'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.' [‎376] (399/448)

,
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Qhyna.
From Paquin it is removed Eaft fix hundred miles -Englijb: moft part of the way, na
vigable.
CANT AM is at the moft Southerly end in 17 fome obferve 25 degr. lat. a Town
rich and fpacious: our Ships ride commonly in view of it *, from which to Paqnin is little
lefs than two months travel. Here Merchants are permitted to come afhore ^ but when
they enter the City gate ufuaily inroll their Names in a Book, to the end that upon a pe
nalty they return aboard at night: but of late have a little more liberty: In this place
Merchants trade for Gold, Musk, Silks of all forts, Cabinets, Porcellane and fundrv
other rich Commodities. y
QJJIN Z A Y or Ham-cen borders Cochin-chym ; of old this City was the greateft • at
this day the moft remarkable for variety of antick rarities of any City in the Orient!
Thefearethe moft noted: and what is moft notable in them are their Meani or Idol-
Temples. The Country is champaign and exceeding fruitful: the Rivers abound with
Filh, which the Chynefes not only banquet upon, but alfo upon Frogs, Snakes, Rats, Hogs
Dogs, and fuch food as many other Nations abominate: and for their better dilpatch
they fifh with Cormorants.
The People are Olive-coloured: more black or white as they live in diftance from
the /Equinodial: they wear their hair long and filleted, but their beards very thin even
to deformity: their eyes are commonly black and fmall, nofes little^ nails well-nigh as
long as their finger but ferving to diftinguilh their generofity. The better fort are ha
bited infilk and a fleight fort of fatten-, the meaner in black cloth made of cotton : both
wear their coats long and quilted, made to tye under the left arm after the ufual garb of
Afia : their fleeves are long and at the wrift very ftrait: their fhoes of fuch ftufFe as their
coats *, but fome have them richly imbroidered, the fbalc is cloth or calico. The greateft
variety is in their head attire : for fome knit their hair in cawls of filk, of horfe-hair fome
but fome with fillets of Gold or Silver : others wear high round caps made of fine twigs
ftitcht with filk of divers colours •, but others fancy an antick fort of hat which is high
crown'd and round, but one half without any brim, and no colour fo muchpleales them
astawney. The women aremodeft*, and amongft themfelves differ not in apparrel ^ in
that a cambolin or vail of white linnen covers them •, ihewing nothing but their polt-feet,
which from their infancy areftraitned ^ foas to make them a la mode, many of them vo
luntarily become lame and cripled.
They tolerate Polygamy and that odious fin of Sodomy *, yea, what elfe their idle de
praved natures can imagine to pleafe their effeminacies, and are not alhamed to expofe
them topublick viewin prints and painting. They are a proud, lazie, jealous and vo
luptuous fort of People. Mufick, Poetry, Painting, and Stage-playes delight them ex
ceedingly, and care not what they fpend in luxury and fire works: they eat in porcel
lane *, which as Gonzalo de Mendona (a Gentleman fent thither by Phillip 2 with aPrefent)
reports, is not earth of a hundred years preparation as commonly fpoken, but a chalky
fubftance, which digg'd or foakt in water yields*a kind of cream above*, but below, the
earth andfediment is courfe : out of that fine upper earth like cream, the pureft fort of
Chyna-ware is made *, and the ordinary fort out of the other Earth,which is lefs fat or oylie:
fo foon as they be formed or bak'd in the Sun they paint and guild them very curioully,
and fo put them into the Furnace. Howbeit, JPancirollm faith that procellane is a compound
of Egge-fhells, Lobfter-lhells and Gypfum, which is treafur'd 80 years in the bowels of
the earth ere it be prepared. They have their dy et in many fmall dilhes ^ love their meat
minc't, which they take up with two fticks of bone or ivory •, but fome have their nails
fo long as ferves for that exercife-, for to touch either their mouths or meat with their
fingers is abfurd. Their drink is commonly hot, and by its tafte and colour appears to
be Coffee •, they drink oft and little. The Louthaya's will be ferved on the knee ^ fit on
Stools and eat on Tables as the Europeans. And-albeit, no Nation in the World be more
idle and voraginous than they, yet are few or no beggers found amongft them: for if he
be a young beggerhehas the whip ^ if old,or lame,or blind, he is provided for in the Hof-
pital. Murder they punifh with death,as alfb Theft v the leaft punilhment is the ftrappado:
yet what Laws they have moft reiemble the Emperial, which they vigoroufly execute.
Their Laws it feems are confiftent with the condition of the Country and difpofition of
the People, but the extream rigour and execution thereof, may be refembled to the
grape, which being gently preft yields wholefome Wine, but too much fqueezing ren
ders it bad and unpleafant: 7 Tis a difficult matter for man to eftablifh any one Law that
will quadrate with the humour of all places. Their juftice is fevere, their prifons ftrong
^ t /- r - eXeCUt ^ ons The Mandarins are honoured*, the Chyam's reverenced*,
the King little lefs than adored : no Subject has recoude lave by Petition *, his Wives,
Children