A.D. 



1563-81. 



Hands mt dis- 

 covered. 



Chinais tinder 

 the govern- 

 ment of the 

 great Tartar. 



[I!, i. 229.] 



J yeerely 

 Carovanfrom 

 Persia to 

 China. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



there like to themselves. From these Hands hitherwards 

 the place is not yet discovered for the great sholdnesse 

 of Sandes that they find. The Portugals have made a 

 small citie neere unto the coast of China called Macao, 

 whose church and houses are of wood, and it hath a 

 bishoprike, but the customs belong to the king of China, 

 and they goe and pay the same at a citie called Canton, 

 which is a citie of great importance and very beautifull 

 two dayes journey and a halfe from Macao. The people 

 of China are Gentiles, and are so jealous and fearefull, 

 that they would not have a stranger to put his foote 

 within their land : so that when the Portugals go thither 

 to pay their custome, and to buy their marchandize, 

 they will not consent that they shall lie or lodge within 

 the citie, but send them foorth into the suburbes. The 

 countrey of China is neere the kingdom of great Tartaria, 

 and is a very great countrey of the Gentiles and of great 

 importance, which may be judged by the rich and pre- 

 cious marchandize that come from thence, then which I 

 beleeve there are not better nor in greater quantitie in 

 the whole world besides. 



First, great store of golde, which they carie to the 

 Indies, made in plates like to little shippes, and in 

 value three and twentie caracts a peece, very great 

 aboundance of fine silke, cloth of damaske and tafFata, 

 great quantitie of muske, great quantitie of Occam in 

 barres, great quantitie of quicksilver and of Cinaper, great 

 store of Camfora, an infinite quantitie of Porcellane, made 

 in vessels of diverse sortes, great quantitie of painted cloth 

 and squares, infinite store of the rootes of China : and 

 every yeere there commeth from China to the Indies, 

 two or three great shippes, laden with most rich and 

 precious marchandise. The Rubarbe commeth from 

 thence over lande, by the way of Persia, because that 

 every yeere there goeth a great Carovan from Persia to 

 China, which is in going thither sixe moneths. The 

 Carovan arriveth at a Citie called Lanchin, the place 

 where the king is resident with his Court. I spake with 



406 



