The Memoirs and Memorials of Jacques de Coutre: Security, Trade and Society in 16th- and 17th-century Southeast Asia

Memorial II: About the commerce that used to take place in India, especially in Melaka, before the Dutch went to that state.

221 M E M O R I A L II About the commerce that used to take place in India, especially in Melaka, before the Dutch went to that state. Your Excellency: To inform Your Excellency about the commerce that used to take place in India, especially in Melaka, before the Dutch went to that state. Firstly, with reference to the South: some years ago, in the harbour or port of Melaka, a fortress of His Majesty, there used to be over 500 vessels, some large and others small; namely, ships, junks, balas, lancharas, and all kinds of trading vessels. The junks used to come from the Banda Islands, and from Makassar, and from the island of Java, and from all those kingdoms they used to come laden with mace, nutmeg, cloves, benzoin, sugar, rattan, beeswax, and other commodities. Other junks used to come from the kingdom of Borneo, laden with turtle [shell], camphor, beeswax, and they brought many bezoars, and some diamonds and gold.  BNE, Ms. 2780, fol. 268 recto­–269 verso.  See the glossary for a definition and description of these vessel types.  Ms. here and subsequently: menguín.  Ms. rotta.  The precursor of present-day Brunei. See also the list of place names (Borneo). 22-23 MJdC.indd 221 10/24/13 5:28:04 PM The Memoirs and Memorials of Jacques de Coutre 222 Other junks used to come from the kingdom of Johor, and from that of Pahang, and from the kingdom of Patani, and that of Ligor, and from the kingdom of Siam, which used to come laden with sappanwood. This is used to make dyes to colour fabrics, which are prepared on the Coromandel Coast. They used to bring civet, beeswax, and a lot of benzoin, and a lot of gold to buy textiles.10 Other junks used to come from the kingdom of Cambodia,11 and from that of Champa, and from that of Cochinchina; the latter used to come laden with eaglewood,12 kalambak,13 benzoin, and they  Ms. Jor.  Ms. Lugor.  Ms. sapan.  Ms. argalia. 10 Ms. here and subsequently: ropas. 11 Ms. Camboya. 12 Ms. agle. 13 Ms. clanbuco. The king of Aceh receives Dutch guests. From Theodore de Bry, Icones seu Gennuinae et Expressae Delineationes Omnium Memorabilium (Images or Authentic and Accurate Depiction of All Memorable Events), Frankfurt am Main, 1607. (Leiden, Bibliotheca Thysiana, THYS 874, pl. 10). 22-23 MJdC.indd 222 10/24/13 5:28:06 PM 223 Memorials of Jacques de Coutre to the Crown and Viceroy: Memorial II Hand-coloured city plan of Melaka by João Albarnaz I, Plantas das Cidades, e Fortalezas da Conquista de Índia Oriental (Maps of the Cities and Fortresses of the Conquest of the East Indies), c.1648 (Munich, BSB, Cod. Icon. 162, pl. 16, fol. 37). used to bring a lot of gold, all of it to be used in exchange for textiles. Other junks used to come from the kingdom of Jambi, and from that of Indragiri, and from that of Siak, and from that of Kampar, and from that of Perak, and from that of Kedah. These used to bring pepper, tin14 and gold, to be used [to trade] for textiles. Furthermore 35 or 40 ships used to come to Melaka from Goa, from Chaul, from Cochin, from Nagapattinam, from Mylapur, and from the entire Coromandel Coast, and from the kingdom of Bengal, and from the kingdom of Pegu. These ships used to come laden with textiles from Cambay15 and from Sindh;16 and other ships [used to come laden with] textiles from the Coromandel Coast, and others would come laden with textiles and colchas,17 [and] marquees18 made of [colcha] de montaria. 14 Ms. calayn. 15 Ms. Cambaya. 16 Ms. Sinde. See the list of place names (Sinde). 17 A fine cotton piece. See also the glossary (colcha). 18 Ms. here and subsequently: pavellones. 22-23 MJdC.indd 223 10/24/13 5:28:10 PM The Memoirs and Memorials of Jacques de Coutre 224 From the kingdom of Bengal and from that of Pegu they used to bring a lot of lac, beeswax, and many provisions, and many precious stones such as rubies and sapphires. The ships that used to come from Goa and other lands used to bring a lot of wheat, wine, olive oil, [and] butter; which the city of Melaka does not have. Four more ships used...