'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎356] (379/448)

tt ary difpofition of thofe Infidels •, who of late times ( if report fay true ) havcbeen
known to caft our Merchants into prifon, where they have been fettered inchains, and
not fet at liberty without confiderable fums extorted from them^ and all this without
any juft caufe or provocation: which affronts would have been avoided had our Eaft-
India Company fixed Plantations in fome fecure places either upon Ifles or Sea Coaft
there, where Men might exercife their Religion with more freedom and purity, and
with more fecurity to their Perfons and Eftates than poffibly can be expected in the moving
Eadories they onely for fome tiipe are Prefident. The Partial found it fo when they had
Ormus, Goa and Gallicut j and the Dutch no lefs by their commanding in Gocheen, Ma
lacca and facatra, they now call JBatavia, a moft confiderable Port and kept all along in
defpight of the numerous and refolute Javans. Upon which confiderations I have fome-
. times thought That if but one half of thofe EngUft which have removed into the Caribt
Ifles and planted Colonies in Virginia* New-England and other parts of Norumhega in the
Weft-Indiesyhzd. (if the Royal Authority held fit) been imploy'd upon Plantations in Eafl-
India, Madagascary Mauritius or other fit places, that defign in all probability would in
far lefs time have made another kind of produd, both as to command by Land, and
power by Sea, enlargement of Trade, and propagation of the Gofpel: the' Oriental
Countreys being fuperlative to the Occident in reference to all forts of mechanick Arts,
and alio to a more valuable Commerce in Jewels, Gold, Silks, Spices and Drugs than
America: In Orient e omnia fnaviora funt & major a quam in Occident e : Orient ales enim par
tes calidiores funt OccidentalibuSy qmniam Aromata jinguli generis & odores & delicias veluti o-
mneSj in illis nafci videamm: in Occidente qui firigidior eft minime nafeuntur: Vicomercat. in
Meteor. Ariftot. & Olympiodorm Uh' i- And the Eaft being over-fpread with grofs Gen-
tilifm gives no lefs invitation for the preaching of the Gofpel and refcuing thofe poor
Wretches out of Satans tyranny than any part of the New-found-World j which is and
ought to be the chief end of all fuch generous and publick undertakings. And this in
all likelihood might have been compafled by fuch a number (for as 1 apprehend, there
are in our Weftern Plantations double the number of Portugal and Dutch now extant
in the Eafl Indies) and by Perfons of fuch ingenuity and fo good a purfeas might advance
the honour of our Nation, Growth of Trade and feveral other publique advantages. But
to return,
Malacca is a Port of good account, whether we confider her ftrength or Trade; albeit
by reafon the Land is low where'tis fcituate, it is not reputed healthy. The Town
in fhape is rather long than round ; extending almoft two Engli/h miles in length, but
not half fo much in breadth: The Buildings are low and ordinary, and the Streets nar
row, the Buzzar being the onely place that has^any thing either beautiful or pleafurable*
It is watered by the Gaza (upon whofe banks Bangaz.a ftood of old) formerly called Ma-
notas: fufficiently deep and broad three leagues near the Sea *, yet admitting a Bridge
here, which makes the Inhabitants on either fide able without' Boats to communicate
with each other. For its better defence it has a Caftle well ftored with Cannon, and a
wall about reafonably Hankered and better by a late Graff and Counterfcarp. The Sia-
mites who were banifht from their own homes feated themfelves here, and being civil and
induftrious, Merchants from moll parts of the Eaft reforted to them for Trade ; fo as
in fhort'time they became wealthy and confiderable; after which they built the Town more
large and beautiful than was intended at their firft Plantation. .The Gardens and Fields
abound with fruits amongft which the Duroy en is principal and the Pine-apple *, albeit
they want not Corn or grain of feveral forts*, for the Land being low and the foil fat,
gives the Labourer fufficient encouragement. Neverthelefs, being fo near the ^Equinox
the air is ufually warm, and at fome time above meafure, fo that the Solis Oftia are here
placed. Here is frequent thunder, but qualified by the long nights, and frequent fhowrs
. and breezes. They obferve here that the Monzoones blow Weft and North-weft from
Auguft to Oftoher •, about which month the wind veers North, and continues fo, and to
the Eailward of the North until March be ended: at which time the wind turns South,
and holds there until the beginning of Auguft. The Indians are numerous hereabouts i
the better fort wear rich Apparel, but the commoners go moft part naked: They are
generally witty and hofpitable*, love Mufick and novelties: civil in peace, fierce in war^
deceitful if too much credited. Their Language is of great extent ^ no lefs there than in
the W orld elfewhere are the Latine and Arahick^ Sincapura divides this Continent from
Sumatra, being fcarce half a degr. to the North of the TEquinodial, and the moft Southerly
Cape of the Aftan Continent: it was a Town of confiderableTrade with the Chinefesy la-
vans, Sumatrans and People of other Ifles thereabouts, until Malacca fozwthe Commerce
irom thence 5 by whofe growth Sincapura became impoverifhed: The fretum fo narrow
as