Tonquin

Sources from old books

1694. The present state of the universe by John Beaumont.

TONQUIN. (Book Tonquin)

I. THE present King of Tonquin is about fifty five years of Age.

II. He is a Pagan; and when a King is there newly elected, the number of Beasts, sent to be Sacrifis'd in the Temples of their false Gods is said to be one hundred thousand.

III. The Capital City is Checo. Tonquin is judg'd almost in equal extent with France. The Tonquineses say that the whole Kingdom contains above twenty thousand Cities and Towns; and many more there would be, but that many of the people choose rather to live on the Water, than on the Land, so that the greatest part of their Rivers is cover'd with Boats, which serve them instead of Houses.

IV. The chief Riches of Tonquin, which yield a great Revenue to the King, consists in the great quantities of Silks, which are there worn by Rich and Poor; and in their Musk and Lignum Aloes, of which there is some worth one thousand Crowns the pound, according to its goodness and oiliness, tho there is some not worth above 3 l. it being dry.

The Names and Ages of some other East-India Princes.

THE old Sultan of Bantam, nam'd Abdul Fete, if now living, is about sixty years of Age. His Son, Sultan, Annum-Cassar, Abdull-Massar is aged thirty seven years.

Sasnum, Emperour of Java, vulgarly call'd the Mandarin, is aged about forty years.

Sultan, Annum-Abdull-Negara, King of Jambee is aged about forty five years.

Sultan, Rutterro, King of Cherriboam, aged about thirty nine years.

Sultan, Adisbull-Abdull-Isphew, King of Macasser, aged about forty four years.

Raja Pallacca, King of the Buggesses, the High Land of Macasser, aged about fifty seven years.

The King of Ceilon, now about eighty six years of Age.