Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, Volume 38

They send one ship there annually. If major affairs arise, they are reported through the chieftain of the Little Western Ocean original: 小西洋 (Xiǎo Xīyáng); referring to Goa in India, which served as the administrative capital for Portuguese territories in Asia, as the local authorities cannot communicate directly with the King.

There is an island called Timor also written as Diwen or Dipan located in the South Seas. The land is small and the environment is harsh and toxic; the inhabitants are dark-skinned and have no sovereign ruler. The Portuguese original: 大西洋 (Dà Xīyáng), literally "Great Western Ocean" and the Dutch original: 紅毛 (Hóngmáo), literally "Red-Hairs," a common Chinese term for the Dutch at the time have divided and occupied this territory. A military governor is stationed there, with the post being rotated every three years. These officials are dispatched from the Little Western Ocean, passing through Macau before reaching Timor. Every year, one ship is also sent from Macau to this island. Those among the foreigners of Macau who commit crimes not punishable by death are exiled there to serve as border guards; they remain there for the rest of their lives, and not a single soul has ever returned.

The place where they conduct trade is called Ma-xi likely referring to Banjarmasin in Borneo or a similar port in the Indonesian archipelago. They had an agreement with the locals that they must not trade their local products with other nations. However, during the Kangxi reign 1662–1722, Ma-xi broke this treaty and secretly traded with other countries. Enraged, the Macau foreigners sailed their ships to the country involved in the trade to demand accountability. Ma-xi grew resentful, leading to mutual hostilities and killings in which over three hundred people died. Consequently, the trade route was severed.

Nowadays, the places they trade with include Cosoda Island likely Flores or a neighboring island in the Lesser Sunda chain, Batavia original: 葛羅巴 (Gěluóbā); the administrative center of the Dutch East Indies, now Jakarta, and Luzon the Philippines. Regarding all these destination countries, the sea routes...