e as many concubines as he will, but one wife
onely. [Sidenote: The writing of the people of China &c.] All the Chineans,
Iaponians, and Cauchin Chineans do write right downwards, and they do write
with a fine pensill made of dogs or cats haire.

Laban is a Iland among the Iauas from whence come the diamants of the New
water. And they finde them in the riuers: for the king will not suffer them
to digge the rocke.

Iamba is an Iland among the Iauas also, from whence come diamants. And the
king hath a masse of earth which is golde; it groweth in the middle of a
riuer: and when the king doth lacke gold, they cut part of the earth and
melt it, whereof commeth golde. This masse of earth doth appeare but once
in a yere; which is when the water is low: and this is in the moneth of
April.

Bima is another Iland among the Iauas, where the women trauell and labour
as our men do in England, and the men keepe house and go where they will.

The 29 of March 1588, I returned from Malacca to Martauan, and so to Pegu,
where I remained the second time vntill the 17 of September, and then I
went to Cosmin, and there tooke shipping; and passing many dangers by
reason of contrary windes, it pleased God that we arriued in Bengala in
Nouember following: where I stayed for want of passage vntill the third of
February 1589, and then I shipped my selfe for Cochin. In which voyage we
endured great extremity for lacke of fresh water: for the weather was
extreme hote, and we were many marchants and passengers, and we had very
many calmes, and hote weather. Yet it pleased God that we arriued in Ceylon
the sixth of March, where we stayed fiue dayes to water, and to furnish our
selues with other necessary prouision. This Ceylon is a braue Iland, very
fruitfull and faire; but by reason of continuall warres with the king
thereof, all things are very deare: for he will not suffer any thing to be
brought to the castle where the Portugals be: wherefore often times they
haue great want of victuals. Their prouision of victuals commeth out of
Bengala euery yere. The king is called Raia, and is of great force: for he
commeth to Columbo, which is the place where the Portugals haue their fort,
with an hundred thousand men, and many elephants. But they be naked people
all of them; yet many of them be good with their pieces which be muskets.
When the king talketh with any man, he standeth vpon one legge, and setteth
the other foot vpon his knee with his sword in