The first voyage round the world, by Magellan : $b translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writersPigafetta, Antonio
History
The first voyage round the world, by Magellan : $b translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writers
Pigafetta, Antonio
Magalhães, Fernão de, -1521; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
We had approached that part of the island where there were some
villages with their chiefs or head men. On the other side of the island
are the dwellings of four kings, and their districts are named Oibich,
Lichsana, Suai, and Cabanaza. Oibich is the largest place. We were told
that in a mountain near Cabanaza, very much gold is found, and its
inhabitants buy whatever they want with small pieces of gold. All the
trade in sandal wood and wax, carried on by the people of Malacca and
Java, is done here; and indeed, we found here a junk which had come
from Lozon[398] to trade in sandal wood; for white sandal wood only
grows in this country.
These people are Gentiles; we were told that when they go to cut sandal
wood, the devil appears to them in various forms, and tells them that
if they want anything they should ask him for it; but this apparition
frightens them so much, that they are ill of it for some days.[399] The
sandal wood is cut at a certain phase of the moon, and it is asserted
that if cut at another time it would not be good. The merchandise
most fitting for bartering here for sandal wood is red cloth, linen,
hatchets, iron, and nails.
This island is entirely inhabited. It extends a long way from east to
west, and little from north to south. Its south latitude is in 10 deg.,
and the longitude 174 deg. 30 min. from the line of demarcation.
In all these islands that we visited in this archipelago, the evil of
Saint Job prevailed, and more here than in any other place, where they
call it “for franki”, that is to say, Portuguese illness.[400]
We were told that at a day’s voyage, west-north-west from Timor, there
was an island in which much cinnamon grows, called Ende;[401] its
inhabitants are Gentiles, and have no king. Near this are many others
forming a series of islands as far as Java Major, and the Cape of
Malacca. The names of these islands are Ende, Tanabuton, Crenochile,
Bimacore, Azanaran, Main, Zubava, Lombok, Chorum, and Java Major, which
by the inhabitants is not called Java but Jaoa.
In this island of Java are the largest towns; the principal of them
is Magepaher,[402] the king of which, when he lived, was the greatest
of all the kings of the neighbouring islands, and he was named Raja
Patiunus Sunda. Much pepper grows there. The other towns are—Dahadama,
Gagiamada, Minutarangam, Ciparafidain, Tuban, Cressi,[403] and
Cirubaya.[404] At half a league from Java Major are the islands of
Bali, called Java Minor, and Madura, these are of equal size.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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