Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 33

JANUARY, 1902.) LETTERS FROM PORTUGUESE CAPTIVES IN CANTOX.
gave to him and to the tutão that he should permit more Portuguese to come to China, these two continued enemies of the Portuguese, and others who were rich.
Martim Afonso came by order to China with an embassy to ask for a fortress; if they would not grant it, to try if he might build it with workmen whom he had already brought by land and by sea. It does not appear to me that he came with good orders. The Chinese will not give a fortress to any foreign person throughout the whole world, how much more to us who they think have come to spy out their country. Tome Pirez asked for [f.121v] a house in Cantão and in the island. All the advice of the king is that we have come to ask him for his country; because the country of China lies ander a strange custom by itself, in that it does not suffer a foreigner in the country ander pain of death, except it is a submissive embassy,69 how much more give them a house for trade. They do not like populous places to be created, in order that they may not lay hands on anything; and they order them to be made in evil places, aninhabited and unhealthy, because they are very jealous of their country. So that by no means in the world will they give it, except it be by force; and if a house had to be erected in the Island of Trade it should be secretly made strong. There would be found lime and stone, masons and tiles and other needful things, and workmen. This will be difficult with permission; how much more so secretly, since in that island, to make houses of straw, before they are finished half the people are dead. If he ordered that some kind of cartigoo or strong house should be built, which could not be done, at once war would be on hand, and provisions stopped by land, and on land sickness is bad. I do not know how much they might soffer: so that the matter was not well arranged.
Martin Affonso de Mello brought three hundred men. This was a very small body to carry out the enterprise ; and I believe that all the people would have died of hunger and sickness, there being in the end no result. With a greater force of two or three hundred men Nanto might be captured, or a town that is much better, called Jancangem, which stands on an island surrounded by the sea, with a port and of great height, which lies to the west of Nanto seven or eight leagues. It stands on the water's edge, walled round, with a large population, close to the sea. This could be soon taken, without any body's being killed; and from there one could run np their rivers and destroy their craft, and put the Chinese to straits; for from this island to the gates of Cantão it is very fertile, cultivated with rice, and having flesh and all kinds of fish: it is capable of sufficing for twenty thousand men, and cheap. With less trouble and more case and without loss of life it could be dono,' than commencing anew the country, which has so many cities and towns and villages bordering on the water; there is no need to kill the people, though it has to be done by force of some kind : when the Chinese see that the Portuguese have taken possession of the fortified place, they are all bound to begin to rise.
Going from Nanto to Cantão there lies in the middle of the river almost adjoining the bar of Tăcoa" a large town also73 on an island that is called Aynacha. It has cut stone in the houses, streets and churches, and in the jetty, of which could be made a (f. 122] fortress like that of Go&. It has a port safe from all the winds, all the bottom of mad, a very safe port; the main force of the junks was here. This fortress lies above Cantão. Nanto dominates this town of which I speak and another that is called Xuntaeim. From here one could stop provisions and place Cantão in extremity, and it would capitulate in any way that the captain pleased. I repeat, that to capture Cantão en blog76 with a force of two or three thousand men is better:
. cf. Gaspar da Cruz in Purobas, Pilg. p. 197 ; Mondosa (Hak. Soc. ed.), pp. 46, 04. 70 I cannot explain this word.
T1 I am uncertain as to the identifioation of this island town. 11 Tungkwan. (See supra, fr. 113v, 119v.) 13 The orig. has "outro" (" or three"), which is nonsense. I think we should road "outrosi." Shuntak ?
15 The orig. bas" de peça," which I hava ventared to render as abovo, though I am very doubtful to the meaning.