oore, and I am a Moore, with some other wordes of their
Alcoran, wherewithall, in abstinence from swines flesh, they liue vntill
the diuel take them all. This when I saw, and being sure that in many
Chinish Cities the reliques of Mahomet are kept, as soone as we came to the
City where these fellowes be, I enfourmed my selfe of them, and learned the
trueth.

[Sidenote: Great ships comming from the North.] These Moores, as they tolde
me, in times past came in great ships fraught with marchandise from Pachin
ward, to a port granted vnto them by the king, as hee is wont to all them
that traffique into this Countrey, where they being arriued at a litle
Towne standing in the hauens mouth, in time conuerted vnto their sect the
greatest Loutea there. When that Loutea with all his family was become
Moorish, the rest began likewise to doe the same. In this part of China the
people be at libertie, euery one to worship and folow what him liketh best.
Wherefore no body tooke heede thereto, vntil such time as the Moores
perceiuing that many followed them in superstition, and that the Loutea
fauoured them, they began to forbid wholy the eating of swines flesh. But
all these countreymen and women chosing rather to forsake father and
mother, then to leaue off eating of porke, by no meanes would yeeld to that
proclamation. For besides the great desire they all haue to eate that kinde
of meate, many of them do liue thereby: and therefore the people complained
vnto the Magistrates, accusing the Moores of a conspiracie pretended
betwixt them and the Loutea against their king. In this countrey, as no
suspition, no not one traiterous word is long borne withall, so was the
king speedily aduertised thereof, who gaue commandement out of hand that
the aforesaid Loutea should be put to death, and with him the Moores of
most importance: the other to be layde first in prison, and afterward to be
sent abroad into certaine Cities, where they remained perpetuall slaues
vnto the king. To this City came by happe men and women threescore and
odde, who at this day are brought to fiue men and foure women, for it is
how twenty yeeres since this happened. [Sidenote: That is their temples.]
Their offspring passeth the number of two hundreth, and they in this City,
as the rest in other Cities whither they were sent, haue their Moscheas,
whereunto they all resort euery Friday to keepe their holy day. But, as I
thinke, that will no longer endure, then whiles they d