The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 478 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 478 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09.
and there they sit with their supplications in their hands, which are made of long leaues of a tree, these leaues are 3. quarters of a yard long, and two fingers broad, which are written with a sharpe iron made for that purpose, and in those leaues are their supplications written, and with their supplications, they haue in their hands a present or gift, according to the waightines of their matter.  Then come the secretaries downe to read these supplications, taking them and reading them before the king, and if the king think it good to do to them that fauour or iustice that they demaund, then he commandeth to take the presents out of their hands:  but if he thinke their demand be not iust or according to right, he commandeth them away without taking of their gifts or presents.  In the Indies there is not any marchandise that is good to bring to Pegu, vnlesse it bee at some times by chance to bring Opium of Cambaia, and if he bring money he shall lose by it.  Now the commodities that come from S. Tome are the onely marchandise for that place, which is the great quantity of cloth made, which they vse in Pegu:  which cloth is made of bombast wouen and painted, so that the more that kinde of cloth is washed, the more liuelie they shewe their colours, which is a rare thing, and there is made such accompt of this kinde of cloth which is so great importance, that a small bale of it will cost a thousand or two thousand duckets.  Also from S. Tome they layd great store of red yarne, of bombast died with a roote which they call Saia, as aforesayd, which colour will neuer out.  With which marchandise euery yeere there goeth a great shippe from S. Tome to Pegu, of great importance, and they vsually depart from S. Tome to Pegu the 11. or 12. of September, and if she stay vntill the twelfth, it is a great hap if she returne not without making of her voiage.  Their vse was to depart the sixt of September, and then they made sure voyages, and now because there is a great labour about that kind of cloth to bring it to perfection, and that it be well dried, as also the greedinesse of the Captaine that would made an extraordinary gaine of his fraight, thinking to haue the wind alwayes to serue their turne, they stay so long, that at sometimes the winde turneth.  For in those parts the windes blow firmely for certaine times, with the which they goe to Pegu with the winde in poope, and if they arriue not there before the winde change, and get ground to anker, perforce they must returne backe againe:  for that the gales of the winde blowe there for three or foure moneths together in one place with great force.  But if they get the coast and anker there, then with great labour they may saue their voyage.  Also there goeth another great shippe from Bengala euery yeere, laden with fine cloth of bombast of all sorts, which arriueth in the harbour of Pegu, when the ship that commeth from S. Tome departeth.  The harbour where these two ships arriue is called Cosmin.  From Malaca to Martauan, which is a port
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The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.