Indian Antiquary Vol 31

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

Page 68

64
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(FEBRUARY, 1902.
who should never have come [f, 194v] on any account. By reason of which, Sir, each ship fired on its own account, when such a large number of junks came in disarray and proceeded to attack the ship of Diogo de Mello without his firing on them a sicgle bombard shot or a man's drawing his sword from its sheath, saying in mockery that they should arm themselves against the Ramis. Pedro Homem came to the help of Diogo de Mello, and proceeded to place himself among the junks without firing & bombard shot. The janks, Sir, were high, and they hurled showers of stones upon them, and killed Pedro Homem and Diogo de Mello in the ships, and other mon; and the rest of the people they brought to this prison, afflicted as God knows. They remained thus for a year, at times beaten by this jailor who has charge of these prisons. The mandarins expected that other Portuguese would come; but when the monsoon passed they took them to be pat to death, inflicting shameful punishments on them.85
The whole world, Sir, would not be enough to capture one of our ships, how much more two, if they showed them their teeth. My brother, Sir, remained in this port three months beset, having also to feed more thau ten or twelve mon, without their being able to gain an entrance to him, because he showed them his teeth; and be went away, as, Sir, you know there, his people remaining captives in this city and in my possession more than ten thousand taels. The whole was taken from me, whereby God saved me by reason of this property.
Wherefore, Sir, if the governor should allow this province to remain thus in so great prosperity without having any determination regarding the coming hither, there might well be ordered from Malaca and from Paçą five sail well armed and with merchandise to ask for us, there being made at the saine time proposals after the tenor of those set forth in the letters of Christovão Vieyrs, and there must be written three letters to the ceuy, the pachengy and the anchagy, and to the aitao, that our lord the king has sent them for that purpose for the ambassador and people who are in the prisons, who have been twenty years (f. 185] in this country without either the king's or the mandarins' dispatching them; and that if they are not willing to give them up our lord the king will take another course. As soon as they arrive they must send for these mandarins that guard the port, and suy that they have brought merchandise if they wish to trade in it, and will pey their dues as they did at first; and if they wish to come to this city they must destroy it entirely with artillery and set fire to them, that they may enter the houses on the river and those of wood both in the city and outside, without there being anyone to prevent it. There is no one there that will await the assault of the Firingis.
Always asking for us in all the letters that are written, and let it be the first matter, lest they strangle us, for they have great fear of our giving information of the country ; because if they should cease for a little to ask for us they would at once strangle as, as they are afraid of us.
If it should happen, Sir, that it seem well to send an ambassador, taking no notice of what has happened in the country, the governor should recompense him. The mandarins would receive him with a present of camlets and velvets and large sails for equipping brigantines. They have deer and rabbits according to 38 what are found; including, no birds in the present, because they do not care for that kind of thing ;s" but large mirrors, coral, sandalwood, and other things that seem good.
Let this, Sir, be observed if his captains would in this matter do service to our lord the king, and all the time carry on trade so long as the ambassador is going and coming. These letters are written in duplicate, so that if the one set is lost the others will remain.co
44 Turks. (See Hobson-Jobson, 6. v. 'Room.')
36 See Christovio Vieyn's letter supra, f. 109. N6 The orig. bas "asta 0," which I take to be a copyist's error for aitao.
" A slight exaggeration, # The orig. haa "seqdo," which may be an error for segdo regundo. The whole paragraph, however, is very confused.
59 The Portuguese were acoustomed to send faloons and other birds as presents to the Adlatio princes. In China, with its wealth of birdlife, euch gifts would naturally be out of place.
* If both sete ronchod the hands of the Portuguese authorities it is strange that neither is now forthooming.