The citie of Malaca, in our pole articke, is eleuated from the equinoctiall onely one degree: of ancient time it was the most principallest citie of all these kingdomes, and resident therein a mightie king, a Moore, but after it was conquered by the Portugals, who in these wars did wonderfull things of great force and courage: they did driue foorth all the Moores out of the same, and out of all the borders, and made of their Mezquita or temple (which was a singular peece of worke) a high church, as it doth remaine vnto this day: there are also three monasteries of religious men, one of S. Dominicke, an other of S. Francis, and the third of the companie of Iesus, or Iesuites. It is a verie temperate countrie, being so nigh the equinoctiall line: the reason is, for that euery weeke ordinarily it rayneth three or foure times (which is the greatest cause of health in all that countrie), and thereby is made woonderfull fruitfull, and with great abundance of prouision; but particularly of fruites, for there is great store, and some sortes neuer seene in Europe, amongst the which there is one that is called in the Malaca tongue durion,[95] and is so good that I haue heard it affirmed by manie that haue gone about the worlde, that it doth exceede in sauour all others that euer they had seene or tasted: it is in forme like vnto a mellon, whose ryne is somewhat harde, and hath vpon it little white prickes which seemeth like haire, and within the fruite be partitions, which be of the colour like vnto maniar blanco,[96] and of so good A daintie kind of meat. sauour and tast is it. Some do say that haue seene it, that it seemeth to be that wherewith Adam did transgresse, being carried away by the singular sauour. The leaues which this tree yeeldeth are so bigge that a man may couer himselfe with one of them, which mee thinketh is but coniecture or defining: but there is cannafistola[97] for to lade fleetes, very bigge and good, and of a singular effect, one of the notablest A tree of wonderfull effect. things in this kingdome, and is a maruellous tree of an admirable vertue, the which putteth foorth so many rootes of so contrarie vertue, that those which grow towards the orient be good against poyson, agues, and many infirmities that do Two contraries in one subiect. war against humaine life; and those rootes that growe towards the west be ranke poyson, and in effect, all cleane contrarie vnto the first. So that it seemeth here to be founde two contraries in one subiect, a thing which, in philosophie, they were woont to count impossible.
[95] The Durio Zibethinus of K[oe]nig.
[96] Blanc mange.
[97] From the name the cassia fistula is probably meant, although the author is silent respecting the purgative properties for which that plant is so remarkable.
This citie is of great contractation, for that there come thether all the kingdomes that we haue spoken of, and from many other more that are nigh thereabouts: but in particular a great number of great ships from the Indians, Canton, Chincheo, and from many other places, likewise the Iapones carry thether their siluer to sell, and those of the kingdome of Syan carry many things very curious, but especially cloues, and pepper of the Iland Malucas, and those of Burneo bring much sanders and nutmegs, and those of Iaba and Pegu bring the wood of Aguila, and those from Cochinchina and Cham bring great store of wrought silke, drogges, and spicerie; and those of Samatra, or Trapouana, much golde and wrought things, and fine cloth of Vengalas and Coromandel. All these, and other thinges, make this citie famous and plentifull, as also very much enlarged of the Portingals that go thether ordinarily euery yeare and traficke there.
CHAP. XXIII.
Of some kingdomes of the newe worlde, and of particular things that haue beene seene in them; and treateth of the citie and riuer of Ganies.
Ouer against this famous citie, of which so many thinges may be spoken of, is that mightie kingdome and Iland of The Iland of Samatra supposed to be the Iland of Ophir. Samatra, called by the ancient cosmogrofers Trapouana, which is (as some say) the Iland of Ophir, whether the fleet which King Solomon sent, of which there is particular mention made in the Scripture, in the third Booke of the Kings,[98] cap. 9 and 10, and in the Paralipomenon,[99] cap. 9, that went and returned again laden with gold and rich tymber for to adorne the temple of Ierusalem, and of many other curious things, whose memorie doth remaine vnto this day amongst the naturall people, although diffusedly, but not so much as those that haue it out of the Holy Scripture, neither so true. This iland is vnder the equinoctial line, so that the one halfe doth extend vnto the pole artick, and the other halfe vnto the poole antarticke. It hath in longitude 230 leagues, and in latitude three score and seuen leagues: and is so nigh vnto Malaca, that in some parts it is less than ten leagues. In this kingdom there are many lords and rulers, yet he that hath the greatest part thereof is a Moore, and is The richest iland in the world. called Achan; it is one of the richest ilands in al the world, for that it hath many mynes of fine golde, of the which (although there is a law that they cannot take out of them more than is necessarie) yet there is great abundance carried from thence to Malaca, Turkie, and many other places. There is gathered vpon this iland great abundance of pepper and beniewyn[100] of Boninas, in great quantity, out of whose trees (whereof there is great woods) there come foorth so sweet a smel that it seemeth an earthly paradice, and was wont to be smelled twenty leagues at sea, for which respect the ships that saile that way do come so nigh the lande as they may to haue the comfort of that smell. There is also much camphora, and all kinde of spices; by reason wherof there commeth vnto this kingdome to traficke, many Turkes that come in ships and foystes[101] out of the Red Sea. Also there doth traficke thether those of the kingdom of Sunda, Iaua the great, and Ambayno, and others that are there nigh vnto them. Vnto this iland came certaine Portingals to buy and sell, whereas they were all slaine, and some for the profession of the faith; for the which they are holden for martyrs of Iesu Christ, by the opinion of Christians that doo dwell nigh, when they vnderstood the cause. The most part of this kingdome are Moores; and therefore they do abhor the Christians, and do make with them all the warre they can, but in especiall with them that dwell in Malaca, whom many times they haue put in great danger of their liues, and losse of their goods.
[98] The first book of Chronicles.