Part 25

All this kingdome is so fertile, as well for the ordinarie watring as also for the temperature of the heauen, that almost all the whole yeare they do gather fruits, but in especiall of wheat and rice: so that both the one and the other are very good cheape, that our people in the discourse of their trauaile or pilgrymage did buy one pyco of rice or of wheate meale, which is fiue roues of Spaine, for one ryall and a halfe; and according vnto this rate al other thinges beare their prices, as hath beene before declared. They say that in this countrie there be many elephants, lyons, tygres, ownses, and other brute beastes, of the which these fryers sawe verie few aliue, but manie skins of them, which is a signe that it is of truth. There are many beasts whereof come the muske, the which are of the tygres, and like vnto a litle dogge, the which they do kill and put them vnder the ground certaine dayes, and after that it is putrified and rotten, the flesh and bloud is conuerted into that sweete powder. There be also many cyuet cats and little worth, a great number of horse, and although those which the said friers did see were litle, yet is it a common voice and fame that in some of the fifteene prouinces there are very good: but they were not there, so that they cannot say they had seene them. But the hens, geese, duckes, and other poultrie that are in all partes of this kingdome are without number, which is the occasion that they are of small estimation: the abundance of fish is no lesse, as well of the sea as of the riuers, in the which they are conformable. All they that do declare of the thinges of this countrie, and the small price that it is solde for, is such, that the saide frier doth affirme, and others that haue bin in that kingdome, that for the value of sixe marauadies (which is a pennie) may four companions eat very wel of flesh, fish, rice, and fruits, and drinke good wine of that countrie.

[Sidenote: Mynes of golde and siluer.]

[Sidenote: Siluer for his value more esteemed than gold.]

In all this kingdome there are many mynes both of gold and siluer, and all verie rich: but the king will not let them be labored but with great lymitation (saying) that which is in those mynes be in his house, and that they should procure to bring it from other kingdomes: yet notwithstanding the abundance is so great both of the one and the other, and so common, that there is no man, although he be of an occupation, but hee hath in his house things both of gold and siluer, and other very rich iewels. They do esteeme for his value more the siluer than the golde: and they say the cause is, for that the prices of golde are variable, as in Italie: but the siluer is alwaies at one staye and price.

[Sidenote: Amber gryce.]

There are great store of pearles, but in especiall in the Iland of Aynao; and great abundance of quicksiluer, copper, yron, steele, laton,[79] tyn, lead, salt peter, brimstone, and other things which were woont to beautifie a kingdome, but aboue all, there is very much muske and amber gryce.

[79] Latten, iron covered with tin.

[Sidenote: Wonderfull treasure.]

[Sidenote: Fleetes may be laden with silke.]

The king of this kingdome, besides the great rent the which he hath, it is saide that he hath great treasories in all the principall cities, those which are the head cities of the prouinces; for the confirmance thereof, it was affirmed vnto the saide fryer for a verie certaintie, that in the citie of Canton, all the money that hath entred into the same for the space of fiue hundred yeres (as well by way of the Portingals, as by those of the kingdom of Cyan,[80] and others their borderers, and all the tributes of that prouince) is altogether in the king's treasure house of that citie, which amounteth vnto, by good account, many more millions than may be well numbred for to giue credite thereunto. It is as common for the people of this countrie to weare silke, as in Europe to weare lynnen; yea, they doo make their shooes thereof, some of satten, and many times of cloth of golde, of verie gallant colours: the cause is by reason of the great abundance that they haue thereof, and is of so great quantitie, that it is carried from the citie of Canton vnto the Portingall Indians more than three thousand kintals euery yeare, besides a great quantitie which is carried vnto Japon, and ordinarily more than fifteene ships laden for the Ilandes of Luzon. The Sianes, and other nations, doo also carrie away a great quantitie: and although there are carried away ordinarily as afore saide, yet there remaineth so great quantity in that kingdome, that many fleetes may be laden therewith.

[80] Siam.

[Sidenote: Sugar, hony, and waxe.]

There is also great store of flax, cotton, and other kinde of webstrie,[81] and al so good cheape that the aforesaide fryer dooth affirme that he hath seene solde a canger,[82] which is fifteene fadom, for foure ryals of plate. The fine earthen dishes that are in this countrie, cannot be declared without many wordes. But that which is brought from thence into Spaine is verie course; although, vnto them that hath not seene the finer sort, it seemeth excellent good: but they haue such with them, that a cubbard thereof amongest vs would be esteemed as though it were of golde. The finest cannot be brought foorth of the kingdome vpon paine of death; neyther can any haue the vse thereof, but onely the loytias, which be there gentlemen (as hath been tolde you). There is great quantitie of sugar, honie, and waxe, and verie good cheape as aforesaide. And in conclusion I say, that they liue with so great abundance, that all things do flow so that they lacke nothing necessarie for their bodies: but for their soules, which is the principallest, they do lack (as you haue vnderstoode in the discourse of this historie): God remedie the same at his pleasure.

[81] Articles for weaving.

[82] The original word is "canga", probably a local word for the measure referred to.

[Sidenote: A riuer that yeeldeth a million and a halfe euery yeare in salt.]

The rent which the king of this kingdome hath, is declared vnto you in a proper chapter of it selfe; so that in this I will declare that which the sayde fryer tolde me, and is onely of one riuer, which is called the riuer of the salt, and is in the prouince of Canton, and is worth vnto him, euerie yeare, a million and a halfe. And although the ordinarie rent, the which he hath euerie yeare, dooth exceede the greatest king that is nowe knowen in all the world in quantitie; yet, in his treasories which he gathered together and kept (if it be true that the Chinos do say), in euery principall citie of these fifteene prouinces, is more than a great number of kings togither haue or can procure, no, nor come nigh vnto it by a great deale.

[Sidenote: All cities are walled.]

All the cities and townes of this kingdome are walled about with stone walles, and at euerie fifteene paces a bulwarke; and without the wall commonly all of them haue a riuer, or else a great deepe moote, wherein they may bring water at all times, with the which they are very strong: they doo vse no fortes, neyther haue they any, but onely ouer the gates of the cities, towers (as hath been declared), and in them is put all the artilerie, the which is for the defence of that citie or towne.

[Sidenote: They vse hargabushes, bowes, and lances.]

[Sidenote: Englande, France, Spaine, and the Turke hath not so many souldiers as this kingdome.]

[Sidenote: Captaines of few and many souldiers.]

They vse many sortes of weapons, but in especiall hargabushes, bowes, lances of three or foure manners, swords like vnto faunchers, and with them targets. All the souldiers when they go to fight, they weare long garments down to their knees, very wel stuffed with cotton wooll, the which doth resist the thrust of a lance, or a stabbe: all such souldiers as haue the king's ryall pay weare, in token thereof, red and yellowe hats, of the which there is so great a number, as well horsemen as foot men, that almost it is impossible to number them. And it is a common opinion of all them that haue bin in this kingdome, and haue seene them, that all Spaine, France, and the Great Turke, hath not so many as this kingdome hath. They haue amongst them captaines of ten souldiers, some of a hundreth souldiers, some of a thousand, of ten thousand, of twentie thousand, and in this sort to a hundred thousand. The number of souldiors that these captains do leade, are knowen by certain ensignes that they beare. They muster and make show of their people euery new moone; and the same day they do pay them royally, and their pay must be in siluer, and in no other money. It is saide by such as have seene this pay, but especially the aforesaid father, Fryer Ignacio, that they giue them a peece of siluer, which may weigh so much as a ryall and halfe of Spaine, and is as much worth there as foure crownes amongest vs, in respect of the value of all things. But both in the one and in the other kingdom, that day that they do receiue their pay, euery one must make a show of some act in armes, the which is done in the presence of viewers or muster-masters: and such as are found that doo not his exercise with dexteritie, they are reprehended and cruelly punished: they doo skirmish with great consort, and in that which toucheth obedience to their captaines, and vnto the ensignes, the which they do vse in their wars, they may compare with all nations of the world.

CHAP. XVIII.

_This Chapter doth treat of certaine rites and ceremonies, and other signes and tokens which be found, and do show that they haue had notice of the holy law of the Gospel._

[Sidenote: Salamina where S. Thomas was martred.]

Such ceremonies as vnto this day haue bin seene amongst the people of this kingdom, are gentilicas,[83] without any mixture with the Moores, nor with any other sect: yet there is found amongst them, that is a sufficient indition,[84] that they haue had in some time past, some particular notice of the euangelical law, as is plainly seene by certaine pictures which haue beene found and seene amongest them, whereof we haue made particular mention, the which they beleeue was knowen by the preaching of the Apostle S. Thomas, who passed through this kingdome when as he went vnto the Indians, and from thence to the city of Salamina,[85] which, in their language, is called Malipur, whereas he was martyred for the name and faith of Jesus Christ: of whom, at this day, they do remember in that kingdome, by the tradition of their antecessors, who said, that many yeares past there was in that kingdome a man that did preach vnto them a new law, whereby they might goe vnto heauen: who, after that hee had preached certaine daies, and saw little fruit thereof (for that they were all occupied in ciuill wars) he departed from thence vnto the Indians. But first he left certaine disciples behind him that were baptised and well instructed in matters of faith, that they might preach vnto them whenas occasion did serue for the same. In many places they do worship the diuell, only for that he should do them no harme; and so the said fryer did tell me, for that hee was diuers times in presence whereas they did obsequies of certaine Chinos that lay a dying: and he saw that they had painted before the dead man a furious diuell, having in his left hand the sunne, and in his right hand a dagger, with the which he made a show as though he would strike him. This picture was put before him at the point that hee should yeelde vp the ghost, strengthening him that he should put great trust thereon.

[83] The original Spanish word, meaning "pagan", left untranslated.

[84] From the Spanish _indicio_, "proof".

[85] More properly Calamina. Tillemont upon this subject says: "Les Portugais pretendent qu'il y a une ancienne inscription à Maliapur dans les Indes, où l'on apprend entre autres choses que Saint Thomas fut percé d'une lance au pié d'une croix près de cette ville. C'est peutêtre ce qui fait dire aux auteurs nouveaux que Calamine est la même ville que Maliapur."

And as the fryer did demand of them what reason they had to do the same, some of them answered and saide, because the diuell should do no harme vnto the dead man in the other world they put his picture before him, that he might knowe him, and take him for his friend.

That which is vnderstood of these Chinos is, that although they haue amongst them many errors of the Gentiles; yet with great ease they would be reduced vnto our faith, if they might haue libertie for to preach, and they to receiue it.

[Sidenote: Giuen to delights.]

When as the sunne and the moone is in eclypse, they beleeue verily that the prince of the heauen will destroye them, and for verye feare they put them selues in that colour: the people generally doo worshippe vnto them, and beleeue verily that the sunne is a man, and the moone a woman. And therefore, when as they beginne to bee eclypsed, they make great sacrifices and inuocations unto the prince afore said, desiring him not to kill nor destroy them, for the great necessitie they haue of them. All generally beleeue the immortalitie of the soule; and that in the other world they shall be rewarded or punished according as they liued in this worlde, in company of the bodie. And therefore they do vse to make in the fields sepulchres, wherein they command themselues to be buried after they bee dead. When they should be buried, they command to kill all their seruants or their wiues, those that best he loued in his life, saying, that they do it that they should go with them to serue them in the other world, whereas they beleeue they shall liue eternally and die no more. They put with them into their sepulchres things to be eaten and great riches, beleeuing that they do carry the same into the other world, and there to serue their necessities. In this error were the Indians of the Peru of old antiquity, as the Spaniards haue seene by experience. There is in this kingdom many vniuersities and colleges, wherein is taught philosophie, both naturall and morall, and the lawes of the countrie, for to learne to gouerne by them; vnto the which the king doth send ordinarily visitors to see and vnderstand the order that is amongst them, and to reward or punish the students according vnto the desert of eyther of them. They are greatly ashamed when they see any euil thing committed, although they bee not punished for the same, and are people that do permit with ease correction, as the father Ignacio and his companions did see by experience; who going alwayes as condemned men to die, yet at all times when they did see them do reuerence vnto their idols or vnto the diuell, or any other euill thing, they did reprehend them with great liberty, who did not onely seeke to hurt them for the same, but did greatly reioyce to heare their reasons wherewith they did prohibite or forbid them. The said frier did tell me that, one day, passing by an hermitage, whereas dwelled an hermite who had, vpon the altar in the same, an idoll for his saint: before whom was there a Chino, a principall man, worshipping the same; the saide father, without any feare, went vnto him, and began to reprehende him, and to spit at the idoll, and caused him therewith to leaue off his worshipping, whereof he was greatly amazed, both he and all the rest of his companie, to see with what boldnes it was done, and no harme done vnto him for the same, eyther they supposed that the Chino did thinke him to be a mad man, or else (which is most to be beleeued) that God did worke with his seruant whereby he would giue him his reward for that which he had done, in returning for his honour, in mittigating the furie of that man, and to giue him vnderstanding that he was reprehended with reason. There are many Chinos conuerted to the faith as well in the Ilands Philippinas, as in the citie of Machao, and they baptise of them daily, who giue tokens and outwarde showes to bee good Christians, and say that the greatest difficultie for to conuert all the whole kingdome, will be in them that doo gouerne in the same, for they had neede of a particular ayde and helpe of the mercie of God to bring them vnto the faith; for that they are had in reuerence and obeyed as Gods vpon the earth. Besides this, they do giue themselues to all delightes that any humaine creature can imagine, for that they put all their felicitie therein, and doo it with so great extremitie, that it is supposed there is no people in all the worlde that may be compared vnto them.

[Sidenote: Their women are chast, but their men are vicious.]

For besides that they are alwayes carried in little chayres, and vpon mens shoulders, which are covered with silke and golde; yet are they giuen much vnto bankets, wherein they haue so many different sortes of meates as their appetites doo require. And it is greatly to be maruailed at, that the women of this kingdome are marveilous chast and secret as any whatsoeuer; and to the contrarie the men are as vicious, but in especiall the lords and gouernors: and for that our faith do reprehend with rigor and terror the excesse of these thinges, it is to be beleeued that it will be a great impediment to the entrie of the Gospel amongst them: yet God may so touch them, and in such sort, that there will be no difficultie. Amongest the common people there will be no such impediment; but rather they will embrace with great content our holy law, for that it will be an occasion to cleare and set them at libertie from the tyrannie of the diuell, and from their iudges and lords, who do intreate them as slaues. This is the opinion of all them that haue entred into this kingdome, and haue intreated of this matter with the Chinos. They haue amongest them some good thinges, and woorthie to be imitated and folowed, of the which I will here set downe two, which are thinges of great purpose to my iudgement. The one is, that vnto none they do giue the office to gouerne, by no manner of wayes nor meanes, although they be suborned by friendship, but onely by his owne merites and sufficient abilitie. The seconde, that none can be viceroy, gouernours, nor iudge of a prouince or citie, in the which hee is naturall borne, the which they say is done to take away the occasion of dooing any iniustice, beeing carried away or led by parentes or friendshippe. All other thinges of this kingdome I do remit vnto that which hath bin before declared, for to passe vnto the rest, the which in this Itinerario is promised to be mentioned and declared.

CHAP. XIX.

_This Chapter doth treate of the Islands of Japon, and of other thinges in that kingdome._

[Sidenote: Iapon is 300 leagues from China.]

The Ilands of Japon are many, and altogether make a mightie kingdome, that is divided amongest many lords: it is distant from the firme land of China, three hundred leagues, and in the middest betwixt both kingdoms is the prouince of Lanquin, which is one of the fifteene afore named; although going from Machao, a city of the Portingals, and ioyning vnto Canton, which is of the Proper China, they do make it but two hundred and fiftie leagues, trauelling towards the north, and commonly they do account the same leagues from the Ilands of Luzon or Philippinas, vnto the said Ilands of Japon: whereunto they may go by Noua Hispania, for that it is better and surer nauigation, and shorter voyage, for according vnto the reckoning of the pylots that do nauigate those seas, they make it no more then 1750 leagues, which is not halfe of that which the Portingalls make in their nauigation.

These ilands are many (as aforesaid), yet are they populared with much people, who in their bodies and faces differ very little from the Chinos, although not so politike: [by the which it seemed to be true, that which is found written in the histories of the kingdom of China, saying, that these Japones in old time were Chinas, and that they came from that mightie kingdome vnto these ilands, whereas they do now dwell, for this occasion following. A kinsman of a king of China, a man of great countenance and valour, hauing conceiued within his brest for to kill the king, and thereby to make himselfe lorde of the countrie, the better to put this in execution, he gaue to vnderstand of his euill intent vnto others of his friends, requesting their fauour to execute the same, promising that he would do his best. This being done, and hauing them alwaies for his especiall friends, unto whom it seemed no difficult thing, and againe moued with ambition, they did promise him: and for the better confirmation thereof, they began to prepare souldiers, and to haue them readie against the day appointed. And for that this their pretence could not be brought to effect with such secrecie as the matter required, their treason came to be discouered vnto the king, at such good oportunitie that he might very well seeke remedie for his owne safegard at his pleasure, vnlooked for of his kinsman and the rest of his followers, who were all taken with great ease.

[Sidenote: The first inhabiting of the Iapon.]

Then was it determined by those of the royall councell, that all the traitors should haue their throts cut according vnto the lawes of the countrie: but when their sentence was carried vnto the king to be confirmed (he vnderstanding that they much repented, and were sorie for their sin and treason that they had pretended against him), he determined to remedie the same with less damage, fearing what might happen by their deaths, so that he comanded they should not die, but be banished for euer out of the kingdome, with precise band, that they, their wiues and children, and al that should come of them, should for euer liue on those ilands that are now called Iapon, which were at that time desert and without people. This sentence was executed, and the offenders did accept the same for mercie. So they were caried to the said ilands, wheras when they saw themselues out of their naturall countrie, and without any possibility euer to returne againe, they ordained their comon wealth as a thing to last for euer: directing all their lawes which were for their conseruation and gouernment, contrarie vnto the Chinos from whence they came. But in particular they made one, wherin they did prohibite for euer their descendants to haue any frindship with the Chinos, and did admonish them to do them all the euill that was possible, which is obserued and kept vnto this day inuiolable, shewing themselues their contraries in all they may, euen in their apparell, speech, and customes: for the which there is no nation so abhorred of the Chinos as is the Iapones, so that they are payd their hatred with the like. And although at that time the said Iapones were subiectes and tributaries vnto the king of China, and so continued long time after, now at this day they are not, but do all harme that may be vnto those of that kingdome.][86]

[86] The whole of the passage included in brackets is inserted from the French of De la Porte.

[Sidenote: In the Iapones are 66 kingdomes.]