this they doe, because they woulde not loose their credite: and when those marchants that haue knowledge in iewels buy any, if they buy them deere, it is their own faults and not the brokers: yet it is good to haue knowledge in iewels, by reason that it may somewhat ease the price. [sidenote: bargaines made with the nipping of fingers vnder a cloth.] there is also a very good order which they haue in buying of iewels, which is this; there are many marchants that stand by at the making of the bargaine, and because they shall not vnderstand howe the iewels be solde, the broker and the marchants haue their hands vnder a cloth, and by touching of fingers and nipping the ioynts they know what is done, what is bidden, and what is asked. so that the standers by knowe not what is demaunded for them, although it be for a thousand or 10. thousand duckets. for euery ioynt and euery finger hath his signification. for if the marchants that stande by should vnderstand the bargaine, it would breede great controuersie amongst them. and at my being in pegu in the moneth of august, in anno 1569, hauing gotten well by my endeuour, i was desirous to see mine owne countrey, and i thought it good to goe by the way of s. tome, but then i should tary vntil march. in which iourney i was counsailed, yea, and fully resolued to go by the way of bengala, with a shippe there ready to depart for that voyage. and then wee departed from pegu to chatigan a great harbour or port, from whence there goe smal ships to cochin, before the fleete depart for portugall, in which ships i was fully determined to goe to lisbon, and so to venice. [sidenote: this touffon is an extraordinary storme at sea.] when i had thus resolued my selfe, i went a boord of the shippe of bengala, at which time it was the yeere of touffon: concerning which touffon ye are to vnderstand, that in the east indies often times, there are not stormes as in other countreys; but euery 10. or 12. yeeres there are such tempests and stormes, that it is a thing incredible, but to those that haue seene it, neither do they know certainly what yeere they wil come. [sidenote: the touffon commeth but euery 10. or 12. yeeres.] vnfortunate are they that are at sea in that yere and time of the touffon, because few there are that escape that danger. in this yere it was our chance to be at sea with the like storme, but it happened well vnto vs, for that our ship was newly ouer-plancked, and had not any thing in her saue victuall and balasts, siluer and golde, which from pegu they cary to bengala, and no other kinde of marchandise. this touffon or cruel storme endured three dayes and three nights: in which time it caried away our sailes, yards, and rudder; and because the shippe laboured in the sea, wee cut our mast ouer boord: which when we had done she laboured a great deale more then before, in such wise, that she was almost full with water that came ouer the highest part of her and so went downe: and for the space of three dayes and three nights sixtie men did nothing but hale water out of her in this wise, twentie men in one place, and twentie men in another place, and twentie in a thirde place: and for all this storme, the shippe was so good, that shee tooke not one iot of water below through her sides, but all ran downe through the hatches, so that those sixtie men did nothing but cast the sea into the sea. and thus driuing too and fro as the winde and sea would, we were in a darke night about foure of the clocke cast on a sholde: yet when it was day, we could neither see land on one side nor other, and knew not where we were: and as it pleased the diuine power, there came a great waue of the sea, which draue vs beyonde the should. [sidenote: a manifest token of the ebbing and flowing in those countries.] and when wee felt the shippe aflote, we rose vp as men reuiued, because the sea was calme and smooth water, and then sounding we found twelue fadome water, and within a while after wee had but sixe fadome, and then presently we came to anker with a small anker that was left vs at the sterne, for all our other were lost in the storme: and by and by the shippe stroke a ground, and then we did prop her that she should not ouerthrow. when it was day the shippe was all dry, and wee found her a good mile from the sea on drie land. [sidenote: this island is called sondiua.] this touffon being ended, we discouered an island not farre from vs, and we went from the shippe on the sands to see what island it was: and wee found it a place inhabited, and, to my iudgement, the fertilest island in all the world, the which is diuided into two parts by a chanell which passeth betweene it, and with great trouble we brought our ship into the same chanel, which parteth the island at flowing water, and there we determined to stay 40. dayes to refresh vs. and when the people of the island saw the ship, and that we were comming a land: presently they made a place of bazar or a market, with shops right ouer against the ship with all maner of prouision of victuals to eate, which they brought downe in great abundance, and sold it so good cheape, that we were amazed at the cheapenesse thereof. i bought many salted kine there, for the prouision of the ship, for halfe a larine a piece, which larine may be 12. shillings sixe pence, being very good and fat; and 4. wilde hogges ready dressed for a larine, great fat hennes for a bizze a piece, which is at the most a pennie: and the people told vs that we were deceiued the halfe of our money, because we bought things so deare. also a sacke of fine rice for a thing of nothing, and consequently all other things for humaine sustenance were there in such aboundance, that it is a thing incredible but to them that haue seene it. [sidenote: sondiua is the fruitfullest countrey in al the world.] this island is called sondiua belonging to the kingdome of bengala, distant 120. miles from chatigan, to which place wee were bound. the people are moores, and the king a very good man of a moore king, for if he had bin a tyrant as others be, he might haue robbed vs of all, because the portugall captaine of chatigan was in armes against the retor of that place, and euery day there were some slaine, at which newes we rested there with no smal feare, keeping good watch and ward aboord euery night as the vse is, but the gouernour of the towne did comfort vs, and bad vs that we should feare nothing, but that we should repose our selues securely without any danger, although the portugales of chatigan had slaine the gouernour of that city, and said that we were not culpable in that fact: and moreouer he did vs euery day what pleasure he could, which was a thing contrary to our expectations considering that they and the people of chatigan were both subiects to one king. [sidenote: chatigan is a port in bengala, whither the portugales go with their ships.] we departed from sondiua, and came to chatigan the great port of bengala, at the same time when the portugales had made peace and taken a truce with the gouernours of the towne, with this condition that the chiefe captaine of the portugales with his ship should depart without any lading: for there were then at that time 18. ships of portugales great and small. this captaine being a gentleman and of good courage, was notwithstanding contented to depart to his greatest hinderance, rather than hee would seeke to hinder so many of his friends as were there, as also because the time of the yeere was spent to go to the indies. the night before he departed, euery ship that had any lading therein, put it aboord of the captaine to helpe to ease his charge and to recompense his courtesies. [sidenote: the king of rachim, or aracam, neighbour to bengala.] in this time there came a messenger from the king of rachim to this portugal captaine, who saide in the behalfe of his king, that hee had heard of the courage and valure of him, desiring him gently that he would vouchsafe to come with the ship into his port, and comming thither he should be very wel intreated. this portugal went thither and was very well satisfied of this king. this king of rachim hath his seate in the middle coast betweene bengala and pegu, and the greatest enemie he hath is the king of pegu: which king of pegu deuiseth night and day how to make this king of rachim his subiect, but by no meanes hee is able to doe it: because the king of pegu hath no power nor armie by sea. and this king of rachim [marginal note: or, aracam.] may arme two hundreth galleyes or fusts by sea, and by land he hath certaine sluses with the which when the king of pegu pretendeth any harme towards him, hee may at his pleasure drowne a great part of the countrey. so that by this meanes hee cutteth off the way whereby the king of pegu should come with his power to hurt him. [sidenote: the commodities that goe from chatigan to the indies