Part 19 (1/2)
Transylva.n.u.s speaks of another wonderful bird that only alighted at death, and whose feathers were believed to possess magic powers.
”The kings of Marmin began to believe that souls were immortal a few years ago, induced by no other argument than that they saw that a certain most beautiful small bird never rested upon the ground nor upon anything that grew upon it; but they sometimes saw it fall dead upon the ground from the sky. And as the Mohammedans, who traveled to those parts for commercial purposes, told them that this bird was born in Paradise, and that Paradise was the abode of the souls of those who had died, these kings (reguli) embraced the sect of Mohammed, because it promised wonderful things concerning this abode of souls. But they call the bird Mamuco Diata, and they hold it in such reverence and religious esteem that they believe that by it their kings are safe in war, even though they, according to custom, are placed in the forefront of battle.”
He continues his narrative:
”But, our men having carefully inspected the position of the Moluccas and of each separate island, and also having inquired about the habits of the kings, went to Thedori, because they learnt, that in that island the supply of cloves was far above that of the others, and that its King also surpa.s.sed the other kings in wisdom and humanity. So, having prepared their gifts they land, and salute the King, and they offer the presents as if they had been sent by Caesar. He, having received the presents kindly, looks up to Heaven, and says:
”'I have known now for two years from the course of the stars, that you were coming to seek these lands, sent by the most mighty King of Kings.
Wherefore your coming is the more pleasant and grateful to me, as I had been forewarned of it by the signification of the stars.
”'And, as I know that nothing ever happens to any man which has not been fixed long before by the decree of fate and the stars, I will not be the one to attempt to withstand either the fates or the signification of the stars, but willingly and of good cheer, will henceforth lay aside the royal pomp and will consider myself as managing the administration of this island only in the name of your King. Wherefore draw your s.h.i.+ps into port, and order the rest of your comrades to land; so that now at last, after such a long tossing upon the seas, and so many dangers, you may enjoy the pleasures of the land and refresh your bodies. And think not but that you have arrived at your King's kingdom.'
”Having said this, the King, laying aside his crown, embraced them one by one, and ordered whatever food that land afforded to be brought. Our men being overjoyed at this, returned to their comrades, and told them what had happened. They, pleased above measure with the friendly behavior and kindness of the King, take possession of the island. And when their health was completely restored, in a few days, by the King's munificence, they sent envoys to the other kings, to examine the wealth of the islands, and to conciliate the other kings.”
His description of the clove trees is very pleasing:
”Tirante was the nearest, and also the smallest, of the islands; for it has a circ.u.mference of a little more than six Italian miles. Matthien is next to it, and it, too, is small. These three produce a great quant.i.ty of cloves, but more every fourth year than the other three. These trees only grow on steep rocks, and that so thickly as frequently to form a grove. This tree is very like a laurel (or bay tree) in leaf, closeness of growth, and height; and the gariophile, which they call clove from its likeness to a nail (clavus), grows on the tip of each separate twig.
First a bud, and then a flower, just like the orange flower is produced.
”The pointed part of the clove is fixed at the extreme end of the branch, and then growing slightly longer, it forms a spike. It is at first red, but soon gets black by the heat of the sun. The natives keep the plantations of these trees separate, as we do our vines. They bury the cloves in pits till they are taken away by the traders.”
He also describes the cinnamon tree:
”Muthil, the fourth island, is not larger than the rest, and it produces cinnamon. The tree is full of shoots, and in other respects barren; it delights in dryness, and is very like the tree which bears pomegranates.
The bark of this splits under the influence of the sun's heat, and is stripped off the wood; and, after drying a little in the sun, it is cinnamon.”
Also the nutmeg tree:
”Near to this is another island, called Bada, larger and more ample than the Moluccas. In this grows the nutmeg, the tree of which is tall and spreading, and is rather like the walnut tree, and its nut, too, grows like the walnut; for it is protected by a double husk, at first like a furry calix, and under this a thin membrane, which embraces the nutlike network. This is called the Muscat flower with us, but by the Spaniards mace, and is a n.o.ble and wholesome spice. The other covering is a woody sh.e.l.l, like that of a hazelnut, and in that, as we have already said, is the nutmeg.”
And ginger:
”Ginger grows here and there in each of the islands of the archipelago.
It sometimes grows by sowing, and sometimes spontaneously; but that which is sown is the more valuable. Its gra.s.s is like that of the saffron, and its root is almost the same too, and that is ginger.”
While sailing among these bowery ocean gardens, and gathering their odorous products, the poetic Maximilia.n.u.s was presented with one of the immortal birds that protected a hero in battle, ”the bird of G.o.d.”
He thus speaks of the rare present:
”Our men were kindly treated by the chiefs in turn, and they, too, submitted freely to the rule of Caesar, like the King of Thidori. But the Spaniards, who had but two s.h.i.+ps, resolved to bring some of each (spice) home, but to load the s.h.i.+ps with cloves, because the crop of that was the most abundant that year, and our s.h.i.+ps could contain a greater quant.i.ty of this kind of spice. Having, therefore, loaded the s.h.i.+ps with cloves, and having received letters and presents for Caesar from the Kings, they make ready for their departure. The letters were full of submission and respect. The gifts were Indian swords, and things of that sort. But, best of all, the Mamuco Diata; that is, the bird of G.o.d, by which they believe themselves to be safe and invincible in battle. Of which five were sent, and one I obtained from the Captain (_congran prieghi_), which I send to your reverence, not that your reverence may think yourself safe from treachery and the sword by means of it, as they profess to do, but that you may be pleased with its rareness and beauty. I send also some cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves, to show that our spices are not only not worse, but more valuable than those which the Venetians and Portuguese bring, because they are fresher.”
He also relates the disasters which fell to one of the overloaded s.h.i.+ps:
”When our men had set sail from Thedori, one of the s.h.i.+ps, and that the larger one, having sprung a leak, began to make water, so that it became necessary to put back to Thedori. When the Spaniards saw that this mischief could not be remedied without great labor and much time, they agreed that the other s.h.i.+p should sail to the Cape of Cattigara, and afterward through the deep as far as possible from the coast of India, lest it should be seen by the Portuguese, and until they saw the promontory of Africa which projects beyond the tropic of Capricorn, and to which the Portuguese have given the name of Good Hope; and from that point the pa.s.sage to Spain would be easy.
”But as soon as the other s.h.i.+p was refitted it should direct its course through the archipelago, and that vast ocean toward the sh.o.r.es of the continent which we mentioned before, till it found that coast which was in the neighborhood of Darien, and where the southern sea was separated from the western, in which are the Spanish Islands, by a very narrow piece of land. So the s.h.i.+p sailed again from Thedori, and, having gone twelve degrees on the other side of the equinoctial line, they did not find the Cape of Cattigara, which Ptolemy supposed to extend even beyond the equinoctial line; and when they had traversed an immense s.p.a.ce of sea, they came to the Cape of Good Hope and afterward to the Islands of the Hesperides.