CHAP. XIII.
Omoncon doth disembarke himselfe with our Spaniardes in the port of Tansuso, and are verie well receiued by the justice, and made verie much of by the order of the Insuanto of that prouince.
Within a little while after that the captayne of the sixe shippes departed for Chincheo, Omoncon and his companie ariued at the port of Tansuso,[13] hard by, vpon Wednesday, in the euening, being the fift day of July. This Tansuso is a gallant and fresh towne, of foure thousand householders, and hath continually a thousand souldiers in garrison; and compassed about with a great and strong wall; and the gates fortified with plates of yron; the foundations of all the houses are of lime and stone, and the walles of lime and yearth, and some of bricke: their houses within very fairely wrought, with great courts, their streetes faire and brode, all paued. Before that Omoncon did come vnto an anker, they sawe all the souldiers and the people of the towne were gathered together vpon the rockes that were ioyning vnto the port, all armed readie vnto the battaile, amongst whom there was a principall captaine, and three more of his companions, that were sent him by the gouernor of Chincheo, whom they do call in their language Insuanto, who had vnderstanding of the comming of Omoncon and his companie by the ship (aforesaid) he sent them thither before, that in his name should entertain them and cherish them all that was possible. When the ship entred into the port, Omoncon did salute the towne with certain peeces of artilery, and discharged all his argubushes sixe times about, and therewithal tooke in their saile and let anker fall. Then straightwaies the captaine whom the Insuanto had sent came abord the ship, who had expresse commission not to leaue the company of our people after that they were disembarked till such time as they came whereas he was, but to beare them companie, and to prouide them of all thinges necessarie: the which he did accomplish.
[13] Ganhai.
All these captaines and ministers of the king doo weare certaine ensignes for to be knowen from the common people, who are not permitted to weare any such; and they can not goe abroad in publike without the same, neyther will they if they might, for that by them they are obeyed and reuerenced, as well in the streetes as in any other place where they come: all such generally be called Loytias, which is as much to say in our language (gentlemen): the particular Ensignes to knowe the iustices. ensignes which they doo vse, bee broade wastes or girdles, embossed after diuerse manners; some of golde and siluer, some of the shell of a Turtuga or turtell, and of a sweete wood, and other some of iuerie; the higher estates hath them embrodered with pearles and precious stones, and their bunnets with two long eares, and their buskins made of satten and vnshorne ueluet, as we haue declared more at large in the first three bookes.
Then after, so soone as they were come to an anker in the port, the iustice did send them a license in writing for to come foorth of the shippe, as a thing necessarie, for that without it the waiters or guardes of the water side will not suffer them to put foote a land. This licence was written vpon a borde whited, and firmed by the iustice, whose charge it is to giue the licence. Then when they came a The first landing of the fryers. shoore, there were the souldiers that were appointed by the Insuanto in a readinesse to beare them companie, and did direct and leade them vnto the kinges houses of the sayde citie: the like hath euerie citie almost throughout all the kingdome, and there they did lodge them. These houses are very great, and very wel wrought and gallant, with faire courtes belowe, and galleries aboue: they had in them stanges[14] or pondes of water, full of fish of sundrie sortes.
[14] Evidently from Etang, Fr., a pond.
The Insuanto had giuen order vnto the iustice of Tansuso, wherein he had ordained what hee should giue them to eate, and all other things that should be done particularly by it selfe, without lacking of any thing, and appointed the captaine, that hee with his souldiers should not depart from them not a iot, but alwayes to beare them company whethersoeuer they went, and not to depart till he had farther order from him: in accomplishing whereof they remayned with them that night in the kings house. The iustice of the citie when that he had lodged them, went himselfe in person to the waters side, and caused all their stuffe to be vnladen out of the ship, and caused it to be carried with great care and diligence vnto the fryers whereas they were.
The people of the citie did presse very much to see these strangers, so that with the press, as also with the great heate, they were marueilously afflicted: which being perceiued by the iustice, he gaue order that they might bee eased of that trouble, and caused sergeants to keepe the doore, and their yeomen to make resistance against the people. Yet, notwithstanding, though they did not trouble them so much, they ranged about the house and clymed vpon the walles to procure to see them, as a rare thing, for that they came from countries so farre off, and apparelled verie different from that they do vse or otherwise haue seene. So when that the night was come, the iustice of the citie did make them a banket according vnto the fashion of the countrie: and it was in this manner following.