AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1583-91. 



Bima. Bima is another Hand among the Javas, where the 



women travell and labour as our men do in England, 

 and the men keepe house and go where they will. 



He returneth The 29 of March 1 58 8, I returned from Malacca to 



from Malacca. Martavan, and so to Pegu, where I remained the second 

 time untill the 17 of September, and then I went to 

 Cosmin, and there tooke shipping ; and passing many 

 dangers by reason of contrary windes, it pleased God 



Bengala. that we arrived in Bengala in November following : 



where I stayed for want of passage untill the third of 

 February 1589, and then I shipped my selfe for 

 Cochin. In which voyage we endured great extremity 

 for lacke of fresh water : for the weather was extreme 

 hote, and we were many marchants and passengers, and 

 we had very many calmes, and hote weather. Yet it 



Ceylon. pleased God that we arrived in Ceylon the sixth of 



March, where we stayed ^y& dayes to water, and to 

 furnish our selves with other necessary provision. This 

 Ceylon is a brave Hand, very fruitfull & faire ; but by 

 reason of continuall warres with the king thereof, all 

 things are very deare : for he will not suffer any thing 

 to be brought to the castle where the Portugals be : 

 wherefore often times they have great want of victuals. 

 Their provision of victuals commeth out of Bengala 

 every yere. The king is called Raia, and is of great 

 force : for he commeth to Columbo, which is the place 

 where the Portugals have their fort, with an hundred 

 thousand men, and many elephants. But they be naked 

 people all of them ; yet many of them be good with 

 their pieces which be muskets. When the king talketh 

 with any man, he standeth upon one legge, and setteth 

 the other foot upon his knee with his sword in his 

 hand : it is not their order for the king to sit but to 

 stand. His apparell is a fine painted cloth made of 

 cotton wooll about his middle : his haire is long and 

 bound up with a little fine cloth about his head : all 



[II. i. 264.] the rest of his body is naked. His guard are a thousand 

 men, which stand round about him, and he in the 



500 



