the women should not have more than three cubits of cloth in their
under garments, which likewise are open before, and so tight, that when
they walk they shew the leg bare above the knee.

The _bramas_, or birmans of the kings country, for the king is a birman,
have their legs or bellies, or some other part of their body according
to their fancy made black by pricking the skin, and rubbing in _anile_
or indigo, or some other black powder, which continues ever after; and
this is considered as a great honour, none being allowed to do this but
the birmans who are of kin to the king. Those people wear no beards, but
pull out the hair from their faces with small pincers made for the
purpose. Some leave 16 or 20 hairs growing together, some on one part of
the face and some on another, and pull out all the rest; every man
carrying his pincers with him, and pulling out the hairs as fast as they
appear. If they see a man with a beard they wonder at him. Both men and
women have their teeth black; for they say a dog has white teeth, and
therefore they have theirs black. When the Peguers have a law-suit that
is difficult to determine, they place two long canes upright in the
water where it is very deep, and both parties go into the water beside
the poles, having men present to judge them; they both dive, and he who
remains longest under water gains his suit.

The 10th of January, I went from Pegu to Malacca, passing many of the
sea-ports of Pegu, as Martaban, the island of _Tavi_ whence all India is
supplied with tin, Tanaserim, the island of Junkselon, and many others.
I came on the 8th of February to Malacca, where the Portuguese have a
castle near the sea. The country without the town belongs to the Malays,
who are a proud kind of people, going naked with a cloth about their
waists, and a small roll of cloth round their heads. To this place come
many ships from China, the Moluccas, Banda, Timor, and many other
islands of the Javas, bringing great store of spices, drugs, diamonds,
and other precious stones. The voyages to many of these islands belong
to the captain of Malacca, so that no one can go there without his
licence, by which he draws large sums of money every year. The
Portuguese at Malacca are often at war with the king of Acheen in the
island of Sumatra; from whence comes great store of pepper and other
spices yearly to Pegu, Mecca, and other places.

When the Portuguese go from Macao in China to Japan, they carry muc