A Voyage to East India, Account of voyage · Section 7
SECTION VII.
Of their numerous Armies; Their Ammuniton for war; How they lade themſelves with weapons; How terriribly they appear; yet how puſillanimous, and low ſpirited they are.
WHere firſt, for their numerous Armies, it will appear to be no ſtrange thing, if we conſider the Great Mogol to be what he is, an overgrown Prince, (as before deſcribed) in the vaſt extent of his large territories, being like a huge Pike in a great Pond, that preys upon all his neighbours, who therefore purchaſe, and keep his favour by very great Preſents given him by any of homage, and a ſubmiſs acknowledgment of his mighty Power. And beſides, the Mogol is a maſter of unknown treaſure, having Silver as 'tis written of Solomon, 1 K. 10. 27. Like ſtones in the ſtreets. And certainly in far greater abundance than ever Solomon had. Though I muſt tell my Reader, that all metals there, are not ſilver and gold, nor all ſtones precious. Now he that can command what treaſure he will, may likewiſe command what men he pleaſe, as the Mogol doth beſides his own people. Many Perſians and Tartars (before ſpoken of) very valiant men, who ſerve him as Souldiers on horſe-back, and ſo the major part by far; whether Natives, or ſtrangers, are mounted for his ſervice in his wars.
Hence it is that the Armies there conſiſt of incredible multitudes; they talk of ſome which have exceeded that mightie Hoſt which Zerah King of Ethiopia brought againſt King Aſa, 2 Chron. 14. 9. but they having not well learned that horrid bloody art of war, as the Europeans have; and wanting Commanders, and other Officers to manage their great Companies, are not ſo skilfull to deſtroy▪ as otherwiſe they might be: it is a phraſe moſt properly and fitly applyed unto ſavage, and abſurd, and brutiſh, and unreaſonable man, to the Enemies of God, and of his Church by the Prophet Ezekiel, 21. 31. Where Almighty God threatens that he will deliver them into the hands of brutiſh men, and skilfull to deſtroy.
The weapons they uſe in their Wars are Bowes, and Arrowes, Swords, and Bucklers, ſhort Lances, having excellent good ſteel-heads, & ſhort peeces like unto Carbines, beſides thoſe carried upon Elephants (before deſcribed) ſome footmen in their warrs carry thoſe leſſer Guns, with Bowes and Arrowes, Swords and Bucklers, and they are excellent Marks-men. They make good Gun-powder for their own uſe, and fire their Guns with March, or Touch-wood. Their ſwords are made crooked like Falchons, and are very ſharp, but for want of skill in thoſe that temper them, will eaſily break, but not bend. And therefore we ſell at good rates our Engliſh Sword-blades that will bow, and become ſtrait again. They have, (and they ſay that for many generations paſt have had) great Ordnance, though they ſeldom make uſe of them in their Wars.
Their warlike muſick are ſome Kettle-drums carried on horſe-back, with long winde Inſtruments, which make not Muſick, but noyſe ſo harſh, and unpleaſing, that it is enough to fright away their enemies.
They ſay, that in their military engagements, they make at the firſt very furious onſets, which are too violent long to continue, for the Scale quickly decides the Controverſy, when that ſide which happens firſt to be worſted, and to be put into diſorder, knowes better to Run than to Rally again.
There are ſome of the Mogols own ſubjects which are men of courage; thoſe of note among the Mahometans are called Baloches, inhabiting Haiacan, adjoyning unto the Kingdom of Perſia, (ſpoken of before) and there are others called Patans, taking their denomination from a Province of that name in the Kingdom of Bengala. Theſe will look an enemy boldly in the face, and maintain with their lives, their reputation and valour. Amongſt the many Sects of Hindooes or Gentiles (after ſpoken of) which are ſubject to this King, there is but one race of fighters called Raſhboots, a number of which live by ſpoyl, who in troops ſurprize poor paſſengers, for the moſt part murthering thoſe whom they get under their power. Theſe excepted, the reſt of the Mogols, natives for the generality of them had rather eate than quarrel, and rather quarrel than fight. I ſay quarrel, for I have ſeveral times obſerved there, that when two of them, have been both well armed, and have moſt ſhamefully abuſed one another, in baſer language than I can expreſs, yet durſt not draw their weapons; in concluſion, when one of them hath caught the other by the throat, and forced him up againſt ſome wall, the ſufferer would cry out pitiouſly, and the ſtanders by would admire the other for his valous, ſaying Sha-Abas; a proverbial ſpeech amongſt them relating to the late King of Perſia, called Sha-Abas, a Prince much renowned for valour; and when any man did a thing they thought gallantly, they cryed Sha-Abas, as much to ſay, it was done as well as the Perſian King could have done it.
Yet, however the people here in general are Cowardly they appear men of very terrible aſpects, having great long Muſtachos upon their upper lipps, their Chins continually kept bare by the raſor, which makes them all to look like the Pictures of our old Britaines; or like thoſe our rude Painters daub upon clothes, and call them the Nine-worthies. And further, to make them the more formidable, they will appear on horſe-back as if they were ſurrounded with an Armorie, or carrying an whole Armorie about them, thus appointed; At their left ſides ſwords hanging on belts, under them ſheaves of many arrowes; on their left ſhoulders broad Bucklers faſtned, and upon their backs ſmal Gunns like to Carbines fixed likewiſe; at their right ſides Bowes hanging in caſes, and Lances (about two yards and an half long) hanging in loops neer their ſtirrops (when they carry them not in their hands) yet for all this Harneſs the moſt of them are like thoſe Ephramites, Pſal. 78. 9. Who being armed, and carrying bowes, turned their heads in the day of battell. For they dare not look a man of courage in the face, though they be thus fortified, with ſuch variety of weapons for their defence. Nay, a man of reſolution will beat one of theſe out of all his weapons, with a ſmall ſtick or cane. So that I ſhall do the Natives of that Countrey no wrong, if I ſay of them, that they are Solâ Libidine fortes, moſt ſtrong and valiant in their baſe luſts, and not otherwiſe.
The baſe Cowardiſe of which people, hath made the great Mogol ſometimes to uſe this Proverb, that one Portugal would beat three of his people; and (becauſe the Engliſh there have many times prevailed much at Sea againſt thoſe Portugals) he would further add, that one Engliſh-man would beat three Portugals.
The truth is, that the Portugals, eſpecially thoſe which are born in thoſe Indian Colonyes, moſt of them a mix'd ſeed begotten upon thoſe Natives, are a very low, poor-ſpirited people, called therefore Galijnas del… Mar, the Hens of the Sea.
One notable inſtance to prove this, it happened that the Eaſt India Company had a very little Pinnace they called the Coaſter, which they kept in thoſe parts for diſcoveries; mann'd ſhe was but with ten men, and had only one ſmall murdering-peece within her. She upon a time met with a Portugal ſhip, going then towards Ormos, which had one hundred and thirty men aboard her, and Guns anſwerable to her burden, and Company; Our petty Pinnace came up with her, diſcharged her murdering peece, which ſlew one of her chief Officers, upon which, without any further reſiſtance, ſhe preſently ſtrook her Sayles and yeelded. Our Engliſh preſently commanded her Gunners, and ſome other of her Chief Officers, to come aboard them, which immediatly they did, and there kept them bound, till they had taken what they …leaſed out of their Ship, and then let them go being moſt deſervedly uſed in that their ſuffering, they being thirteen to one, and yet ſuch beaſts they were, as that they durſt not make any reſiſtance.
But take ſome ſtories of valiant Portugals before I leave them, and theſe you ſhall have from ſome of that Nation themſelves, whom, we not ſeldom met in Ind…a & would there beg relief of us; but I never knew any come to us upon thoſe tearmes, but his pride would excuſe his Poverty thus, that he was Challenged into the field, and there in ſingle combat had fairly ſlain a man, how that he durſt not return again any more into the Portugal Colonyes, for fear of the law, and it was that which put him at preſent into that ſad exigent to ask relief, and this was their uſual plea there, when in truth and in deed, we did believe them to be ſuch pittifull wretches, or men of ſuch a ſtrange reſolution, as that, (as it was written of one called Piſander) they would be made to fear their own ſhadowes.
However, upon this account there came upon a time at my firſt coming into India, unto the factorie at Surat, where I then was, a moſt valiant Portugal (if you will give him leave to tell his own ſtorie, and believe it when he hath done) who firſt for his perſon was a Quantus tantus, tantillus, a very poor, little dwarfiſh man, whoſe perſon promiſed as little valour as any that I ever ſaw, though I know that high Courage is not tyed to an huge bulk, for (if ſtories abuſe us not) Alexander the great was But a little man; but what ever Alexander was, I am ſure, that this was a poor little thing, but however he told us, that he was by birth an Hidalgo, which ſignifies in Spaniſh the Son of ſomebody, or no ordinary man, but a Gentleman of Spain, and that he came from thence as a Companion to the King of Spains Vice-Roy, ſent to Goa, and himſelf was called the Knight with the Golden Rapier, and that ſuddenly after his coming to Goa, he was honorably invited into the field, there to fight a ſingle Combat with a very gallant man of that place, but he ſoon left him there dead; and having done ſo, the Vice-Roy prevented him with a pardon for that fact, before he ask'd it, but willing him withall, now he had been ſufficiently tryed, to confine his Rapier to its ſcabard. But he told us further, that he could not long after live quietly there, but was provoked again by a man of high reſolution, unto a ſecond encounter, when he had the like ſucceſs as before, in killing his Adverſary. The Vice-Roy now was very angry with him, but upon much intreaty, as he ſaid, pardoned him a ſecond time; upon the receit of which favour he told us that he was then reſolved to throw away his Rapier, to get into a Religious houſe, and there to remain the reſidue of his dayes, a Convertado or Penitent. But the Vice-Roy could not be long without his Company, and therefore to gain it, reſtored him again into his former favour: But for himſelf he was ſtill ſo unhappie (the fame of his great valour being ſpread abroad) as that he could not long enjoy that Peace, and quiet, which he now ſo much deſired, but received a third Challenge from a very gallant, and very valiant man, as he deſcrib'd him, a man big enough to beat a Goliah, and then he further told us, that his honour was ever more dear unto him than his life, and therefore notwithſtanding the loſs of the Vice-Royes favour, and what els might happen, he entred the liſts with him, and though he found him the ſtouteſt adverſary that ever he oppoſed, yet after a long conflict this little Knight kild that great Giant, and left him there dead likewiſe, which done, He (not daring to return any more unto Goa) told us, that he came naked out of the field as we then ſaw him with no ornaments (I aſſure you) about him, fit to make him a Vice-Royes cōpanion, nor any weapon fit to Dub him Knight of the Golden Rapier. He further added, that he was now reſolved not to live any longer amongſt the Chriſtians, but that he deſireth to live amongſt the Engliſh; but when we replyed that we were Chriſtians, he cried Jeſu Maria! as wondring at it, and further told us that, he never heard ſo before.
When this Rhadomantadiſt had ended his perillous ſtory, it was dinner time, and the Merchants bid him to ſit down with us and eat, and ſo he did, where certainly he layd about him more valiantly than ever he had done before in the field, giving our meat many a cut, and eating, as if he had been more than half ſtarved. He continued with us there for ſome few dayes, and after, when his hunger was well ſatisfied, and his ſpirits well refreſhed, he began to take ſome exception againſt his place at the Table, becauſe he eat at the lower end thereof, ſaying, that the company there were but Factors, Servants, but he was a Gentleman, and therefore his due place was higher at the board, but then corrected himſelf, ſaying, that it was not to be much conſidered where he ſate, for his place made the upper end of Table where ever he was placed, & ſuddenly after, this Don Quixet being weary of his ſtay with us (though he was but too well uſed) and having a great minde to ramble further, told our Company, that he being an Hidalgo, it was very diſhonorable for him to take entertainment upon the Tearmes he had it, and therefore deſired us to make a little Purſe for him, on which he would live as long as he could, and then Creep into ſome Deſert place, and there repent and dy. And now our great Gheſt, having ſpent all his humor, and told us all his Dream, had his deſire granted in ſome money that was given to him, and ſo we parted with our Knight Errant, who lived longer than he told us he would live, for half a year after I took notice of him at the Mogols Court, and there I leave him.
I will now ſhortly relate a ſtory of another of his Nation (and I do believe as good a Gentleman as himſelf) who called himſelf Antonio de la Valla. It happened, that a little before our comming thence, my Lord Ambaſſador going from his own houſe to dine at the Engliſh Factory in Surat, and I waiting on him, there appeared then to us a walking Skeliton, moſt miſerably clothed, the pooreſt, and leaneſt creature that ever mine eyes beheld, who faintly begg'd of him ſome relief, telling (what was true) that he was almoſt quite ſtarv'd; the Ambaſſadour pittied, and relieved him, and as we returned back, found this poor Creature eating with ſo much greedineſs, as if he could not have been ſatisfied. He was then willed to come to our houſe, and he did ſo, and there was fed, and hear…ned up again, & then when he was come to himſelf, told us, that he had endu…ed there abundance of miſery which, as he acknowledged, did moſt juſtly befall him becauſe he had there renounced his Religion, and become a Mahometan, which when he had done, no care was taken of him there (for they regard not a man that will not be conſtant in his Religion, believing, that if that bond cannot tye him, nothing will) He told us further, that he was very ſorry that he had ſo done, and deſired a paſſage for England, which was granted him; and he was put unto me as my ſervant, and therefore I fitted him with clothes, &c. fit for his return, but afterward (we being at Sea) he would often Curſe and Ban, and cry out, O Mal v…ntura! O his hard hap! and that of all the miſeries which he had endured, this was the greateſt, that he an Hidalgo, a Gentleman of Spain, ſhould live to become a ſervant, and which was worſe, to ſerve an Heretick. I would when I heard this of him (for he ſpake not ſo to me) tell him of it, and further minde him of that moſt ſad condition in which we found him, how that he had ſtarv'd to death, if our pitty, in the relief he found from us, had not even then prevented it. He would reply, that he knew not what he ſaid; telling me that his many miſeries had turn'd his brains; (not to beſtow any more ink and paper on him) we brought him afterward to Plimmouth and immediatly after our arrive there, he deſired his liberty, which was very eaſily granted him, and from thence (having ſome money given him more than he deſerved) took his courſe whither I cannot tell, neither will my Reader deſire to know. And therefore I will return again, as ſwift as meditation or thought can carry me, unto Eaſt-India, where I ſhall in the next place ſpeak