A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 7 | Page 8

rest of
the cross being distributed to the churches and persons of quality. Ten
days after this cross was removed, water gushed from the hole in which
it was formerly fixed, in which cloths being dipped wrought many
miraculous cures. A church was built on the spot to commemorate the
miracle. At this time it was considered, in an assembly of the principal
clergy, whether the threads, worn by the bramins across their shoulders,
were a heathenish superstition or only a mark of their nobility, and,
after a long debate, it was determined to be merely an honourable

distinction. The reason of examining this matter was, that many of the
bramins refused to embrace the Christian faith, because obliged to
renounce these threads.
In November 1619, the count of Redondo died; and, by virtue of a
patent of succession, Ferdinand de Albuquerque became
governor-general, being now 70 years of age, 40 of which he had been
an inhabitant of Goa, and consequently was well versed in the affairs of
India, but too slow in his motions for the pressing occasions of the time.
During his administration, the Portuguese were expelled from Ormuz
by the sultan of Shiras, assisted by six English ships.
In July 1620, the Hollanders were desirous of gaining possession of the
city of Macao in China, and appeared before it in seventeen ships, or,
as some say, twenty-three, having 2000 soldiers on board, and were
likewise in hopes of taking the fleet at that place, which was bound for
Japan, having already taken several Portuguese and Chinese ships near
the Philippine islands. After battering the fort of St Francis for five
days, the Dutch admiral, Cornelius Regers, landed 800 men, with
which he got possession of a redoubt or entrenchment, with very little
opposition. He then marched to take possession of the city, not then
fortified, where he did not expect any resistance; but Juan Suarez Vivas,
taking post on some strong ground with only 160 men, defeated the
Hollanders and compelled them to return precipitately to their ships,
leaving 300 of their men slain, seven only with the colours and one
piece of cannon being taken, and they threw away all their arms to
enable them to swim off to their ships. In the mean while, the ships
continued to batter the fort, but were so effectually answered that some
of them were sunk and sixty men slain. After this the enemy abandoned
the enterprise, and the citizens of Macao built a wall round the city with
six bastions; and, as the mountain of our Lady of the Guide
commanded the bastion of St Paul, a fort was constructed on its summit
armed with ten large guns.
We have formerly mentioned the destruction of the Portuguese cities of
Liampo and Chincheo, in China, through their own bad conduct. From
that time, they lived in the island of Lampazau till the year 1557, when
they were permitted to build the city Macao, the largest belonging to
the Portuguese in the east after Goa. They had been in use to resort to
the island of Sanchuan, on the coast of China, for trade, where they

lived in huts made of boughs of trees, and covered with sails during
their stay. At this time, the island of Goaxama, eighteen leagues nearer
the coast of China, being wild and mountainous, was the resort of
robbers who infested the neighbouring part of the continent, and, as the
Chinese considered the Portuguese a more tolerable evil than these
outlaws, they offered them that island on condition of extirpating the
nest of thieves. The Portuguese undertook this task, and succeeded
without losing a man. Then every one began to build where he liked
best, as there were no proprietors to sell the land, which now sells at a
dear rate. The trade and reputation of this city increasing, it soon
became populous, containing above 1000 Portuguese inhabitants all
rich; and as the merchants usually give large portions with their
daughters, many persons of quality used to resort thither in search of
wives. Besides these, there are a number of Chinese inhabitants who
are Christians, who are clothed and live after the manner of the
Portuguese; and about 6000 heathens, who are artificers, shop-keepers,
and merchants. The duties of ships trading from thence to Japan,
amount to 300,000 Xeraphins, at 10 per cent, being about equal to as
many pieces-of-eight, or Spanish dollars[17]. The yearly expence of the
garrison and repairs of the fortifications is above 40,000 ducats. A
similar sum is paid yearly for duties at the fair of Quantung, or Canton.
The Japan voyage, including presents to the King and Tonos, and the
expence of the embassy, costs 25,000. The Misericordia expends about
9000 in charity, as the city maintains two hospitals, three parish