'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.' [‎363] (386/448)

Sumatra.
Cock-crowing alfo doth offend them. The Terftans call him the Symbol of Fidelity ^
<y£mrians the Hieroglyphic of Juftiee •, Indians of Piety *, Simkes of memories
Arabs the Enfign of Magnanimity j Siimatrans the "Embleme of Providence: Pliny in 8
lib. Nat. Hi ft- gathers them together •, Intelleftm illi Sermonis fatrii imferiorumq-, ohedi-
entia-i officiorumq^ didicerememoria, amorit & gloria voluptas-j imo vera Religioqmq^ Sydcmm
Soliffi ac hum veneratio, &c. Whence it is fays another That Elcphanto Bdinarim nulla
eft prndentior, &c. attributed to the coldnefs of his Blood for(as ^4r^/^obferves)Eeafts
by how much they partake of cold, fo much are they adjudged to approach the Sagacity
pf Man. 1 fhall fum up ah in that excellent defeription //^. Job. c. 40., as by Mr. Sandys is
paraphrafed.
With fhee God made the tfUghty Elephant,
Who Ox-like feeds on every herb and flam.
His mighty ftrength lies in his able loyns.
And where the jlexnre of his navel joyns.
Bis drecht out tailpejents a mountain Fine j
Ihe fineius of his Stones UJ(t cords combine.
His Bones the hammered Rteel in firengthjurpaj's j
His Sides are fortified with Kits of Brajs,
Of Gods great Worlds the chief . Io, He who made
This Behemoth, hath arm d him with <* Blade,
He feeds on lofty hiUs ; lives not by prey :
About this gentle Prince the Subjefts play;
His limbs he couches in the cooler Jhades )
Oft when Heaven^ burning Eye the fields invades
To marijhes he reports 3 obfeur'd with reeds
And hoary willows, which the moiflure, feeds,
The chiding currents at his entry rije.
Who quivering Jordan jwaRows with hit eyes.
Can the bold Hunter taJ^e him in a Toil }
Or by the TrunJ^preduce him as hps Jpoil 2
Musk Cats here are alfo ftore of: fhe exceeds the Caftor for bignefs ^ her head is little,
her eyes are clear, and has a long muzzle •, but her teeth be fharp and ofFenfive: her hair
parti-coloured, hard and briftly •, yellow above and white downwards. Her pocket is near
the genitory, excerpt fometimes with a fpoon or itick, but when out offervitude of her
own accord fhe parts with it, which by its fragor is oft difcoveredby the carelefs paflen-
ger. Come we now to the Indian lllands, the chief of which is
SUMATRA that famous llle which Ariftotle Ub. de Mundo and others of old called
Taprobane j and from the plenty of Gold found there fuppofed to be Ophyr or Tatvaym, and
the Ifle thence called with which agree and Tremellm> as formerly noted.
Odoric calls it Symolta *, Jofephm Samotra *, others Air amis and Zamara j Symmda in Ptolomy 5
by the Inhabiters 5^^ or Salutra: and if Japan be not an Ifle may truly be reputed the third
great Ifle throughout the Univerfefix hundred, lome fay nine hundred of our miles long
it is, and in breadth fome were two hundred and forty: traded to as fome fuppofe by Solo
mon ; unknown to Alexander unlefs (as Megafthenes thinks) by Onefecrim his Vice-admiral
difcovered. Jambulm an errant Greekjvas here two hundred years afore Chrifts nativity if
j). Sic. had true information and if fo 5 may be reputed the firft difcoverer: but of a Chri-
ftian Aharo Telega is thought the firft, who Anno 1506. to find out Gold failed whithef
wind and weather guided : 0 fince when,mofl; Merchants of the World have knowledge of it.
Tis Nadyr to the iEquinodial: fo that our Fole-ftar is not in the Southerly part of the
Ifland at all vifible but deprefl: under the Horrizon. Many petty Kings there advance
their Scepters*, but the richeft Crown incircles the ecliptic brow of that Tyrant of
Acheen : Howbeit, all of them are wellitored with Gold and Stones, but miferable in their
Mawmetry and Super ft it ion. Moft of them were not many years fince fo engulphed in the
abyfs of Paganifm that they ufed to adore Cat, Rat, Dog or Devil; but fince the Alcoran
has crowded in, the worfhip ofthefe elementary creatures is abolifhed. Both Sexes go moib
part naked. The foil is good where Rivers are near, but barren where Gold is obtained.
Several Towns of note here be. The mediterranean are Manancabo formerly called Syn~
docanda where is Gold: But of beft note are Acheenhy them called Ajhey (not far from
that Cape called Jovis promontorium in Ptolomy^) Peder, Pacem, Day ay TricO) Priaman, ^am-
beey Tykoa (Eaft of Jambee,) Bariiz.eey Cattatinga-, Menantabo, Gambar, Ariiy Darn and
(though laft not leaft in Gold) Pafftman. In the Strait 'twixt the Ifland and the Continent
again it for which the King of Acheen fub jested in the year 1613 are the BarelU and other
fmall but very pleafant iflands- The Rivers flow with fifh and might prove more de
lightful for the Net and Angle, did not thofe hateful Crocodiles (here more than in Ni~
Ipw) fruftrate both. Jslatwa fe potijjinwm prodit in minimis has reference to Democrittis
hisAtomes*, otherwife this might have challenged it, feeing thefe are obferved
to be one of the greateft wonders we meet with, in that from fo fmall a beginning as an
Egg not much bigger than that of a Turkie it increafes to eight or ten yards in length: and
whereas all other creatures have their growth unto a period and then decay, the
Crocodile only grows bigger and bigger until his death, Pliny Nat. Hi ft. I. 3. cap. if
Their bodies are not longer than their tail, a weapon of like ufe with them the Probofcis is
to the Elephant: Their mouth is very wide,at one gulp being able to fwallow horfe or man