The citie of Sion, or Siam.

[Sidenote:  A prince of marueilous strength and power.] Sion was the imperiall seat, and a great Citie, but in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred sixtie and seuen, it was taken by the king of Pegu, which king made a voyage or came by lande foure moneths iourney with an armie of men through his lande, and the number of his armie was a million and foure hundreth thousand men of warre:  when hee came to the Citie, he gaue assault to it, and besieged it one and twentie moneths before he could winne it, with great losse of his people, this I know, for that I was in Pegu sixe moneths after his departure, and sawe when that his officers that were in Pegu, sent fiue hundreth thousand men of warre to furnish the places of them that were slaine and lost in that assault:  yet for all this, if there had not beene treason against the citie, it had not beene lost:  for on a night there was one of the gates set open, through the which with great trouble the king gate into the citie, and became gouernour of Sion:  and when the Emperour sawe that he was betrayed, and that his enemie was in the citie, he poysoned himselfe:  and his wiues and children, friends and noblemen, that were not slaine in the first affront of the entrance into the citie, were all caried captiues into Pegu, where I was at the comming home of the king with his triumphs and victorie, which comming home and returning from the warres was a goodly sight to behold, to see the Elephants come home in a square, laden with golde, siluer, iewels, and with Noble men and women that were taken prisoners in that citie.

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