1600.
March 10.
London. |
266. Foulke Grevil to [Sec. Sir Robert Cecil]. Report on the preceding memorial respecting the places to which the English might trade in the East Indies. Names of such kings as are absolute in the East, and either have war or traffic with the King of Spain. Begins with the kingdoms of Fess and Morocco; then follow those of Gualata [Ghalata], Tombuto [Tombuctoo], Melli, and Guinea, with an account of the goods trafficked in. The Portugals make slaves of the Moors from the Cape of Tres Puntas [Three Points], and are therefore much hated in Guinea; they have also a fort called St. Paul, in Congo, whose king can bring 400,000 armed men into the field. The King of Angola absolute, and able to levy a million of men in his own country. The Portuguese and Spaniards sell slaves from these parts by thousands. From Angola to the Cape of Good Hope no traffic is allowed with strangers. The kingdom of Buena has some store of gold; that of Sofala, subject to. Portugal to avoid the tyranny of the King of Monomotapa, who has many legions of men and Amazons to guard his country. At the River Cuama, the Portugals have a fort, and traffic for gold, amber, and ivory. Mozambique, possessed by the Portugals; the people all heathens from the Cape of Good Hope; from Mozambique to the Red Sea all Mahometans, except a few Christians. The Island of St. Lawrence [Madagascar], inhabited by heathens, where there are mines and other riches, traded to by Portugal. Many other islands adjoining not yet discovered. Quiloa, Mombaza [Mombaca], and Melinde [Melinda], all possessed by the Portugals; the people Mahometans, and acknowledge the great kingdom of Monemugi [Mano–emoogi], whose king barters gold, silver, copper, and ivory with the Portugals for cotton and linen. From Melinde to the Cape of Guardafuy many petty kingdoms possessed by the white Mahometans, who are rich in gold, silver, and ivory, as also from thence to the Red Sea; at that Cape the Portugals lie in wait for Turkish ships who venture to traffic without their licence. The Portugals send yearly eight ships to the great empire of Prester John, which also furnishes them with many sailors. At Suez the Turks build gallies, and scour all that coast as far as Melinde. At the rich and strong city of Aden, Indians, Persians, Ethiopians, Turks, and Portugals have exceeding great traffic; the king possesses all the coast beyond the Gulf of Persia, and has great traffic with the Portugals with pearls, carpets, and other rich commodities. The Portugals have a fort in the Isle of Ormus, and there is the staple of all India, Arabia, Persia, and Turkey, whither Christian merchants also resort, from Aleppo and Tripoli twice in the year. The kingdom of Cambaia the most fruitful of all India; the Portugals possess there the town of Dieu [Diu], situate in an island in the mouth of the Indus, where they carry on great trade with all nations. The Malabars are the best soldiers of India, and the greatest enemies of the Portugals; the country, once an entire empire, divided into many kingdoms, part subject to the Queen of Baticola, who sells pepper to the Portugals at Onor, the rest divided into five kingdoms, the greatest of which was Calicut, but by the assistance of the Portugals, Cochin has now prevailed. The Portugals also traffic at Narsinga, Orixen [Orixa], and Bengalen [Bengal]; also at Aracan, Pegu, Siam, Tanassria [Tenasserim], and Queda. Sumatra is possessed by many kings, enemies to the Portugals, the greatest being the King of Dachem [Acheen], who besieged them in Malacca, and stopped the traffic till the coast was cleared by a main fleet. The King of Spain has often resolved to conquer Sumatra. The Kings of Acheyn [Acheen] and Tor [Jhor], also enemies to the Portugals. The Phillippinas [Philippine Islands], abandoned by China, possessed by the Spaniards, who traffic there. At Goa there is a great resort of all nations, who are suffered by the Portugals to live after their own manners and religions, but are ruled by th
e Portugal law. In 1584 many ambassadors came to Goa from Persia, Cambaia, and the Malabars, and concluded peace with the Portugals. In 1586 the Arabians slew about 800 Portugals. Has made these collections out of Osorius, Eden’s Decade, and specially out of the voyages of John Huighen. [Four pages. East Indies, Vol. I., No. 18. Printed in Bruce’s Annals of the E. I. Comp., I., 121–126.] |
