elues to die most holily and securely, in the seruice of their
god. And by this meanes euery yere, there die vnder the said filthy idol,
mo then 500. persons, whose carkases are burned, and their ashes are kept
for reliques, because they died in that sort for their god. Moreouer they
haue another detestable ceremony. For when any man offers to die in the
seruice of his false god, his parents, and all his friends assemble
themselues together with a consort of musicians, making him a great and
solemne feast: which feast being ended, they hange 5. sharpe kniues about
his neck carying him before the idol, and so soone as he is come thither,
he taketh one of his kniues crying with a loud voice, For the worship of my
god do I cut this my flesh, and then he casteth the morsel which is cut, at
the face of his idol: but at the very last wound wherewith he murthereth
himselfe, he vttereth these words: Now do I yeeld my self to death in the
behalfe of my god, and being dead, his body is burned, and is esteemed by
al men to be holy. The king of the said region is most rich in gold,
siluer, and precious stones, and there be the fairest vnions in al the
world. Traueling from thence by the Ocean sea 50. daies iourney southward,
I came vnto a certain land named Lammori, [Marginal note: Perhaps he
meaneth Comori.] where, in regard of extreeme heat, the people both men and
women go stark-naked from top to toe: who seeing me apparelled scoffed at
me, saying that God made Adam et Eue naked. In this countrey al women are
common, so that no man can say, this is my wife. Also when any of the said
women beareth a son or a daughter, she bestowes it vpon any one that hath
lien with her, whom she pleaseth. Likewise al the land of that region is
possessed in common, so that there is not mine and thine, or any propriety
of possession in the diuision of lands: howbeit euery man hath is owne
house peculiar vnto himselfe. Mans flesh, if it be fat, is eaten as
ordinarily there, as beefe in our country. And albeit the people are most
lewd, yet the country is exceedingly good, abounding with al commodities,
as flesh, corne, rise, siluer, gold, wood of aloes, Campheir, and many
other things. Marchants comming vnto this region for traffique do vsually
bring with them fat men, selling them vnto the inhabitants as we sel hogs,
who immediatly kil and eat them. [Sidenote: Sumatra.] In this island
towards south, there is the another kingdome called Simoltra, where