pigafetta ’s voyage round the world. 377
sOie to refufe to act thus, fhe would no longer be regarded as a reputable woman, or agood wife.
Our old pilot related to us a ftill more extraordinary praftice: he affirmed thatwhen the young men are amoroufly inclined, and wiffi to obtain the favors of any par-ticular female, they fallen fmall round bells on them between the glans and the pre-puce, and thus dance under the window of their miftrefs whofe paffions they excite bythe found of thefe bells. The lady conftantly infills on the lover wearing thefe trinkets.
He told us moreover that an illand called Ocoloro, below Java, is peopled by womenalone, who are rendered pregnant by the wind. Should they produce a boy they killhim immediately ; if a girl it is preferved. If a man at any time prefumes to vifit theilland they put him to death.
Other tales were likewife related to us. North of Java Major, in the Gulf ofChina , called by the ancients Sinus Magnus, there is faid to be a very large tree, calledcampanganghi, on which certain birds roolt, called garuda, of fuch immenfe fize, andfo Itrong, as to be able to fly away with a buffalo or an elephant, when they carry it toa part of the tree called puzathaer. The fruit of the tree, which is called buapan-ganghi, is larger than a water-melon. The Moors of Burne told us they had feen twoof thefe birds, which their fovereign had received from the King of Ciam. This treecannot be approached on account of the whirlpools about the illand, which extend threeor four leagues from ffiore. To this account was added that the hiftory of this treebecame known in the following manner : A junk was drawn in by thefe whirlpools, andfhipwrecked on the fhore near the tree, and the whole of thofe on board perilhed onthe occafion, a fmall child only excepted, who was miraculoufly faved by means of aplank. On reaching the tree he climbed up it, and concealed himfelf under the wingof one of thefe large birds, without being perceived. The next day the bird flew tothe main to feize upon a buffalo, when, on its touching the ground, the child flippedfrom beneath the wing, and efcaped. By this means the hiftory of thefe birds wasknown, and of the fruit of fuch confiderable fize fo often found in thefe Teas.
The Cape of Malacca lies in latitude one degree thirty minutes fouth. Eaftward ofthe cape are many villages and towns, of which thefe are the names: Cingapola, fituateon the Cape itfelf; Pahan, Calantan, Patani, Bradlini, Benan, Lagon, Chireyigharan,Trombon , Joran, Ciu, Brabri, Banga, Iudia (refidence of the King of Ciam, called SiriZacabedera), Jandibum, Laun, and Langonpifa. Thefe towns are all of them builtafter our manner, and belong to the King of Ciam.
We were likewife told that on the banks of a river of this kingdom there are largebirds who live on dead carcafes only ; but which never devour the carrion until fomeother birds have made their prey of the hearts of them.
Beyond Ciam lies Camoyia. The king of this country is called Saret Zacabedera ;next follows Chiempa, the king of which is the Rajah Brahami Martu. In this countryit is that rhubarb grows *, which is found in this manner: a company of twenty orfive-and-twenty men go together into the woods, where they pafs the night in trees, tobe fecure from the attacks of lions and other wild beafts, and at the fame time the betterto diftinguiffi the rhubarb, which they feek by the fmell, the odour of it being borne bythe wind. Rhubarb is the putrid wood of a large tree, and acquires its fmell from theputrefa&ion it undergoes : the beft part of the tree is the root, though the trunk, whichis called calama, poffeffes equal medicinal virtue.
* The defcripti'on of rhubarb afforded by Pigafetta is far from correft ; but attention muft be paid tothe circumftance of our author having collected all thefe tales from a Mahometan on board his .(hip. Fabrchates that no credit was given to thefe ftories.
VOL.XI. 3 c To