A.D. 



1563-81. 



Note the de- 

 parture of the 

 ships from S. 

 Tome to Pegu. 



Commodities 

 brought into 

 Pegu. 



The Chikinos 

 are pieces of 

 gold worth 

 sterling 7. 

 shillings. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Saia, as aforesayd, which colour will never out. With 

 which marchandise every yeere there goeth a great shippe 

 from S. Tome to Pegu, of great importance, and they 

 usually depart from S. Tome to Pegu the 11. or 12. of 

 September, & if she stay until the twelfth, it is a 

 great hap if she returne not without making of her 

 voiage. Their use 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 make an extra- 

 ordinary gaine of his fraight, thinking to have the wind 

 alwayes to serve 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 

 arrive 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 & anker there, then with great 

 labour they may save their voyage. Also there goeth 

 another great shippe from Bengala every yeere, laden 

 with fine cloth of bombast of all sorts, which arriveth in 

 the harbour of Pegu, when the ship that commeth from 

 S. Tome departeth. The harbour where these two ships 

 arrive is called Cosmin. From Malaca to Martavan, 

 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, 

 Velvets, Opium, and Chickinos, by the which they lose, 

 and they bring them because they have no other thing 

 that is good for Pegu : but they esteeme not the losse of 

 them, for that they make such great gaine of their com- 

 modities that they cary from thence out of that king- 

 dome. Also the king of Assi his ships come thither 



428 



