mace, which were carried to that port by the natives of the Moluccas in
their own vessels.
Nakodct Ismael returning from the Moluccas with a cargo- of nutmegs, his
vessel was wrecked on the coast of Java, near Tuban. The cargo of the
NaJcodtfs vessel having been saved, Joam Lopez Alvrin was sent (A. D.
1513) by the governor of Malacca with founYessel^tq receive it. Alvrin
was well received in all the ports of Java where he touched, but particularly
at Sidayu belonging to Pdteh Unrug, a prince who had been
defeated at Malacca by Fernan Peres.
The straits of Singa pura* being infested by the cruisers of the former king
of Malacca, who had been expelled from his dominions by the Portuguese
in 1511, the straits of Sdban were the usual route of the Portuguese vessels
from Malacca to the Spice (Islands, and in this voyage they generally touched
at th.e ports of. Jaya,
About vth^ : yea® ns 1521, Antonio, da Britto, uyjith * six!/vessels
under .his command, bound to the Moluccas, touched firstia t: Ttiban
and proceeded afterwards tq Agacai, where he remained. seventeen daysj
during which time, he sent a boat to the island of Madura, for the purpose
pf exploring i t ; but the men landing incautiously were 'surprised;
and made prisoners, and were no]b ransomed without-much difficulty, and
the friendly intervention of the governor of Agacai, .
Antonio, ,de Britto had scarcely accomplished the ransonj. of-ihis- men,
when he was joined by Don Grarpia Henriquez with :fouv vessels .bound tQ
Banda for spices, and at .the same time a Javan; vessel arrived from Banda*
This vessel had been furnished with a pass from the Spaniards,.under.Fernat):
de Megalhaen, who haying passed, by the straits which bear his name, had
arrived at the Spice Islands.. This, was the first intelligence which -the'-Por-
tugueee received of Megalhaen-s discovery of . the route, round the southern
extrejnity. of the American continent, and they vyere the more mortified at it,
as.
* Barros, Decada S, book 5, chap 71.
as he had left his own country in.disgust, and was then in the service of
Spain.*
The
* The-followmg is the description of Java from Jono de Barros, Decada iv, book i, chap. 12.
“ Before we treat of the expedition of Francisco de Sa, it is proper to state the occasion of
‘^•fthe expedition, an'd how 'Htfaf •wasDcórihected' with thé treaty of peace and friendship which,
iVtoy order of-Jorge de- ./SbhtjaSfq'&e," governor of'MaltSscta,' JEÏenrftjüez Lernê concluded with
<< the King ofi ■ SuhdajWaccourit ofth’e1 pepper produce in that kingdom,
“ W must, therefore, first give an&ccoW of the voyage of HenritJuezLeme^ 'The king-
ef dom of Sündal being one -of those oT'fche'island of Java, it will'be best to begin with a general
•‘fadescripticm^o’f that island) that what follows may'he'understood. "
TKe -land 6f Java we*fcoM®eï as ivfo' islands, ’whose position is from east to west, and
H nearly &ftlffiJsame-parallel/' in êeven ói éi^Ht d^feès of south latitude., The tbtal length of
-* ^*e two islands,- according ’to the best authorities, is about one‘hundred, and eighty'leagues,
although perhaps this is rather exaggerated.
'^ The JavtaS'tEfetösëÜife do not divide the land into two islands, "but consider the whole
‘•^length as,' constituting*'only’onfean8roh “the west,' whére it approaches Sumatra, -jhéfe.is a
.channel ofitentori twelye leag*Bfes’ wid^ through which all the navigation of eastern and western
.India ms’ed -t'otpass;, previous to the foimdiag^of Malacca.
A chain', of very high mountains Tuns along the whblë'length'bfTava. Their distance'frojp
‘J-itbe northern coast is about twenty-five leagues. How far they are from the southern shore is
V not certainly known, though-the natives say ailout" as far as ïfó'm the northern.
< Sjinda,''of which -we are now to treat,'fit situated at about one-third of4the totallength* of
“ J ava from the west end. The natives of Sunds C^nsi^[4r’ihemsel'ves as separated from Java
‘“tsby arrive!) óatlëd' Chiamo' or Chenan•, litue known^to'öur’navigators'; so'that the iativ.es, in,
“ dissecting Java, speak of it as separated by this river Cliiamo from the island of Sunda on
t thé-.west, and on the east by a strait ’from tó-isïsind of B ili;uas having Madura on the
n<Wb and1 on the south an undiscovered sea; and-thejrthink that whoever shall proceed
“ beyond those straits, will be hurried away by strong currents,.so as never to be able to
“ return, and for this reason they never attempt to navigate it, in the same manner as the
<‘;iMoors'orrthé eastern edasfrof Africa do not venture tb pass the Cape of Currepts,”
The following^ thê^sèbstfïrl'öe of é note inserted in^ Jontfde Barros, Decadas, p. Yfi— vpj,
4v'part 1st, tfc iAiiiifc: i f f f .
=SS| The island of Java is divided into many kingdoms along the northern coast; and begin-
(frning to the eastward, those óf which we have any account are—Paneruca, Ovalle, Jgasai,
“ P ani'ao (Whose king resides in the interior and has a supremacy over those just mentioned),
“ Beredam,~ Sodaio, Tiibain, Cajoam, Japara (the capital of this kingdom is called Cheronhama,
“ three leagues from the sea coast, near to winch Japara is situated), Damo, Margam, and
** Matarem.
“ Jn .the mountainous interior live a numerous class of chiefs, called Gunos: they are a savage
1 lace aa<f eat human flesh. The first inhabitants were Siamese, who about the year 800 of
v' phristiin era, on their passage frond Siam' to Madassar Were driven by a great storm op
tt.- the island ■oijSdli, - Tbèin jiihk b'èing 'wrecked they escaped in their boat, and arrived at
8* Java,