them such
poinyardes: The vse neyther great shotte nor caliuers when they go against
their enemies: for a small matter one King wil make warre against another.
When we came first before Bantam, we offered to make a contract with the
Gouernour and the counsell of the towns, that they should deliuer vs a
certaine quantitie of Pepper, and wee would goe with our shippes before
Palimbam, and helpe them to reuenge the death of their Kings vppon their
enemies, for (as they said) we might goe within a bowe shot of the towne
with our shippes, and the Towne is but of wood without walles, so that we
would presently haue beaten it downe to the ground. They offered vs some of
their principall Gouernours to be left for pledges in our shippes, and
their men woulde sayle in their fustes, such as shoulde go on land, and we
should doe nothing els but shoote out of our shippes, but our Captaines
would not do it, considering our small number of men. [Sidenote: How many
wiues they haue.] The Iauars take as many wiues as they will and are able
maintaine; but the common people haue but one, and some two married wiues,
and some 10. 20. and 30. concubines: For a small matter they will send
their married wiues home agayne vnto their fathers, when they haue layne
fiue or sixe dayes with them, saying they like them not, and so their
marriage is vndone, when they desire it.

The manner, custome, housholding, childbearing, sporting and cleanlinesse
of the women in Bantam.

The women of the towne are well kept from such as are circumcised, whereof
the riche men haue many, and from other men or their friendes, for their
owne sonnes may not come into the house where the women are. They lie all
naked and chaw Betelle, and haue a slauish woman that continually
scratcheth their bodies, that is, such as are married women, but such as
are concubines are as waiting Gentlewomen, to the married women, when they
goe out to giue them more maiestie, and those that haue the greatest number
are of most estimation: The Concubines haue but fewe children, for the
married women poyson their children, and these concubines are bought and
solde: by their apparell a man can hardly discerne the riche from the
poore, for they goe all with a Cotton cloth about their bodies vp to their
breastes, and bounde about their middles with an other cloth, bare footed
and their heads vncouered, their hayre bound right vpon the top of their
heads in a heape, but when they are in the