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. LXXXI. What past after our departure from Zequa, till my arrivall in the Indiaes, and from thence into the Kingdome of Portugal. (Book 81)

FRom this Port of Zequa we continued our course with Northerly vvinds, which were favourable unto us in this season, and on the fourth of December vve ar∣rived at the Port of Lampacau, vvhere we met with six Portugal ships, vvhereof was Generall a certain Merchant, called Francisco Martinez, the creature of Francisco Barreto, at that time Governour of the State of the Indiaes in the place of Don Pedro Mascarenhas. And because that then the season for Navigation into India was almost past, our Captain Don Francisco Mascarenhas stayed no longer there then was necessary for providing of victuall. We departed then from this Port of Lampacau a little before Christmasse, and arrived at Goa the seventeenth of February. The first thing I did there was to go to Francisco Barreto, unto whom I gave an account of the Letter which I brought from the King of Iapan: but he having referred it to the day following, I failed not to deliver it to him the next morning, together with the Arms, the Scymitars, and the other Presents which

that Pagan King had sent. Whereupon▪ after he had seen all at leasure, addres∣sing himself unto me, I assure you, said he unto me, that I prize these Arms which you have brought me, as much as the Government of India: for I hope that by the means of this Present, and this Letter from the King of Japan, I shall render my self agree∣able to the King our Soveraign Lord, that I shall be delivered from the fortune of Lis∣bon, where almost all of us that govern this State, do go and land for our sins. Then, in acknowledgment of this Voyage, and the great expence I had been at, he made me many large offers, which I would by no means accept of at that time: Neverthe∣lesse I was well contented to justifie before him by attestations, and acts past ex∣presly for it, how many times I had been made a slave for the service of the King our Master; and how many times also I had been robbed of my Merchandize: for I imagined that this would suffice to keep me at my return into my Country, from being refused that, which I believed was due to me for my services; as indeed, the Vice-Roy past me an Act of all these things, adding thereunto the Certificates which I presented unto him: withall, he gave me a Letter, addrest to the King, wherein he made so honourable a mention of me and my Services, that relying on these hopes, grounded as they were on such apparant reasons as I had on my side, I imbarqued my self for to return into the Kingdom of Portugal; so contented with the Papers which I carried along with me, that I counted them the best part of my estate; at leastwise, I beleeved so, because I was perswaded that I should no sooner ask a recompence for so many services, but wont it be presently granted me. Upon this hope being put to sea, it pleased our Lord, that I arrived safely at the Citie of Lisbon, the two and twentieth day of September, in the Year One thou∣sand five hundred fifty and eight, at such time as the Kingdome was governed by Madam KATHERINA, our Queen of happy memory. Having deli∣vered her the Letter then from the Vice-Roy of the Indiaes, I told her by word of mouth all that I thought was important for the good of my businesse: vvhere∣upon she referred mee to the Minister of her State, who had the charge of deal∣ing in her Affairs: At first he gave me very good words, but far better hopes, as indeed I held them for most assured, hearing what he said unto me: But in stead of letting me see the effect thereof, he kept me these miserable papers of mine four years and an half, at the end of which, all the fruit I reaped thereby was no other, then the labor and pains which to no purpose I had imployed in these vain sollici∣tations, and which had been more grievous unto me, then all the troubles I had suffered during my voyages: Wherefore seeing of what little profit all my past ser∣vices were unto me, notwithstanding all the suit I could make; I resolved to retire my self, and remain within the terms of my miserie, which I had brought along with me, and gotten by the means of many misfortunes, which was all that was resting to me of the time and wealth which I had bestowed in the service of this King∣dome, leaving the judgment of this processe to the divine Justice. I put this de∣sign of mine then in execution, not a little grieved that I had not done it sooner, be∣cause I might thereby peradventure have saved a good peece of mony. For a con∣clusion, behold what the services have been which I have done for the space of one and twenty years, during which time, I was thirteen times a slave, and sold six∣teen times, by reason of the unlucky events of so long and painfull a voyage, whereof I have made mention amply enough in this Book. But although this be so, yet do I not leave to beleeve, that the cause why I remained without the recompence whereunto I pretented for so many services and travels, rather proceeded from the Divine providence, which permitted it to be so for my sins, then from the neg∣ligence and fault of him, whom the duty of his charge seemed to oblige to do me right. For it being true, that in all the Kings of this Kingdome who are the live∣ly source from whence all recompence do ••low, though many times they ranne tho∣row pipes more affectionate then reasonable, there is alwaies found an holy and ac∣knowledging zeal, accompanied with a very ample and great desire, not only to recompence those which serve them, but also to confer great estates on them which render them no service at all; whereby it is evident, that if I, and others, have not

been satisfied, the same happens by the only fault of the pipes, and not of the source; or rather it is a work of the Divine Justice, which cannot fail, and which disposeth of all things for the best, and as i•• most necessary for us; in regard whereof▪ I render infinite thanks to the King of Heaven, whose pleasure it hath been, that his divine will should be this way accomplished, and do not complain of the Kings of the earth, since my sin•• have made me unworthy of meriting more.