cut to
pieces. In this case his relations bury him as they would a dead buffalo,
refusing to admit the corpse into their house, or to perform any funeral
rites. Would it not be reasonable to conclude that the Achinese, with so
much discouragement to vice both from law and prejudice, must prove a
moral and virtuous people? yet all travellers agree in representing them
as one of the most dishonest and flagitious nations of the East, which
the history of their government will tend to corroborate.

CHAPTER 22.

HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF ACHIN, FROM THE PERIOD OF ITS BEING VISITED BY
EUROPEANS.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE PORTUGUESE.

The Portuguese, under the conduct of Vasco de Gama, doubled the Cape of
Good Hope in the year 1497, and arrived on the coast of Malabar in the
following year. These people, whom the spirit of glory, commerce, and
plunder led to the most magnanimous undertakings, were not so entirely
engaged by their conquests on the continent of India as to prevent them
from extending their views to the discovery of regions yet more distant.
They learned from the merchants of Guzerat some account of the riches and
importance of Malacca, a great trading city in the farther peninsula of
India, supposed by them the Golden Chersonnese of Ptolemy. Intelligence
of this was transmitted to their enterprising sovereign Emanuel, who
became impressed with a strong desire to avail himself of the flattering
advantages which this celebrated country held out to his ambition.

1508.

He equipped a fleet of four ships under the command of Diogo Lopez de
Sequeira, which sailed from Lisbon on the eighth day of April 1508 with
orders to explore and establish connexions in those eastern parts of
Asia.

1509.

After touching at Madagascar Sequeira proceeded to Cochin, where a ship
was added to his fleet, and, departing from thence on the eighth of
September 1509, he made sail towards Malacca; but having doubled the
extreme promontory of Sumatra (then supposed to be the Taprobane of the
ancients) he anchored at Pidir, a principal port of that island, in which
he found vessels from Pegu, Bengal, and other countries. The king of the
place, who, like other Mahometan princes, was styled sultan, sent off a
deputation to him, accompanied with refreshments, excusing himself, on
account of illness, from paying his compliments in person, but assuring
him at the same time that he should derive much pleasure from the
friendship and allianc