The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Aftre this yle, men gon be see to another yle, that is clept Calonak: and
it is a fair lond and a plentifous of godes. And the kyng of that contrey
hath als many wyfes as he wole; for he makethe serche alle the contree, to
geten him the fairest maydens that may ben founde, and makethe hem to ben
broughte before him; and he takethe on o nyght, and another another nyght,
and so forthe contynuelle sewyng; so that he hath a 1000 wyfes or mo. And
he liggethe never but o nyght with on of hem, and another nyght with
another, but zif that on happene to ben more lusty to his plesance than
another. And therfore the kyng getethe fully many children; sum tyme an
100, sum tyme an 200, and sum tyme mo. And he hathe also into a 14000
olifauntz or mo, that he makethe for to ben brought up amonges his
vileynes, be alle his townes. For in cas that he had ony werre azenst any
other kyng aboute him, thanne he makethe certeyn men of armes for to gon up
in to the castelles of tree, made for the werre, that craftily ben sett up
on the olifantes bakkes, for to fyghten azen hire enemyes: and so don other
kynges there aboute. For the maner of werre is not there, as it is here or
in other contrees; ne the ordinance of werre nouther. And men clepen the
olifantes, warkes.
And in that yle there is a gret marvayle, more to speke of than in ony
other partie of the world. For alle manere of fissches, that ben there in
the see abouten hem, comen ones in the zeer, eche manere of dyverse
fissches, on maner of kynde aftre other; and thei casten hem self to the
see banke of that yle, so gret plentee and multitude, that no man may
unnethe see but fissche; and there thei abyden 3 dayes: and every man of
the contree takethe of hem, als many as him lykethe: And aftre, that maner
of fissche, after the thridde day, departethe and gothe into the see. And
aftre hem, comen another multitude of fyssche of another kynde, and don in
the same maner as the firste diden other 3 dayes. And aftre hem, another;
tille alle the dyverse maner of fissches han ben there, and that men han
taken of hem, that hem lykethe. And no man knowethe the cause wherfore it
may ben. But thei of the contree seyn, that it is for to do reverence to
here kyng, that is the most worthi kyng, that is in the world, as thei
seyn; because that he fulfillethe the comandement, that God bad to Adam and
Eve, whan God seyde, _Crescite et multplicamini et replete terram_. And for
because that he multipliethe so the world with children, therfore God
sendethe him so the fissches of dyverse kyndes, of alle that ben in the
see, to taken at his wille, for him and alle his peple. And therfore alle
the fissches of the see comen, to maken him homage, as the most noble and
excellent kyng of the world, and that is best beloved with God, als thei
seyn. I knowe not the resoun, whi it is; but God knowethe. But this, me
semethe, is the moste marveylle, that evere I saughe. For this mervaylle is
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