CHAP. VII.

The Spaniardes take their iourney towardes Aucheo, and declare what happened in the way thitherwarde.

The next day following, which was the sixteenth day of August, the Spaniards departed from Canton towards Aucheo to see the viceroy, with great hope and confidence that he would giue them licence for that which they pretended. But at their departure, they would have left there two Indians for to keepe their ship or frigat; but the iudges that were present said, that it was not needefull for them to haue any such care, for that they would take the care vppon them to see all thinges in good order. So presently they sent certaine writing in papers, and commaunded them to bee glewed vppon the hatches of their shippe, in such sort that they could not bee open but they must be perceiued. Then presently was brought for the Spaniardes foure barkes, verie gallant and wide, with verie fayre galleries and windowes; and beeing imbarked, they charged them verie much to make all haste possible to accomplish the commandement of the viceroy; and sent with them conuenient persons for to be their guides, and to giue them all thinges necessarie for their iourney. They traueiled continually in a mightie riuer against the current, in the which they did see many thinges woorthie to be noted for the space of foure daies that their iourney indured.

There was alongest the riuer side manie cities and townes verie great, which were so many in number that they could not make any memorie of them, by reason that they passed manie of them by night, to obserue the tides, and to auoid the heate, which was great vppon the water. Alongest the riuer side (whereas it was not inhabited) was full of corne fieldes, whereas they sawe them go to plough with many bufalos, much different vnto the vse of Spaine; for that one alonely buffe did drawe the plough, with one vpon his backe, who did gouerne and guide him with great ease whether hee would they should go, with a corde made fast to a ring at his nose, which serued in steede of a bridle.

They sawe also flockes of geese, in the which were more then twentie thousand; with whom they did weede, and tooke away the grasse which did growe amongst the rice and other graine and seedes, driuing them in the middest of their fieldes; and it seemed that they had the vse of reason, considering how they did separate and make a distinction betwixt the good seede and the bad, and the great care they had to feede and do no harme, neither to plucke vp the good plant, which was a thing that they wondred at aboue all the rest. All the countrie is verie populous, and the townes one so neere an other, that it may better be sayde to be all one towne and not manie, and might with more propertie be called the citie of China, and not the kingdome of China. In all the whole countrie there is not one foot of ground vnoccupied, by reason of the great abundance of people that there is; and they permit amongest them no idle people (as more at large it hath beene declared vnto you); and the countrie beeing fertile, is the occasion that they have all thinges in great abundance and at a lowe price.

Now to returne to their voyage, the which they made verie well and with great recreation, as well in the townes alongst the riuer side, as vpon the riuer, whereas they were cherished with great care: in the end of foure dayes, which was the twentieth day of August, they entred into the suburbes of the citie of Aucheo, but so late that they were constrayned to remaine there till the next day: whereas they found all thinges necessarie and in good order, aswell for their bedding as for their supper, to passe away the night. The next day, very early in the morning, he that was their conduct and guide, made great haste for to goe and see what the viceroy would command.

They trauailed through a great and long streete, which seemed vnto them to be more than a league, and thought that they had gone through the citie. So when they had passed that street they came vnto the gate of the citie, and there they vnderstoode that the rest which they had gone and passed was the suburbes. The mightinesse of this citie, and the great admiration they had, with the multitude of people, and a wonderfull great bridge the which they passed, with many other thinges of the which they made mention, we do let passe, for that it is declared vnto you more at large in the relation giuen by the Augustin friers, in the booke before this, at their entrie into the sayd citie.

So when they came to the pallace of the viceroy, he was not stirring, neither was the gate open, for as it hath beene tolde you, it is open but once a day. Their guide seeing that it would be somewhat long before that they would open it, he carried the Spaniardes into a court of an other house, which was ioyning vnto that of the viceroy.

In the meane while they were there, came all the iudges to sit in audience, but when they vnderstoode of the comming of the strangers, they commanded that they should be brought before them; who greatly marueiled at the aspernesse of their apparell, and not at any other thing, for that they had seene there before the Austin fryers. Straightwayes the gate of the pallace was open with great noyse of artilerie and musicall instruments, as trumpets, bagpipes, sackebuttes and hoybukes, with such a noyse that it seemed the whole citie would sincke. At the entrie in the first court, there were many souldiers armed, and had hargubushes and lances, and in a very good order. In an other court more within, which was very great, and railed round about with timber, painted blacke and blew, which a far off seemed to be yron, and was in height a mans stature; there they sawe also many other souldiers, placed in the same order, and in liuerie as the others were, but they seemed to be men of a gallanter disposition. When they came into this court, there was brought vnto them a commandement from the viceroy, in the which they were commanded to returne and come thether againe in the after noone, for that he could not speake with them before, by reason of certaine businesse he had with the lords of the counsell, which could not be deferred. With this answere they departed out of the pallace, and returned againe in the after noone, as they were commanded, and into the same court aforesaide, out of the which they were carried into a mightie great hall, very richly hanged and adorned; at the ende thereof was three doores, that in the middest was great, but the other two but small, the which did correspond vnto other three doores that were in an other hall more within, wherein was the viceroy, right over against the doore in the middest, in at the which there is none permitted to enter nor go foorth. Hee was set in a marueilous rich chayre wrought with iuorie and gold, vnder a canopie or cloth of state all of cloth of gold, and in the middest was embrodered the kings armes, which were (as we haue said) certaine serpents woond in a knot together. He had also before him a table whereon were two candles burning, for that it was somewhat late, and a standish with paper. Right before the viceroy the wall was verie white, whereon was painted a fearce dragon, who did throwe out fire at his mouth, nose, and eyes, a picture (as was giuen them to vnderstand) that all the iudges of that countrie commonly hath it painted before their tribunall seates whereas they sit in iustice, and is there to the intent to signifie vnto the iustice, the fearcenesse that he should haue sitting in that seat for to do iustice vprightly without feare or respect to any. The order they haue in giving audience is with the ceremonies in all points as it hath beene shewed you in the relation of the fathers of S. Augustin. All people when they talke with the viceroy are kneeling on their knees, although they be iudges or loytias, as the fryers did see them many times.

This day, they seeing the Spaniardes remained looking alwaies, when they should be commanded to enter in, the viceroy gaue audience vnto the scriueners or notaries, to certifie himselfe if they did their offices well, and commanded fiftie of them at that present to be sotted or beaten for that they were found culpable in their detayning of matters, and others the like for that they had receiued giftes and bribes of their clyents, the which is prohibited and forbidden vnder greeueous penalties, for that the king doth giue vnto them all sufficient stipend for their maintenance, for that they should not incroch nor demand any thing of their clyentes. The sots or stripes which were giuen them were with great crueltie, and executed with certaine canes, and in that order as in other places it hath beene told you. The viceroyes gard were in number more than two thousand men, placed all on a ranke, all apparelled in one liuery of silke, and on their heads helmets of yron very bright and glystering, and euerie one his plume of feathers. These souldiers made a lane from the gate of the hall there whereas the viceroy was, vnto the principal gate of the pallace wheras they did first enter. Those which were in the hals and vpon the staires had swords girt vnto them, and they in the courtes had lances, and betwixt euery one of them a hargubusher. All this gard (as was giuen them to vnderstand) were Tartaros and not Chinos: but the reason wherefore they could not learne, although they did inquire it with diligence.