Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 62

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1962.
Also, Sir, on that coast of that Coljay where you now are there are three cities, which are called by the names of, the one Loycheu, the other Lencheu, and the other Quancheu:" they are there situated further in, because the arm of the sea that runs between the islands of Aynão [f. 128v] washes these cities, and around are many towns and villages; and they are large cities with many revenues, and they also have some seed-pearl. The which perforce would have to submit to the power of our lord the king, and mandarins of the king cannot be allowed, only if it should be that an agreement be made as to what his captains should do, by which perforce they should give three thirds of the revenue to our lord the king and one third to the king of China, in order that these cities and towns, all of which will be easy of capture, should not be burnt or destroyed. This could be done by five or six hundred men, with thirty or forty sail, all foists, with artillery for waging war.
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For in this city that is called Quancheufu there are great mountain ranges," and in these mountain ranges are collected a large number of robbers, who have twice attacked this city and plundered it completely. The which robbers, when they learnt of the taking of this city, would be certain to come down and attack it now that it had no one to govern it (for the mandarins would undoubtedly flee); and in towns and villages also they would assuredly rob and kill. Until their own captains make provision for this these people would not refrain from coming to beg for help from the captain-major, asking also for Portuguese to go and govern that country, that it may not be destroyed by the robbers; because the people have no means of defence; only most of the people would join in bands to plunder, because the greater part of them are a fickle people, restless, all engaged in trade, a vain crew. As, Sir, there are rich people there, so also there are people that cannot get enough to eat: this is the reason why all are thieves.
Wherefore, Sir, as soon as this city shall have been made strong by fort[f. 129]resses in those places that are needful, and there shall have come from India troops to all these cities that are near the sea and on the rivers, there should be built in each city a strong fortress where should be placed a captain with fifty, men to govern the land and collect the revenues for our lord the king, with the people of the country also. The which Portuguese who shall be there must take charge of all, and are all certain to be rich, which will be the case by the custom of the country. These Chinese are sure to be faithful when, Sir, they shall have become reconciled to the Portuguese; and also in the towns as well fortresses must be built, and there must be constant intercurrence of boats going and coming. The more the people and the greater the profit, so much the more one must go on getting.
At first, Sir, let fire and sword be carried amongst them vigorously, for so the enemy will require from the first; and as soon as the captain-major shall come to enter the river let' this place that is called Nanto be destroyed, where are stationed captains of war with some two thousand men of those that have been banished. Because of its being the frontier, and because foreigners come there for trade, there are stationed there some junks: let all be taken and burnt, and that place be all consumed by fire, so that the people who are there may have no chance. And so coming up along the coast there is a village of people which the boats must be ordered to burn, and the good paraos must be captured, and if there should be junks let them be burnt, not burning the paraos which will be useful for going up the rivers. And so coming further forward where there is an island that is called Aynacha," they will get fishermen
I cannot identify this place, which, judging from the towns mentioned below, should be in the Gulf of Tongking near Hainan. The copyist may have blundered over the name.
5 See Introd.
These three names are easily identifiable as those of Laichau and Lienchau in south Kwangtung and Kiung chau in Hainan. (Cf. Christovão Vieyra's letter supra, f. 119v.)
The Li-mu-ling ridge. (See Mid. King. I. p. 175.)
The wild mountaineers of Hainan are even now only semi-subject to Chinese authority. Anunghoy. (See supra, f. 118r.)