_Of the Palace of the King of the Isle of Java_. _Of the Trees that bear
meal_, _honey_, _wine_, _and venom_; _and of other marvels and customs
used in the Isles marching thereabout_
BESIDE that isle that I have spoken of, there is another isle that is
clept Sumobor. That is a great isle, and the king thereof is right
mighty. The folk of that isle make them always to be marked in the
visage with an hot iron, both men and women, for great noblesse, for to
be known from other folk; for they hold themselves most noble and most
worthy of all the world. And they have war always with the folk that go
all naked.
And fast beside is another isle, that is clept Betemga, that is a good
isle and a plenteous. And many other isles be thereabout, where there be
many of diverse folk, of the which it were too long to speak of all.
But fast beside that isle, for to pass by sea, is a great isle and a
great country that men clepe Java. And it is nigh two thousand mile in
circuit. And the king of that country is a full great lord and a rich
and a mighty, and hath under him seven other kings of seven other isles
about him. This isle is full well inhabited, and full well manned.
There grow all manner of spicery, more plenteously than in any other
country, as of ginger, cloves-gilofre, canell, seedwall, nutmegs and
maces. And wit well, that the nutmeg beareth the maces; for right as the
nut of the hazel hath an husk without, that the nut is closed in till it
be ripe and that after falleth out, right so it is of the nutmeg and of
the maces. Many other spices and many other goods grow in that isle.
For of all things is there plenty, save only of wine. But there is gold
and silver, great plenty.
And the king of that country hath a palace full noble and full
marvellous, and more rich than any in the world. For all the degrees to
go up into halls and chambers be, one of gold, another of silver. And
also, the pavements of halls and chambers be all square, of gold one, and
another of silver. And all the walls within be covered with gold and
silver in fine plates, and in those plates be stories and battles of
knights enleved, and the crowns and the circles about their heads be made
of precious stones and rich pearls and great. And the halls and the
chambers of the palace be all covered within with gold and silver, so
that no man would trow the riches of that palace but he had seen it. And
wit well, that the king of that isle is so mighty, that he hath many
times overcome the great Chan of Cathay in battle, that is the most great
emperor that is under the firmament either beyond the sea or on this
half. For they have had often-time war between them, because that the
great Chan would constrain him to hold his land of him; but that other at
all times defendeth him well against him.
After that isle, in going by sea, men find another isle, good and great,
that men clepe Pathen, that is a great kingdom full of fair cities and
full of towns. In that land grow trees that bear meal, whereof men make
good bread and white and of good savour; and it seemeth as it were of
wheat, but it is not allinges of such savour. And there be other trees
that bear honey good and sweet, and other trees that bear venom, against
the which there is no medicine but [one]; and that is to take their
proper leaves and stamp them and temper them with water and then drink
it, and else he shall die; for triacle will not avail, ne none other
medicine. Of this venom the Jews had let seek of one of their friends
for to empoison all Christianity, as I have heard them say in their
confession before their dying: but thanked be Almighty God! they failed
of their purpose; but always they make great mortality of people. And
other trees there be also that bear wine of noble sentiment. And if you
like to hear how the meal cometh out of the trees I shall say you. Men
hew the trees with an hatchet, all about the foot of the tree, till that
the bark be parted in many parts, and then cometh out thereof a thick
liquor, the which they receive in vessels, and dry it at the heat of the
sun; and then they have it to a mill to grind and it becometh fair meal
and white. And the honey and the wine and the venom be drawn out of
other trees in the same manner, and put in vessels for to keep.
In that isle is a dead sea, that is a lake that hath no ground; and if
anything fall into that lake it shall never come up again. In that lake
grow reeds, that be canes, that they clepe Thaby, that be thirty fathoms
long; and of these canes men make fair houses. And there be other canes
that be not so long, that grow near the land and have so long roots that
endure well a four quarters of a furlong or more; and at the knots of
those roots men find precious stones that have great virtues. And he
that beareth any of them upon him, iron ne steel may not hurt him, ne
draw no blood upon him; and therefore, they that have those stones upon
them fight full hardily both on sea and land, for men may not harm [them]
on no part. And therefore, they that know the manner, and shall fight
with them, they shoot to them arrows and quarrels without iron or steel,
and so they hurt them and slay them. And also of those canes they make
houses and ships and other things, as we have here, making houses and
ships of oak or of any other trees. And deem no man that I say it but
for a trifle, for I have seen of the canes with mine own eyes, full many
times, lying upon the river of that lake, of the which twenty of our
fellows ne might not lift up ne bear one to the earth.
After this isle men go by sea to another isle that is clept Calonak. And
it is a fair land and a plenteous of goods. And the king of that country
hath as many wives as he will. For he maketh search all the country to
get him the fairest maidens that may be found, and maketh them to be
brought before him. And he taketh one one night, and another another
night, and so forth continually suing; so that he hath a thousand wives
or more. And he lieth never but one night with one of them, and another
night with another; but if that one happen to be more lusty to his
pleasance than another. And therefore the king getteth full many
children, some-time an hundred, some-time a two-hundred, and some-time
more. And he hath also into a 14,000 elephants or more that he maketh
for to be brought up amongst his villains by all his towns. For in case
that he had any war against any other king about him, then [he] maketh
certain men of arms for to go up into the castles of tree made for the
war, that craftily be set upon the elephants’ backs, for to fight against
their enemies. And so do other kings there-about. For the manner of war
is not there as it is here or in other countries, ne the ordinance of war
neither. And men clepe the elephants _Warkes_.
And in that isle there is a great marvel, more to speak of than in any
other part of the world. For all manner of fishes, that be there in the
sea about them, come once in the year—each manner of diverse fishes, one
manner of kind after other. And they cast themselves to the sea bank of
that isle so great plenty and multitude, that no man may unnethe see but
fish. And there they abide three days. And every man of the country
taketh of them as many as him liketh. And after, that manner of fish
after the third day departeth and goeth into the sea. And after them
come another multitude of fish of another kind and do in the same manner
as the first did, other three days. And after them another, till all the
diverse manner of fishes have been there, and that men have taken of them
that them liketh. And no man knoweth the cause wherefore it may be. But
they of the country say that it is for to do reverence to their king,
that is the most worthy king that is in the world as they say; because
that he fulfilleth the commandment that God bade to Adam and Eve, when
God said, _Crescite et multiplicamini et replete terram_. And for
because that he multiplieth so the world with children, therefore God
sendeth him so the fishes of diverse kinds of all that be in the sea, to
take at his will for him and all his people. And therefore all the
fishes of the sea come to make him homage as the most noble and excellent
king of the world, and that is best beloved with God, as they say. I
know not the reason, why it is, but God knoweth; but this, me-seemeth, is
the most marvel that ever I saw. For this marvel is against kind and not
with kind, that the fishes that have freedom to environ all the coasts of
the sea at their own list, come of their own will to proffer them to the
death, without constraining of man. And therefore, I am siker that this
may not be, without a great token.
There be also in that country a kind of snails that be so great, that
many persons may lodge them in their shells, as men would do in a little
house. And other snails there be that be full great but not so huge as
the other. And of these snails, and of great white worms that have black
heads that be as great as a man’s thigh, and some less as great worms
that men find there in woods, men make viand royal for the king and for
other great lords. And if a man that is married die in that country, men
bury his wife with him all quick; for men say there, that it is reason
that she make him company in that other world as she did in this.
From that country men go by the sea ocean by an isle that is clept
Caffolos. Men of that country when their friends be sick they hang them
upon trees, and say that it is better that birds, that be angels of God,
eat them, than the foul worms of the earth.
From that isle men go to another isle, where the folk be of full cursed
kind. For they nourish great dogs and teach them to strangle their
friends when they be sick. For they will not that they die of kindly
death. For they say, that they should suffer too great pain if they
abide to die by themselves, as nature would. And, when they be thus
enstrangled, they eat their flesh instead of venison.
Afterward men go by many isles by sea unto an isle that men clepe Milke.
And there is a full cursed people. For they delight in nothing more than
for to fight and to slay men. And they drink gladliest man’s blood, the
which they clepe Dieu. And the more men that a man may slay, the more
worship he hath amongst them. And if two persons be at debate and,
peradventure, be accorded by their friends or by some of their alliance,
it behoveth that every of them that shall be accorded drink of other’s
blood: and else the accord ne the alliance is nought worth: ne it shall
not be no reproof to him to break the alliance and the accord, but if
every of them drink of others’ blood.
And from that isle men go by sea, from isle to isle, unto an isle that is
clept Tracoda, where the folk of that country be as beasts, and
unreasonable, and dwell in caves that they make in the earth; for they
have no wit to make them houses. And when they see any man passing
through their countries they hide them in their caves. And they eat
flesh of serpents, and they eat but little. And they speak nought, but
they hiss as serpents do. And they set no price by no avoir ne riches,
but only of a precious stone, that is amongst them, that is of sixty
colours. And for the name of the isle, they clepe it Tracodon. And they
love more that stone than anything else; and yet they know not the virtue
thereof, but they covet it and love it only for the beauty.
After that isle men go by the sea ocean, by many isles, unto an isle that
is clept Nacumera, that is a great isle and good and fair. And it is in
compass about, more than a thousand mile. And all the men and women of
that isle have hounds’ heads, and they be clept Cynocephales. And they
be full reasonable and of good understanding, save that they worship an
ox for their God. And also every one of them beareth an ox of gold or of
silver in his forehead, in token that they love well their God. And they
go all naked save a little clout, that they cover with their knees and
their members. They be great folk and well-fighting. And they have a
great targe that covereth all the body, and a spear in their hand to
fight with. And if they take any man in battle, anon they eat him.
The king of that isle is full rich and full mighty and right devout after
his law. And he hath about his neck 300 pearls orient, good and great
and knotted, as paternosters here of amber. And in manner as we say our
_Pater Noster_ and our _Ave Maria_, counting the _Pater Nosters_, right
so this king saith every day devoutly 300 prayers to his God, or that he
eat. And he beareth also about his neck a ruby orient, noble and fine,
that is a foot of length and five fingers large. And, when they choose
their king, they take him that ruby to bear in his hand; and so they lead
him, riding all about the city. And from thence-fromward they be all
obeissant to him. And that ruby he shall bear always about his neck, for
if he had not that ruby upon him men would not hold him for king. The
great Chan of Cathay hath greatly coveted that ruby, but he might never
have it for war, ne for no manner of goods. This king is so rightful and
of equity in his dooms, that men may go sikerly throughout all his
country and bear with them what them list; that no man shall be hardy to
rob them, and if he were, the king would justified anon.
From this land men go to another isle that is clept Silha. And it is
well a 800 miles about. In that land is full much waste, for it is full
of serpents, of dragons and of cockodrills, that no man dare dwell there.
These cockodrills be serpents, yellow and rayed above, and have four feet
and short thighs, and great nails as claws or talons. And there be some
that have five fathoms in length, and some of six and of eight and of
ten. And when they go by places that be gravelly, it seemeth as though
men had drawn a great tree through the gravelly place. And there be also
many wild beasts, and namely of elephants.
In that isle is a great mountain. And in mid place of the mount is a
great lake in a full fair plain; and there is great plenty of water. And
they of the country say, that Adam and Eve wept upon that mount an
hundred year, when they were driven out of Paradise, and that water, they
say, is of their tears; for so much water they wept, that made the
foresaid lake. And in the bottom of that lake men find many precious
stones and great pearls. In that lake grow many reeds and great canes;
and there within be many cocodrills and serpents and great water-leeches.
And the king of that country, once every year, giveth leave to poor men
to go into the lake to gather them precious stones and pearls, by way of
alms, for the love of God that made Adam. And all the year men find
enough. And for the vermin that is within, they anoint their arms and
their thighs and legs with an ointment made of a thing that is clept
lemons, that is a manner of fruit like small pease; and then have they no
dread of no cockodrills, ne of none other venomous vermin. This water
runneth, flowing and ebbing, by a side of the mountain, and in that river
men find precious stones and pearls, great plenty. And men of that isle
say commonly, that the serpents and the wild beasts of that country will
not do no harm ne touch with evil no strange man that entereth into that
country, but only to men that be born of the same country.
In that country and others thereabout there be wild geese that have two
heads. And there be lions, all white and as great as oxen, and many
other diverse beasts and fowls also that be not seen amongst us.
And wit well, that in that country and in other isles thereabout, the sea
is so high, that it seemeth as though it hung at the clouds, and that it
would cover all the world. And that is great marvel that it might be so,
save only the will of God, that the air sustaineth it. And therefore
saith David in the Psalter, _Mirabiles elationes maris_.