Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 35

JANUARY, 1902.) LETTERS FROM PORTUGUESE CAPTIVES IN CANTON.
once be in their power; and then with the whole fleet attack Aynácha, which lies at the bar of Tacoam, as I have already said above having a good port. Here the ships, which cannot enter the river, will be anchored, and whatever craft they may have will be burnt; and after it has been taken if it seem good the town can be burnt, in order to terrify the Chinese. Before this has been done let a letter be sent by a Caffre black boy; and let it be sent in this manner :
"I (then the titlo of the person who shall come) beg to inform the cuhi and the cãos of Cantão that so toany years ago our lord the king sent a letter to the king of China and a present by Tome Pirez, who was received by the grandees and others who bear office. He was given a house in Cantão; and from there was summoned by the king of China. He went, and he saw him in Nãquỹ. Thence he ordered him to Pequim in order there to give him dispatch, saying that there was the place for giving dispatches. We have heard nothing more of him. In the year so-and-so there came a ship in search of him ; it paid its dues and payments, but they armed against [f. 123] it to capture it. And in the year 80-and-so there came in search of him five janks laden with goods; and the mandarins armed against them in order to plunder them. Doing no evil on land or giving any offence, because the junks came separately from the sea, they retired to other ships, and left the junks in port laden with many goods, quite full, without taking anything out of them. And in the year so-and-so there came five ships with an ambassador to the king of China ; and the mandarins of Nāto prepared one hundred78 junks of robbers to entrap two of the ships by means of false messages of peace. They captured the two ships; and the three that remained did not know how that the ambassador of our lord the king had been put in chains, and his company, and all their property and clothes taken, and without food in the prisons, like the property of robbers; the embassy having been thus received by the grandees, and the present that came for the king kept, withont wishing to send away the ambassador. This is not justice, but it is the justice of three thievish mandarins, namely, the ampochim, the anhançi and the lentocin, and the pio of Nanto, who for the robberies they have committed deserve all to die. Because the king of China may not know of it, this has been brought to my notice; and I have come here, and very early tomorrow I shall be in Cantão to see the city where such justice is donc. Let the ambassador be sent to me before I arrive in Cantao. When he shall have been delivered over to me then we shall speak of what is to be overlooked and what are to be the consequences of that which has passed. And if you do not desire this let the blame rest with you who receive ambassadors and presents, and in order to plunder them put them in prison. This is written on such a day of the moon."
When the letter has been written and sent to ask for liberty on land for all, then enter the river with all the rowing boats; and if the answer is delayed, if it seem good, let fire be pat to the town, and burn all the craft that will be of no use for service of war, and all the people that do not obey the ban shall be killed. It they are deprived of provisions for three days they will all die of hunger. The city has a large provision house very close to the gate on the west side within the [f. 123v) walls; but for dividing among the people it is nothing, because the people are without number and each day buy what they have to eat. So that all must die of hunger and are bound to rise against the mandarins; and if the people rise at onco the city will be in revolt. It will be necessary to be very careful not to receive reports of delays if many par aos with provisions do not arrive at the city. In Cantão there will be idle reports, which are so many, and the population so large, that it cannot be realised. Above all, when the craft has been destroyed in the river, there will not appear a single Chinese affair that has not been burnt. With this and a like slaughter fear will arise regarding the worth of the mandarins, and they are sure to come to blows with them. And this will have to be done, and
7 Orig. has "com" ("with"), which I take to be an error for "cem."
The orig. has" oficio," which I think is an evident error for " o fogo."