The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, - Richard Hakluyt
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From Martauan I departed to goe to the chiefest Citie in the kingdome of
Pegu, which is also called after the name of the kingdome, which voyage is
made by sea in three or foure daies: they may goe also by lande, but it is
better for him that hath marchandize to goe by sea and lesser charge. And
in this voyage you shall haue a Macareo, which is one of the most
marueilous things [Marginal note: A thing most marueilous, that at the
comming of a tide the earth should quake.] in the world that Nature hath
wrought, and I neuer saw any thing so hard to be beleeued as this, to wit,
the great increasing and diminishing of the water there at one push or
instant, and the horrible earthquake and great noyse that the said Macareo
maketh where it commeth. We departed from Martauan in barkes, which are
like to our Pylot boates, with the increase of the water, and they goe as
swift as an arrowe out of a bow, so long as the tide runneth with them, and
when the water is at the highest, then they drawe themselues out of the
Channell towardes some banke, and there they come to anker, and when the
water is diminished, then they rest on dry land: and when the barkes rest
dry, they are as high from the bottome of the Chanell, as any house top is
high from the ground. [Sidenote: This tide is like to the tides in our
riuer of Seuerne.] They let their barkes lie so high for this respect, that
if there should any shippe rest or ride in the Chanell, with such force
commeth in the water, that it would ouerthrowe shippe or barke: yet for all
this, that the barkes be so farre out of the Chanell, and though the water
hath lost her greatest strength and furie before it come so high, yet they
make fast their prowe to the streme, and oftentimes it maketh them very
fearefull, and if the anker did not holde her prowe vp by strength, shee
would be ouerthrowen and lost with men and goods. [Sidenote: These tides
make their iust coarse as ours doe.] When the water beginneth to increase,
it maketh such a noyse and so great that you would think it an earthquake,
and presently at the first it maketh three waues. So that the first washeth
ouer the barke, from stemme to sterne, the second is not so furious as the
first, and the thirde rayseth the Anker, and then for the space of sixe
houres while the water encreaseth, they rowe with such swiftnesse that you
would thinke they did fly: in these tydes there must be lost no iot of
time, for if you arriue not at the stagions before the tyde be spent, you
must turne back from whence you came. For there is no staying at any place,
but at these stagions, and there is more daunger at one of these places
then at another, as they be higher and lower one then another. When as you
returne from Pegu to Martauan, they goe but halfe the tide at a time,
because they will lay their barkes vp aloft on the bankes, for the reason
aforesayd. I could neuer gather any reason of the noyse that this water
maketh in the increase of the tide, and in deminishing of the water. There
is another Macareo in Cambaya, [Sidenote: The Macareo is a tide or a
currant.] but that is nothing in comparison of this. By the helpe of God we
came safe to Pegu, which are two cities, the olde and the newe, in the olde
citie are the Marchant strangers, and marchants of the Countrey, for there
are the greatest doings and the greatest trade. This citie is not very
great, but it hath very great suburbes. Their houses be made with canes,
and couered with leaues, or with strawe, but the marehants haue all one
house or Magason, which house they call Godon which is made of brickes, and
there they put all their goods of any valure, to saue them from the often
mischances that there happen to houses made of such stuffe. In the newe
citie is the pallace of the king, and his abiding place with all his barons
and nobles, and other gentlemen; and in the time that I was there, they
finished the building of the new citie: it is a great citie, very plaine
and flat, and foure square, walled round about and with ditches that
compasse the wals about with water, in which ditches are many crocodils, it
hath no drawe bridges, yet it hath twentie gates, fiue for euery square on
the walles, there are many places made for centinels to watch, made of wood
and couered or guilt with gold, the streetes thereof are the fayrest that I
haue seene, they are as straight as a line from one gate to another, and
standing at the one gate you may discouer to the other, and they are as
broad as 10 or 12 men may ride a breast in them: [Sidenote: A rich and
stately palace.] and those streetes that be thwart are faire and large,
these streetes, both on the one side and on the other, are planted at the
doores of the houses, with nut trees of India, which make a very commodious
shadowe, the houses be made of wood and couered with a kind of tiles in
forme of cups, very necessary for their vse, the kings palace is in the
middle of the citie, made in forme of a walled castle, with ditches full of
water round about it, the lodgings within are made of wood all ouer gilded,
with fine pinacles, and very costly worke, couered with plates of golde.
Truely it may be a kings house: within the gate there is a faire large
court, from the one side to the other, wherein there are made places for
the strongest and stoutest Eliphants appointed for the seruice of the kings
person, and amongst all other Eliphants, he hath foure that be white, a
thing so rare that a man shall hardly finde another king that hath any
such, and if this king knowe any other that hath white Eliphantes, he
sendeth for them as for a gift. The time that I was there, there were two
brought out of a farre Countrey, and that cost me something the sight of
them, for they commaund the marchants to goe to see them, and then they
must giue somewhat to the men that bring them: the brokers of the marchants
giue for euery man halfe a duckat, which they call a Tansa, [Marginal note:
This money called Tansa is halfe a duckat which may be three shillings and
foure pence.] which amounteth to a great summe, for the number of merchants
that are in that citie; and when they haue payde the aforesayde Tansa, they
may chuse whether they will see them at that time or no, because that when
they are in the kings stall, euery man may see them that will: but at that
time they must goe and see them, for it is the kings pleasure it should be
so. This king amongst all other his titles, is called the King of the white
Eliphantes and it is reported that if this king knewe any other king that
had any of these white Eliphantes, and woud not send them vnto him, that he
would hazard his whole kingdome to conquer them, he esteemeth these white
Eliphantes very deerely, and they are had in great regard, and kept with
very meete seruice, euery one of them is in a house, all guilded ouer, and
they haue their meate giuen them in vessels of siluer and golde, there is
one blacke Eliphant the greatest that hath bene seene, and is kept
according to his bignesse, he is nine cubites high, which is a marueilous
thing. [Sidenote: A warlike policie.] It is reported that this king hath
foure thousand Eliphantes of warre, and all haue their teeth, and they vse
to put on their two vppermost teeth sharpe spikes of yron, and make them
fast with rings, because these beastes fight, and make battell with their
teeth; hee hath also very many yong Eliphants that haue not their teeth
sprowted foorth: also this king hath a braue deuise in hunting to take
these Eliphantes when hee will, two miles from the Citie. [Sidenote: An
excellent deuise to hunt, and take wilde Elephants.] He hath builded a
faire pallace all guilded, and within it a faire Court, and within it and
rounde about there are made an infinite number of places for men to stande
to see this hunting: neere vnto this Pallace is a mighty great wood,
through the which the hunts-men of the king ride continually on the backs
of the feminine Eliphants, teaching them in this businesse. Euery hunter
carieth out with him fiue or sixe of these feminines, and they say that
they anoynt the secret places with a certaine composition that they haue,
that when the wilde Eliphant doeth smell thereunto, they followe the
feminines and cannot leaue them: when the hunts-men haue made prouision and
the Eliphant is so entangled, they guide the feminines towards the Pallace
which is called Tambell, and this Pallace hath a doore which doth open and
shut with engines, before which doore there is a long streight way with
trees on both the sides, which couereth the way in such wise as it is like
darkenesse in a corner: the wilde Eliphant when he commeth to this way,
thinketh that he is in the woods. At end of this darke way there is a great
field, when the hunters haue gotten this praye, when they first come to
this field, they send presently to giue knowledge thereof to the Citie, and
with all speed there go out fiftie or sixtie men on horsebacke, and doe
beset the fielde rounde about: in the great fielde then the females which
are taught in this businesse goe directly to the mouth of the darke way,
and when as the wilde Eliphant is entred in there, the hunters shoute and
make a great noyse, as much as is possible, to make the wilde Eliphant
enter in at the gate of that Pallace, which is then open, and as soone as
he is in, the gate is shut without any noyse, and so the hunters with the
female Eliphants and the wilde one are all in the Court together, and then
within a small time the females withdraw themselues away one by one out of
the Court, leauing the wilde Eliphant alone: [Sidenote: An excellent
pastime of the Eliphants.] and when he perceiueth that he is left alone, he
is so madde that for two or three houres to see him, it is the greatest
pleasure in the world: he weepeth, hee flingeth, hee runneth, he iustleth,
hee thrusteth vnder the places where the people stand to see him, thinking
to kil some of them, but the posts and timber is so strong and great, that
hee cannot hurt any body, yet hee oftentimes breaketh his teeth in the
grates; at length when hee is weary and hath laboured his body that hee is
all wet with sweat, then hee plucketh in his truncke into his mouth, and
then hee throweth out so much water out of his belly, that he sprinckleth
it ouer the heades of the lookers on, to the vttermost of them, although it
bee very high: and then when they see him very weary, there goe certaine
officers into the Court with long sharpe canes [Marginal note: These canes
are like to them in Spain which they call Ioco de tore.] in their hands,
and prick him that they make him to goe into one of the houses that is made
alongst the Court for the same purpose: as there are many which are made
long and narrow, and when the Eliphant is in, he cannot turne himself to go
backe againe. And it is requisite that these men should be very wary and
swift, for although their canes be long, yet the Eliphant would kill them
if they were not swift to saue themselues: at length when they haue gotten
him into one of those houses, they stand ouer him in a loft and get ropes
vnder his belly and about his necke, and about his legges, and binde him
fast, and so let him stand foure or fiue dayes, and giue him neither meate
nor drinke. At the ende of these foure or fiue dayes, they vnloose him and
put one of the females vnto him, and giue him meate and drinke, and in
eight dayes he is become tame. In my. iudgement there is not a beast so
intellectiue as are these Eliphants, nor of more vnderstanding in al the
world: for he wil do all things that his keeper saith, so that he lacketh
nothing but humaine speech.
It is reported that the greatest strength that the king of Pegu hath is in
these Eliphants, for when they goe to battell, they set on their backes a
Castle of wood bound thereto, with bands vnder their bellies: and in euery
Castle foure men very commodiously set to fight with harqubushes, with
bowes and arrowes, with darts and pikes, and other launcing weapons: and
they say that the skinne of this Eliphant is so hard, that an harquebusse
will not pierce it, vnlesse it bee in the eye, temples, or some other
tender place of his body. [Sidenote: A goodly order in a barbarous people.]
And besides this, they are of great strength, and haue a very excellent
order in their battel, as I haue seene at their feastes which they make in
the yeere, in which feastes the king maketh triumphes, which is a rare
thing and worthy memorie, that in so barbarous a people should be such
goodly orders as they haue in their armies, which be distinct in squares of
Eliphants, of horsemen, of harquebushers and pikemen, that truly the number
of men are infinite: but their armour and weapons are very nought and weake
as well the one as the other: they haue very bad pikes, their swords are
worse made, like long kniues without points, his harquebushes are most
excellent, and alway in his warres he hath eightie thousand harquebushes,
and the number of them encreaseth dayly. Because the king will haue them
shoote every day at the Plancke, and so by continuall exercise they become
most excellent shot: also hee hath great ordinance made of very good
mettall; to conclude there is not a King on the earth that hath more power
or strength then this king of Pegu, because hee hath twentie and sixe
crowned kings at his commaunde. He can make in his campe a million and a
halfe of men of warre in the fielde against his enemies. The state of his
kingdome and maintenance of his army, is a thing incredible to consider,
and the victuals that should maintaine such a number of people in the
warres: but he that knoweth the nature and quality of that people, will
easily beleeue it. [Sidenote: Eating of serpents.] I haue seene with mine
eyes, that those people and souldiers haue eaten of all sorts of wild
beastes that are on the earth, whether it bee very filthie or otherwise all
serueth for their mouthes: yea, I haue seene them eate Scorpions and
Serpents, also they feed of all kinde of herbes and grasse. So that if such
a great armie want not water and salt, they will maintaine themselues a
long time in a bush with rootes, flowers and leaues of trees, they cary
rice with them for their voyage, and that serueth them in stead of comfits;
it is so daintie vnto them. This king of Pegu hath not any army or power by
sea, but in the land, for people, dominions, golde and siluer, he farre
exceeds the power of the great Turke in treasure and strength. [Sidenote:
The riches of the king of Pegu.] This king hath diuers Magasons full of
treasure, as gold, and siluer, and euery day he encreaseth it more and
more, and it is neuer diminished. Also hee is Lord of the Mines of Rubies,
Safires and Spinels. Neere vnto his royall pallace there is an inestimable
treasure whereof hee maketh no accompt, for that it standeth in such a
place that euery one may see it, and the place where this treasure is, is a
great Court walled round about with walles of stone, with two gates which
stand open euery day. And within this place or Court are foure gilded
houses couered with lead, and in euery one of these are certaine heathenish
idoles of a very great valure. In the first house there is a stature of the
image of a man of gold very great, and on his head a crowne of gold beset
with most rare Rubies and Safires, and round about him are 4. litle
children of gold. In the second house there is the stature of a man of
siluer, that is set as it were sitting on heapes of money: whose stature in
height, as hee sitteth, is so high, that his highnesse exceeds the height
of any one roofe of an house; I measured his feete, and found that they
were as long as all my body was in height, with a crowne on his head like
to the first. And in the thirde house, there is a stature of brasse of the
same bignesse, with a like crowne on his head. In the 4. and last house
there is a stature of a man as big as the other, which is made of Gansa,
which is the metall they make their money of, and this metall is made of
copper and leade mingled together. This stature also hath a crowne on his
head like the first: this treasure being of such a value as it is, standeth
in an open place that euery man at his pleasure may go and see it: for the
keepers therof neuer forbid any man the sight thereof. I say as I haue said
before, that this king euery yere in his feastes triumpheth: and because it
is worthy of the noting, I thinke it meet to write therof, which is as
foloweth. [Sidenote: The great pompe of the king.] The king rideth on a
triumphant cart or wagon all gilded, which is drawen by 16. goodly horses:
and this cart is very high with a goodly canopy ouer it, behind the cart
goe 20. of his Lords and nobles, with euery one a rope in his hand made
fast to the cart for to hold it vpright that it fal not. The king sitteth
in the middle of the cart; and vpon the same cart about the king stande 4.
of his nobles most fauored of him, and before this cart wherein the king is
goeth all his army as aforesaid, and in the middle of his army goeth all
his nobilitie, round about the cart, that are in his dominions, a
marueilous thing it is to see so many people, such riches and such good
order in a people so barbarous as they be. This king of Pegu hath one
principal wife which is kept in a Seralio, he hath 300. concubines, of whom
it is reported that he hath 90. children. [Sidenote: The order of Iustice.]
This king sitteth euery day in person to heare the suites of his subiects,
but he nor they neuer speake one to another, but by supplications made in
this order. [Sidenote: No difference of persons before the King in
controuersies or in iustice.] The king sitteth vp aloft, in a great hall,
on a tribunall seat, and lower vnder him sit all his Barons round about,
then those that demaund audience enter into a great Court before the king,
and there set them downe on the ground 40. paces distant from the kings
person, and amongst those people there is no difference in matters of
audience before the king, but all alike, and there they sit with their
supplications in their hands, which are made of long leaues of a tree,
these leaues are 3. quarters of a yard long, and two fingers broad, which
are written with a sharpe iron made for that purpose, and in those leaues
are their supplications written, and with their supplications, they haue in
their hands a present or gift, according to the waightines of their matter.
Then come the secretaries downe to read these supplications, taking them
and reading them before the king, and if the king think it good to do to
them that fauour or iustice that they demaund, then he commandeth to take
the presents out of their hands: but if he thinke their demand be not iust
or according to right, he commandeth them away without taking of their
gifts or presents. In the Indies there is not any marchandise that is good
to bring to Pegu, vnlesse it bee at some times by chance to bring Opium of
Cambaia, and if he bring money he shall lose by it. Now the commodities
that come from S. Tome are the onely marchandise for that place, which is
the great quantity of cloth made, which they vse in Pegu: which cloth is
made of bombast wouen and painted, so that the more that kinde of cloth is
washed, the more liuelie they shewe their colours, which is a rare thing,
and there is made such accompt of this kinde of cloth which is so great
importance, that a small bale of it will cost a thousand or two thousand
duckets. Also from S. Tome they layd great store of red yarne, of bombast
died with a roote which they call Saia, as aforesayd, which colour will
neuer out. With which marchandise euery yeere there goeth a great shippe
from S. Tome to Pegu, of great importance, and they vsually depart from S.
Tome to Pegu the 11. or 12. of September, and if she stay vntill the
twelfth, it is a great hap if she returne not without making of her voiage.
Their vse was to depart the sixt of September, and then they made sure
voyages, and now because there is a great labour about that kind of cloth
to bring it to perfection, and that it be well dried, as also the
greedinesse of the Captaine that would made an extraordinary gaine of his
fraight, thinking to haue the wind alwayes to serue their turne, they stay
so long, that at sometimes the winde turneth. For in those parts the windes
blow firmely for certaine times, with the which they goe to Pegu with the
winde in poope, and if they arriue not there before the winde change, and
get ground to anker, perforce they must returne backe againe: for that the
gales of the winde blowe there for three or foure moneths together in one
place with great force. But if they get the coast and anker there, then
with great labour they may saue their voyage. Also there goeth another
great shippe from Bengala euery yeere, laden with fine cloth of bombast of
all sorts, which arriueth in the harbour of Pegu, when the ship that
commeth from S. Tome departeth. The harbour where these two ships arriue is
called Cosmin. From Malaca to Martauan, which is a port in Pegu, there come
many small ships, and great, laden with pepper, Sandolo, Porcellan of
China, Camfora, Bruneo and other marchandise. The ships that come from
Mecca enter into the port of Pegu and Cirion, and those shippes bring cloth
of Wooll, Scarlets, Veluets, Opium, and Chickinos, [Sidenote: The Chikinos
are pieces of gold worth sterling 7. shillings.] by the which they lose,
and they bring them because they haue no other thing that is good for Pegu:
but they esteeme not the losse of them, for they make such great gaine of
their commodities that they cary from thence out of that kingdome. Also the
king of Assi his ships come thither into the same port laden with peper;
from the coast of S. Tome of Bengala, out of the Sea of Bara to Pegu are
three hundreth miles, and they go it vp the riuer in foure daies, with the
encreasing water, or with the flood, to a City called Cosmin, and there
they discharge their ships, whither the Customers of Pegu come to take the
note and markes of all the goods of euery man, and take the charge of the
goods on them, and conuey them to Pegu, into the kings house, wherein they
make the custome of the marchandize. When the Customers haue taken the
charge of the goods and put them into barks, the Retor of the City giueth
licence to the Marchants to take barke, and goe vp to Pegu with their
marchandize; and so three or foure of them take a barke and goe vp to Pegu
in company. [Sidenote: Great rigour for the stealing of customes.] God
deliuer euery man that hee giue not a wrong note, and entrie, or thinke to
steale any custome: for if they do, for the least trifle that is, he is
vtterly vndone, for the king doeth take it for a most great affront to bee
deceiued of his custome: and therefore they make diligent searches, three
times at the lading and vnlading of the goods, and at the taking of them a
land. In Pegu this search they make when they goe out of the ship for
Diamonds, Pearles, and fine cloth which taketh little roome: for because
that all the iewels that come into Pegu, and are not found of that
countrey, pay custome, but Rubies, Safyres, and Spinels pay no custome in
nor out: because they are found growing in that Countrey. I haue spoken
before, how that all Marchants that meane to goe thorow the Indies, must
cary al manor of houshold stuffe with them which is necessary for a house,
because that there is not any lodging nor Innes nor hostes, nor chamber
roome in that Countrey, but the first thing a man doth when he commeth to
that City is to hier a house, either by the yeere or by the moneth, or as
he meanes to stay in those parts.
In Pegu their order is to hire their houses for sixe moneths. Nowe from
Cosmin to the Citie of Pegu they goe in sixe houres with the flood, and if
it be ebbing water, then they make fast their boate to the riuer side, and
there tary vntil the water flow againe. [Sidenote: Description of the
fruitfulnesse of that soyle.] It is a very commodious and pleasant voyage,
hauing on both sides of the riuers many great vilages, which they call
Cities: in the which hennes, pigeons, egges, milke, rice, and other things
be very goode cheape. It is all plaine, and a goodly Countrey, and in eight
dayes you may make your voyage vp to Macceo, distant from Pegu twelue
miles, and there they discharge their goods, and lade them in Carts or
waines drawen with oxen, and the Marchants are caried in a closet which
they call Deling, [Sidenote: Deling is a small litter carried with men as
is aforesaid.] in the which a man shall be very well accommodated, with
cushions under his head, and couered for the defence of the Sunne and
raine, and there he may sleep if he haue will thereunto: and his foure
Falchines cary him running away, changing two at one time and two at
another. The custome of Pegu and fraight thither, may amount vnto twentie
or twentie two per cento, and 23. according as he hath more or lesse stolen
from him that day they custome the goods. It is requisite that a man haue
his eyes watchfull, and to be carefull, and to haue many friendes, for when
they custome in the great hall of the king, there come many gentlemen
accompanied with a number of their slaues, and these gentlemen haue no
shame that their slaues rob strangers; whether it be cloth in shewing of it
or any other thing, they laugh at it. And although the Marchants helpe one
another to keepe watch, and looke to their goods, they cannot looke therto
so narrowly but one or other will rob something, either more or lesse,
according as their marchandise is more or lesse: and yet on this day there
is a worse thing then this: although you haue set so many eyes to looke
there for your benefit, that you escape vnrobbed of the slaues, a man
cannot choose but that he must be robbed of the officers of the custome
house. For paying the custome with the same goods oftentimes they take the
best that you haue, and not by rate of euery sort as they ought to do, by
which meanes a man payeth more then his dutie. At length when the goods be
dispatched out of the custome house in this order, the Marchant causeth
them to be caried to his house, and may do with them at his pleasure.