Part 5

Ancho ne diſcero de ſoto de Jaua magiore ꝟſo la tramõtana neL golfo de la chijna Laqalle li anticqui chiamano ſigno magno trouarſi vno arbore grandisso neLqalle habitano vcceli deti garuda tanto grandi q̃ portano vn bufalo et vno elefante aL luoco doue he labore re chiamato puza thaer et Lo arbore cam panganghi aL ſuo fructo bua panganghi eLqalle he magiore q̃ vna anguria li mori de burne haueuamo ne li naui ne diſcero loro hauerne veduto ꝓ che lo ſuo re haueua dui mandatigli daL regnio de ſiam niun Jonco ne altra barcha da tre ho catro legue ſe po aꝓximare aL luoco de larbore ꝓ li grandi reuolutiõe de hacqua que ſonno circa queſto La pima fiata que ſi ſepe de queſto arbure fu vn Jonco ſpinto da ly vẽti ne la riuo lutiõe iLqalle tuto ſe diſfece tutti li homini ſe anegorono ecceto vn puto picolo ilqalle eſſendo atacato ſoura vna tauola ꝓ miraculo fo ſpinto apreſſo queſto arbore et mõtato ſoura lo arbore nõ acorgendoſi ſe miſſe ſoto lala a vno de qelli vcceli lo giorno ſeguento Lo vccelo andando in tera et hauendo pigliato vn bufalo iL puto venne de ſoto a la hala aL meglio puoto ꝓ cuſtui ſe ſepe Queſto et alhora Cogniobero qeli populi vicini li fructi trouauano ꝓ iL mare eſſere de queſto arbore.

JL capo de malacha ſta in vn grado et mezo aL antarticho a loriente de queſto capo a longo la coſta ſe trouão molte ville et cita de li nomi de algune ſono aq̃ſti Cinghapola q̃ ſta neL capo pahan Calantan patani bradlun benan lagon Che regigharan tumbõ prhan Cui brabri bangha Jndia Queſta e la cita doue habita iL re de siam eLqalle chiamaſſe Siri Zacabedera Jandibum Lanu et Langhon pifa Queſte citade ſonno edificade como le nr̃e et ſubgecte aL re de ſiam Jnqueſto regnio de ſiam ne le riue de li fiumi Si como ne fu deto habitanno vcceli grandi liqalli no mangerianno de alguno animale morto ſia portato iui ſe pima nõ vienne vno alto vccelo amangiarli iL core et poi Loro Lo mangiano dopo ſiam ſe troua Camogia iL ſuo re e deto Saret zacabedera chiempa eL ſuo re raia brahaun maitri inqueſto locho naſce lo reubarbaro et ſe troua in queſto modo ſe acaodunano vinti o vinti cinque hominj inſieme et vanno dentro ne li boſchi Quando he venuta la nocte montano ſoura li arbori ſi ꝓ ſentire Lodore deL reobarbaro como ancho ꝓ paura de leonnj elefanti et altre fere et daqella parte doue he lo reubarbaro iL vento li porta lodore poi venuto lo giorno vanno in qella parte doue li he venuto iL vento et lo cercanno fin tanto lo trouano Lo reubarbaro he vno arbure groſſo putrefato et ſenon foſſe cuſſi putrefacto non darebe lo hodore iL megliare de queſto arbore he la radice niente dimeno iL legnio he reobarbaro iLqaL chiamano Calama poi ſe truoua Cochi eL ſuo re e detto raia Seribumni pala dopo Queſto ſe troua la grã chijna iL ſuo re he magiore de tuto eL mõdo et chiamaſſe Santhoa raia iLqalle tenne ſetanta re de coro na ſoto de ſe alguni de liqalli anno dieci et quindice re de ſoto ſe eL ſuo porto he deto guantan fra le altre aſayssime citade ne ha due principalle dette namchin et Comlaha neliqalli ſta queſto re tienne catro ſui principali a preſſo Lo ſuo palatio vno verſo iL ponente lalto aL leuante lalto amezo de et lalto ala tramõtana ogni vno de queſti danno audientia Se nõ aqelli che veneno de ſua parte tucti li re et ſignori de la Jndia magiore et ſuperiore hobediſcono aqueſto re et ꝓ ſegnialle q̃ ſianno ſui veri vaſali ciaſcuna ha in mezo de la ſua piaza vno animale ſcolpito in marmore piu galiardo que iL leonne et chiamaſſe chinga Queſto chinga e lo ſigilo deL dito re de chijna et tucti qelli q̃ vanno ala chijna Conuieneno hauere Queſto animale ſcolpito in cera in vn dente de elephante ꝓ che altramente nõ potrianno intrare neL ſuo porto Quando alguno Signiore he in hobediente a queſto re lo fanno ſcorticare et ſecanno la pelle aL ſolle con ſale et poy la empi enno de paglia ho de alto et lo fanno ſtare cõ lo capo baſſo et cõ le many Jonte ſoura lo capo in vno luocho eminente ne la piaza acio Alhora ſi veda Cului far zonghu cioe riuerentia Queſto re nõ ſi laſcia vedere de algũo et Quando lui vole vedere li ſui Caualcha ꝓ iL palatio vno pauone facto maeſtralmente coſa richiſſima acompagniato de ſey donne de le ſue piu principalle veſtite Como lui fin che entra in vn ſerpente deto nagha rico Quanto altra coſa ſi poſſa vedere ilqalle e ſopa la corte magiore deL palatio iL re et le donne entranno dento açio lui nõ ſia cognioſſuto fra le donne vede li ſui ꝓ vno vedro grando q̃ e neL pecto deL ſerpente lui et le donne ſe ponno vedere ma nonſi puo diſcernere qaL he lore. Cuſtui ſe marita ne le ſue ſorelle acio lo ſangue realle nõ ſia miſſidiato cõ alti Circha lo ſuo pa latio ſonno ſette cerche de muri et fra ogni vna de queſte cerche ſtano diece millia homini q̃ fanno la gardia aL palatio fin q̃ ſona vna Cam pana poi vieneno diece millia alti homini ꝓ ogni cercha et cuſi ſe mudanno ogni giorno et ogni nocte ogni cercha de muro a vna porta ne la pima li ſta vno homo cõ vno granfionne in mano deto ſatu horã con ſatu bagan nella ſecondo vn canne detto ſatu hain nella terza vn homo cõ vna maza ferata deto Satu horan cũ pocum becin nela carta vno homo cõ vno archo in mano deto Satu horan con anat panan nella Quinta vn homo con vna lancia deto Satu horan con tumach ne la ſexta vno leonne deto Satu horiman nella ſeptima duy elefantj bianchi detti duo gagia pute in Queſto palatio li ſonno ſetanta noue ſalle doue ſtanno ſe non donne q̃ ſerueno aL re et li ſonno ſempre torcie acceſe Se tarda vno Jorno aſercare queſto palatio Jn cima de queſto li ſonno catro ſalle doue vanno alguna volta li principali a parlare aL re vna he hornata de metalo coſi de ſoto como de ſuura vna tuta de argento vna tuta de noro et Lalta de perle et petre precioſe Quando li ſui vaſſali li portanno horo ho altre coſe p̃ci oſe ꝓ tributo le butano ꝓ Queſte ſalle dicendo Queſto ſia a honnore et gloria deL nr̃o Sant hoa raia tute queſte coſe et molte altre de queſto re ne diſſe vno moro et lui hauerle vedute la gente de la chijna e biancha e veſtita et mangiano ſoura taule como nuy et anno croce ma non ſi ſa ꝓ che tengonno Jn Queſta chijna naſce Lo muſchio iL ſuo animale e vno gato Como qello deL gibeto et non mangia alto ſenon vn legnio dolce Sotile como li diti chiamato chamaru Quando voleno far lo muſchio atacano vno ſanſuga aL gato et li la laſcianno atacata infin ſia ben pienna de ſangue poi La ſtrucano in vno piato et meteno iL ſangue aL ſolle per cato ho cinque giornj poy lo bagniano cõ orina et il metenno altre tante fiate aL ſolle et cuſſi diuenta muſchio ꝓfeto ogniuno que tienne de queſti animali Conuien pagare vno tanto aL re Quelli pezeti que parenno ſian grani de muſchio ſonno de carne de capreto peſtatagli dento iL vero muſchio et ſe non iL ſangue et ſe ben diuenta in pezetti Se diſfa aL muſchio et al gato chiamano caſtori et ala ſanſuga lintha Seguendo poy la coſta de qʒſta chijna ſe trouano molti populi q̃ ſonno queſti li chienchij et ſtano in Jſole ne leqalli naſconno perle et cannela Li Lechij en tera ferma ſopa lo porto de Queſti trauerſa vna montagnia ꝓ laqaL ſe Conuien deſarburare tucti ly Jonqui et naui voleno Jntrare neL porto Jl re Mom in terra firma Queſto re ha vinti re ſoto diſe et e hobediente aL re de la chijna la ſua cita he deta bara naci Quiui e iL grã catayo orientalle Han yſola alta et frigida doue ſe truoua metalo argento perle et Seta iL ſuo re chiamaſſe raia Zotru Mli Janla eL ſuo re e detto raia chetisqnuga gnio lo ſuo re raia ſudacali tucti Queſti tre luogui Sonno frigidi et in terra ferma Triaganba Trianga due yſolle nelle Qualle vieneno perle metalo argento et ſeta il ſuo re raia Rrom Baſſi baſſa terra ferma et poi Sumbdit pradit due yſole richiſime de oro lihomini deleqalle portanno vna grã ſchiona de oro ne la gamba Soura iL piede Apreſſo Quiui ne la tera ferma in certi montagnie ſtano popoli che amazano li ſui padri et madre Quando ſonno vechi acio nõ ſe afati cano piu tucti li populi de Queſti luogui ſonno gentilli

Marti de nocte venendo aL mercore a vndici de febraro 1522 partendone de La yſola de timor ſe in golfaſſemo neL mare grande nominato Laut chidoL et pigliando lo nr̃o Camino tra ponente et garbin laſciaſemo a La mano drieta a La tramõtana ꝓ pagura deL re de portoghala la Jſola Zamatra antichamẽte chiamata Traprobana pegu bengala Vriza che lui nelaqalle ſtanno li malabari Soto iL re de narſingha Calicut ſoto Lo medeſimo re Canbaia nelaqalle ſonno li guzerati Cananor ghoa Armus et tutta laltra coſta de la india magiore in queſta india magiore li ſonno ſey ſorte de homini Nairi panichali yranai pangelini Macuai et poleai Nairj ſonno li principali panichali ſonno li Citadini Queſte due ſorte de hoj̃ Conuerſano inſieme Jranai Colgeno lo vino de la palma et fighi pagelinj Sonno li marinarj Macuai ſonno li peſcatorj poleai ſeminano et colgeno lo rizo Queſti habitanno ſempre neli campi mai intrano in cita alguna et quando ſe li da alguna coſa la ſe ponne in tera poy loro la piglianno coſtoro Quando vanno ꝓ le ſtrade cridano po po po çioe gar date damj, acadete ſi como ne fu referito vno nair eſſere tocho per diſgratia da vn polea ꝓ iLque iL nair ſubito ſe fece amazare açio non rimaneſſe cõ qeL deſhonnore Et ꝓ Caualcare lo capo de bonna ſperãza andaſſemo fin a Quaranta dui gradi aL polo antarticho ſteſſemo ſoura queſto Cauo noue ſetimane cõ le velle amaynate ꝓ lo vento accidentale et maiſtralle ꝓ proa et cõ fortuna grandiſsima iLqaL capo ſta de latitudine in trenquato gradi et mezo et mille et ſey cento legue longi daL capo de malaca et e lo magiore et piu pericoloſo capo ſia neL mondo aL guni de li noſti a malati et ſani voleuão andare a vno luoco de portu gheſi deto Mozanbich ꝓ la naue q̃ faceua molta hacqua ꝓ lo fredo grande et molto piu ꝓ nõ hauere alto da mangiare Se non rizo et hacqua ꝓ cio la carne haueuamo hauuta ꝓ non hauere ſale ne era pu trefata Ma alguni de li alti piu deſideroſi deL ſuo honnore q̃ de la ꝓpria vita deliberorono viui o morti volere andare in ſpagnia finalmente cõ lo ajuto de dio a ſey de magio paſaſſemo Queſto capo apreſſo lui cinque legue ſe non la ꝓximauamo tanto may Lo poteuão paſſare poi nauigaſſemo aL mayſtrale dui meſi continui ſenza pigliare refrigerio alcuno in queſto pocho tempo ne morſeno vinti vno homo Quando li butauamo neL mare li xp̃iani andauão al fondo con lo volto in ſuſo et li Jndij ſempre cõ lo volto in giu et ſe dio non ne conduceua bon tempo tucti moriuão de fame alfine conſtrecti de la grande neceſitade andaſſemo a le yſole de capo verde Mercore a noue de Julio agiungeſſemo a vna de queſte deta sto. Jacobo et ſubito madaſſemo lo batelo in tera ꝓ victuuaglia con queſta Jnuẽtiõe de dire ali portugheſi como ne era rocto lo trinqueto Soto la lignea equino tialle ben che foſſe ſoura lo capo bonna ſperanza et Quando lo conciauão Lo nr̃e capo generalle cõ le altre due naui eſerſi andata in ſpagnia con queſte bonne parolle et cõ le nr̃e mercadantie haueſſemo dui batelli pi ennj de rizo Cometeſſemo a li nr̃j deL batelo Quando andarono in tera domandaſſero que giorno era ne diſcero como era a li portugheſi Joue Se marauigliaſſemo molto ꝓ che era mercore anuy et nõ ſapeuamo Como haueſſemo herato ꝓ ogni Jorno yo ꝓ eſſere ſtato ſempre ſanno haueua ſcripto ſenza niſſuna Jntermiſſione ma como da poy ne fu deto non era erore ma iL viagio facto ſempre ꝓ occidente et ritornato a lo iſteſſo luocho Como fa iL ſolle haueua portato qeL vantagio de hore vinti catro como chiaro ſi vede eſſendo andato lo batello vnalta volta in tera ꝓ rizo furonnore tenuti tredici homini cõ lo batello ꝓ che vno de qelli como da poy ſapeſemo in ſpagnia dice ali portugheſi Como lo nr̃o capo era morto et alti et que noi nõ andare in ſpagnia dubitandone de eſſere ancho nuy preſi ꝓ certe carauelle ſubito ſe partiſſemo. Sabato a ſey de ſeptembre 1522 Jntraſſemo nella baia de S. lucar ſe nõ diſdoto homini et la mogior parte Jnfermy iL reſto de ſexanta q̃ partiſſemo da malucho qi morſe de fame chi fugite nela yſola de timor et qi furenno amazati ꝓ ſui delicti daL tempo q̃ ſe partiſſemo de queſta baya fin aL giorno pñte haueuão facto catordicy mille et quatro cento et ſaxanta leghe et piu Compiuto lo circulo deL mõdo deL leuante aL ponente. Luni a octo de ſeptembre butaſſemo lanchora ap̃ſo Lo molo de ſeuiglia et deſcaricaſſemo tuta lartigliaria Marti nuj tucti in Camiſa et diſcalci andaſſemo cõ vna torcia ꝓ vno in mano auiſitare iL luoco de sa. maria de la victoria et qella de sta. maria de lantiqua.

Partendomi de ſeuiglia andai a vagliadolit oue apreſentai a la ſacra mageſta de D. carlo non oro ne argento ma coſe da eſſere aſſay apreciati da vn ſimiL Signiore fra le altre coſe li detti vno libro ſcripto de mia mano de tucte le coſe paſſate de giorno in giorno neL viagio noſto me parti de li aL meglio puoti et andai in portagalo et parlay aL re don Johanny de le coſe haueua vedute paſſando ꝓ la ſpagnia veni in franſa et feci donno de algune coſe de lalto emiſperio a la madre deL xp̃ianiſſimo re don franciſco madama la regenta poi me venni ne la Jtalia oue donnay ꝓ ſempre me medeſimo et Queſte mie poche faticque a lo Jnclito et Illuſtriſſimo Signor philipo de Villers lisleadam grã maeſto de rhodi digniſſimo.

JL Caualier

anto pagaphetta

[FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD]

(Continued from Vol. XXXIII, page 267.)

In the afternoon of that same day, Pietro Alfonso, the Portuguese, came in a prau. He had not disembarked before the king sent to summon him and told him banteringly to answer us truly in whatever we should ask him, even if he did come from Tarennate. He told us that he had been sixteen years in India, but x in Maluco, for Maluco had been discovered secretly for that time. [488] It was a year all but one fortnight, since a large ship had arrived at that place from Malaca, and had left laden with cloves, but had been obliged to remain in Bandan for some months because of bad weather. Its captain was Tristan de Meneses, [489] a Portuguese. When he asked the latter what was the news back in Christendom, he was told that a fleet of five ships had left Siviglia to discover Maluco in the name of the king of Spagnia under command of Fernando de Magallianes, a Portuguese; that the king of Portugallo, angered that a Portuguese should be opposed to him, had sent some ships to the cape of Bonna Speransa [i.e., Good Hope], and a like number to the cape of Sancta Maria, where the cannibals live, in order to prevent their passage, but that he was not found. Then the king of Portagalo had heard that the said captain had passed into another sea, and was on his way to Malucho. He immediately wrote directing his chief captain of India, one Diego Lopes de Sichera, [490] to send six ships to Maluco. But the latter did not send them because the Grand Turk was coming to Malacha, for he was obliged to send sixty sail to oppose him at the strait of Mecha in the land of Juda. They found only a few galleys that had been beached on the shore of the strong and beautiful city of Adem, all of which they burned. [491] After that the chief captain sent a large galleon with two tiers of guns to Malucho to oppose us, but it was unable to proceed because of certain shoals and currents of water near Malaca, and contrary winds. The captain of that galleon was Francesco Faria, [492] a Portuguese. It was but a few days since a caravel with two junks had been in that place to get news of us. The junks went to Bachian for a cargo of cloves with seven Portuguese. As those Portuguese did not respect the women of the king and of his subjects, although the king told them often not to act so, and since they refused to discontinue, they were put to death. When the men in the caravel heard that, they immediately returned to Malaca abandoning the junks with four hundred bahars of cloves, and sufficient merchandise to purchase one hundred bahars more. Every year a number of junks sail from Malaca to Bandan [493] for mace and nutmeg, and from Bandan to Malucho for cloves. Those people sail in three days in those junks of theirs from Maluco to Bandan, and in a fortnight from Bandan to Malaca. The king of Portagalo had enjoyed Malucho already for x years secretly, so that the king of Spagnia might not learn of it. That Portuguese remained with us until three in the morning, and told us many other things. We plied him so well, promising him good pay that he promised to return to Spagnia with us.

On Friday, November fifteen, the king told us that he was going to Bachian to get the cloves abandoned there by the Portuguese. He asked us for two presents so that he might give them to the two governors of Mutir in the name of the king of Spagnia. Passing in between the ships he desired to see how we fired our musketry, crossbows, and the culverins, which are larger than an arquebus. He shot three times with a crossbow, for it pleased him more than the muskets. [494] On Saturday, the Moro king of Giailolo came to the ships with a considerable number of praus. To some of the men we gave some green damask silk, two brazas of red cloth, mirrors, scissors, knives, combs, and two gilt drinking cups. That king told us that since we were friends of the king of Tadore, we were also his friends, for he loved that king as one of his own sons; and whenever any of our men would go to his land, he would show him the greatest honor. That king is very aged and is feared among all those islands, for he is very powerful. His name is Raia Jessu. That island of Jayalolo is so large that it takes four months to circumnavigate it in a prau. On Sunday morning that same king came to the ships and desired to see how we fought and how we discharged our guns. He took the greatest pleasure in it. After they had been discharged he immediately departed. He had been a great fighter in his youth as we were told.

That same day, I went ashore to see how the clove grows. The clove tree is tall and as thick as a man’s body or thereabout. Its branches spread out somewhat widely in the middle, but at the top they have the shape of a summit. Its leaves resemble those of the laurel, and the bark is of a dark color. [495] The cloves grow at the end of the twigs, ten or twenty in a cluster. Those trees have generally more cloves on one side than on the other, according to the season. When the cloves sprout they are white, when ripe, red, and when dried, black. They are gathered twice per year, once at the nativity of our Savior, [when the year is more: crossed out in original MS.] and the other at the nativity of St. John the Baptist; for the climate is more moderate at those two seasons, but more so at the time of the nativity of our Savior. When the year is very hot and there is little rain, those people gather three or four hundred bahars [of cloves] in each of those islands. Those trees grow only in the mountains, and if any of them are planted in the lowlands near the mountains, they do not live. The leaves, the bark, and the green wood are as strong as the cloves. If the latter are not gathered when they are ripe, they become large and so hard that only their husk is good. No cloves are grown in the world except in the five mountains of those five islands, except that some are found in Giailolo and in a small island between Tadore and Mutir, by name Mare, [496] but they are not good. Almost every day we saw a mist descend and encircle now one and now another of those mountains, on account of which those cloves become perfect. Each of those people possesses clove trees, and each one watches over his own trees although he does not cultivate them. Some nutmeg trees are found in that island. The tree resembles our walnut tree, and has leaves like it. When the nut is gathered it is as large as a small quince, with the same sort of down, and it is of the same color. Its first rind is as thick as the green rind of our walnut. Under that there is a thin layer, under which is found the mace. The latter is a brilliant red and is wrapped about the rind of the nut, and within that is the nutmeg. [497] The houses of those people are built like those of the others, but are not raised so high from the ground, and are surrounded with bamboos like a hedge. The women there are ugly and go naked as do the others, [covered only] with those cloths made from the bark of trees. Those cloths are made in the following manner. They take a piece of bark and leave it in the water until it becomes soft. Then they beat it with bits of wood and [thus] make it as long and as wide as they wish. It becomes like a veil of raw silk, and has certain threads within it, which appear as if woven. [498] They eat wooden bread made from a tree resembling the palm, which is made as follows. They take a piece of that soft wood from which they take certain long black thorns. Then they pound [499] the wood, and so make the bread. They use that bread, which they call saghu [i.e., sago], almost as their sole food at sea. The men there go naked as do the others [of those regions], but they are so jealous of their wives that they do not wish us to go ashore with our drawers exposed; [500] for they assert that their women imagine that we are always in readiness.