RALPH FITCH ad. 



1583-91 

 Chinians are very suspitious, and doe not trust strangers. 

 It is thought that the king doth not know that any 

 strangers come into his countrey. And further it is 

 credibly reported that the common people see their king 

 very seldome or not at all, nor may not looke up to that 

 place where he sitteth. And when he rideth abroad he 

 is caried upon a great chaire or serrion gilded very faire, 

 wherein there is made a little house with a latise to 

 looke out at : so that he may see them, but they may not 

 looke up at him : and all the time that he passeth by 

 them, they heave up their hands to their heads, & lay 

 their heads on the ground, and looke not up untill he be 

 passed. The order of China is when they mourne, that 

 they weare white thread shoes, and hats of straw. The 

 man doth mourne for his wife two yeeres, the wife for 

 her husband three yeeres : the sonne for his father a 

 yeere, and for his mother two yeres. And all the time 

 which they mourne they keepe the dead in the house, 

 the bov/els being taken out and filled with chownam 

 or lime, and coffined : and when the time is expired 

 they carry them out playing and piping, and burne 

 them. And when they returne they pull off their 

 mourning weeds, and marry at their pleasure. A man 

 may keepe as many concubines as he will, but one wife 

 onely. All the Chineans, Japonians, and Cauchin The^ writing 

 Chineans do write right downwards, and they do write 

 with a fine pensill made of dogs or cats haire. 



Laban is an Hand among the Javas from whence come Laban. 

 the diamants of the New water. And they finde them Diamants. 

 in the rivers : for the king will not suffer them to digge 

 the rocke. 



Jamba is an Hand among the Javas also, from whence Jamba. 

 come diamants. And the king hath a masse of earth 

 which is golde ; it groweth in the middle of a river : 

 and when the king doth lacke gold, they cut part of the Golde. 

 earth and melt it, whereof commeth golde. This masse 

 of earth doth appeare but once in a yere ; which is when 

 the water is low : and this is in the moneth of April. 



499 



of the people of 

 China ^c. 



