of Ceilon, with the Isles of Nicubar and Gomes Polo lying within two
leagues of the rich Island Sumatra, and those of Pulo Pinaom, with the
maine land of Iuncalaon and the streight of Malacca. I haue likewise added
a late intercepted letter of a Portugall reuealing the secret and most
gainefull trade of Pegu, which is also confirmed by Cesar Fredericke a
Venetian, and M. Ralph Fitch now liuing here in London.

And because our chiefe desire is to find out ample vent of our wollen
cloth, the naturall commoditie of this our Realme, the fittest places,
which in al my readings and obseruations I find for that purpose, are the
manifold Islands of Iapan, and the Northern parts of China, and the regions
of the Tartars next adioyning (whereof I read, that the countrey in winter
is Assi fria como Flandes, that is to say, as cold as Flanders, and that
the riuers be strongly ouer frozen) and therefore I haue here inserted two
speciall Treatises of the sayd Countries, the last discourse I hold to be
the most exact of those parts that is yet come to light, which was printed
in Lantine in Macao a citie of China, in China paper, in the yeere a
thousand fiue hundred and ninetie, and was intercepted in the great Carack
called Madre de Dios two yeeres after, inclosed in a case of sweete Cedar
wood, and lapped vp almost an hundred fold in fine Calicut cloth, as though
it had bene some incomparable iewel.

But leauing abruptly this discourse, I thinke it not impertinent, before I
make an end, to deliuer some of the reasons, that moued me to present this
part of my trauailes vnto your Honour. The reuerend antiquitie in the
dedication of their workes made choyse of such patrons, as eyther with
their reputation and credits were able to countenance the same, or by their
wisedome and vnderstanding were able to censure and approue them, or with
their abilitie were likely to stand them or theirs in steade in the
ordinarie necessities and accidents of their life. Touching the first, your