rers when they send away a junk on any
voyage, to learn if the voyage shall succeed or not; and they allege
that it hath happened according as the soothsayer told them.

The Chinese are apparelled in long gowns, wearing kirtles, or shorter
garments, under these; and are assuredly the most effeminate and
cowardly nation in the world. On their heads they wear a caul or close
bonnet, some of silk and some of hair, having the hair of their heads
very long, and bound up in a knot on their crowns. Their nobles and
governors wear hoods of sundry fashions, some being one half like a hat
and the other half like a French hood, others of net-work with a high
crown and no brims. They are tall and strong built, having all very
small black eyes, and very few of them have any beards. They will steal
and commit all manner of villainy to procure wealth. At Bantam they
purchase female slaves, as they cannot bring any women out of China. By
these slaves they have many children; and when they go back to China,
without intending to return to Bantam, they carry all their children
along with them, but sell their women. They send always some of their
goods to China by every fleet of junks; for if they die at Bantam, all
the goods they have there fall to the king. If they cut their hair, they
must never return to China; but their children may, providing their hair
has never been cut.

Sec. 2._A brief Discourse of many Dangers by Fire, and other Treacheries of
the Javanese_.

After our two ships, the Dragon and Hector, were laden, and all things
set in order, our general, Sir James Lancaster, departed from Bantam on
the 21st February, 1603, leaving nine persons resident in that city,
over whom he appointed Mr William Starkie to be chief commander. He
likewise left thirteen others, who were appointed to go in our pinnace
for Banda, over whom Thomas Tudd, merchant, was constituted chief
commander, and Thomas Keith master of the pinnace. At his departure, the
general left orders that the pinnace should be sent away with all speed;
wherefore, having taken on board fifty-six chests and bales of goods,
she set sail at night on the 6th March; but meeting with contrary winds,
was forced to return to Bantam after having been two months at sea,
beating up to no purpose. Also, at our general's departure, he left us
two houses full of goods, besides some being at the Dutchman's house;
but we were too few in number to have kept one house well, had not