we hardly saued her, with great losses to the Captaine of the ship, because he was forced to fraight another ship in S. Tome for Pegu with great losses and interest, and I with my friends agreed together in Manar to take a bark to cary vs to S. Tome; which thing we did with al the rest of the marchants; and arriuing at S. Tome I had news through or by the way of Bengala, that in Pegu Opium was very deare, and I knew that in S. Tome there was no Opium but mine to go for Pegu that yere, so that I was holden of al the marchants there to be very rich:  and so it would haue proued, if my aduerse fortune had not bin contrary to my hope, which was this.  At that time there went a great ship from Cambaya, to the king of Assi, with great quantitie of Opium, and there to lade peper:  in which voyage there came such a storme, that the ship was forced with wether to goe roomer 800. miles, and by this meanes came to Pegu, whereas they arriued a day before mee; so that Opium which was before very deare, was now at a base price:  so that which was sold for fiftie Bizze before, was solde for 2.  Bizze and an halfe, there was such quantitie came in that ship; so that I was glad to stay two yeres in Pegu vnlesse I would haue giuen away my commoditie:  and at the end of two yeres of my 2100. duckets which I bestowed in Cambaya, I made but a thousand duckets.  Then I departed againe from Pegu to goe for the Indies for Chaul, and from Chaul to Cochin, and from Cochin to Pegu.  Once more I lost occasion to make me riche, for whereas I might haue brought good store of Opium againe, I brought but a little, being fearefull of my other voyage before.  In this small quantitie I made good profite.  And now againe I determined to go for my Countrey, and departing from Pegu, I tarried and wintered in Cochin, and then I left the Indies and came for Ormus.

I thinke it very necessary before I ende my voyage, to reason somewhat, and to shewe what fruits the Indies do yeeld and bring forth.  First, In the Indies and other East parts of India there is Peper and ginger, which groweth in all parts of India.  And in some parts of the Indies, the greatest quantitie of peper groweth amongst wilde bushes, without any maner of labour:  sauing, that when it is ripe they goe and gather it.  The tree that the peper groweth on is like to our Iuie, which runneth vp to the tops of trees wheresoeuer it groweth:  and if it should not take holde of some tree, it would lie flat and rot on the ground.  This peper tree hath his floure and berry like in all parts to our Iuie berry, and those berries be graines of peper:  so that when they gather them they be greene, and then they lay them in the Sunne, and they become blacke.

The Ginger groweth in this wise:  the land is tilled and sowen, and the herbe is like to Panizzo, and the roote is the ginger.  These two spices grow in diuers places.

The Cloues come all from the Moluccas, which Moluccas are two Islands, not very great, and the tree that they grow on is like to our Lawrell tree.