Trade, the Sea Prohibition and the “Folangji” 131
present that they sent by night as instructed, and from this point goods
began to come to them. The trade was conducted in this manner during
1548.^149 This account substantiates the accusations made in the verdict of
the inquest concerning corruption and cover-ups by the military ofβicers.
Cruz’s account provides another fascinating piece of information. It
concerns the manner of delivering the captives to the provincial high
authorities, and the motive behind the executions. Cruz suggests that
“the chief captain” of the China armada “laboured to persuade four ...
[Portuguese] who had more appearance in their persons than the rest,
that they should say that they were Kings of Malacca”. They were also
told to dress up as such with gowns and caps tailored according to his
instructions. Zhu Wan also mentions the capture of three “Folangji
kings”.^150 Cruz thought that the captain acted out of vainglory and
covetousness, wanting to make a great display of the Portuguese captives
to show that he had achieved a glorious triumph over the foreign
chieftains. At the same time, he was intending to help himself to the goods
taken from the two junks. To keep the truth secret, he executed potential
eyewitnesses, among whom were some small boys. Three or four youths
and one man were spared so that they could attest to the royal identities
of the Portuguese and aver that they were pirates.^151 The matter came
to the ears of the “Aitao” (Coastal Surveillance Vice-Commissioner) who
“reproved him [the Chief Captain] severely”, but lost no time entering
into an agreement “to divide the goods between them” and “to keep this
[plan] in secret”.^152
Although the two personalities, “the Chief Captain, who is the
Luthissi”, and “Aitao”, are not clearly identiβiable from Cruz’s accounts,
C.R. Boxer has made an informed guess that the former was Lu Tang and
the latter Ke Qiao. Nevertheless, the title “Anti-Japanese Pirates Military
Commander” (beiwo duzhihui) that he gives to Lu Tang is inaccurate.^153 Lu
Tang’s position at this time was actually Assistant Military Commissioner
of Fujian (rank 3a).^154 This could be the reason he was addressed as
“Luthissi”, a corrupt form of the Chinese term Lu dusi. Although Cruz
149. Cruz, “Treatise”, p. 193.
150. MSL: SZ, 350: la‒lb.
151. Cruz, “Treatise”, pp. 195‒7.
152. Ibid., pp. 196‒7.
153. Ibid., pp. 195fn2, 196fnl. Li Xiu was the beiwo 備倭 at this time. See MJSWB,
205/l: 4a; and Chouhai tubian, in SKQS, 4: 20b, Vol. 584, p. 104.
154. The Chinese title was Fujian duzhihui qianshi 福建都指挥僉事，often simpliβied
as dusi 都司. He was appointed to this position on Zhu Wan’s recommendation.
See Ming shi, juan 212 , “Lu Tang”, p. 5608; and juan 76, “zhiguan 職官 (Ofβices),
5", p. 1872.