THE HISTORY AND PRESENT CONDITION OP MALACCA. 729 
“ The Portuguese used to take ten per cent, custom of all ships 
passing that way whereby they got vast riches, but the Dutch E. I. 
Co. has abolished this, looking upon it as an unreasonable imposi¬ 
tion and are contented to traffic there. Melaeca is a country pro¬ 
ducing but very little itself, but must be looked upon as the staple 
of the Indies. * * * In short there is such a vast traffic and 
concourse of merchants here that from them probably it got the 
name of Golden Chersonensus among the ancients, Melacca being 
certainly the richest harbour that can be seen, for formerly and to 
this day the merchants were so rich here that they used to compute 
by no less than by bars of gold.” 
* * * * . & 
“ Sinkepure lies on the most southern point of all Asia, about 
half a degree to the north of the line and 20 leagues from Melacca. 
* * * To the south of Melacca is a small island of about half 
a league in compass, by the Portuguese called “ Isle das Pedros” 
and lias good water. About half cannon shot from the city another 
small island called Melacca and by the Portuguese called Isle das 
Naos or Ship Island. Two leagues from Melacca is a pretty large 
island called Sapta.” 
The following few extracts are from the voyage of Dr. John 
Francis Gomelli Careri, who seems to have visited Malacca in 1505 : 
« Melacca is situated in 2. 20. N. Lat. It contain about 5,000 
souls, most of them Portuguese Catholics, better instructed in mat¬ 
ters of faith, than any in Europe, there being children 10 or 12 
years old that answer in questions concerning religion as solidly as 
a divine could do. * ■* * 
“ The city gives laws to all ships that pass the Straits, obliging 
them to pay anchorage whether they put into the Port or not. 
Spanish and Portuguese ships pay 100 pieces of eight each, others 
less. The Dutch are so hard upon these nations because they say 
they paid as much when the Portuguese were masters of it. The 
English are not only free from the burden but much honored * 
* * The Port of Malacca is very safe and has a great commerce 
from east and west * * * The dominion of the Dutch reaches 
but 3 miles round the city because the natives being a wild people 
living like beasts they will not easily submit to bear the Holland 
yoke. They are called Menancavoes, very great thieves. Their 
king called Pagarioyou has his residence at Nanning a village made 
with mats, ill put together in the thickest of the wood. No better 
