A.D. 



1563-81. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Description of 

 the fruitf ni- 

 ne sse of that 

 soyk. 



Deling is a 

 small litter 

 caried with 

 men as is 

 aforesaid. 



they goe in sixe houres with the flood, and if it be 

 ebbing water, then they make fast their boate to the 

 river side, and there tary until the water flow againe. 

 It is a very commodious and pleasant voyage, having on 

 both sides of the rivers many great vilages, which they 

 call Cities : in the which hennes, pigeons, egges, milke, 

 rice, and other things be very good cheape. It is all 

 plaine, and a goodly Countrey, and in eight dayes you 

 may make your voyage up to Macceo, distant from 

 Pegu twelve miles, & there they discharge their goods, 

 & lade them in Carts or waines drawen with oxen, 

 and the Marchants are caried in a closet which they call 

 Deling, in the which a man shall be very well accommo- 

 dated, with cushions under his head, and covered for 

 the defence of the Sunne and raine, and there he may 

 sleepe if he have wil thereunto : and his foure Falchines 

 cary him running away, changing two at one time and 

 two at another. The custome of Pegu and fraight 

 thither, may amount unto twentie or twentie two per 

 cento, and 23. according as he hath more or lesse stolen 

 from him that day they custome the goods. It is requi- 

 site that a man have his eyes watchfull, and to be 

 [11. i. 238.] carefull, and to have many friendes, for when they 

 custome in the great hall of the king, there come many 

 gentlemen accompanied with a number of their slaves, 

 and these gentlemen have no shame that their slaves 

 rob strangers : whether it be cloth in shewing of it or 

 any other thing, they laugh at it. And although the 

 Marchants helpe one another to keepe watch, & looke 

 to their goods, they cannot looke therto so narrowly 

 but one or other wil rob something, either more or 

 lesse, according as their marchandise is more or lesse : 

 and yet on this day there is a worse thing then this : 

 although you have set so many eyes to looke there for 

 your benefit, that you escape unrobbed of the slaves, 

 a man cannot choose but that he must be robbed of the 

 officers of the custome house. For paying the custome 

 with the same goods oftentimes they take the best that 



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