with six or seven others, all of whom were drawn from their hiding place and slain.  In this vessel were found 60,000 quintals[358] of pepper, with a great deal of other spices, besides ivory, tin, wax, and powder, the whole valued at 60,000 crowns; besides several good cannon, some valuable baggage, and silver.  In the hold were nine children, the biggest only about nine years old, all loaded with irons, and starving of hunger.

[Footnote 358:  This is either an enormous exaggeration, or a gross error.  The quantity in the text is equal to 3500 tons.—­E.]

Coasting along the island of Hainan, Antonio met some fishers of pearls, whom he used courteously.  They told him that the island belonged to China.  Hence he went to the river Tananquir, where he was suddenly attacked by two large vessels, both of which were taken, after a long struggle, in which 80 of the enemy were slain, with the loss of 14 men belonging to Antonio, only one of whom was a Portuguese.  After a while they heard lamentable cries in the hold of one of these ships, in which 17 prisoners were found, two of whom were Portuguese.  From one of these Antonio was informed that these vessels had belonged to Necoda Xicaulem, who, after becoming a Christian at Malacca and marrying a Portuguese woman, had killed her and many more of her nation.  The booty in these two ships was valued at 50,000 crowns.  One of the vessels was burnt, as Antonio had not a sufficient number of men to navigate her.  In both vessels there were seventeen brass guns, most of which had the arms of Portugal.  Antonio anchored at Cape Tilaumere, where four vessels came up to his squadron likewise now consisting of four vessels, and in one of these was the bride of a young nobleman, who had engaged to meet her at that place with a like number of ships, owing to which they had come up to the Portuguese vessels.  Three of these ships were taken, in one of which was the bride.  Some of the seamen were retained, and all the others were set on shore.  Antonio then went to Mutipinam, as a convenient place for selling his prizes; but as the governor of that city somewhat obstructed the sale, Antonio was obliged to hasten it, and received in payment of the goods he had to dispose of to the value of 200,000 crowns in uncoined silver.

In the beginning of the year 1541, Antonio sailed in search of the port of Madel in the island of Hainan, and by the way took some prizes.  Here he met with Hinymilau, a bold pirate and a great enemy to the Christians, whom he delighted to put to cruel deaths.  With him they had a desperate engagement, and at last took him.  He gave a bold account of the many cruelties he had practised upon the Portuguese, and was therefore immediately slain with four more.  The prize was valued at 70,000 ducats.  This action struck such terror into all who were in that river, that they sent a message to Antonio, calling him King of the Seas, offering