Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 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.

§. VI. Of the Religion in China; difficultie of bringing in Christianitie. Terrible Earth-quakes and Tempests in China.

IN the Citie of Cantan in the middest of the Riuer which is of fresh water and very [ 50] broad, is a little Ile, in the which is a manner of a Monasterie of their Priests; and within this Monasterie I saw an Oratorie high from the ground very well made, with certayne gilt steps before it, made of carued worke; in which was a woman ve∣ry well made with a childe about her necke, and it had a Lampe burning before it. I suspecting that to bee some shew of Christianitie, demanded of some Lay-men, and some of the Idoll Priests which were there, what that woman signified, and none could tell it mee, nor giue mee any reason of it. It might well be the Image of our Ladie, made by the ancient Christians, that Saint Thomas left there, or by their occasion made, but the conclusion is, that all is forgotten: it imght also be some Gentiles Image. The greatest God they haue is the Heauen, the letter that signifieth it, is the principall and the first of all the Letters. They worship the Sun, the Moone, [ 60] and the Starres, and all the Images they make without any respect. They haue, notwithstanding, Images of Louthias, which they worship for hauing beene famous in some one thing or other.* 1.1 And likewise Statues and Images of some Priests, of the Idols, and some of other men for some respects particular to them. And not only worship they these Images, but whatsoeuer stone they erect on the Altars in their Temples.

They call commonly these Gods Omittoffois, they offer them Incense, Benjamin, Ciuet, and another Wood which they call Cayo,* 1.2 * 1.3 Laque, and other smelling things. They offer them likewise Ocha, whereof is mention made afore. Euery one hath a place to pray, and at the en∣tries behind the doores of the Houses, in the which they haue their carued Idols: to the which euery day in the Morning and at Euening they offer Incense and other perfumes. They haue in many places (as well in the Townes as out of them) Temples of Idols. In all the ships they sayle in, they make presently a place for to worship in, where they carrie their Idols.

* 1.4In all things they are to enterprize either Iournies by Sea or by land, they vse Lots & cast them before their Gods. The Lots are two sticks made like halfe a Nut-shell, flat on the one side, and round on the other: and as bigge againe as an halfe Nut, and joyned with a string. And when [ 10] they will cast Lots, they speak first with their God, perswading him with words, and promising him some Offring if he giue him a good Lot, & in it shew him his good Voyage or good successe of his busines. And after many words they cast the Lots. And if both the flats sides fal vpward, or one vp another downe, they hold it for an euill Lot, and turne them toward their Gods very melancholy, they call them Dogs, with many other reproaches. After they are wearie of rating them, they soothe them againe with faire milde words, and aske pardon, saying, that the Melan∣choly of not giuing them a good Lot, caused them to doe them injurie, and speake injurious words vnto him: but that they will pardon them and giue them a good Lot; and they promise to offer him more such a thing (because the promises are the better for them that promise them, they make many and great promises and offerings) and so they cast Lots so many times till [ 20] they fall both on the flat sides which they hold for a good Lot, then remayning well contented, they offer to their Gods that which they promised.* 1.5 It happeneth many times when they cast Lots about any weighty matter, if the Lot fall not out good, or launching a ship to the Sea it goeth not well, and some euill came to it, they runne to their Gods and cast them in the water, and put them in the flame of the fire sometimes, and let them scorch a little, and spurning them often, and tread them vnder foot, and giue them rayling words, till their businesse be ended, and then they carrie them with playing and feasts, and giue them their Offerings.

* 1.6They hold for a great Offering a Hogges head boyled: they offer Hennes, Geese, Duckes and Rice all drest, and a great pot of Wine. After they present it all to the Gods, they set his por∣tion apart, which is, to put in a Dish, the small points of the Hogs eare, the bils, and the points [ 30] of the clawes of the Hennes, Geese, and Duckes, a few cornes of Rice very few, and put in with great heed, three or foure drops of Wine very heedfully, that there fall not many drops from the Pot. These things so set in a Bason that they set them on the Altar to their Gods for to eate, and they set themselues there before the Gods to eate all that which they bring.

* 1.7They worship the Deuill also, which they paint after our fashion: and say that they worship him because he maketh those which are good, Deuils; and the euill, he maketh Buffes, or Kine, or other beasts. And they say that the Deuill hath a Master that teacheth him his Knaueries: these things say the base people: the better sort say they worship him because hee shall doe them no hurt.

When they will launch any new ship to the Sea, their Priests being called by them come in∣to [ 40] the ships to doe their Sacrifices with long side Garments of Silke. They set about the shippe many flags of Silke, they paint in the prow of the ship the Deuill, to the which they make ma∣ny reuerences and Offerings, and say they doe it because the Deuill shall doe no hurt to the ship. They offer to the Gods Papers with diuers Images painted,* 1.8 and other of sundry kinde of cut∣tings, and they burne them all before the Idols with certayne Ceremonies and well tuned Songs, and while their singing doth last, they ring certayne small Bels, and among all they vse great store of eating and drinking.

In this Countrey are two manner of Priests, the one that haue their head all shauen, these weare on their heads certayne course Caps like vnto Canopie cloth,* 1.9 they are high, and flat be∣hind (higher before then behind a hand breadth) made like a Mitre with Pinacles: their wea∣ring [ 50] is white Coates after the Lay-mens fashion. These liue in Monasteries, they haue dining places, and Cels, and many pleasures within their wals. There be others whom commonly the people doe vse for their Burials and Sacrifices, these weare their haire, and blacke silke Coates, or of Searge or Linnen,* 1.10 and long like the Lay-men, hauing for a token their haire made fast in the Crowne of the head with a sticke very well made like a closed hand, varnished blacke. None of these Priests haue Wiues, but they liue wickedly and filthily.

* 1.11The first day of the yeare, which is in the new Moone of March, they make through all the Land great Feasts, they visit one another, the chiefe principally doe make great Banquets. How much these people are curious in the rule and gouernment of the Countrey, and in their common Traffique, so much they are beastly in their Gentilities, in the vsage of their Gods and Idola∣tries.* 1.12 [ 60] For besides that which is said, they haue many Gentilicall Lyes, of men that were turned into Dogges, and afterward into men, and of Snakes that were conuerted into men, and many other ignorances.

I entred one day into a Temple and came to an Altar▪ where were certaine stones set vp

which they worshipped, and trusting in the little estimation they held their Gods in, and in be∣ing men that would be satisfied with reason, I threw the stones downe to the ground, whereat some ranne very fiercely at me and angry, asking me wherefore I had done that, I went mildly to them, and smiling, said to them, because they were so inconsiderate that they worshipped those stones. They asked me wherefore should they not adore them? and I shewed them how they were better then they, seeing they had the vse of reason, feete, hands, and eyes, where∣with they did diuers things that the stones could not doe, and that seeing they were better they should not abase and esteeme so little of themselues as to worship things so vile they being so no∣ble. They answered me that I had reason, and went out with me in company, leauing the stones on the ground: so that there is likelihood and shew of their becomming Christians. And it ma∣keth [ 10] also much to this purpose, their not making any difference of meate, as all the people of India doth. And seeing that among all the meates they esteeme the Porke most, it is almost im∣possible for them to become Turkes.

Notwithstanding, there are two verie great inconueniences to make any Christians in this Countrey. The one is, that in no wise they will permit any noueltie in the Countrey, as in some sort it may bee seene in the matter of the Moores.* 1.13 So that whatsoeuer noueltie that is in the Countrey, the Louthias take order presently how to represse it, and it goeth no further. Whence it happened in Cantan, because they saw a Portugall measure the entries of the Gates, they set presently Watches that none should come in without licence, nor goe vpon the Walls. [ 20] The second is, that no strange person may enter into China without leaue of the Louthias, nor be in Cantan, which doe giue him a certaine time to bee in Cantan. The time of the licence ended,* 1.14 presently they labour to haue them depart. Wherefore because I and those which were with me were one moneth longer in Cantan, they set vp written bords that none should keepe nor harbour vs in their houses, vnder payne of so much, till wee held it our best cheape to goe to the Ships. To the abouesaid is ioyned the common people to bee greatly in feare of the Louthias, wherefore none of them durst become a Christian without their licence, or at the least many would not doe it. Therefore as a man cannot be seeled in the Countrey, hee cannot continue Preaching, and by consequence he cannot fructifie and preserue the fruit. There was notwith∣standing one way how to Preach freely, and fruit might be made in the Countrey, without any dogge barking at the Preacher, nor any Louthia doe him hurt any way: which is, if hee haue a [ 30] licence for it of the King:* 1.15 And it might bee obtayned of a solemne Embassage were sent with a so∣lemne present to the King of China, in the name of the King of Portugall, religious men going with the Ambassadour to obtayne the licence to goe about the Countrey, shewing themselues to bee men with∣out Armes. And how our Law is no preiudice to his Dominion and Gouernement, but a great helpe that all might obey him and keepe his Lawes. This onely remedie there is in China, to reape any fruit, and not any other (speaking humanely.) And without this it is impossible for any Religious men to Preach or fructifie, and because I had not this remedie, hauing the abouesaid inconueniences, I came away from China, and therefore neither I, nor they of the company of IESVS which enterprised alrea∣die this businesse sundry times, could fructifie in China.

[ 40] This people hath besides the ignorances abouesaid, that filthy abomination,* 1.16 that they refraine no sexe among them. Notwithstanding, I Preaching sometimes, as well publike as priuately against this vice, they were glad to heare mee, saying, that I had reason in that which I sayd, but but that they neuer had had any that told them that was a sinne, nor any thing euill done. It seemeth that because this sinne is common among them, God was willing to send them a grie∣uous punishment in some places of the earth, the which was common in all China.* 1.17 I being in the Citie of Cantan, and being willing to know of a rich China Marchant the euils that had happe∣ned in the Countrey, and hee not able to tell it me by word of mouth, gaue me a Letter which they had written vnto him of what had happened: saying to me, that I should translate it and giue it him againe: but not trusting me hee translated it presently, and remayning with the [ 50] copie gaue me the principall, which I translated into Portugall with the helpe of one that could speake our language and theirs, the tenour of the Letter is this.

The principall Louthias of Sanxi and of Sauiton, wrote vnto the King, saying, that in those Prouinces the earth did shake terribly, and the dayes waxed darke like night (hee saith not how long) a South-sayer told them all that should happen. In the yeere before in the moneth of Sep∣tember, the earth opened in many places, and vnder it were heard great noyses like the sound of Bells, there followed a great winde with much rayne, and the winde ranne about all the Compasse. This winde is called in China, Tufaune, and many yeeres it bloweth but once a yeere,* 1.18 and it is so raging, that it driueth a Ship vnder sayle on the Land a great space, and the men can∣not keepe their feete, not leauing and holding one by another, and it doth things worthie admi∣ration [ 60] and incredible. In the yeere that I was in China, in the part where the Portugals were, they shewed the Boat of a Ship of a good bignesse, and the place where it was a land (that this winde ca••rayed it, might bee a great stones cast from the water) and many did affirme it to mee, that the winde had such force, that it carryed it tumbling till it blew it into the Sea. And all the houses the Portugals had made of timber, and couered with strawe, which were many and

were built vpon great stakes, and not very high, it threw them all downe breaking the stakes. And one house being fastened with foure Cables, where many Portugals retired themselues, at the last fell also, and onely one that was sheltered with a high place escaped that it fell not. To blow downe these houses was nothing, for it doth many other things incredible. This winde is almost euerie yeere in China, the which within twentie foure houres that it raigneth, it run∣neth about all the points of the Compasse. With this winde, and the Lands being shaken with the Earthquakes, many Cities fell and were made desolate, in the which dyed innume∣rable people.

In a Citie called Vinyanfuu, in this day was a great Earthquake. And on the west side a great Fire burst out,* 1.19 that swallowed vp all the Citie, in the which, innumerable people perished, esca∣ping [ 10] in one place two, in another three, and so some of the Mogores escaped. In another Citie neere to this,* 1.20 there happened the same, but in this none escaped. In a Citie called Leuchimen, the Riuer increased in such sort, that it ouer-flowed the Citie, where infinite people were drowned. In a Citie called Hien, was an Earthquake, with the which many hou∣ses fell,* 1.21 which slew neere eight thousand soules. In Puchio, the house of the Kings kinsman fell and slew all that were in the house, except a Childe of seuen or eight yeeres old his sonne, (which was carryed to the King) and day and night was a noyse heard vnder the earth, like the sound of Bells.

* 1.22In a Countrey called Cochue, with fire from Heauen and with many waters of a Floud, many perished, and the land remayned vnable to bee cultiuated againe. In a Countrey called [ 20] Enchinoen,* 1.23 at midnight the houses fell, and the Citie remayned desolate and ruined, where perished neere one hundred thousand soules. In a Citie called Inchumen, in one day and a night,* 1.24 the Riuer did flow and ebbe ten times, and with the great floud many people perished. Hitherto the translation of the Letter: that which followeth, was heard by word of mouth of the Portugals that were in the Port of Cantan in the moneth of May, and I receiued the Letter in September.

In a Citie called Sanxi, from midnight till fiue of the clocke in the morning, the earth shooke three times,* 1.25 the eighteenth of Ianuarie, 1556. and the next day after, from midnight till noone, happened the same: the next day following, the twentie of the sayd moneth, the earth shooke mightily after midnight with great Thunder and Lightnings, and all the Prouince was burnt, [ 30] and all the people thereof, and all the Suburbes, Townes, and Cities: they say it is from bound to bound, fiftie or sixtie leagues, that there was not one saued but a Childe, sonne to a kins∣man of the King, which was carried to the King. And the third of Februarie in the same yeere, in the Citie of Panquin where the King is,* 1.26 fell a shower of rayne like bloud. These newes brought one of China that came to Cantan, from a Citie neere to Sanxi, to giue newes to a Lou∣thia that hee should resort to his owne house, and said, that the Citie where he was a dweller was ouerflowne, and that he knew not whether it would perish with the rest. That which ought to bee held for truth, is, that in three Prouinces which commonly are sayd to be destroyed, there was no more destruction then of those places whereof the Letter maketh mention, or little more. The agreeing in the Childe, sheweth that the Towne whereof the Letter maketh mention with [ 40] the childe, was in the Prouince of Sanxi. This hath more apparance of truth, because the Let∣ter was written from the Court, then to say that all the three Prouinces perished.

After the happening of the things abouesaid: the same yeere in the Prouince of Cantan, a wo∣man which went to the Panchasi, told him that the Prouince of Cansi would bee destroyed with power from Heauen, the which after shee was well whipt, was imprisoned: but in the moneth of May of the same yeere, there fell great store of rayne verie hot, with the which the earth seemed to burne, and many people perished with the great heate: but the Prouince perish∣ed not altogether: wherefore this woman was carried to the King, which was in prison in the place where the Portugals were, which told this.

Reader, forasmuch as this Author hath often mentioned, and related also the storie of certaine Por∣tugals, [ 50] Prisoners in China (one of which hee nameth Galotte Perera) from whom hee receiued great part of his China intelligence: I haue thought good to adde hither Pereras relations, translated long since out of Italian, and published by R. Willes; hauing abbreuiated some things in the Frier, that you might rather haue them at the first hand from this Gentleman which saw them: but abbreuiated to preuent tediousnesse.

[ 60]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heauen first both God and Character.
• * 1.2

  Omittoffois and their offerings.
• * 1.3

  A Perfume so called.
• * 1.4

  Lots.
• * 1.5

  Cruell men to their foolish Gods.
• * 1.6

  Offerings.
• * 1.7

  The Deuill worshipped.
• * 1.8

  Paper Offe∣rings.
• * 1.9

  Two sorts of Pri••sts. Monkes.
• * 1.10

  Seculars.
• * 1.11

  Feasts.
• * 1.12

  Traditionall Fables.
• * 1.13

  No noueltie.
• * 1.14

  Prouisions a∣gainst stay of Strangers.
• * 1.15

  Notes
• * 1.16

  Chinois Sodo∣mites.
• * 1.17

  Plagues hap∣ning in China
• * 1.18

  Tuson a terri∣ble tempest.
• * 1.19

  Vinyanfu, swal∣lowed vp.
• * 1.20

  Another Citie qui••e perished. Leuchimen. Hien.
• * 1.21

  Puchio.
• * 1.22

  Cochue.
• * 1.23

  Enchinoen.
• * 1.24

  Inchumen.
• * 1.25

  Sanxi.
• * 1.26

  Bloudie show∣er.