upon the earth, it permitted us to see coming along in a channell of fresh water, that ran ingulphing it selfe into the Sea, a little barque, laden with timber and other wood, wherein were nine Negroes, Iaoas, and Papua••. As soon as these men savv us, imagining that vve vvere some devills, as they confessed to us aftervvards; they leapt

into the vvater, and quite left the Vessell, not so much as one of them abiding in her But vvhen they perceived vvhat vve vvere, they abandoned the fear they vvere in before, and coming unto us they questioned us about many particulars, vvhereunto vve an∣svvered according to the truth, and vvithall, desired them for Gods sake to lead us vvhi∣thersoever they vvould, and there to sell us as sl••ves to some that would carry us to Ma∣laca; adding that we were Merchants, and that in acknowledgement of so good an of∣fice, they should get a great deal of money for us, or as much in commodities as they would require. Now whereas these Iaoas are naturally inclined to avarice, when they heard us talk of their interest, they began to be more tractable, and gave us better words, with hope of doing that which we desired of them, but these courtesies lasted no long∣er but till such time as they could get again into their barque, which they had quitted; for as soon as they saw themselves aboard her, they put off from the land, and making as though they would part without taking us in, they told us, that to be assured of what we had said to them, they would have us before they proceeded a∣ny further, to yeeld up our armes to them, whereas otherwise they would ne∣ver take us in, no not though they saw us eaten up with Lions. Seeing our selves thus constrained by necessity, and by a certain dispair of finding any other remedy to our present extremity, we were inforced to do all that these men required of us; so that having brought their barque a little neerer, they bid us swim to them, because they had never a boat to fetch us from the shore, which we presently resolved to do. Where∣upon two boys and one Portugal, leapt into the Sea to take hold of a rope, which they had thrown out to us from of the poup of the barque; but before they could reach it, they were devoured by three great Lizards, nothing of the bodies of all these three ap∣pearing to us, but only the bloud, wherewith the Sea was all died. Whilest this passed so, we the other eight that remained on the shore were so seized with fear and terror, as we were not our selves a long time after, wherewith those dogs which were in the barque were not awhit moved; but contra••••l•• ••l••pping their hands together in sign of joy, they said in a way of jeering, O how happy are these three, for that they have ended their daies without pain! Then whenas they saw that we were half sunk up into the Ouze, without so much strength as to get our selves out of it, five of them leaped ashore, and tying us by the middle, drew us into their barque, with a thousand injuries and affronts. After this setting sail they carried us to a village called Che••bom, which was some do∣zen leagues from thence, where they sold all eight of us, namely six Portugals, one Chi∣nese boy, and a Caphar, for the sum of thirteen Pardains, which are in value three hun∣dred realls of our money. He that bought us was a Pagan Merchant of the Isle of Zel••∣bres, in whose power we continued five or six and twenty daies, and without lying, we had no lack with him, either of cloaths or meat. The same Merchant sold us afterwards for twelve Pistolls to the King of Calapa, who used so great a magnificence towards us, as he sent us freely to the Port of Zunda, where there were three Portugal Vessells, whereof Ieronimo Gomez Sarmento was Generall, who gave us a very good reception; and furnished us abundantly with all that was necessary for us, untill such time as he put to Sea from the Port, to sail to China.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.
• * 1.2

  §. 2.