_This chapter treateth of manie kingdomes of that newe
worlde, the rites and customes of the inhabitants, and
of some curious thinges._
[Sidenote: Ilandes of Nicobar.]
The afore saide father Martin Ignacio, departed with his companions from
this cost, and went towards the Ilands of Nicobar, whereas are many
Moores and gentiles, al mingled the one with the other. They did not
stay there, but presently passed to the town of Cuylan, which is
inhabited with Portingals, and from Malaca foure hundred and sixteene
leagues. This iland is situated from sixe vnto ten degrees vnder our
pole, and hath in longitude three score and sixe leagues, and nine and
thirtie of latitude. Of old time it was an iland much celebrated, and in
those partes had in great reuerence, for that it is saide that there
dwelt and died there in times past, men, whose soules are in heauen, and
are celebrated and honoured by them of the countrie as though they were
gods, with many sacrifices and orations, the which they do ordinarily.
There come from other kingdomes bordering thereupon, vnto this ilande,
many pilgrimes; but our people could neuer vnderstand the ground and
occasion thereof, neither how they liued, whom they doo hold for saints.
There is vpon the same iland a very high mountaine, which is called Pico
de Adan, which father Martin did see, and did heare the naturall people
thereof say, that it had that name, for that by the same Adam went vp
into heauen; but what Adam it was they could not declare.
[Sidenote: An apes tooth for a god.]
There is on this Pico like a monasterie, the which the naturall people
doo call pagode: at one time they had therein an apes tooth, the which
they did worship for their God: and there came thither vnto that effect
some two hundred and three hundred leagues. [It so happened, in the
yeare 1554, the vizroy of India, called Don Pedro Mascarenas, sent an
army vnto this kingdome, with many Portugals, with intent to reduce them
vnto the obedience of the king of Portugall, all of that country, as
they were before, who few yeares past did rise against them, and tooke
away and denied their fewter.[105] The souldiers did sack that pagoda or
monastery, and thinking to finde some treasure therein, they broke it,
and beat it downe vnto the foundation: and there they found the
aforesaid apes tooth, the which they did worship, put in a chest of
golde and stones, and carried it vnto Goa, vnto the said vizroy. When
that this was vnderstood and knowne to other kings their borderers, and
vnto him of Pegu, of this losse (the which of them was iudged to bee
great) they sent their ambassadors to the said vizroy, that they might
in the name of them all, demaunde the saide tooth, the which they did
worship, and to offer for the ransome thereof seuen hundred thousand
ducats of gold. The viceroy would haue giuen it them for that quantitie
of gold which they did offer, and would haue done it in effect, if it
had not bin for the archbishop of Goa, who was called Don Gaspar, and
other religious men, who did disturbe him, putting great scrupulositie,
and laide vnto his charge the hurt that come by their idolatrie, in
giuing them the same, of the which he should giue a straight account
vnto God. The which did so much in him, that he dispatched away the
ambassador, without any regard of the gold that they would haue giuen
him in their presence: he did deliuer the same vnto the said archbishop
and religious men, and they before their eies did break it, and burnt
it, and threw the dust thereof into the sea, which was not a little
woonder vnto the said embassadors, to see how little they did esteeme so
great a quantitie of golde, and for a thing which they esteemed not, but
threw it into the sea with so great liberalitie.]
[105] The passage inserted between brackets is supplied by the
translator from the French of De la Porte. The clause of the sentence
thus strangely translated is as follows: "pour le reduire à l'obeyssance
de la couronne de Portugal, comme il estoit auparavant et de la quelle
il s'étoit soustrait depuis peu d'années par une rébellion générale."
[Sidenote: A brutish vse.]
This ilande is fertile, peaceable, and healthfull, and all full of
woods, and there are mountaines very thicke of orange trees, siders,
limas, plantanos, and palmas, and many synamon trees, which be the best
in all the world, and of most strength and effect, for the which they go
to buy, for to bring it vnto Europe, and they giue it for a small price.
Likewise there is pepper, but the naturall people did pull vp certaine
hils that were ful of it, and of synamon, because they saw there came
from farre to buy these two commodities, and fearing that it would be an
occasion that their country would be taken from them. It is a countrie
of great prouision, and doth bring foorth mightie elephants, and they
say that there is many mynes of diamonds, rubies, and other stones that
are called girasolis. In no part of this Orientall Indies, there was
none of so good a beginning in the conuersion of the soules, as was in
this iland: for that certaine religious friers of the order of S.
Francis did labor very much, and did baptise in a few daies more than
fiftie thousand soules, which gaue to vnderstand that with a verie good
will they did receiue the law of the gospell, and had edified many
churches, and fourteene monasteries of the same religion: but few yeares
past, a king of that kingdome, being weary of certaine things, which in
all that Indians are very publicke, he forsooke the religion and faith
he had receiued, and did raise and destroy many Portingals that were
there inhabited, thrusting forth all the religious men that did baptise,
and minister the sacraments. This euill king was called Raxu. Many of
them that were christened, and content with the faith of Iesus Christ
they had receiued, detesting that which this tirannous king had done,
they went and dwelt in the company of the Portingals, and others did
build a town, the which is called in their language Columbo, whereas is
a great number of them: vnto this day do indure throughout al that
kingdom the crosses, in token of their ancient Christianitie: alongst
all the coast they doe vse many galiotas or gallyes, and goe with them,
robbing and spoyling al thereaboutes. The naturall people doo say, that
with a good will they would againe returne and receiue the law of the
gospell, if they had it there preached. From this iland, after they had
passed a little gulfe, they came vpon the coast of a kingdome called
Tutucurin, and ran all alongest the cost of the same, running from the
cape of Comerin to Cuylan. Here there is a pagode or temple of their
gods very great and rich, thether come all the gentiles of that kingdom,
at certain feasts in the year with great deuotion: there is in it a
triumphant chariot, so great that twentie horse cannot mooue it, they
bring it foorth in publike vpon their festiual daies, and is carried by
elephants, and by an infinite number of men, who voluntarily do hale and
pull at certaine roapes that are made fast therunto. Upon the highest of
this chariot is made a tabernacle very richly adorned, and within the
same an idol, whom they do worship: then immediately vnder the same are
the kings wiues that go singing. They doo bring it forth with much
musicke and reioysings, and do carry it a good way in procession, and
amongest many thinges of honor that they doo vnto it, they do vse one so
brute and beastly as the reader may well iudge thereof, which is, that
many of them doo cut peeces of their owne fleshe and doo throwe it vnto
the idoll, and the other, not contented with this, doo throwe themselues
on the grounde that the chariot may passe ouer them, and there they
remaine all to peeces. Those that do die in this sort, they account them
for great saints, and are had in singular veneration. Many other maners
and fashions of idolatrie is declared of this kingdome, and more beastly
than this we haue spoken of, the which I let passe because I would not
be tedious in this itinerario. All the people of this kingdom be very
bad and ill inclined, for which cause the fathers of the company of
Iesus, that are in certaine townes nigh vnto the same, cannot as yet
bring them out of their errors, although they haue put therein great
care and diligence.
Upon the same cost, and a little distant from this kingdom, there is a
towne of Portingals called Coulan, and twentie-fiue leagues further a
citie which is called Cochin, in the which there are religious men of
St. Francis, of S. Dominicke, and of S. Austin, and of the companie of
Iesus, who haue there a very good studie or seminarie, whereas they do
bring foorth much fruite. Nigh vnto this citie is Santo Tome, whereas
are many baptised and good Christians, very abstinent and chast, vnto
whom the patriarkes of Babylon doo prouide them of bishops: the
authoritie where with they do it is not knowen, nor whence they haue it,
for that as I do vnderstand, seat apostolicke did neuer giue it them.
About the same matter, at this present there is in Rome a bishop of this
kingdome, and one of the kingdome of Pimienta, with whom I haue talked
diuers times, and is come thether to giue his obedience vnto the pope,
and to knowe of him the order that his pleasure is should be obserued,
in receiuing of those bishops which come thether by the commandement of
the patriarke. In this kingdome there are many kings, but the
principallest of them is he of Cochin, and next vnto him, he of Coulan,
and nigh vnto them are many petie kings, as is hee of Mangate and
Cranganor, and are all gentils, although amongst them there are mixed
many Moores. There hath bin found in this kingdome certaine Iewes, that
haue gone from Palestina and those parts. There is in this countrie
vniuersally, a lawe verie strange and little heard of, which is, that
the sonnes doo not inherite after their fathers, but his brothers sonne,
and the reason they giue for the same is, for that they haue no
certaintie of their children, for that they haue no wiues proper nor
appointed to themselues, I promise you it seemeth to me, their reason to
be as barbarous as their law, for that the like inconuenience doth folow
their brothers children. They haue many rites and blindnes amongst them,
but one aboue all the rest, which is, that in certaine feastes amongst
them, they do vse bathes, and after that they are bathed, they say that
they remaine free and cleare from all their sinnes. They haue many
augorismes, of whom I will not intreat, for that they are not worthy of
memorie. In this country is gathered most of the pepper that is brought
into Europe, for which cause this kingdome is called that of the
Pimienta.