in 12 deg.  N. where they embarked in two ships and sailed to Malacca.  The inhabitants of Siam, through which they travelled, eat of all kinds of beasts, and even of what we repute to be vermin.  The people of this country are reputed the most virtuous and honest of any in those parts of the world, and pride themselves much on their poverty and chastity; yet have a strange practice of carrying round bells within their foreskins, which is not permitted to the king and priests.  They do not rear any poultry or pigeons about their houses.  The kingdom is 250 leagues in length and 80 in breadth[23].

Elephants are so numerous in this country, that on going to war, the king is said to carry 30,000 into the field, besides others which are left in the several garrisons.  This king has great pride in the possession of a white elephant, having red eyes, which glare like a flame of fire.  In this country there is a certain species of small vermin, which attaches itself to the trunks of the elephants, to suck their blood, by which many elephants die.  The skull of this insect[24] is so hard as to be impenetrable to a musket shot.  They have on their livers the figures of men and women, which the natives call Toketa, resembling a mandrake; and it is affirmed, that whoever has one of these about him cannot be killed by an iron weapon.  They have also wild kine in this country, in the heads of which certain stones are found, which have the virtue to bring good fortune to merchants.

After the return of Duarte Fernandes from Siam, Albuquerque sent a knight named Ruy Nunnez de Acunha, as ambassador to the king of the Sequies, the country we now call Pegu.  He went in a junk of the country, passing Cape Rachado, and thence to the city of Pera, on the river Salano, on which river are many other villages, where Duarte had been before; and he afterwards went by Tanacerim to the city of Martavan, in 15 deg.  N. and the city of Pegu in 17 deg.  N. This was the first Portuguese who travelled in that kingdom, and who brought back a good account of the country and people.

In the end of 1511, Albuquerque sent three ships to the islands of Banda and Molucca, under command of Antonio de Breu and Francis Serrano, with an hundred and twenty men.  Passing through the Straits of Saban, and along the island of Sumatra, and other islands on their left, named the Salites, they came to the islands of Palimbang and Lu-Suparam, whence they sailed by the noble island of Java, and eastwards between it and the island of Madura.  In this last island the men are strong and warlike, and care little for their lives, even their women going out to war.  These people are almost continually engaged in war and mutual slaughter, like the Mocos, and seem to place their only delight in bloodshed.  Beyond Java they came to another island called Bali, and afterwards to Avajave, Sambaba, Solor, Galao, Malva, Vitara, Rosalanguin, and Arus; whence are brought beautiful birds, in much estimation on account of their