d to
be beheaded as a coward. Yet had this cruel and capricious tyrant many
estimable virtues. He kept his word inviolable; was rigorous in the
execution of justice; liberal in his gifts; and often merciful to those
who offended him. Having at one time sent a Portuguese to Malacca with
money to purchase some commodities; this man, after buying them lost
them all at play, and yet had the boldness to return to the king, who
even received him kindly, saying that he valued the confidence reposed
in his generosity more than the goods he ought to have brought. He
shewed much respect to the Christian priests and missionaries, and gave
great encouragement to the propagation of the gospel in his dominions.
His valour was without the smallest stain.

[Footnote 27: De Faria seems now to drop the fables of Fernan Mendez
Pinto, and to relate real events in the remainder of this section.--E.]

[Footnote 28: More properly Ythia, vulgarly called Siam.--E.]

The proper name of the kingdom we call _Siam_, is _Sornace_[29]. It
extends along the coast for 700 leagues, and its width inland is 260.
Most part of the country consists of fertile plains, watered by many
rivers, producing provisions of all sorts in vast abundance. The hills
are covered with a variety of trees, among which there are abundance of
ebony, brasilwood, and _Angelin_. It contains many mines of sulphur,
saltpetre, tin, iron, silver, gold, sapphires, and rubies; and produces
much sweet-smelling wood, benzoin, wax, cinnamon, pepper, ginger,
cardamunis, sugar, honey, silk, and cotton. The royal revenue is about
thirteen millions. The kingdom contains 13,000 cities and towns, besides
innumerable villages. All the towns are walled; but the people for the
most part are weak timorous and unwarlike. The coast is upon both seas;
that which is on the sea of India, or bay of Bengal, containing the sea
ports of _Junzalam_[30], and _Tanasserim_; while on the coast of the
China sea, are _Mompolocata_, _Cey_, _Lugor_, _Chinbu_, and _Perdio_.

[Footnote 29: The oriental term _Shan_, probably derived from the
inhabitants of Pegu; but the Siamese call themselves _Tai_, or freemen,
and their country _Meuang tai_, or the country of freemen--E.]

[Footnote 30: Otherwise called Junkseylon.--E.]

SECTION XVI.

_A short Account of the Portuguese possessions between the Cape of Good
Hope and China_.[31]

In the middle of the seventeenth century, the Portuguese empire in the
east, co