BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA, 223 
Regarding Gunoledam (Gunong Ledang’,, or Mount Ophir.) 
The mountain of Gunoledam, like Mount Atlas, where sybiline 
eaves are found, is a high mountain. It is half a league in height, 
and a little more than a league in circumference at its base: it is 
quite isolated. If one believes a story, which is widely spread 
among the Malays, the queen Putry, the companion of Permicuri, 
who founded Malacca, retired to this mountain, and, by enchant- 
ment (for by magic she became immortal) lives there still. Her 
home is on the heights of the mountain in a cave, where she lies on 
a raised bed which is decorated with the bones of dead men. She 
is clad in silk and gold, and looks like a lovely young girl. Round 
this cave are planted thick rows of bamboos, in which one hears 
harmonious voices and sounds of music. It is something like this 
that Marco Polo describes when he writes in the 44th chapter of 
«this first book of the music of duleimers which was heard in the 
desert of Job. 
At a certain distance from the eave and the bamboos are 
groves of fruit trees full of delicate fruit and singing birds, and not 
far from them are the forests where roam the tigers who guard this 
enchanted Putry, this new Circe of Thessaly. 
This story is probably not true, but the natives firmly believe 
in it. They further assert that on this mountain is a cave like that 
of the Pythians and the Sibyls, and that the forest-dwelling Benuas 
here learn their magic arts and hold intercourse with the devil. 
Here, without seeing any one, they hear mysterious voices which 
reveal to them not only the qualities of plants and of miraculous 
and medicinal herbs, but the art of preparing medicines, both 
beneficial and harmful. In order to get this iaformation, the 
Benuas employ a herb called Hrba vilca, which is found on Gunole- 
dam as well asin America. By drinking a decoction of this herb, 
they put themselves in communication with the devil or with 
Putry, who like the Thessalian witch Erichto, and like the enchan- 
tress Circe, takes the form of animals and hides. 
These forest-dwelling Benuas in the same manner, and by means 
of the same practices and words would take the forms of tigers, 
lizards, crocodiles or other animals. They then had supernatural 
power, and could hold conversation with people in remote places, 
like the sorceress of Tuscany, who could show to those who consulted 
her things that were happening at a distance. 
While speaking of this subject, I ought to make mention of the 
first bishop of Malacca, Dom Georges de Santa Lucia, whose merits 
should be always exalted. He wished to put an end to the harm 
caused to the country by these forest-dwelling Benuas, who in the 
shape of tigers used to enter the town of Malacca, and kill unresist- 
ing women and children. 
He wished to excommunicate them and had public prayers 
made in the cathedral. Then, at issue of the Grand Mass and after 
the procession of the feast of the assumption of our lady, the pro- 
R. A. Soc., No. 69, 1911, 
