{0 BARRETYO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. 
provisions and many other things. From this port up a river which 
empties itself opposite Malacca is the Bay of Bencalis,” in Sumatra 
on the other side of Malacca where a similar fair is held eyery full 
moon, where, besides the aforesaid wares, a Quantity of fresh and 
salt. pork is sold, and the roe of shad fish, which they call trubo, 
great quantities of which are exported from Malacca to all ports. 
Here in the Bay of Benealis is the river das Galles,”’ all of which 
is under the dominion of the King of Pam, who has always been 
Emperor of the South. The Straits of Singapore, before referred 
to, is the place where the Dutch lie in wait for the Portuguese 
ships coming from China, Manila, Macassar, and all the Malueco 
Archipelago. It has many channels so narrow that in places the 
branches of the trees on shore touch the ships; and the currents 
are very strong. The water, though deep, is so clear that the fishes 
can be seen swimming about in it. Fish is brought by the mer- 
chants of the ships from the Saletes, ”” or inhabitants of the Straits, 
who live in very swift baloons”*® with their families. They catch 
the fish by spearing them in the water, and then sell them. These 
Saletes are a wicked people and especially so to the Portuguese. 
They are evil-hearted and treacherous, and the best spies the Dutch 
possess. Wherever, of the many places in this vicinity, our ships 
may be, they immediately inform the Dutch and lead them there; 
so that most of our losses are due to them. This is because the 
Dutch give a great share of all thus seized. And thus it is very 
necessary that our fleets of jaleas** and ships that go to these 
straits to wait for the said fleets should make war as much as 
possible on these Salletes, and drive them from these parts. 
The most important voyages undertaken from Malacea are, as 
beforementioned, those to China, all the southern merchandise 
being exported there from Malacca, but now nothing but a little 
pepper is exported and little, if any, cloves; our trade and the rest 
is in the hands of the Dutch, who are lords of the Ilhas de Banda, 
from whence they drove out the natives; who wander homeless 
throughout the southern lands, waiting some opportunity of revenge 
and of regaining their lands. The other exports to China are the 
same as those which come from India, and as regards Manila what 
is brought from there has also been already stated. It is a law of 
Malacca that no boat coming from the region of the said straits, 
shall pass without putting in at Malacca and paying duties on all 
the cargo, the rate being ten per cent and further two per cent to 
the town for the fortification and artillery. And it has happened 
that some vessels which have passed without putting in at the 
fortress have been supposed to be lost. 
There is communivation also between Malacca and Macassar, 
au island three hundred leagues west of Malacca, belonging to a 
Moorish King who knows the Portuguese tongue very well, and 
has many Portuguese in his lands and is very friendly to them. 
Stuffs only are taken there in exchange for the merchandise 
brought to the place by the southern tribes. The land yields an 
Jour. Straits Branch 
