The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
China: Without the towne they haue a great place wherein they commonly vse
to sell their wares, and there they dwell, and haue greater and better
houses then any are within the towne, all made of reedes, onely that in
euery house they haue a square place made of stone, wherein they put their
wares to keepe them from burning, as some riche men in the towne likewise
haue: The Chinars are very subtill and industrious people, and will refuse
no labour nor paynes to yearne money, there they make much Aqua vitæ of
Ryce and Cocus, and trafficke much therewith, which the Iauars by night
come to buy, and drinke it secretly, for by Mahomets law it is forbidden
them. The Chinars liue there with free libertie: When they come to remaine
there for a yeare or more as they thinke good, they buy themselues a wife
or two, or more as they thinke good, and liue together like man and wife,
and when they meane to depart, they sell their wiues again, but if they
haue children they take them with them and so returne to China: They haue
no special religion, but pray vnto the Deuill, that he would not hurt them,
for they know that the Deuill is wicked, and that God is good, and hurteth
no man, therefore they thinke it needlesse to pray to God. They acknowledge
not the resurrection of the deade, but when a man dyeth they thinke he
neuer riseth again: In their houses they have great painted Deuils, before
the which they place wax candles, and sing vnto them, praying them not to
hurt them, and the more monstrous that their shapes be, the more they
honour them. These people liue very hardly and poorely within Bantam, for
there is not any work or labour how filthy soeuer it be, but they will do
it to get money, and when they haue gotten something they returne againe to
China. They are verie like Iewes in our country, for they neuer goe without
a paire of ballances, and all thinges is good wares with them, and are
ready to do any seruice. When we came first, before Bantam, they came euery
day in great companies into our shippes, and there set out their wares to
sel, as silkes, sowing silkes, and porselines, so that our vpper deckes
were full of pedlers, that wee could hardly walke vpon the hatches.
The manner, condition, custome, going, standing, apparell, housekeeping,
wares, and behauiour of the Iauars in Bantam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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