for instance—­without sparing anyone whom he meets.  The said king of Chanpan is guilty every year of murdering many of the people of his own land, to possess himself of their bile, in order to bathe in it.  The latter the witness has heard from people who were captives there, and who saw him commit these and many other abominations.  He has also heard it said that when any noble or chief dies, the king orders some women to be burnt alive, with terrible cruelty, with the body of the deceased; for, according to their religion, the dead are burnt.  Lastly it was about a year ago, when Gregorio de Vargas and his companion Blas Ruiz escaped from Chanpan to Canboja; they said that their ship had been stolen from them in Chanpan, with all their property aboard it.  Their captors even ordered no food to be given to them.  Considering all the above, it is the opinion of this witness, that it will be a great service to God and his Majesty, to attack the said king of Chanpan, and put a stop to so great abominations and tyrannies as he ordinarily practices, since he is in the path of all the vessels going to those coasts—­where he has seized a large quantity of artillery and arms from those lost there.  All that he has said, this witness has heard from persons who had been captives there, and he affirms it to be true and the extent of his knowledge, according to the oath which he has sworn.  He has no other information.  His age is thirty-four.

Signed, Diego Veloso

Before me: 

Jhoan de Cuellar

Testimony:  On this said day was received an oath in due legal form, concerning the aforesaid, from Pantaleon Carnero, under which charge he promised to tell the truth, concerning anything asked of him regarding the subject aforementioned.  This witness said that, when he was in Macan in the former year of ninety-two, he heard it said there by many persons that the king of Chanpan robbed Sebastian de Araujo of a junk which he had built there, and a culverin which he had mounted on it; and that he ordered the murder of two Spaniards aboard the junk, and the captivity of the others.  He afterward ransomed them for gold and other things which they gave him.  He subjected them to great annoyances and ill-treatment, until one night, when they had an opportunity, they fled, without finishing their ship, and left their property behind them.  This witness has also heard it said that about ten years ago, he seized a junk, belonging to Don Juan de Gama, who went ashore there in a storm.  He captured the crew, and robbed them of all their belongings.  Another junk from Canboja bound for Malaca, while Captain Roque de Melo was there, was captured by the said king of Chanpan, with all its crew, and the merchandise that they had with them seized.  The said Rroque de Melo sent the king an embassy, asking him to ransom the men whom he had taken prisoners on the said junk.  Half the crew was ransomed, but the others were kept by