Yet Had This Cruel And Capricious Tyrant Many
Estimable Virtues.
He kept his word inviolable; was rigorous in the
execution of justice; liberal in his gifts; and often merciful to those
who offended him.
Having at one time sent a Portuguese to Malacca with
money to purchase some commodities; this man, after buying them lost
them all at play, and yet had the boldness to return to the king, who
even received him kindly, saying that he valued the confidence reposed
in his generosity more than the goods he ought to have brought. He
shewed much respect to the Christian priests and missionaries, and gave
great encouragement to the propagation of the gospel in his dominions.
His valour was without the smallest stain.
[Footnote 27: De Faria seems now to drop the fables of Fernan Mendez
Pinto, and to relate real events in the remainder of this section. - E.]
[Footnote 28: More properly Ythia, vulgarly called Siam. - E.]
The proper name of the kingdom we call _Siam_, is _Sornace_[29]. It
extends along the coast for 700 leagues, and its width inland is 260.
Most part of the country consists of fertile plains, watered by many
rivers, producing provisions of all sorts in vast abundance. The hills
are covered with a variety of trees, among which there are abundance of
ebony, brasilwood, and _Angelin_. It contains many mines of sulphur,
saltpetre, tin, iron, silver, gold, sapphires, and rubies; and produces
much sweet-smelling wood, benzoin, wax, cinnamon, pepper, ginger,
cardamunis, sugar, honey, silk, and cotton. The royal revenue is about
thirteen millions. The kingdom contains 13,000 cities and towns, besides
innumerable villages. All the towns are walled; but the people for the
most part are weak timorous and unwarlike. The coast is upon both seas;
that which is on the sea of India, or bay of Bengal, containing the sea
ports of _Junzalam_[30], and _Tanasserim_; while on the coast of the
China sea, are _Mompolocata_, _Cey_, _Lugor_, _Chinbu_, and _Perdio_.
[Footnote 29: The oriental term _Shan_, probably derived from the
inhabitants of Pegu; but the Siamese call themselves _Tai_, or freemen,
and their country _Meuang tai_, or the country of freemen - E.]
[Footnote 30: Otherwise called Junkseylon. - E.]
SECTION XVI.
_A short Account of the Portuguese possessions between the Cape of Good
Hope and China_.[31]
In the middle of the seventeenth century, the Portuguese empire in the
east, comprehended under the general name of India, from beyond the Cape
of Good Hope in Africa, to Cape Liampo in China, extended for 4000
leagues along the sea-coast, not including the shores of the Rea Sea and
the Persian gulf, which would add 1200 leagues more. Within these limits
are half of Africa, and all of eastern Asia, with innumerable islands
adjoining these two vast divisions of the world. This vast extent may be
conveniently divided into seven parts.
[Footnote 31: De Faria, III. 115. This is to be understood as about the
year 1640, before the Dutch had begun to conquer the Portuguese
possessions. They are now few and unimportant, containing only some
remnant of dominion at Mozambique, with the cities of Goa and Diu in
India, and Macao in China. - E.]
The _first_ division, between the famous Cape of Good Hope, and the
mouth of the Red Sea, contains along the coast many kingdoms of the
_Kafrs_; as the vast dominions of the Monomotapa, who is lord of all the
gold mines of Africa, with those of Sofala, Mozambique, Quiloa, Pemba,
Melinda, Pate, Brava, Magadoxa, and others. In this division the
Portuguese have the forts of Sofala and Mombaza, with the city and fort
of Mozambique.
The _second_ division, from the mouth of the Red Sea to that of the
Persian gulf, contains the coast of Arabia, in which they have the
impregnable fortress of Muskat.
The _third_ division, between Busrah, or Bazorah, at the bottom of the
Persian gulf, and India proper, contains the kingdoms of Ormuz, Guadel,
and Sinde, with part of Persia, and Cambaya, on which they have the fort
of Bandel, and the island of Diu.
The _fourth_ division, from the gulph of Cambaya, to Cape Comorin,
contains what is properly called India, including part of Cambaya, with
the Decan, Canara, and Malabar, subject to several princes. On this
coast the Portuguese have, Damam, Assarim, Danu, St Gens, Agazaim, Maim,
Manora, Trapor, Bazaim, Tana, Caranja, the city of Chaul, with the
opposite fort of Morro; the most noble city of GOA, the large, strong,
and populous metropolis of the Portuguese possessions in the east. This
is the see of an archbishop, who is primate of all the east, and is the
residence of their viceroys; and there are the courts of inquisition,
exchequer, and chancery, with a customhouse, arsenal, and well-stored
magazines. The city of Goa, which stands in an island, is girt with a
strong wall, and defended by six mighty castles called Dauguim, San
Blas, Bassoleco, Santiago de Agazaim, Panguim, and Nuestra Sennora del
Cabo. On the other side of the bar is the castle of Bardes, and opposite
to Dauguim is the fort of Norva, with a considerable town. On one side
of the island of Goa is that of Salsete, in which is the fort of Rachol.
Then going along the coast are the forts of Onor, Barcelor, Mongalor,
Cananor Cranganor, Cochin, which is a bishopric; and near Cape Comorin,
the town and fort of Coulan.
The _fifth_ division, between Cape Comorin and the river Ganges,
contains the coasts of Coromandel and Orixa, on which they have the fort
of Negapatam, the fort and city of Meliapour, which is a bishopric,
formerly named after St Thomas, and the fort of Masulipatan.
The _sixth_ division, between the Ganges and Cape Cincapura, contains
the vast kingdoms of Bengal, Pegu, Tanasserim, and others of less note;
where the Portuguese have the city of Malacca, the seat of a bishop, and
their last possession on the continent.
The _seventh_ division, from Cape Cincapura to Cape Liampo in China,
contains the kingdoms of Pam, Lugor, Siam, Cambodia, Tsiompa, Cochin
China, and the vast empire of China.
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