[King of Camboxa demands the promis'd Succour.] At this Time Langara, King of Camboxa made Instance for the Succours, and requir'd Don Lewis to perform his Fathers Promise made to him not long before. He therefore, in Pursuance to it, and to the End that those Forces, or some Part of them, might continue in the Church's Service, since they were provided for that End, in the Design of Ternate, resolv'd to support that King with them.
Camboxa is one of the most fertile of the Indian Regions. It sends [Camboxa described.] Abundance of Provisions to other Parts, for which Reason it is frequented by Spaniards, Persians, Arabs, and Armenians. The King is a Mahometan; but his Subjects the Gusarats and Banians, follow the Precepts of Pythagoras, perhaps without any Knowledge of him. They are all sharp witted, [Opinions of the Natives.] and reputed the cunningest Merchants in India. However they are of Opinion, that after Death, Men, Brute Beasts, and all Creatures, receive either Punishment, or Reward; so confus'd a Notion have they of Immortality. The City Camboxa, which gives its Name to all the Country, is also call'd Champa, abounding in the Odoriferous Calambuco Wood, whose Tree call'd Calamba, grows in unknown Regions, and therefore has not been seen standing. The Floods upon those great Rivers bring down Trunks of it, and [Lignum Aloes.] this is the precious Lignum Aloes. Camboxa produces Corn, Rice, Pease, Butter, and Oyl. There are made in it various Sorts of Cotton Webs, Muslins, Buckrams, Calicoes, white and painted, Dimities, and other curious [Manufactures.] Pieces exceeding the finest in Holland. They also adorn their Rooms with Carpets; tho' they are not like those brought out of Persia to Ormuz. They weave others for the common Sort, which they call Bancales, not unlike the Scotch Plads. Nor do they want the Art of Silk-Weaving, for they both weave, and work with the Needle, rich Hangings, Coverings for the low Chairs us'd by the Women of Quality, and for the Indian Litters, or Palanquines, which are made of Ivory, and Tortoise-Shell, and of the same they make Chess-Boards, and Tables to Play, Seal-Rings, and other portable Things. In the Mountains there is found a sort of Christal, extraordinary [Product.] transparent, whereof they make Beads, little Idols, Bracelets, Necklaces, and other Toys. It abounds in Amethists, Garnets, the Sort of Saphirs call'd Hyacinths, Spinets, Cornelians, Chrysolites, Cats Eyes, properly call'd Acates, all of them precious Stones; There are also those they call Milk, and Blood Stones, pleasant, and medicinal Fruits, Opium, Bangue, Sanders, Alom and Sugar. Indigo is incomparably prepar'd in Camboxa, and thence sent to several Provinces. The living Creatures are the same Asia affords in those Parts, Elephants, Lions, Horses, wild Boars, [Beasts.] and other fierce Beasts. It is in Ten Degrees of North Latitude. The River Mecon waters all the Kingdom, and in it falls into the Sea; being look'd upon as the greatest in India, carrying so much water in Summer, that it [Mecon River.] floods, and covers the Fields, like the Nile in Egypt. It joyns another of less Stock, at the Place call'd Chordemuco. This River, for six Months runs backward. The Reason of it is the Extent and Plainness of the Country it runs along. The Southern Breezes choak up the Bar with Sand. The Currents thus damm'd up, swell and rise together, after much Struggling one against the other. The Bar looks to the South-ward, both Waters at first Form a deep Bay, and finding no free Passage out, but being drove by the mighty Violence of the Winds, are forc'd to submit and bend their Course the wrong Way, till a more favourable Season restores them to their natural Course. We see some such like Effects in Spain, where the Tagus falls into the Sea of Portugal, and the Guadalquivir into that of Andaluzia, oppos'd by the superior Force of the Sea Waves, and of the Winds.