[Footnote 83:  The river of Siam falls into the great gulf of the same name, in lat. 18 deg. 30’ N. But De Faria seems to overlook the gulf.—­E.]

The eighth district contains the kingdom of Cambodia, through which runs the river Mecon, otherwise called the Japanese river, which has its rise in China; the kingdom of Champa or Tsiompa, whence comes the true aloes-wood; next to that is the kingdom of Cochin-China;[84] and last of all the great empire of China, divided into fifteen provinces of governments, each of which is equal to a great kingdom.  The provinces of this vast empire on the sea-coast are Quantung, Fokein, and Chekiang, where ends the eighth district[85]

The ninth district begins with the province of Nanking, and extends to the farthest discovered land on the coast of Tartary.

[Footnote 84:  De Faria omits the kingdom of Tonkin or Tonquin, which intervenes between Cochin-China and China:  Perhaps at that time Tonkin may have been:  De Faria is incorrect in his account of the provinces of China.  Those on the coast are, Quantung, Footchien, Tchetchiang, Kiangnan, Shantang, Petcheli; or six maritime provinces, instead of three only in the text.  The others are, Yunnan, Quangsee, Kaeitchou, Hooquang, Setchuen, Sifan, Honan, Shensee, and Shansee; or nine inland provinces; making fifteen in all, as in the text.—­E.]

[Footnote 85:  Or Nizam-al-mulk, and Adel-khan.—­E.]

I shall speak in the sequel concerning the many islands along this extensive coast of Asia, as they came to be discovered in the navigations of the Portuguese; but the principal of them may be here mentioned by name, as the Maldives, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Banda, Timor, Celebes, the Moluccas, Mindanao, Luconia, and Japan.  Having thus given a sketch of the Asian coast, we proceed to consider its inhabitants.  Although there are many and various modes of worship in Asia, the chief religions may be mentioned under four heads, the Christian, Jewish, Mahometan, and Pagan; the two first of which are for the most part under the slavery of the other two, against which the Portuguese waged war.  The power of the Mahometans and Pagans is thus divided.  All the coast from the river Cintacora opposite the island of Anchediva, to the north and west is subject to the Mahometans, and all to the eastwards to the Pagans; except the kingdom of Malacca, part of Sumatra, and some parts of Java and the Moluccas, which are held by the Mahometans.  In that tract are the following sovereign princes.  The kings of Aden, Xael, and Fartaque, who have many ports of great trade, and their subjects, the Arabs, are brave and warlike.  Next is the king of Ormuz, greater than the other three put together.  Then the king of Cambaya, equal in grandeur and warlike power to Xerxes, Darius, or Porus.  From Chaul to Cincatora belong to Nizamaluco and Hidalcan[85], two powerful princes, who maintain great armies composed