People of Ternate. The Natives Differ from one another, as it were through a Miraculous Bounty of Nature; for it has made the Women Fair and Beautiful, and the Men, of a darker Colour than a Quince; their Hair lank, and many anoint it with sweet Oyls. Their Eyes are large, the Eyebrows long, which, and their Eye-lashes, they colour Black. Of Body they are Strong, much addicted to War, and sloathful for all other Employments. They are long Liv’d; grow grey earlie; and are as Active by Sea as by Land; Officious, and Courteous to Strangers; but when they grow Familiar, Importunate, and Troublesome in their Requests; in their Dealings, all bent upon Interest; Jealous, Fraudulent, and False. They are Poor, and therefore Proud; and to name many Vices in one, Ungrateful.
Religion, Manners, Laws. The Chineses possess’d themselves of these Islands, when they subdu’d all those Eastern Parts; and after them the Javeneses, and the Malayes, and lastly the Persians, and Arabs; which last, together with their Trade, Introduc’d the Mahometan Superstition among the Worship of their Gods; from whom some Families boasted they were descended. Their Laws are Barbarous: They have no limited Number of Wives. The King’s chief Wife, call’d in their Language Putriz, enables and gives the Right of Succession to which her Sons are preferr’d, tho’ younger than those by other Mothers. Theft is not pardon’d, tho’ never so inconsiderable; but Adultery easily. When the Dawn appears, Officers appointed by Law for that purpose, beat a sort of broad, flat Tabors about the Streets, to awake Marry’d People, who they think deserves this Care from the Government, on account of Procreation. Most Crimes are punish’d with Death; in other Respects they Obey the Will, or Tyranny of the Conqueror.
Their Habit. The Men, on their Heads, wear Turkish Turbants of several Colours, with abundance of Feathers on them. The King’s ends above like a Miter, and serves instead of a Crown. For their other Garb they all wear Wastecoats, which they call Cheninas, and Blew, Crimson, Green, and Purple Breeches. Of the same they make their Cloaks, or Mantles, which are short, Soldier-like, thrown over, or knotted on the Shoulder, after the Ancient Roman manner, known by the written Descriptions, Statues, and other Monuments of those Times. The Women are Proud of their Hair; sometimes they spread, and sometimes they plat it, sticking abundance of Flowers among the Ribbons, which hold it together; so that in their Dress, they are not encumber’d with loose Viels, Plumes, or Feathers. All that variety adorns them without Art; they wear Bracelets, Pendants, and Necklaces of Diamonds and Rubies, and great Strings of Pearls, which are not forbid even the meanest, no more than Silks, wherein the Women particularly are Clad after the Persian and Turkish Fashion; and all this costly Attire is the Product of the Neighbouring Lands and Seas. Both Men and Women in their Habit show their natural Haughtiness.
the Habit of ye Molucco Islands.
Language. The variety of Languages among them is great, for sometimes one Town does not understand the People of the next; the Malaye Tongue is most us’d, as easiest to pronounce. This Diversity of Languages shows, that those Islands were Peopled by several Nations. In those Parts all Antiquity, and the Art of Navigation are ascrib’d to the Chineses. Some affirm, That the People of the Molucco Islands are Descended from the Jaos, who settled there being invited by the Fragrancy of the Spice. They loaded their Vessels with Cloves, till then unknown, and holding on that Trade, carry’d it to the Gulphs of Arabia, and Persia. They Sail’d about all those Countries, transporting Silks, and Porcelance, the Product, and Manufacture of China. The Cloves were by the Persians, and Arabs transmitted to the Greeks, and Romans. Some Roman Emperors had a design of Conquering the East, till they should come to the Spicy Countries; so covetous were they of that Commodity; and believing they all came from China, call’d all those People Chineses. The Spaniards formerly brought them among other Goods from the Red-Sea. The Kings of Egypt for some time possess’d themselves of all the Spice which they Transmitted from the How Cloves were brought into Europe. Hands of the Asiaticks into Europe. This the Romans continu’d, when they reduc’d Egypt into the Form of a Province. Long after, the Genoeses, Transferring the Trade to Theodosia, now Caffa, handed them about to all Parts; and there the Venetians, and other Trading Nations, had their Consuls, and Factors. They afterwards were convey’d over the Caspian Sea and Trabisond; but this Trade fell with the Eastern Empire; and then the Turks carry’d them in Caravans of Camels, and Dromedaries to Berytus, Aleppo, Damascus, and several Ports on the Mediterranean. The Sultans of Egypt brought them back to the Red-Sea, and thence to Alexandria, down the Nile. The Portugueses having Conquer’d the East-Indies, took them from Egypt, and brought them in their Fleets by the Cape of Good Hope, sinking and taking all Ships that attempted to carry any to Grand Cayro. For that purpose they kept Squadrons on the Coasts of Arabia and Persia, and at Cape Guardafu. By this means the Trade of Egypt was surpress’d, and all the Spice brought on the Kings account to India, and thence taking a prodigious compass, to Lisbon. He who is Master at Sea will be possess’d of this Wealth; by which, and other Commodities, we see that is made good, which some write Themistocles was wont to say, That he has all things who has the Sea.
The Kings, Boleyfe, of Ternate, and Almanzor, of Tydore, contended about Entertaining Serrano, and each of them courted him to build a Fort in his Island. It is well worth Observation, To see how eagerly these Kings sought after, and begg’d for that which they were soon after to be averse to. They writ about it to the King of Portugal; but Antony de Miranda coming to the Moluccos, besides a wooden Fort, or House he built at Talangame, erected another at Machian, an Island belonging to the two Kings, by which means he satisfy’d the Request of both. Soon after Cachil Laudin, King of Bachian, made Application to Don Tristan de Meneses, on the same account. Don Tristan was come to the Moluccos to Load Spice, and with a design to carry away Francis Serrano, and to induce Boleyfe to consent to it, he perswaded him, it was requisite that Serrano should go to Portugal, to prevail upon King Emanuel to order the Fort he desir’d, to be built upon Ternate, and not elsewhere. Boleyfe approv’d of his design, and to that end, sent Cachilato, as his Embassador, with Serrano. Don Tristan set out, and his Ships being dispers’d in a Storm, was oblig’d to return to the Moluccos, and to Winter in the Wooden House above mention’d; but as soon as the Monson blew, he put to Sea again, and touching at Bachian was inform’d, That they had kill’d some Portugueses, of Simon Correa’s Vessel in that Island. This troubled him, but he dissembled it, and proceeding on his Voyage, return’d to Malaca, by the way of Amboyna.
Brito at the Molucco’s. Antony de Brito, appointed by the Governour of India to succeed Serrano in that Post, Sail’d from Cape Sincapura, through the Streights of Sabam, with 300 Men, and some experienc’d Commanders. He touch’d at Tuban, a City in the Island of Jaua, and went over to another, call’d Agazim, a Mart in those Parts, opposite to the Island Madura. Its nearness inviting him, he sent a Roving Vessel thither to get some Information what Course he was to Steer. Seventeen Men there were in the Vessel Landed on the Coast, and went up along the side of a River, cover’d with beautiful Trees, whose Fruit deceiv’d the Sailers; for they attracted with the pleasant sight, and unexpected satisfaction, forgot to secure their Vessel. The Natives observing the Opportunity, first took the Vessel, and then all the Men, whose Ransom prov’d afterwards difficult, tho’ the Lord of the City favour’d it. Brito sail’d directly for the Moluccos, and touching at Bachian, sent Simon de Abreu in all haste to burn a Village, and kill all the Inhabitants, in Revenge for Simon Correa’s Companions slain there; that King Laudin might understand, they should not escape unpunish’d, who wrong’d the Portuguese, and that since his Island was the first that took up Arms King of Ternate Dies. against them, it should also be the first that felt their Vengeance. He executed his severity without any Loss, tho’ that King did not forget the Obligation he laid on him. Brito went on to Tydore, and was Inform’d by Almanzor of the Disorders there were at Ternate, because Boleyfe was dead, and it was suppos’d he had been Poyson’d. He being near his Death order’d, That during the Minority of his eldest Son Cachil Bohat, or Boyano, the Queen his Wife, who was Daughter to the King of Tydore, should Govern; and that Cachil Daroes, Natural Son to the said Boleyfe, should Act jointly with her. The Queen who was Crafty, suspecting that her Father Almanzor might under that colour aim st some Advantage, to the Detriment of her Son, call’d her Subjects together and told them, That it was enough for her to take care of her Sons Education; and therefore she laid the greatest stress of Government on Cachil Daroes.
The King, and the Governour Daroes, expected the Commander Antony Brito, as the Kingdoms, and the young Kings Protector. They went out to A Fort Built at Ternate. meet him in a Fleet of Carcoas, with the Noise of that Barbarous Musick of Brass Basons, and Tabors. He Landed, shewing State, and appearing worthy of that Applause; visited the Queen, the King, and his Brothers; and after the Ceremony of Condoling the Death of Boleyfe, ordering Affairs in Conjunction with Daroes, he approv’d of that Form of Government, and upon all occasions Defended his Province against that of Tydore. To do this with the greatest Security, he pitch’d upon a proper spot of Ground, according to the Rules of Fortification, which were not then very perfect, no more than Military Discipline. The Foundation being dug, Brito, in the presence of the King, and all the People, laid the first Stone of the new Fort, with his own Hand. This happen’d on Midsummer Day, and therefore he gave the Fort the Name of St. John Baptist; and tho’ it was built for the Defence of Ternate, yet in Brito’s mind it was Dedicated to the service of the Gospel, and its Ministers. He us’d endeavours to send away the Caeiz he found there spreading of Mahomet’s false Doctrine, as an Obstacle to the True; but the War which is there always settled and natural against Tydore, obstructed these Designs; tho’ at the same time the Troubles of those two Revengeful Nations increas’d the Revenues of Portugal, by contributing of their Spice: and the desire of Superiority brought them into Subjection. However, in Portugal Brito had a Successor appointed him, and he was inform’d, That the other was already sailing for the Moluccos; and there was need enough of them both, and of doubling their Forces; because Spain still insisted upon taking those Countries as its Right, and Brito began to be hated, on account of his offering Violence to the Royal Family.
At the same time Magellan having Sail’d 600 Leagues towards Malaca, Magellan goes over to Spain. was in certain Islands, whence he corresponded with Serrano; who having thriv’d so well in Ternate, with Boleyfe, sent his Friend word what Kindness, and Wealth he had receiv’d from him; advising him to return to his Company. Magellan consenting, resolv’d to go to the Moluccos; but in case his Services were not Rewarded in Portugal, as he expected, he would take the way directly for Ternate, under whose King Serrano grew so Rich in Nine Years. He consider’d, that since the Moluccos were 600 Leagues East from Malaca, which make 30 Degrees, little more or less, they were out of the Portuguese Limits, according to the antient Sea Chart. Returning to Portugal, he found no Favour, but thought himself wrong’d, and resenting it, went away into Castile, carrying with him a Planisphere, drawn by Peter Reynel; by which, and the Correspondence he had held with Serrano, he perswaded the Emperor, Charles V. that the Molucco Islands belong’d to him. It is reported, That he Confirm’d his Opinion with Writings, and the Authority of Ruy Faleyro, a Portuguese Judiciary Astrologer, and much more with Serrano’s.