Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Kingdoms, Vol. 21

The Raja original: 喇亞 (lǎyà); a transcription used here to refer to the King of Portugal governs the realm. Under his authority, civil officials are divided into five ranks, while military officials are organized into nine ranks.

Regarding the local headmen original: 土官 (tǔguān); local leaders or indigenous officials appointed by a central authority to manage local affairs who guard the various overseas ports and settlements under their jurisdiction: these are selected from the wealthy families who have settled in those locations. These local officials are also divided into four ranks:
1. One oversees general civilian affairs.
2. One mediates disputes and conflicts among the people.
3. One manages the collection of grain taxes.
4. One supervises the arrival and departure of ships.

Each year, the home country dispatches one civil official and one military official to these locations to exercise governance. In larger territories, three or four officials may be dispatched. For any major matter, these six individuals referring to the two dispatched officials and the four local headmen must deliberate together to reach a decision.

If the dispatched officials have not brought their families wives and children with them, they must wait for the four local headmen to deliberate thoroughly to ensure that any action aligns with local sentiment and customs before it can be implemented. In such cases, the dispatched officials are not permitted to act on their own authority. However, if the officials have brought their families to reside there, then the plans of the dispatched officials are followed. The local headmen usually do not dispute these decisions, stating that they now share a common destiny original: 患難相共 (huànnàn xiānggòng); literally "sharing hardships and disasters," implying that officials with families are more committed to the long-term stability of the colony.

The men wear short jackets and narrow trousers that fit tightly to the body. On formal occasions, they add an outer garment that is short in front and long in back, resembling the wings of a cicada this likely describes the European tailcoat or a similar formal doublet of the era. High-ranking officials have a gourd-shaped decoration original: 壺蘆形 (húlu xíng); likely referring to ornate epaulettes or shoulder knots on military and diplomatic uniforms attached to both shoulders; those made of gold indicate the highest rank, while silver is the next rank down. Their hats...