Study & Research European Renaissance and Reformation 1350-1600: Social Class and Economy

Delow is an account taken from Tome Pires's Suma Oriental (1515). Pires was contador (accountant) of the royal factory at Malacca and is generally recognized as the best early Portuguese observer of East-Indian trade.

China is a profitable voyage, and, moreover whoever loads up . . . sometimes makes three for one, and in good merchandise which is soon sold.

And because this loading of the junks is a very profitable matter, as they sail in regular monsoons, the king of Malacca derived great profit from it. They gave the king one third more than they give to, others, and the king made the man who dealt with from dues, so that it was found that from this loading of the junks a great store of gold was brought in, and it could riot be otherwise. And here come the kings of Pahang, and Kampar, and Indragiri, arid...
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