Purchas his pilgrimes. part 1 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

Captaine Best his entertainement at Achen.

THe twelfth of Aprill at noone, we came to an anchor in the Road of Achen, in twelue fa∣thomes;* 1.1 but you may ride in tenne or eight fathomes. Your best road is, to the East-ward of the Castle, and Riuers mouth. The thirteenth, I landed the Merchants, the King not beeing in Towne. The fifteenth, the King came, and sent his Chap to me for my landing, brought by an Eunuch, and sixe or eight more, and also the Xabandar. To whom we gaue an hundred and twen∣ty [ 60] M••m. With them the same day I landed: and two houres after my landing, the King sent mee Present in victuals: I hauing presently vpon my landing sent the King two peeces: for the custome is, at landing to present the King with some small thing, and he requiteth it by seuerall dishes of meate.

The seuenteenth, the King hauing sent an Elephant with a bason of Gold for our Kings let∣ters, I rode to the Court accompanied with fortie of our men, all admitted into the Kings pre∣sence▪ and after many complements, the King returned the Letter vnto me, for to read it:* 1.2 and so the substance of it was deliuered vnto him in his owne language. The contents pleased him very well. The day wel spent, the King told me, he would now shew me some of his pleasures; and caused his Elephants to fight before vs: and after sixe of them had fought, then he caused foure Buffles to fight before him, which made a very excellent and fierce fight. Their fiercenesse was such, that hardly sixtie or eightie men could part them, fastening ropes to their hinder legges, to draw them asunder. And after them some tenne or twelue Rams, which likewise made a very [ 10] great fight, and so continued till it was so darke that we could not see any longer. The King pre∣sented me with a banket of at least foure hundred dishes, with such plentie of hot drinkes, as might haue sufficed a drunken army. Betweene nine and tenne at night, he gaue me leaue to de∣part, sending me two Elephants to carry me home; but I rode not on them, they hauing no coue∣rings on them.

The eighteenth, I went to the Court againe, the King so appointing; where we beganne to treat of the Articles formerly made by his Grand-father, and M. Iames Lancaster. And comming to the matter of hauing all goods both brought in, and carried out free of custome, wee ended, without concluding any thing.

The nineteenth, the Embassadour of Siam came to visit me,* 1.3 telling me of the three Englishmen that came to the King of Siam, and of their great entertainment, and ioy of their King to receiue [ 20] a Letter from the King of England: and that it was some thirty Moneths since. They also told me how ioyfull their King would be, if our shipping came to his coasts; telling me what great quantities of cloath of Portugall, which is English cloth, would sell in their Countreys. The co∣lours most in request, stammel and reds, with some others, as yellowes, and other pleasing light colours, as at Surat. They also told me that their King had made a Conquest ouer the whole Countrey of Pegu, and so is now the greatest King of this Orientall part, except the King of China, and hath vnder him twentie sixe petty Kings; and in the warres is able to make sixe thou∣sand Elephants. Their coyne is all Siluer. Their Gold is lesse esteemed then the valew thereof. In their Countrey is great store of Pepper, and rawe Silke. He saith, that the Hollanders haue [ 30] their Factories, whom they call English, at Patane, which is an excellent Port: the entrance twelue and foureteene fathomes. Likewise Siam is a good Port, and is neerer vnto the Kings Court then Patane. Those that doe goe to the Citie of the King, alwaies come to this Port of Si∣am. And from this Port of Siam to the Kings Court, is some twenty dayes iourney by land. I mooued the Embassadour for his Letter to the King, which he promised me, and also for his Let∣ter to the Gouernours of Ports, in fauour of our Nation, when we should come vpon those coasts. And lastly, changed coynes with him, giuing of our English coyne, and receiuing the Kings coine of Siam. I had after this, often entercourse with these Embassadours.

The twentieth, I went to the Court, but spake not with the King: whereupon I sent to the Kings Deputie, and complained of my dishonour, and of some abuse by the Xabandar offered vnto [ 40] me. He promised that I should haue present redresse▪ and that he would enforme the King there∣of: which accordingly he performed the same day. The twentie one, the King sent two Officers vnto me, to signifie that at all times I might repaire vnto his Court, with free accesse, and passe all the Gates without stoppe, or attending for his Crest, and likewise remooued the Xabandar, and appointed me the Gentleman, whom the King sent Vice-Embassadour into Holland, to attend, and accompany me at all times to the Court, and elsewhere at my pleasure.

The foure and twentieth, I wrote vnto the Court, and had accesse vnto the King, who gaue me all content, and promised the ratifying of all the Articles, formerly agreed vpon by his Prede∣cessour, and M. Iames Lancaster. So after diuers complements, he tooke leaue, and sent me home presently after my returne an Elephant to attend me,* 1.4 and to carrie me whither soeuer it pleased me to trauell. And this is a signe of the honourablest esteeme that they hold of the parties to [ 50] whom they send their Elephants: for none may haue an Elephant, nor ride on them, but those whom the King doth honour.

The second of May, the King inuited me to his fountaine to swimme, and I was with him; it being some fiue or sixe miles from the Citie,* 1.5 and he sent me two Elephants to carrie me and my prouision; and hauing washed and bathed our selues in the water, the King presented me with an exceeding great banquet, with too much Racke, all to be eaten and drunken as we sate in the wa∣ter; all his Nobles and great Captaines being present. Our banquet continued from one of the clocke till towards fiue: at which time the King released me; and halfe an houre after all strangers, and presently after followed himselfe.

[ 60] The foureteenth, certaine Portugalls came into Achen, which came from Malacca with an Embassage from the Gouernour to this King. The wind short, they landed three leagues to the Eastward of the Road of Achen.* 1.6 This day I sent the Hosiander to seeke the Barke which came from Malacca, making Edward Christian Captaine in her. The seuenteenth in the morning, the Portugall Barke was brought vnto me aboord the Dragon. But before she came aboord, the King

sent two Messengers to me, to desire me to release both her, and that which might bee in her: which I refused to doe: answering, that I would not release her, vntill I had seen both the Barke and that which was in her: but willed them to tell the King, that in honour of him, whatsoeuer he required, I would doe for him. Afterward the Barke came, and by Edward Christian I was in∣formed, that there were some foure or fiue fardels in her, and that nothing was medled withall, that was in her. Wherein being certified, I came on land, and found my Merchants to be at the Court, who by and by after came in, informing me of the Kings great displeasure, for taking the Portugall Barke in his Port, protesting by his god, That he would make them all prisoners, if the Barke were not released. The King hauing intelligence of my comming on land, presently sent for me. And on the way to the Court, as I was going, I met a Gentleman that came from the [ 10] King, to desire me to release the Barke. But I told him, I would first speake with the King. In fine, I came to the Court, and presently was brought before the King: where after much discourse, at the Kings request, I gaue him the Barke, and all that was in her, with which hee was much pleased,* 1.7 and gaue me an honourable title, to wit, Arancaia Puto: which signifieth, The honourable White man, requiring his Nobles to call me by the same name. And further, to acknowledge his thankefulnesse to me, he sold me his Beniamin at mine owne price; namely, at twenty Tayls the Bahar, it being worth thirty foure and thirty fiue, professing by generall tearmes his loue, and much esteeme of mee, willing me to aske whatsoeuer I would of him. I required onely his Let∣ters of fauour vnto Priaman, which he most willingly promised. Of his Mangoes, whereof him∣selfe did eate, he gaue me to eate, and likewise to carry to my lodging, and so I tooke leaue and [ 20] departed.

The seuen and twentieth, Malim Gauy came to Achen, by whom I receiued Letters from our Merchants at Surat,* 1.8 and also a Copie of the Kings Firma, sent them from Agra, bearing date the twenty fifth of Ianuary, and the seuenth yeare of the Great Mogols raigne, confirming all that was passed betweene the Gouernour of Amadauar and me.

The seuenteenth of Iune, 1613. came there a Merchant of the Hollanders into Achen from Masulipatan, and had been eight moneths on his iourney. He told vs of the death of Captaine Anthonie Hippon, who died in Patane, and of M. Browne Master of the Globe, who died in Ma∣sulipatan, and that they had been euill dealt with at Masulipatan.

The foure and twentieth, I receiued of the King his Present for the King of England; namely, [ 30] his Letter, a Cryse or Dagger, an Hasega, foure pieces of fine Callicut lawne, and eight Camphire dishes.

See this Letter transcribed, as a raritie for the Reader, out of M. Copelands Iournall, which was Minister in that Voyage, and followeth in the next Chapter.

* 1.9The third of Iuly, the Kings Armada arriued, and had been but twenty dayes from the coast of Ior to Achen. In Ior they tooke the Factorie of the Hollanders, and made a prey of all their goods, and brought hither prisoners of the Hollanders some twenty or twenty foure. The seuenth, I receiued the Kings Letter for Priaman, and the Chap for my departure. The twelfth, I tooke my leaue in Achen, and came aboord.

The thirteenth in the morning, I set saile, and comming neere the great Westermost Iland, open [ 40] of the Northermost gut; in the same Ile we found faire shoalding twenty fathomes, cleane ground, sand, a good birth from the land. This depth with cleare ground continued almost to the end of the Iland: so that on the East side of this Iland, there is very good anchoring, and on the Iland great store of wood. But beeing neere the great Iland, to the East-ward of this, wee could get no ground: betweene these two great Ilands is the best and safest course, going on or out to the road of Achen. Likewise, to the Eastward of the Eastermost Iland, but that is out of the way. Note, that from the twelfth of Aprill to the middest of Iune, we had much raine, seldome two dayes without raine, with gusts and much wind. From the fifteenth of Iune, to the twelfth of Iuly, very much wind, very sore stresses, alwayes at South-West, and West South-West, and West.

[ 50]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aprill 12. They anchor in the R••••d 〈…〉〈…〉 K••ngs Pre••ent.
• * 1.2

  Our Kings let∣ter re••d to the King of Achen.
• * 1.3

  The Embassa∣dour of Siam came to visit me.

  Of this you may read in M. Floris his Iournall. English broad clothes well sold in Siam. Gold of lesse esteeme then the value ther∣of in Siam. Hollanders cal∣led or calling themselues English.
• * 1.4

  A signe of most honourable esteeme.
• * 1.5

  May 2. 1613.
• * 1.6

  Edward Christi∣an Captaine of the Hosian∣der.
• * 1.7

  Captaine Best honoured with a Noble title by the King.
• * 1.8

  Letters from Surat, with the Copie of the Great Mogols Firma.

  Iune. 1613.
• * 1.9

  Iuly. 1613. The Factorie of the Hollan∣ders destroyed in Ior.

  He departeth from Achen.