The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Now to returne to my yoyage: I departed from Malacca in a great shippe
which went for Saint Tome, being a Citie situate on the coast of
Coromandel: and because the Captaine of the castles of Malacca had
vnderstanding by aduise that the king of Assi [Marginal note: Or Achem.]
would come with a great armie and power of men against them, therefore vpon
this he would not giue licence that any shippes should depart: Wherefore in
this ship wee departed from thence in the night, without making any
prouision of our water: and wee were in that shippe foure hundreth and odde
men: [Sidenote: The mountaines of Zerzeline.] we departed from thence with
intention to goe to an Iland to take in water, but the windes were so
contrary, that they would not suffer vs to fetch it, so that by this meanes
wee were two and fortie dayes in the sea as it were lost, and we were
driuen too and fro, so that the first lande that we discouered, was beyonde
Saint Tome, more then fiue hundreth miles, which were the mountaines of
Zerzerline, neere vnto the kingdome of Orisa, and so wee came to Orisa with
many sicke, and more that were dead for want of water: and they that were
sicke in foure dayes dyed; and I for the space of a yeere after had my
throat so sore and hoarse, that I could neuer satisfie my thirst in
drinking of water: I iudge the reason of my hoarsenesse to bee with soppes
that I wet in vineger and oyle, wherewith I susteyned my selfe many dayes.
There was not any want of bread nor of wine: but the wines of that countrey
are so hot that being drunke without water they will kill a man: neither
are they able to drinke them: when we beganne to want water, I sawe
certaine Moores that were officers in the ship, that solde a small dish
full for a duckat, after this I sawe one that would haue giuen a barre of
Pepper, which is two quintalles and a halfe, for a litle measure of water,
and he could not haue it. Truely I beleeue that I had died with my slaue,
whom then I had to serue mee, which cost mee verie deare: but to prouide
for the daunger at hand, I solde my slaue for halfe that he was worth,
because that I would saue his drinke that he drunke, to serue my owne
purpose, and to saue my life.
Of the kingdome of Orisa, and the riuer Ganges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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