Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 25

JANUARY, 1902.) LETTERS FROM PORTUGUESE CAPTIVES IN CANTON.
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others. However the port of the whole of the country of China is Cantão; Foquem has but little trade, and strangers do not go there, Trade cannot be carried on in any other province except in Cantão, because it is thereby more suited than others for trade with strangers.
This province has thirteen cities and seven chenos, which are large cities that do not bear the name of cities; it has one hundred walled towns besides other walled places. All the best lies along the sea as far as Aynão on rivers which may be entered by vessels that are rowed ; and those that are distant from the sea lie between rivers into which also all kinds of row-boats can go. Of the cities and towns that lie on rivers which cannot be navigated except by towing no account need be taken at the first; because when the greater obeys the lesser does not rebel. As I have said, there is under the sun nothing so prepared as this, and with people without number, and thickly populated on those borders where there are rivers and where there are none it is not so populous, not by
fifth), of every sort of craftsman of every mechanical office, I mean carpenters, caulkers, smiths, stone-masons, tilers, sawyers, carvers : in fine that there is a superabundance [f. 114v] of the things that are necessary for the service of the king and of his fortresses, and from hence may be taken every year four or five thousand men without causing any lack in the country.
The custom of this country of China is, that every man who administers justice cannot belong to that province ; for instance, a person of Cantão cannot hold an office of justice in Cantão; and they are interchanged, so that those of one province govern another: he cannot be a judge where he is a native. This is vested in the literates; and every literate when he obtains a degree begins in petty posts, and thence goes on rising to higher ones, without their knowing when they are to be moved; and here they are qnietly settled, when a letter comes and without his knowledge he is moved from here three hundred leagues. These changes are made in Pequim : this takes place throughout the whole country, and each one goes on being promoted. Hence it comes that no judge in China does equity, because he does not think of the good of the district, but only of stealing, because he is not a native of it, and does not know when he may be transferred to another province. Hence it comes that they form no alliances and are of no service where they govern nor have any love for the people: they do nothing but rob, kill, whip and pat to torture the people. The people are worse treated by these mandarins than is the devil in hell : hence it comes that the people have no love for the king and for the mandarins, and every day they go on rising and becoming robbers. Because the people who are robbed have no vineyards nor any source of food it is necessary that they become robbers. Of those risings there are a thousand. In places where there are no rivers many people rise; those that are between rivers where they can be caught remain quiet; bat all are desirous of every change, because they are placed in the lowest depth of subjection. It is much greater than I have said.
The mandarin nobles although they are mandarins hold no post of justice. Of these there are many; they are mandarins of their own residences, [f. 115) and have a salary from the king : while they hold office they go to fight wherever they are sent. These for any fault whatsoever are straightway beaten and tortured like any other person of the common people. However they go on advancing in names, and according to the name so is the maintenance. These do not go out of the district of their birth, because they do not administer justice. Sometimes they have charge of places of mon of arms; however, wherever they are, they understand very little of justice, except in places with populations of people of their own control.
The arms of the country of China are short swords of iron with a handle of wood, and a bandoleer of esparto cord. This is for the men of arms; the mandarins have of the same fashion but finer according as they have anthority. Their spears are canes, the iron heads
• Chin, chan, now a market town.
c. the letter of Diogo Calvo in the Introduction. . Cf. Gal. Pereira in Purchas, Pily. III. p. 202. Couto (Deo. VII, 1. i.), in referring to the appointment vioeroy of India in 1554 of D. Pedro Mnaourenhos, describes this custom of the Chinese, and highly commends it.
cy. Mendos, I., III. chap. v.