CAESAR FREDERICK ad 



1563-81. 

 a Persian that was three yeeres in that citie of Lanchin, 

 and he tolde me that it was a great Citie and of great 

 importance. The voiages of Malacca which are in the 

 jurisdiction of the Captaine of the castle, are these : 

 Every yeere he sendeth a small shippe to Timor to lade 

 white Sandols, for all the best commeth from this Hand : 

 there commeth some also from Solor, but that is not so 

 good : also he sendeth another small ship every yere 

 to Cauchin China, to lade there wood of Aloes, for that 

 all the wood of Aloes commeth from this place, which is 

 in the firme land neere unto China, and in that kingdome 

 I could not knowe how that wood groweth by any 

 meanes. For that the people of the countrey will not 

 suffer the Portugales to come within the land, but onely 

 for wood and water, and as for all other things that they 

 wanted, as victuals or marchandise, the people bring 

 that a boord the ship in small barkes, so that every day 

 there is a mart kept in the ship, untill such time as she A market kept 

 be laden : also there goeth another ship for the said ^^^.^^^ ^^^^^^ 

 Captaine of Malacca to Sion, to lade Verzino : all these 

 voiages are for the Captaine of the castle of Malacca, 

 and when he is not disposed to make these voiages, 

 he selleth them to another. 



The citie of Sion, or Siam. 



Slon was the imperiall seat, and a great Citie, but in 

 the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five 

 hundred sixtie and seven, it was taken by the king of 

 Pegu, which king made a voyage or came by lande foure 

 moneths journey with an armie of men through his 

 lande, and the number of his armie was a million and A prince of 



foure hundreth thousand men of warre : when hee came T^^'f/^^ . 

 . „. . . 1 1 • 1 • strength and 



to the Litie, he gave assault to it, and besieged it one poiver. 



and twentie monethes before he could winne it, with 



great losse of his people, this I know, for that I was in 



Pegu sixe moneths after his departure, and sawe when 



that his officers that were in Pegu, sent five hundreth 



thousand men of warre to furnish the places of them 



407 



