ng in seeking to
haue Pepper better cheape, which the Portingalles liked not well of, and
saide vnto the Gouernour, that we desired not to buy; which the Gouernour
began to hearken vnto, for they offered great summes of money that hee
shoulde not permit vs traffique, so that in the end hee commaunded that no
man shoulde carrie any Ryce aborde our shippes, whereby we were abashed,
and thereupon we sent vnto the Gouernour for our money which hee ought for
the wares hee had bought, which moued him.

The 26. of Iuly hee sent one of our Gentlemen with some of his men and nine
slaues abord our ships.

The situation of the towne of Bantam, the principall towne of traffique in
the Island of Iaua, their strength and manner of building, with their
traffique, what people come thither, what wares are there most desired,
what nations bring them thither, or come to fetch them, together with
their religion, customes and manner of house keeping.

Bantam lyeth in the Islande of Iaua maior, about 25. miles to sea ward
within the Isle, between Sumatra and Iaua: On both sides of the Towne there
runneth a Riuer, about 3 foot and a half deep, so that no shippes can enter
into them: The towne is compassed about with a Riuer: The towne is almost
as great in compasse as the olde towne of Amsterdam: The wals are made with
flankers: They haue great numbers of Peeces therein, but they knowe not how
to vse them, for they feare them much: all their Peeces are of brasse, and
they haue many brazen bases. Their walles are not aboue two foote thicke
made of brickes: euery flanker hath diuers mastes and peeces of wood, which
they vse when they are besieged by their enemies. The houses are made of
straw and reedes, standing vpon 4. woodden postes. The rich haue their
chambers all hanged with silken Curtins, or els with cotton linnen: Their
houses are most placed vnder Cocus trees, whereof the towne is full:
Without the walles are many houses, wherein strangers for the most part
haue their dwellinges. The towne hath three great market places, wherein
dayly there is markets holden, where you may buy all kindes of wares, and
where there commeth a great number of people, very strange to beholde:
Within the towne there is a great church or muske of wood, wherein they
obserue the law of Mahomet: Gentlemen and men of any qualitie haue their
owne muskes in their houses. The towne is not built with streetes, nor the
houses placed in order, but very foul