ber very well, how that the Nayer, that is
to say, the lord of the citie, sent to the citizens to demaund of them
certaine Arabian horses, and they hauing denied them vnto him, and
gainesayd his demaund, it came to passe that this lord had a desire to see
the Sea, which when the poore citizens vnderstood, they doubted some euill,
to heare a thing which was not woont to bee, they thought that this man
would come to sacke the Citie, and presently they embarked themselues the
best they could with their mooueables, marchandize, iewels, money, and all
that they had, and caused the shippes to put from the shore. When this was
done, as their euill chance would haue it, the next night following, there
came such a great storme that it put all the shippes on land perforce, and
brake them to pieces, and all the goods that came on land and were saued,
were taken from them by the souldiours and armie of this lord which came
downe with him to see the Sea, and were attendant at the Sea side, not
thinking that any such thing would haue happened.

Saint Thomas or San Tome.

[Sidenote: St. Thomas his sepulchre.] From Negapatan following my voyage
towards the East an hundred and fiftie miles, I found the house of blessed
Saint Thomas, which is a Church of great deuotion, and greatly regarded of
the Gentiles for the great miracles they haue heard to haue bene done by
that blessed Apostle: neere vnto this Church the Portugals haue builded
them a Citie in the countrey subiect to the king of Bezeneger, which Citie
although it bee not very great, yet in my iudgement, it is the fairest in
all that part of the Indies: and it hath very faire houses and faire
gardens in vacant places very well accommodated: it hath streetes large and
streight, with many Churches of great deuotion, their houses be set close
one vnto another, with little doores, euery house hath his defence, so that
by that meanes it is of force sufficient to defend the Portugals against
the people of that countrey. The Portugals there haue no other possession
but their gardens and houses that are within the citie: the customes belong
to the king of Bezeneger, which are very small and easie, for that it is a
countrey of great riches and great trade: there come euery yeere two or
three great ships very rich, besides many other small ships: one of the two
great ships goeth for Pegu, and the other for Malacca, laden with fine
Bumbast [Marginal Note: A painted kind of cloth and died of