Indian Antiquary Vol 31

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 19

JANUARY, 100%.) LETTERS FROM PORTUGUESE CAPTIVES IN CANTON.
13
Carrasco, Bastião Gonçalvez, men of arms, a cleric, João de Peral master; Bras Gonçalvez master's mate, Francisco Pires a sailor, Alvaro Annes gunner, Affonse Annes bombardier, Joxo Affonso "sawyer. These sixty died in the ship. Diogo de Melo captain, Duarto Lopez, Diogo Carreiro: these being wounded and having been collected in the junks, while going forward, because they cried out swing to their wounds and fetters, they cut their heads off in the same junks. Duarte Pestana the barber, Benedito sailor, Domingos Gil s grammet, Roqne & grummet, Pero do Toyal a grummet, João Gonçalvez bombardier, Joannie a slave : these nine67 were taken to the prison of the tooeoy. Pero Annes pilot, Bertholomeu Fernandez mason, João de Matos, Antonio Medina, Joanne a Moluccan, these grummets, Domingos Fernandez, Jorge Diaz, Fernão Liarão, men of arms: these were brought to this prison of the anchūgy, where I now am68
[f. 109] People of the ship of Pero Homem - those who died in the ship :-Pero Homem, Gaspar Rodriguez, Martim Affonso steward, Francisco d'Andrade, Diogo Martinz, Antonio Alvarez
- these six men of arms; Pantalião Diaz master, João Luis master's mate, Bras Martinz, Pero Annes, Antonio Estevez - these three sailors; Alvaro, Pero, Joanne, Manoel a black - these five grommets; Luis Pirez carpenter and the barber Vasco Rodriguez, Jorge Diaz cooper: all these sixteen persons were killed in the ship; João da Sylveira, Domingos Serrão, Martinho Francisco do Mogadouro, Francisco Ribeiro Magalhães, Jorge Rodriguez - these six70 were brought to the prison of the tomegy, and four grummets, vis., Pina and Francisco, Manuel a Malabar, Diogo a Caffre, and Andre Carvalho pilot; Antonio Fernandez a sailor, Francisco and Antonio grummets, and Matheus Diaz, Francisco Monteiro, Afonso Martinz, Marcos, Tome Fernandez tiler, Sisto Luis gunnerthese ten were brought to this prison. The women whom they captured in these ships were taken to other prisons and sold. After they had been put in the prison of the tomagi all died of hunger and cold: there remained only four Portuguese men and one Caffre, who died in this prison in which we are. There died six and remained eighteen, both those in this prison and those in the prison of the tomegi.
On the day of St. Nicholas74 in the year 1522 they put boards on them with the sentence that they should die and be truncated as robbers: the sentences said : " Petty nea robbers sent by the great robber falsely; they come to spy out our country ; let them die trancated as robbers." A report was sent to the king according to the information of the mandarins, and the king confirmed the sentence. On the 23rd of September 1523 these twenty-three persons were each one cut in pieces, piz., heads, legs, arms, and their private members placed in their mouths, the trunk of the body being divided into two pieces round the belly. In the streets of Cantão, outside the walls, in the suburbs, through the [f. 109v] principal streets they were put to death, at distances of one crossbow shot from another, that all might see them, both those of Cantão and those of the environs, in order to give them to understand that they thought nothing of the Portuguese, so that the people might not talk about Portuguese.73
Thus our ships were captured through the two captains' not agreeing, and so all in the ships were taken, they were all killed, and their heads and private members were carried on the backs of the Portuguese in front of the mandarins of Canton with the playing of musical instruments and rejoicings, were exhibited suspended in the streets, and were then thrown into the dunghills. And from henceforward it was resolved not to allow any more Portuguese into the country nor other strangers.
The Malays who had gone to Piquim received answer that they were to go to Cantão, and that here they would send them the dispatch; and it came to the effect that they should give them a
Bie.
• A ship's apprentice or young Milor. (8. Jal, Glou. Nauf., ... Grumeto': Smyth, Bailor's Work Book. . .'Gromete.') c; but only seven are enumerated.
#aj. Vasoo Calro's letter infra, f, 181. Only four are Damod. 70 Fire only seem to be named.
"The 6th of December. 17 Cl. Ymco Calvo's letter infra, f. 1845.