Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 67

63
FEBRUARY, 1902.] LETTERS FROM PORTUGUESE CAPTIVES IN CANTON.
[f. 139] saltpetre, lead, alum, tow, cables, all iron work, nails, pitch; all these things are in such abundance, that it is astonishing.28 Here could be built every fleet that would be required in India, galleys, galleons, ships. There is much wood, carpenters of the country as plentiful as vermin, and also smiths, masons, tilers, and other workmen in amazing numbers: not a Portuguese need put his hand to stone or wood in the building of fortresses.
With all the pepper from Pace, from Pedir, Patane and Banda would be formed a large factory of riches here. When the country has settled down they should fix the pepper at fifteen or sixteen taels, and no one must trade in it but only our lord the king. And also, Sir, they should take all the articles of merchandise from Syão, such as wood,30 and give them other articles; because the factory must be full of merchandise of the country and also the merchandise of those parts. A great amount of riches will be made; and it will not be necessary for the men of arms to trade in these goods, because the country is so large and of such great profits that if there were a hundred thousand men all would have a post, and by the custom of the country all these carry with them very large bribes and gifts.
From here, Sir, they would proceed to the province of Foquem, the which province has eight cities and seventy towns and villages of three thousand inhabitants.31 I speak of only an affair of walls. If they go there with a southerly wind they can return when they wish, because there is always the monsoon, and they can enter the rivers. Wherefore, Sir, there should be ordered from here the captainmajor with thirty sail, namely galleys, foists, and every rowing boat, and any galleon; and as tribute from these cities, towns and villages they would take galleys laden with riches. With six hundred men all this could be done.
Because, Sir, every city would pay by agreement forty to fifty [f. 134] thousand taels of silver, the towns twenty to thirty thousand taels, and they would take away goods and bring merchandise. They would pay this tribute in return for their not destroying the country and that the people may not rise throughout the province killing the mandarins and plundering the factories of the king which are all full of silver. For every city has a factory and a chief mandarin and other three who govern and have charge of justice; every town has a factory. It is a good thing this province; and if they ran along the coast with a southerly wind with pilots of the country they would soon come to the province of Chaqueam, which has eleven cities and eighty towns.32 It is a very rich province with many and large revenues; it has much silver and much silk. With six or seven hundred men they would bring away the fleet laden with silver, all tribute.
Off this coast of Foquem, Sir, lie the islands of the Lequeos three days' journey from Foquem, They are many, and are rich in much gold and copper and iron. They come every day to carry on trade in this country of Foquem. These people in the time of the king of Malaca used to go to Malaca to carry on trade, and now they go to Patane. These islands of the Lequeos are a good thing and also a big affair. They lie in the sea three days' journey from this Foquem. There is much gold and many articles of merchandise, and they come every day to carry on trade in this country. They were accustomed to go to Malaca in the time of the king of that country; now they go to Patane to carry on trade. They also use much pepper.
Martim Affonso de Mello, Sir, came rightly ordered to make peace and deliver us and build a fortress in such a place. They gave bad information to our lord the king, that all would be settled, because he brought an ambassador and came for the one that was here.33 It was the misfortune of many that so great disorder should be caused as took place in thus sending two ships with young men,
Cf. Diogo Calvo's letter given in Introd.
The orig. reads apparently" oanda," which seems to be an error for banda.
Here again the orig. has "pão" for pao.
Cf. footnote supra. Mendoza (Hak. Soc. ed. p. 23) credits Fülkien with 83 cities and 99 towns.
Gaspar da Cruz (chap. 5) credits Chehkiang with fourteen cities; while according to Mendosa (Hak. Soc. ed.
p. 24) this province contained 35 cities and 95 towns.
se I am not sure that I have correctly rendered the original, which is somewhat obscure.