Opposite this country of China there are many islands in the sea, and beyond them at a hundred and seventy-five leagues to the east there is one very large which they say is the mainland, from whence there come each year to Malaca three or four ships like those of the Chinese, of white people whom they describe as great and wealthy merchants. They bring much gold in bars, silver, silk and many very rich silk stuffs, much very good wheat, beautiful porcelain and other merchandise. And they ship pepper and other things which they carry away. These islands are called Lequeos,[351]the people of Malaca say that they are better men, and greater and wealthier merchants, and better dressed and adorned, and more honourable than the Chinese. There is not much information about these people up to the present time, because they have not come to India since the King of Portugal possesses it.[352]
An end was made of transferring this book from its original in the Portuguese language, translated into Castilian language, in Vitoria, the Emperor and King of Spain residing there, on the first day of March, of the year one thousand five hundred and twenty-four years, by Min. Cinturion,[353]Ambassador of the Community of Genoa, with the interpretation of Diego Ribero, Portuguese, Cosmographer of His Majesty, and Master of the Sailing charts.
Firstly, the rubies grow in the third India, and are for the most part gathered in a river which is called Peygu, and these are the best and the finest, which the Malabars call nir puco. Those which are sold for the prices written below must be very good, without any blemish: and in order to know their fineness the Indians put the point of their tongue upon them, and that which is the coldest and hardest is best: and in order to see its purity they take it up with wax by the finest point, and so look at it by the light, by which they see any blemish which it may have got. They are found in very deep caves which there are amongst the mountains. And in this river and country of Peygu they clean them, but do not work them, for they take them to other parts to be worked, principally in Palecate and the country of Narsynga.
In Calicut and the whole Malabar country, eight fine rubiesof the weight of one fanam are worth ten fanaes[354]x fs.10Four rubies of the said weight in perfection xx fanaesxx fs.20Two weighing one fanamxl fs.40One weighing one fanaml fs.50One weighing three quarters of a fanamxxx fs.30One weighing a fanam and a quarterlxxv fs.75One weighing a fanam and a half is worthc fs.100One which should weigh a fanam and three quarterscl fs.150A ruby which weighs two fanaes is worthcc fs.200One which should weigh two fanoes and a quarterccl fs.250One of two and a halfccc fs.300One of two and three quarters and a halfcccc fs.400One of three fanoesccccl fs.450One of three fanoes and a quarterd fs.500One of three and a halfdl fs.550One of three and three quartersdc fs.600One of three fanoes three quarters and a halfdcxxx fs.630One of four fanoesdclx fs.660One of four fanoes and a quarterdcc fs.700One of four fanoes and a halfdcccc fs.900One of five fanoesIU fs.1,000One of five fanoes and a halfIUCC fs.1,200One of six fanoesIUd fs.1,500
They are usually worth these prices if they are perfect, and those which should not be perfect, or may have any spots,or have not got a good colour are worth much less, according to the choice of the buyer. A fanam weighs something more than two carats of our parts, and eleven fanoes and a quarter are a mitigal,[355]and six mitigals and a half make an ounce, and each fanan is worth here a real of silver.[356]
There is another kind of rubies which we call spinel rubies, and the Indians call them carapuch, which are produced in the same country of Peygu, where the fine rubies grow, and they find them in the mountains near the surface of the ground. These are not so fine nor of so bright a colour as the rubies, but they have rather the colour of scarlet: and those which are perfect in colour and pure, are worth half less than the rubies.
In the second India there is an island called Ceylan, where many rubies are found, which the Indians call manica, most of these do not reach the perfection of the others in colour, because they are red, and pale, and ruddy.[357]They are very hard and very cold, and, those which are found in all their perfection of colour are very highly valued amongst them. And the king of that island has them found, and keeps the perfect ones for himself, which he sells with his own hand: and when the lapidaries clean them if they find one very white they put it by his orders into the fire for a certain number of hours, and if it endures the fire and comes out sound it remains of a brighter colour. Such a stone is of great value, and those of this kind which the King of Narsynga can get into his hands, he orders them to be boredwith a very fine hole on the underneath side so that the hole reaches to the centre, and they do not pass it, because the stone can no longer leave the kingdom, and that it may be known that it has been tried in the fire. And so also these are worth more than those of Peygu. Their prices are the following if they are perfect in colour and purity:—
One which weighs a carat, which is half a fanam, is worth in Calicut thirty fanoesxxx fs.30One of two caratslxxv fs.75[358]One of three caratscl fs.150One of three carats and a halfcc fs.200One of four caratsccc fs.300One of four carats and a halfcccl fs.350One of five caratscccc fs.400One of five carats and a halfccccl fs.450One of six caratsdxxx fs.530One of six carats and a halfdlx fs.560One of seven caratsdcxxx fs.630One of seven carats and a halfdcclx fs.760One of eight carats very good and tried inthe fire is worthdccc fs.800Such a one of eight carats and a halfdcccc fs.900Such a one of nine caratsIUCfs.1,100Such a one of ten caratsIUCCCfs.1,300One of eleven carats of this kindIUDCfs.1,600One of twelve caratsnUfs.2,000One of fourteen caratsmUfs.3,000One of sixteen caratsViufs.6,000
These balasses are of the class of rubies but not so strong as them, their colour is rosy and some are almost white, theyare found in Balaxayo[359]which is a kingdom of the mainland near Peygu and Bengal. The Moors bring them out of that country to all parts; that is to say, the good and picked ones, cut or uncut, they clean and work them in Calicut, and they are sold for the prices of spinel rubies. Those which are not good, and are bored, are bought by the Moors of Mekkah and Aden for the whole of Arabia, where they are accustomed to take them.
These diamonds are gathered in the first India in a kingdom of Moors called Decan, and they carry them thence to all parts. There are other diamonds which are not so good; some are white and are said to be of the new mine which is in the kingdom of Narsynga; these are worth less by a third in Calicut and the country of Malabar, than those of the old mine; and they are worked in the kingdom of Narsynga itself. And those of the old mine are not worked in India. They likewise make false diamonds in India with white rubies, topazes and sapphires, which look like fine gems and these are found in Ceylon, and they only differ from diamonds in the colour which they have by nature. And some of these stones are found half of which have the colour of the ruby and the other of the colour of the sapphire, and others of the colour of the topaze, and some of them have got all these colours mixed. They bore these stones with two or three very fine threads through them, and they remain as cats' eyes. And with the stones which turn out white they make a great quantity of small diamonds which cannot be distinguished from the other genuine ones, except by the touch[360]and by those who have much acquaintance with them.
Eight fine diamonds which weigh a manjar[361]are worth xxv orxxx fs.30Six weighing one manjarxl fs.40Four weighing one manjarlx fs.60Two weighing one manjarlxxx fs.80One weighing one manjarc fs.100One weighing a manjar and a quarterclxv fs.165One of one and a halfclxxx fs.180One of one and three quartersccxx fs.220One of one and three quarters and a halfcclx fs.260One of two manjarscccxx fs.320One of two and a quarterccclx fs.360One of two and a halfccclxxx fs.380One of two and three quarters if in fullperfectionccccxx fs.420One of this said perfection of three manjarsccccl fs.450One of three manjars and a halfcccclxxx fs.480One of four manjarsdl fs.550One of five manjarsdccl fs.750One of six manjarsdcccc fs.900One of seven manjarsIUCCfs.1,200One of eight manjarsIUCCCCfs.1,400
These go on increasing in price in proportion, and each manjar weighs two taras and two-thirds, and two taras make a carat even weight, and four taras weigh a fanam.
The best and most genuine sapphires are found in Ceylon, they are very strong and fine, and those which are in all perfection, and purity, and of a fine blue colour, are worth the following prices.
One which weighs a carat two fanaesii fs.2One weighing twovi fs.6One weighing three caratsx fs.10One weighing four caratsxv fs.15One weighing five caratsxviii fs.18A weight of sixxxv fs.25One of sevenxxxv fs.35One of eight caratsl fs.50One of ninelxv fs.65One of ten caratslxxv fs.75A sapphire weighing eleven carats is worthxc. fs.90One of twelvecxx fs.120One perfect in purity and colour weighing thirteen caratscxxxv fs.135One of fourteen caratsclx fs.160One of sixteen two hundred fanoescc fs.200One of eighteenccl fs.250One of twentyccc fs.300One weighing a mitical which is xi fanams and a quartercccl fs.350
There is also in Ceylam another kind of sapphires, which are not so strong, which they call quirin genilam,[362]and they are of a darker colour. These are worth much less, however good they may be, for one of the above-mentioned is worth as much as thirteen of these.
In the kingdom of Narsynga in a mountain above Bancanor and Mangalor there is another kind of sapphires softer and inferior in colour, which they call cringanilan;[362]they are somewhat whitish; these are worth very little, so much so that the most perfect of them which weighs twenty carats will not be worth a ducat. Their colour is also somewhat yellow.
There is another sort of sapphires which are found on the sea beach of the kingdom of Calicut in a place calledCapucad,[363]the Indians call these carahatonilam, they are very blue and cloudy and do not glitter, except setting them in the light.[364]They are soft and break like glass. An opinion is held by some who say that in former times there was by the sea of this Capurad the house of a king and that its windows were of blue glass, and that the sea having covered it over the pieces of glass are thrown up ashore; but they are very large, and on the other hand they seem to be glass. These are worth very little among them.
The natural topazes are found in Ceylon which the Indians call pur ceraga, it is very hard stone and very cold and heavy like the ruby and sapphire, because all three are of one kind. Its perfect colour is yellow like beaten gold, and when their colour is perfect and pure, whether they be great or small, in Calicut they are worth their weight in fine gold, and this is their price usually; and if the colour is not so perfect they are worth their weight in gold of fanams which is less by half, and if it is almost white they are worth much less, and they make small diamonds of them.
The true turquoises are found in Niexer[365]and Quirimane,[366]country of Sheikh Ismail, in mines and dry ground,[367]and they are found upon black stones, and the Moors detach them there in small pieces, and bring them thence to Ormuz, whence they are sent out to many countries by sea. The Indians call them peyrosa. It is a soft stone and of little weight, and not very cold; and in order to know that it isgood and true, by day it will seem to you of a blue colour, and at night by candle light it turns green; and those which are not so perfect, do not change from one appearance. If this stone is pure and of a fine colour, underneath at its base it will have brown stone upon which it grew, and if any little vein or point were to come out above the black stone itself, then it is known as very genuine indeed, and of greater value, because it is a sign of being a true turquoise, and for greater certainty putting upon it a little virgin lime, white and moistened like ointment, the lime will appear coloured. And when they have this perfection they are worth the following prices:—
If the turquoise is of the said perfection and weighs a carat, it will be worth inthe Malabar countryxv fs.15One of two caratsxl fs.40One of four caratsxc fs.90One of six caratscl fs.150One of eight caratscc fs.200One of ten caratsccc fs.300One of twelve caratsccccl fs.450One of xiiij caratsdl fs.550
They take no account of the larger ones, from their being light pieces of much bulk. The Moors and Guzuratys wear the large ones.
The hyacinths are produced in Ceylan, and are soft yellow stones, and those which are of a stronger colour are the best; most of them have within some grains which impair their beauty, and those which have not got them, and are pure, in perfection of this colour, are worth little in Calicut where they arrange them; one which weighs a fanam is not worth more than three fanams, and one of xviij fanams is not worth more than xvi fanams.
There are also other gems, cat's eyes, chrysoliths, and amethists, of which no other distinction is made on account of their being of little value, and so also with regard to the jagonzas.[368]
The emeralds are produced in the country of Babilonia, which the Indians call Maredeygua;[369]and they likewise grow in many other parts; they are green stones of a good colour and pretty; they are light and soft, and many counterfeits are made of them which resemble them, but looking at them in the light they show the counterfeit and some little globules such as all glass makes; and if they were genuine they would not show any. But the sight of them would give great satisfaction and the good ones shew rays inside them like of the sun, and being touched by a touchstone leaves on it a copper colour. And the real emerald is such that they are worth the same as diamonds in Calicut, and something more, not according to the weight but the size, because the diamond is much heavier than it.
There are likewise other emeralds which are green stones, and these are not so much valued, but the Indians make use of them in jewellery. These do not leave a copper colour on the touchstone.[370]
Pepper grows in all Malabar, firstly in the kingdom of Calicut, and there it is worth from two hundred to two hundred and thirty fanoes the bahal, which weighs four quintals of the old weight of Portugal at which all spice is sold in Lisbon: and they pay twelve fanoes per bahar duty for taking it out of the country to the King of Calicut; and those who buy it are used to take it to Cambay, Persia, Aden, Mekkah, from whence they also transport it to Cayro, and thence to Alexandria. And now they give it to the King of Portugal at the rate of iiijulx (4,060)[371]the bahar, with the duties, which are cxciij fanoes (193) and ¼, on account of so great a variety of merchants no longer resorting there to buy it, and on account of the agreement which the King of Portugal made with the kings and Moors and merchants of the country of Malabar. Much pepper also grows in Sumatra which is an island near Malaca, and it is larger and better looking than that of the Malabar country: but this pepper is not so fine nor so strong as that. This pepper is carried to Bengal and China and Java, and some of it is carried to Mekkah without the knowledge of the Portuguese, who do not allow it to be taken. It is worth 400 to 600 maravedis the quintal of Portugal, in this case of the new weight. And between the new and the old one in Portugal there is a different of two ounces per pound.
The cloves grow in an island beyond Java called Maluco, and from thence they bring it to Malacca, and from there to Calicut and all the Malabar country. Each bahar is worthin Calicut 500 and 600 fanoes, and if it is clean of husks and sticks, at seven hundred fanoes, and xviiij fanoes per bahar are paid as export duty. At Maluco where it grows it is worth from one to two ducats the bahar; according to the multitude of buyers who go for it. In Malacca the bahar of these cloves is worth as much as fourteen ducats the bahar according to the demand of the merchants.
Good cinnamon grows in the island of Ceylam, and in the county of Malabar there grows a very inferior quality; the good sort is worth little in Ceylam, and in Calicut it is worth three hundred fanoes the bahar, new and very choice.
Beledyn[372]ginger grows at a distance of two or three leagues all round the city of Calicut, and the bahar is worth lx[373]fanoes, and sometimes fifty, they bring it to the city for sale, from the mountains and estates. The Indian merchants buy it in detail and collect it together, and then in the season for loading ships they sell it to the Moors at prices from ninety to a hundred and ten fanoes; its weight is the greater weight.[374]
The Ely ginger grows in the mountain Dely as far as Cananor, and is smaller and not so white, nor so good. The bahar in Cananor is worth forty fanoes, and six fanoes duty is paid per bahar, and it is sold without being packed.[375]
In Bengal there is also much ginger of the country and there they make with it a large quantity of preserves with sugar, very well made; and they bring it in Martaban jars to sell at Malabar, and the farazola, which is twenty-two pounds, is worth xiiij and xv or xv; fanoes. And that which is now preserved with sugar in Calicut is worth xxv fanoes the farazola on account of sugar being dear there.
Green ginger for making preserves is worth three quarters of a fanam the farazola[376]in Calicut.
Lac of Martaban, very good, is worth the farazola, which is twenty-two pounds andsix ounces and a half of Portugal, of xvj ounces to the poundxviij fanoes18Lac of the country, the farazolaxij fs.12Coarse camphor in loaves of lxx to eighty fanoes the farazolalxxx fs.80Very good borax[377]in large pieces at xxx, xl, or l fs. the farazolaxl fs.40Camphor for anointing the idols at the rate of one fanam and a half the mitical, sixand a half of which make an ouncei fm. & a half1½Camphor for eating and for the eyes at iij fs. the miticaliij fs.3Eagle wood at cccl and cccc fs. the farazolaccclxxv fs.375Genuine aloe-wood, and very choice black and heavy is worth i fs. the farazolaiu fs.1,000Musk in powder of good quality, the ounce xxxvi fs.xxxvi fs.36Benjuy each farazola lx and the very good lxx fs.lxv fs.65Fresh tamarinds at iij fs. the farazolaiij fs.3Sweet flag[378]the farazolaxij fs.12Indigo, coarse and heavy, which contains sand, seventeen to twenty-two fs. thefarazolaxx fs.20Encienzo the best when in grain is worthv fs.5Encienzo[379]in paste and inferior is worthiij fs.3Very good amber is worth ij to iij fs. the miticaliij fs.3Mirobolans in sugar conserve are worthfrom sixteen to xxv fs. the farazolaxx fs.20Coloured sandal v and vi fs. the farazolavi fs.6Spikenard, fresh and good, from xxx to xl fs. the fa.xl fs.40White sandal, and of a lemon colour xl to lx fs. the farazola, it grows in anisland called Timor1 fs.50Nutmeg x and xi fs. the farazola, it comes from Bandam, where the bahar isworth viij or x fs.xi fs.11Mace from xxv to xxx fs. the farazola, this also comes from Bandan, where itis worth 1 fs. the bahar.xxx fs.30Good herb lonbreguera[380]at xv fs. the farazolaxv fs.15Turbiti,[381]at xiij fs. the farazolaxiij fanoes13Zerumba is worth the farazolaij fs.2Zedoary is worth the farazolai fm.1Serapine gum[382]is worth the farazolaxx fs.20Socotra aloes are worth the farazolaviij fs.8Cardamums in grain at xx fs.xx fs.20Rhubarb, there is much of it in the Malabar country, and what comes from China byMalaca is worth cccc to d fs. the farazolaccccl450Mirobolans, ynblicos, are worth, the farazolaij fs.2Mirobolans, belericos, are worth, the farazolai fm.1Mirobolans of a citron colour and quebulos which are one kindij fs.2Mirobolans yndos, which are from the same trees as the citron coloured, are worthiij fs.3Tutty,[383]the farazolaxxx fs.30China cubela,[384]which grows in Java, is given there at a low price withoutweight or measure, by eye.Opium is worth the farazola in Calicut, and comes from Aden, where theymake it, it is worth from cclxxx to cccxx fs.ccc fs.300Another opium which is prepared in Cambay is worth from cc to ccl fs.the farazolaccxxv fs.225
A pound of the old weight contains xiiij oz. A pound of the new weight contains xvi oz., eight quintals of the old weight make seven quintals of the new, and each quintal of the new weight is of cxxviij pounds of xv oz., each old quintal is three quarters and a half of a new quintal, and is of cxxviij pounds of xiiij oz. each.
A farazola is xxij pounds of xvi oz. and vi oz.2/7more. Twenty farazolas are one bahar. One bahar is four old quintals of Portugal.[385]All spices and drugs and anything which comes from India is sold in Portugal by old weight, at present all the rest[386]is sold by new weight.
VOYAGE WHICH JUAN SERANO MADE WHEN HE FLED FROM MALACA, WITH THREE PORTUGUESE AND CRISTOVAL DE MORALES OF SEVILLE, IN A CARAVEL WHICH HE STOLE IN MALACA, IN WHICH HE PUT CERTAIN MALAY MARINERS, NATIVES OF MALACA, ABOUT THE YEAR OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND TWELVE YEARS.[387]
In the name of God: we left the city of Malaca in a caravel with five Malay mariners and pilots; the captain was FrancoSerano, with three other Christians, who in all were nine; the mariners, natives of Malaca; the Christians, three Portuguese and a Castilian. In the year one thousand five hundred and twelve we sailed to the city of Pegu, and this city is on the mainland, and not very far from the sea, more on this side of Malaca, east (and) west[388]of the island Care ca Faya, north (and) south, with the Malacca channel and island Quendan, it must be said, the river higher up towards the east passes close by it: this river is very large and clear, by it enters and goes forth the merchandise, which many Christians traffic with; these are clothed in camlets and bocasi.[389]They believe in one only true God. They are natives of these parts these married Christians. They trade with Upper and Lower India. The king of this country is an idolater; he uses another dress, which reaches from his head to his feet, full of gold rings and jewellery and seed pearl. These stones are brought from the kingdom of Pegu itself, about three days' journey inland.
In this country, when the husbands die, their wives burn themselves and throw themselves into the fire.
This King of Pegu is continually at war with some other powerful king, who may be the King of Camboja, Siam, or Conchin Chinan.
Leaving Pegu and the bar of the river and continuing to the south-west, inclining to the south south-west,[390]we arrive at the island Samatra, for so is named a city of this northern part, as I will relate further on, at a port which is very large and called Pedir. It is near the extremity of the island, placed more to the north, which looks to the north west.[391]The harbour of Pedir is very large and the city very populous, the best of the island, which the Malay pilots said had a circuit of two hundred and fifty leagues, according as we can collect from their day's journey and our day's run.[392]We gathered from the position of the country and sayings of the pilots and ancient geographers that this island is Traprobana, in which there are four idolatrous kings. The wives of the natives of the country burn themselves when their husbands are dead, as in Pegu and in Malabaria.
The people are white; they have wide foreheads, the eyes greyish and round, the hair long, the nose flat; they are small in stature. Much silk is produced in this island, and grows of itself on the mountains, in which there are many trees of storax and benjuy some way inland; and if it is not brought so much hither, the reason is that they use it there, for they all anoint themselves: many various kinds of lignum aloes grow in the mountains.
Having left Pedir and gone down the northern[393]coast, I drew towards the south and south-east[394]direction, and reached to another country and city which is called Samatra, in which we saw many merchants; and in a single quarterwe counted five hundred changers, besides other quarters where there were many others. There are innumerable silk workshops. The people are all dressed in cotton. They navigate with vessels made of a certain wood which looks like canes: they call them juncos in Malay language: they carry three masts and two helms: when they pass any stiff gulf, the wind being contrary they hoist other sails, and they are raised on the second mast, and so they make their voyage.
The houses of this city of Samatra and its island, which are all named from it, as I said speaking of Pedir, are of stone and lime, low and covered with shells of tortoises or turtles. Each one of these shells covers as much as two or three bucklers; they are painted of their natural colour like ours. From here we stood to the east until the Bandan Islands, and we found near this, which gives name to the others, twenty islands. It is a dry country which bears fruit; some of these islands are inhabited, the people are like the peasants of Malabaria and Calicut, who are called poliares and gicanales,[395]they are of a low way of living, and coarse intelligence. A profitable commodity is found in Bandan, namely nutmeg, which grows here in great quantity and kinds. Thence we departed to other islands standing to the north-east and east-north-east[396]through many channels as far as the islands of Malut. In them grows much cloves, they are five in all, the largest of them is smaller than Bandan. The Maluquese people are very wretched, and worth little, they are very beastly, and of a brutal mode of living, they do not differ from animals in their customs but only in possessing the human face. They are whiter than other races of these islands. The cloves grow in another island which is smaller, and is called Tidory, the tree on which it grows is like the box or buxo. When the cloves are ripe on the trees they stretch cloaks or sheets on the ground and sweep the tree, and the inhabitantsgather the most they can. The country is of earth clay and sand; it is so near the line that the north star cannot be seen, and then they sail by certain stars which the orientals are accustomed to. And having departed from here to another second isle, there we the four Christians and some Malays remained; and there the King of Maluco shewed great honour to FrancoSerano, the before-named captain, and married him with honour to his daughter, and to the others who wished to go he gave permission to go and see the city and island of Java. On the road we found an island which is called Borney, which is fifty leagues from Maluco, and it is somewhat larger than Maluco, and much lower. Its people adore idols, they are rather white, and go dressed with shirts like those of sailors, and in face they are like the people of the city of Cayro: they dress in camlets.[A]
From this island we went to another and took other mariners. In this country there grows much camphor, because there are many trees in which it grows, and from there we set out to the island of Zaylon, at which we arrived in three days; and so the mariners whom we took in Borney carried a map for navigating, and they had a needle and loadstone, and a chart in which they had many lines and strokes at which we were greatly amazed,[397]and spoke to them of it in the Malay language: and the north star having disappeared from us in those countries the mariners told us that they guided themselves throughout all that region by five stars, principally by one star opposite to the north to which they continue to navigate, and for this they always carry a needle and loadstone because that stone always follows the north, towards which they continue to sail, and it never turns away from the north, and they look on it on that account;and the mariners of Borneo told us that in that part of that island there was a people which used the contrary stars opposite to the north, for their navigation; and which seemed to be almost the antipodes of Tropia and Sarmatia, and that this people inhabited in the frigid zone near the Antarctic pole, which appeared in that country not to have more than four hours of daylight; for the country is very cold to a wonderful degree, on account of the climate being like that which exists near the Arctic Pole.
Having left this island, we went to the island of Java, in which we found four kinds of kings, who follow different rites, all idolators, who worship idols, others the sun, others the moon, and others worship the cows, and things to eat, and others worship the devil. There are other races which go dressed with cloaks and bornusses of silk and camlet.
There are in this Java some who sell their parents when they see that they are old and decrepit, to another nation, who are called canibals or anthropophagi, who are pagans, and likewise brothers sell their brothers when they are sick: when their recovery is despaired of they bring them out into the market-place and sell them to those Caribs, saying that man's flesh is brought up with so much care and luxury, that it would not be in reason that the earth should consume it.
I have read with great interest the passages of the manuscript relating to precious stones, and I have admired their conscientious appreciation and exactness in details.A doubt was raised with respect to stones of combined colours; they do exist, but are by no means valued in Europe.The proportions of the prices in regard to weights, are still very exact as to the Indian market, and uncut stones.Experiments similar to those here described have been made in Europe, and chiefly in Germany, to heighten the colour of gems, rubies especially, by exposing them to fire, but their success has been so hazardous, nay costly, that speculation has been unwilling to expose itself to so much risk.Jargon-corindon or circon was much used in the sixteenth century, and is now without value: it has the merit of possessing the hardness of the sapphire.Henry Capt,Jeweller.17, Rue du Rhône, Geneva.
I have read with great interest the passages of the manuscript relating to precious stones, and I have admired their conscientious appreciation and exactness in details.
A doubt was raised with respect to stones of combined colours; they do exist, but are by no means valued in Europe.
The proportions of the prices in regard to weights, are still very exact as to the Indian market, and uncut stones.
Experiments similar to those here described have been made in Europe, and chiefly in Germany, to heighten the colour of gems, rubies especially, by exposing them to fire, but their success has been so hazardous, nay costly, that speculation has been unwilling to expose itself to so much risk.
Jargon-corindon or circon was much used in the sixteenth century, and is now without value: it has the merit of possessing the hardness of the sapphire.
Henry Capt,Jeweller.
17, Rue du Rhône, Geneva.
The Munich MS. No. 571, like the Barcelona MS., has: "y las naos de alli se enpeguen el dicho yncenso el qual le vale alli de ciento cinquentamrsel quintal." But the Munich MS. No. 570 has: "e las naos desta costa sonembreadasen el e vale el quintal de ciento o ciento y cinquenta reaes en la tierra en donde nace."
So that the meaning of the passage is that the ships are caulked or pitched with this herb or gum.
The Munich MS. No. 571 is like the Barcelona MS., but the MS. No. 570 gives this list of places:—"Lefete, quesebey, tabla, beroho, cal, cor, juza, mohymacim, lima, horbaz, alguefa, carmoni, cohmobarque, conch, conga, ebrahemi, xenaa, menacio, xamyle, leytan, bamtani, doam, loram," and leaves out the words which in the other two MSS. follow after the names ofQuesebi,Carmoni, andEbrahemi. From this MS. No. 570 it is clear howtablagot into the maps.
Ce sont ordinairement les tisserants qui vouent leurs filles aux pagodes, les parents ne leur demandent pas pour cela leur consentement, ils n'attendent pas même qu'elles soient en age de le donner, puisqu'ils les destinent au service des dieux dès qu'elles commencent de naître: ils ont grand soin de les préparer à cet état par un continuel exercice de la danse, du chant, et des jeux; il y a un maître exprès de ces exercises, qui enseigne les jeunes filles que l'on a destinées et devouées aux pagodes, et qui les dirigent dans les cérémonies: lorsqu' elles sont devenues devadashi, c'est à dire servantes des dieux, lorsqu' elles ont atteint l'âge de 9 ou 10 ans, leurs pères vont convier toutes les castes de venir assister à la consécration de leurs filles. On les conduit solemnellement à la pagode, devant d'y entrer elles donnent à tout le monde des marques de leur habileté dans la danse, dans le chant, et dans le jeu, et selon qu'on est content d'elles on leur fait des présents, ensuite elles entrent dans la pagode, elles se prosternent devant les dieux. Les Brahames qui sont là présens, les font relever, allors le prêtre offre la fille aux dieux, en leur disant, Seigneurs voilà une fille que je vous offre, daignez la prendre pour votre servante. Le Brahame officiant met dans la main de la fille un peu de Tirouniron, et un peu de l'eau qui a servi à laver l'idole: elle delaye tout cela ensemble, et elle s'en met au front pour marquer qu'elle se devoue d'elle-même avec joye pour être toute sa vie la servante des dieux. Cette cérémonie suppose que c'est à la pagode de Siva qu'elle se devoue particulièrement, car si c'est à la pagode de Vishnou elle se met le tirounamam[398]et on lui fait boire un peu de l'eau dans laquelle il y a quelques feuilles de Toulachi qui est une espèce de basilic. Ensuite soit que ce soit dans l'une ou dans l'autre pagode, le Brahamme officiant delaye dans un bassin de cuivre un peu de sandale avec de l'eau qui a servi à l'idole, et il en jette avec les doigts sur la fille. Cela marque la consécration parfaite. Il met au col une guirlande qui a servi à l'idole pour luy témoigner qu'elle est agréable aux dieux et qu'ils l'ont prise sous leur protection: le Brahamme luy dit qu'elle est présentement Devadashi, et qu'il l'exhorte à se comporter en digne servante des dieux, après cela elle se prosterne devant l'idole: le Brahamme la fait relever et ordonne à ses parents de l'aller conduire dans une maison particulière qui est proche la pagode, les parents y donnent du Bethel aux conviez et regalent toutes les devadachis. Toutes celles qui sont ainsi consacrées aux pagodes ne peuvent jamais se marier, ny elles ne peuvent plus retourner à leursfamilles, ny en hériter. Elles font profession d'etre publiques à tout le monde, et les malabares croyent qu'il y a du mérite d'habiter avec les servantes des dieux. Elles n'ont point parmy elles de supérieures; chacune fait son menage separément si elles veulent on tire leur subsistance des revenus de la pagode, mais ce n'est pas ce qui les enrichit beaucoup; le commerce charnel qu'elles entretiennent avec tout le monde leur est bien plus lucratif, et celles qui font ainsi fortune ont grand soin de se bien habiller et de s'orner de pendants d'oreilles, de colliers et d'anneaux d'or, et de cercles d'argent aux bras et aux pieds l'employ des Devadashis est d'aller trois fois le jour à la pagode, c'est à dire le matin vers le midi et le soir, qui sont les temps que ce font les sacrifices et les cérémonies de la pagode, elles y dansent et chantent, et font des jeux pour le divertissement des dieux; elles font la même chose aux processions, et aux mariages.
"Tout est odieux et criminel dans la condition de ces Devadashis, la cruauté des pères qui forcent la liberté de leurs enfants, l'impiété des pères qui prostituent leurs filles."
"Tout est odieux et criminel dans la condition de ces Devadashis, la cruauté des pères qui forcent la liberté de leurs enfants, l'impiété des pères qui prostituent leurs filles."
The above extract is taken from a manuscript in the Royal Library, Munich, No. 1165 (Gall. 666), called La Religion des Malabares; it is supposed to have been written between 1705 and 1720, and to have belonged to the Missions Etrangères; later it was presented by the Abbé Clément to the library of the Oratoire St. Honoré. The MS. contains 546 pages and three parts. The first is an exposition of Christian doctrine; the second of the Malabar religion; the third sets forth the doctrinal differences between the Christians and Hindus, and shows how to proceed in arguing with the latter. The whole tenour of the book is, however, chiefly an attack on the Jesuits, whom it accuses of laxity, and of having sought to multiply the number of Christians rather than to secure the truth. It reproaches them with allowing Christian Malabars to play musical instruments in the pagodas, and pagan Malabars to play their instruments in Christian churches, and with having allowed various idolatrous ceremonies to have become perpetuated under a fresh dedication. This tenour of the MS. is the cause stated in a manuscript note by Abbé Clément, for the book having been removed from the missions étrangères when the credit of the Jesuits prevailed, and caused the departure from that establishment of the missionaries who were hostile to that body. From this work marriage seems to have been more general amongst the Malabars than would be supposed from the account of the early Portuguese voyagers in which much stress is laid upon the absence of marriage amongst the nairs. This missionary in treating of divorce amongst the Malabars says the husband retains the children, if there are any, and the wife returns to the husband thetalywhich she had round her neck (probably the jewel which has been mentioned in the text;) and she resumes her dower if she brought any at her marriage. Amongst other objectionable practices of the Jesuits, blamedin this work, is the having adopted the Malabar name of Sarounasouren (signifying Lord of all) for the True God, since Sarunasuren is properly applied to Siva because he is the first human form which Carsa (or the most subtle of the five elements) took on forming the world; whilst the True God is neither Carsa nor Siva, and Sarunasuren is the name of an idol.
Carsa is further described as supreme intelligence, the soul of the universe, and the most subtle of the five elements, water, fire, earth, air, and wind, and is said to have taken a human form which he called Shiva; and as Shiva was to disappear into Sattyaloguen or the most perfect heaven, he transformed himself into another human figure which he named Roudra, and also in others called Vishnou and Broumha. Carsa filled these three persons with intelligence, in order that they might remain in the world with men.Section de la divinité des Malabars et de leur fausse Trinité.Maycereni, the name of the third person of the Indian trinity given in the text, does not appear in this work, and may be an epithet of Rudra. The following is one of the most remarkable passages in this manuscript, and is much in accordance with M. E. Burnouf's recent publications in the Revue des deux Mondes.
"Et comme ils ne rendent en particulier aucun culte extérieur à Carsa, ils croyent le dédommager suffisament par celui qu'ils rendent à tous les dieux; on voit par là combien l'erreur aveugle l'esprit des hommes qui s'éloignent du vray Dieu. Il n'est personne qui ne convienne que la cause est plus noble que son effet. Si donc ils supposent que ces dieux sont les effets de la puissance de Carsa, pourquoi leurs rendent-ils plus de culte qu'à ce Dieu, qu'ils disent être le principe de toute chose. N'est-ce pas faire de Carsa un dieu chimérique?" p. 539.
"Et comme ils ne rendent en particulier aucun culte extérieur à Carsa, ils croyent le dédommager suffisament par celui qu'ils rendent à tous les dieux; on voit par là combien l'erreur aveugle l'esprit des hommes qui s'éloignent du vray Dieu. Il n'est personne qui ne convienne que la cause est plus noble que son effet. Si donc ils supposent que ces dieux sont les effets de la puissance de Carsa, pourquoi leurs rendent-ils plus de culte qu'à ce Dieu, qu'ils disent être le principe de toute chose. N'est-ce pas faire de Carsa un dieu chimérique?" p. 539.
The reader may see in Mr. Frank's book on the Kabbala, with respect to the Adam Kadmon, how much Hindu ideas, and especially the Hindu theory of the formation of the world, had penetrated into Syria, and corrupted the Jews, before the Christian era.
Abyssinia,19
Aden,26
Afuni,16
Albuquerque,46
Amber,165
Andavat,58
Angoxe,9
Ava,186
Bacavar,82
Bahrein Island,37
Banda,74
Bandan Islands,192,199
Banians' aversion to destroy life,51
Barbesy,63
Basalor,82
Baticala,79
Baxay,68
Bengal,178
Betel,73
Bijanagur,85;its just administration,86
Bramans, their customs,121
Brava, its republic,15
Bueneo,204
Buendari,64
Burmah,181
Calicut,152
Camaran island,26
Cambay,55,64
Cananor,149,150,151
Cannibals,190,196
Celebes,203
Ceylon,166
Chalderan, battle of,40
Champa,204
Champaver,57
Chaul,69
China,190,192
Chittagong,178
Cinnamon,219
Cintacola,78
Cloves,184,219
Coinage of Ormuz,45;Baticala,81;Narsinga,86
Comorin Cape, its church,163
Dabul,71
Dalaqua,18
Damda,71
Decan,69
Delhy,98
Denvy,68
Diquirmale mountain,177
Diu, battle of,61
Duels in Southern India,80
Elephants, their price,168;way of catching,167