130 MALAY PENINSULA IN THE 17th & 18th CENTURIES. 



almost a miracle if any one escape with life: which makes many 

 forbeare to goe thither: yet the desire of gaine cloth incite many 

 to hazard their healths by this voyage. The eountrie yeelds not 

 any fruit, but some little corne in certain places. Finally, all 

 the realme of Malacca, which runs two hundred and seventie miles 

 in length, is in a manner nothing but a desert, if you except that 

 which 'is neere unto the towne. The Countrie people sleepe upon 

 trees for feare of Tygers, whereof there are so many as they will 

 come into the towne for a prey. The Portugals who tooke this 

 towne from a King of the Moores, found the situation so com- 

 modious, as they have made It in a manner the center of all the 

 merchandise and traifieke of the East, and the head of a kingdome, 

 which extends from Sineapura to Pullo. and Cambilan : yet. as 1 

 have said, the aire is unwholesome, by reason that it lies so neere 

 the Equinoctiall, and is hot and moist. 



The Manner of the People. 



There are in this place about a hundred families of Portugals, 

 which live after the manner of their countrie, with a Bishop, and 

 a ■College of Jesuits, besides the Castell. They that are borne in 

 this place weare long haire, they have malitious spirits, -and take 

 delight to comnx'it murders in the night, to the end the authors 

 may not be knowne. P>oth men and women make love alike, and 

 thinke that there is not any Nation can manage it so well: they 

 make amorous songs and rimes, and doe wonderfully commend 

 the power of love in their verses, which are wittie. well composed, 

 and of a good grace. Thev have the neatest and most elegant 

 language of all the East: and therefore many of the Indies doe 

 use it: as in England. Germanie, and the Low Countries they use 

 the French tongue. 



The Eiches. 



There is a staple in this towne or a Market place, with the 

 trafficke of all the Indies, of China, and of the Islands that are 

 called Molucques, and other neighbour islands: and there you may 

 see many vessels from China, the Molucques, Banda, lava, Sumatra. 

 Siain, Pegu, Bengola, Choromandel, and other places, which returne 

 laden with merchandise. This place yeelds great profit unto the 

 Governor, and more than any other, except (Mozambique and 

 Ormus. Euerie yeare there parts a ship from Portugal for 

 Malacca, a month before all the rest, and goes not to any other 

 part of the Indies without constraint. They receive their lading 

 only at Malaca, and have the best of all them, that come thither. 

 There are six hundred Portugals continually in the fort of Malaca. 



The Govebnmext. 



There was sometimes a Mahometan king at Malaca, but hee 



was disuossest by Alphonso of Albuquerque, for that he sought to 



annoy Lopes of Sequiera a Portugal all he could: so as both the 



towne and realme are now under the dominion of the king of 



Jour. Straits Branch 



