'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.' [‎364] (387/448)

fava. 'Bantam.
their teeth are ingrailed ^ have no tongue; cannot move the upper jaw: and albeit th
belly be penetrable the back is hardly to be pierced. The brumal quarter they fall from
food: but the reft of the year devour all forts of prey,and that with voracity. No lefs no
table is the number of 60 in the Female ^ for fixty dayspafs e're ftie layher eggs, which
are ufually fixty in number, fixty days flie conceals them ^ and when Ihe fits, fpends fixtv
days in the hatching •, fhe has fixty teeth, and fixty joints *, and fixty years is ufually dl
age of this detefted Amphibi um, whether it be Beaft, Fifh, or Serpent. By Seamen called
Migator corruptly from Allegardos a word compounded of Spanifii and Almain • th
name we give is a croceo colore, or pr Antiphrafin quad crocum time at. The molt noxio/
of all Sea-monfters it is, and rightly becomes the Diflemblers epithete, In quibw eft aft J
Ha Hym^ & pietas Crocodili: the ^Egyptians make it the Emblem or Hieroglyphic of
Impudence: and yet as daring as it is, we find them fearful of fuch as are bold, and boW
onely towards the fearful: awed by none more than the Ichneumon, who oft-times Ileal
into his belly and gnaws his guts whiles he opens his chaps to let the Trochil in to niclr 7
his teeth which gives it the ufual feeding; but the fiefh is food fo good and fweet as bv
many it is accounted a dainty. ' *
Hence we fail by fome fmall Ifles called Mar rah and Lampn in the Straits of Sundx fo
named by Ftolomy, and from a point and Town in the next great Ifland. Of Folygmdv
we might better Ipeak than land,fuch bad luck by malevolent renm or ill diet had our late
intended Plantation there ^ where was fuch mortality of men that the name was ironical
ly changed into Kill-abundance. Sumatra is divided from Java by the Straits of Sunda fo
called from the Ides Synda as Magmm imagines ^ but5W^ is better known than the Ifles
fo called.
J A VA^ Major is an Ifle declining 7 degrees 40 minutes towards the Antartic from the
/Equinodial^ and placed in the 120 degree of longitude. A very great and noble Ifle •
for, from Eaft to Weft it ftretches one hundred and fifty leagues, or of miles four hun
dred and fifty 5 and from North to South ninety leagues, or two hundred and feventy
miles Englifli. The mid-land is for the moft part mountainous, and meanly peopled-
but the maritim low, and vety populous: the firft is very fubjed to wind, but healthy'
the latter marifli, and infalubrious. J. Scaliper calls it a Compendium of the World;
for it abounds with all things that be either ufeful or excellent. The coaft (by reafon of
Trade for Pepper) has Towns beft built, and moft wealthy: upon the North fide, and to
the North-eaft, are Bantam, Palamban, Jackatra (new-named Batavm by the Dutch but
formerly Sunda-Calaya by the Inhabitants; and not unlikely to be that City Synda where
the people ufed with a dead body to bury fo many live Fifti as in his life time he had flain
Enemies,) Japarra, Tub an, Jortan, Grecy, Chyringin, Serehaya, &c.
Bantam is under Antartic declination or latitude 6 degrees 20 minutes, and of Wefter-
ly variation 3 degrees. Is is the biggeft City in the Ifland, owned by the Natives, and
Itretched well-nigh two miles in length: the moft remarkable places being the Penpans
Palace, the Buzzar, a few irregular ftreets-, and at the furtheft end the Chynefes there
ailociate as do the Jem at Amfterdam, but nothing fo Iplendid. The Town of its own
growth affords little fave Rice, Pepper, and Cotton-wool •, albeit Pepper for the great-
eit part is brought thither by the infinitely induftrious Chynefes, who each January come
to an Anchor in multitudes at this Port, and unload their Junks or Praws from J^vin
Sumatra, Borneo, Malacca, and other places*, making their Magazine ^ out of
or by exchange for other Commodities they fupply the Enjrlijh, Dutch,
ana other Nations. The Chynefes are no quarrellers, albeit voluptuous, venereous, coft-
ly in tneir fports, great Gamefters, and in trading too fubtil for young Merchants: oft-
times lo wedded to dicing, that after they have loft their whole Eftate, Wife and Chil
dren are ftaked*, yet in little time, Jew like, by gleaning here and there are able to re-
aeem their lofs •, if not at the day, they are fold in the Market for moft advantage.
1 heme has but one Supreme or Soveraign Prince *, they intitle him the Mattaran: He
has tour Tetrarchs or Deputies his Subordinates. Is of that power that (as reported)
of rvr • r W tw0 , n ^ re< ^ thoufand men into the Field upon occafion: ignorant in Marti-
, !• . me ' 1 . accor ding to our form but of approved courage and dexterity,
ana luttiaently ingenious both as to the invention of their Arms and Execution. They
commonly ufe Lances, Darts, Arrow, and Shields: but their greateft bravery is in their
nzes • a Weapon that is commonly two foot long and four inches broad, waved, fharp
both m the edge and point •, but contrary to the Law of Nature and Nations, inve-
nomed: the handle xs ulually of Wood or Horn, (howbeit fome have them of Gold, or
0r VOr y>) cut into the ftiape of a mifhapen Pagod: Yet were they a thoufand
s more ugly thefe Savages would dare to Idolize, efpecially, in that they ask the
Idol