Part 16

IN this countrey there is one strange thing to be observed, y^t euery several kind of fishes in those seas come swimming towards the said countrey in such abundance, that, for a great distance into the sea, nothing can be seene but the backes of fishes: _which casting themselues upon the shore when they come neere unto it, do suffer men, for the space of 3 daies to come & take as many of them as they please, & then they return again to the sea. After that kind of fishes comes another kind, offering itselfe after the same maner, & so in like sort all other kinds whatsoever: notwithstanding they do this but once in a year. And I demaunded of the inhabitants there how, or by what meanes this strange accident could come to passe: They answered, that fishes were taught, even by nature to come and do homage unto their Emperour._ There be Tortoises also as bigge as an oven. Many other things I saw which are incredible, unlesse a man should see them with his own eies. In this countrey also dead men are burned, & their wives are burned aliue with them, as in the city of Polumbrum aboue mentioned: for the men of that countrey say that she goeth to accompany him in another world, that he should take none other wife in mariage. Moreouer I traveled on further by the ocean-sea towards the South, & passed through many countries and islands, whereof one is called Moumoran, & it containeth in compasse ii. M miles, wherein men & women haue dogs faces, and worship an oxe for their god: and therefore euery one of them cary the image of an oxe of gold or silver upon their foreheads. The men & women of this country go all naked, saving that they hang a linen cloth round their loins. The men of the said country are very tall and mighty, and by reason that they goe naked, when they are to make battell, they cary yron or steele-targets before them, which do cover and defend their bodies from top to toe: and whomsoever of their foes they take in battel not being able to ransome himselfe for money, they presently devoure him: but if he be able to redeeme himselfe for money, they let him go free. Their king weareth about his necke 300 great & most beautiful unions,[1] and saith euery day 300 prayers unto his god. He weareth upon his finger also a stone of a span long, which seemeth to be a flame of fire, and therefore when he weareth it, no man dare approach unto him: and they say that there is not any stone in the whole world of more value than it. Neither could at any time the great Tartarian Emperour of Katay either by force, money, or policie obtain it at his hands, notwithstanding that he hath done the utmost of his indeavour for this purpose.

[Footnote 1: Large and fine pearls.]

_Of the Island of Sylan: and of the mountaine where Adam mourned for his sonne Abel._

I PASSED by also another island called Sylan,[1] which conteineth in compasse aboue ii M miles, wherin are an infinit number of serpents, & great store of lions, beares, & al kinds of ravening & wild beasts, and especially of elephants. In the said countrey there is an huge mountaine, whereupon the inhabitants of that region do report that Adam mourned for his son Abel y^e space of 500 yeres. In the midst of this mountaine there is a most beautiful plain, wherin is a litle lake conteining great plenty of water, which water y^e inhabitants report to haue proceeded from the teares of Adam & Eve: howbeit I proved that to be false, because I saw the water flow in the lake. This water is ful of hors-leeches, & blood suckers, & of precious stones also, which precious stones the king taketh not unto his owne use, but once or twise euery yere he permitteth certaine poore people to diue under water for ye said stones & al that they may get he bestoweth upon them, to the end that they may pray for his soule. But y^t they may with less danger dive under water, they take limons[2] which they pil,[3] anointing themselves with the juice thereof, & so they may diue naked under y^e water, the hors-leeches not being able to hurt them. From this lake the water runneth even unto the sea, and at a low ebbe the inhabitants dig rubies, diamonds & perles, and other precious stones out of the shore: wherupon it is thought, that ye king of this island hath greater abundance of pretious stones, then any other monarch in the whole earth besides. In the said countrey there be all kinds of beastes and foules: & the people told me, that those beasts would not invade nor hurt any stranger but only the natural inhabitants.

_I saw in this island fouls as big as our countrey geese, having two heads, and other miraculous things, which I will not here write off. Traveling on further South, I arrived at a certaine island called Bodin,[4] which signifieth in our language unclean. In this island there do inhabit most wicked persons, who devour & eate rawe flesh, committing all kinds of uncleannes & abominations in such sort, as it is incredible. For the father eateth his son, & the son his father, the husband his owne wife & the wife her husband: & that after this maner. If any mans father be sick, the son straight goes unto the sooth-saying or prognosticating priest, requesting him to demand of his god, whether his father shall recover from his infirmity or no; Then both of them go unto an idol of gold or silver, making their prayers unto it in maner folowing: Lord, thou art our god, & thee we do adore, beseeching thee to resolve us, whether such a man must die, or recover of such an infirmity or no: Then the divel answereth out of y^e aforesaide idol: if he saieth (he shal liue) then returneth his son and ministreth things necessary unto him til he hath attained unto his former health: but if he saith (he shall die) then goes y^e priest unto him, & putting a cloth into his mouth doth strangle him therewith: which being done, he cuts his dead body into morsels, & al his friends and kinsfolk are invited unto the eating thereof, with musique & all kinde of mirth: howbeit his bones are solemnely buried._ And when I found fault with that custome demanding a reason thereof, one of them gaue me this answere; this we doe lest the wormes should eat his flesh, for then his soule should suffer great torments, neither could I by any meanes remoove them from that errour. Many other novelties and strange things there bee in this countrey, which no man would credite, unles he saw them with his owne eyes. Howbeit, I (before almighty God) do here make relation of nothing but of that onely, whereof I am as sure, as a man may be sure. Concerning the foresaid islands, I enquired of divers wel-experienced persons, who al of them, as it were with one consent, answered me saying, that this India contained 4400 islands under it, or within it, in which islands there are sixty and foure crowned kings: and they say moreouer, that the greater part of those islands are wel inhabited. And here I conclude concerning that part of India.

[Footnote 1: Ceylon.]

[Footnote 2: Lemons.]

[Footnote 3: Peel.]

[Footnote 4: Or Dadin.]

_Of the upper India: and of the province of Mancy._[1]

FIRST of al therefore, having traveled many dayes journey upon the Ocean-sea towards the East, at length I arrived at a certaine great province called Mancy, being in Latine named India. Concerning this India I inquired of Christians, of Saracens, & of Idolaters, and of al such as bare an office under the great Can; who all of them with one consent answered, that this province of Mancy hath mo then 2000 great cities within the precincts thereof & that it aboundeth with all plenty of victuals, as namely with bread, wine, rise, flesh, and fish. All the men of this province be artificers & marchants, who, though they be in never so extreme penurie, so long as they can help themselues by the labor of their handes, will neuer beg almes of any man. The men of this province are of a faire and comely personage, but somewhat pale, having their heads shaven but a little, but the women are the most beautiful under the sunne. The first city of the said India which I came unto, is called Ceuskalon, which being a daies journey distant from the sea, stands upon a river, the water whereof, nere unto the mouth, where it exonerateth it selfe into the sea, doth overflow the land for the space of 12 daies journey. All the inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols. The foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge navy belonging thereunto, that no man would beleeve it unlesse he should see it. In this city I saw 300 li of good and new ginger sold for lesse than a groat. There are the greatest, and the fairest geese, & most plenty of them to be sold in al the world, as I suppose: they are as white as milke, & haue a bone upon the crowne of their heads, as bigge as an egge, being of the colour of blood: under the throat they haue a skin or bag hanging down halfe a foot. They are exceeding fat and wel sold. Also they haue ducks and hens in that countrey, one as big as two of ours. There be monstrous great serpents likewise, which are taken by the inhabitants & eaten; whereupon a solemne feast among them without serpents is not set by.

And to be briefe, in this city there are al kinds of victuals in great abundance. From thence I passed by many cities & at length I came unto a citie named Caitan,[2] wherein ye friers Minorites haue two places of abode, unto which I transported the bones of the dead friers, which suffered martyrdom for the faith of Christ, as it is aboue mentioned. In this citie there is abundance of al kind of victuals very cheap. The said city is as big as two of Bononia,[3] & in it are many monasteries of religious persons, al which do worship idols.

I myselfe was in one of those monasteries, & it was told me, that there were in it III M religious men, having XI M idols; and one of y^e said idols which seemed unto me but litle in regard of the rest, was as big as our Christopher. These religious men euery day do feed their idol-gods: wherupon at a certaine time I went to behold the banquet: and indeed those things which they brought unto them were good to eate, & fuming hote insomuch that the steam of the smoke thereof ascended up unto their idols, and they said that their gods were refreshed with the smoke: howbeit all the meat they conveyed away, eating it up their owne selves, and so they fed their dumb gods with the smoke only.

[Footnote 1: Or China.]

[Footnote 2: Thsiuanchau or Chiuchau, the great mediæval port of China.]

[Footnote 3: Bologna.]

_Of the citie of Fuco._

TRAVELING more eastward, I came unto a city named Fuco,[1] which containeth 30 miles in circuit, wherein be exceeding great & faire cocks, _and al their hens are as white as the very snow, having wool in stead of feathers, like unto sheep_. It is a most stately & beautiful city & standeth up the sea. Then I went 18 daies journey on further, & passed by many provinces & cities, and in the way I went over a certain great mountaine, upon ye one side whereof I beheld al living creatures to be as black as a cole, & the men and women on that side differed somewhat in maner of living from others; howbeit, on the other side of the said hil every living thing was snow-white & the inhabitants in their maner of living, were altogether unlike unto others. There, al maried women cary in token that they haue husbands, a great trunk of horne upon their heads. From thence I traveled 18 dayes journey further and came unto a certaine great river, and entered also into a city, whereunto belongeth a mighty bridge to passe the said river. And mine hoste with whom I sojourned, being desirous to show me some sport, said unto me, Sir, if you will see any fish taken, goe with me. Then hee led me unto the foresaid bridge, carrying in his armes certain dive-doppers[2] or water-foules, bound unto a company of poles, and about every one of their necks he tied a thread, lest they should eat the fish as fast as they took them: and he carried three great baskets with him also; then loosed he the dive-doppers from the poles, which presently went into the water, & within lesse then the space of one houre, caught as many fishes as filled the 3 baskets: which being full, mine hoste untied the threeds from about their neckes, and entering a second time into the river they fed themselves with fish, and being satisfied they returned and suffered themselves to be bound unto the said poles as they were before. And when I did eate of those fishes, we thought they were exceeding good. Travailing thence many dayes journeys, at length I arrived at another city called Canasia,[3] which signifieth in our language, the city of heaven. Never in all my life did I see so great a city: for it containeth in circuit an hundreth miles; neither sawe I any plot thereof, which was not throughly inhabited: yea, I sawe many houses of tenne or twelve stories high, one aboue the other. It hath mightie large suburbs containing more people then the citie it selfe. Also it hath twelue principall gates: and about the distance of 8 miles, in the high way unto euery one of the saide gates standeth a city as big by estimation as Venice, and Padua. The aforesaide city of Canasia is situated in waters or marshes, which always stand still, neither ebbing nor flowing: howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like unto Venice. In this citie there are mo than 10002 bridges, many whereof I numbered and passed over them: and upon every of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the citie, keeping continuall ward and watch about the saide citie, the great Can the Emperour of Catay. The people of this countrey say, that they haue one duetie injoyned unto them by their lord: for euery fire payeth one Balis in regard of tribute: and a Balis is five papers or pieces of silk, which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine. Tenne or twelue housholds are accompted for one fire, and so pay tribute but for one fire only. Al those tributary fires amount unto the number of 85 Thuman, with other foure Thuman of the Saracens, which make 89 in al: And one Thuman consisteth of 10000 fires. The residue of the people of the city are some of them Christians, some marchants, and some traveilers through the countrey. Whereupon I marveiled much how such an infinite number of persons could inhabite and liue together. There is great aboundance of victuals in this city, as namely of bread and wine, and especially of hogs-flesh with other necessaries.

[Footnote 1: Probably Fuchau in Fokieu.]

[Footnote 2: Cormorants.]

[Footnote 3: Now Hangchau.]

_Of a Monastery where many strange beastes of divers kindes doe live upon an hill._

IN the foresaide citie foure of our friers had converted a mighty and rich man unto the faith of Christ, at whose house I continually abode, for so long time as I remained in the citie, Who upon a certain time said unto me: Ara, that is to say, Father, will you go and behoulde the citie? And I said, yea. Then embarked we ourselves, and directed our course unto a certaine great Monastery: where being arrived, he called a religious person with whom he was acquainted, saying unto him concerning me: this Raban Francus, that is to say, this religious Frenchman commeth from the Westerne parts of the world and therefore you must show him some rare things, that when he returnes into his owne countrey, he may say, this strange sight or novelty haue I seene in the citie of Canasia. Then the said religious man tooke two greate baskets full of broken reliques which remained of the table, & led me unto a little walled parke, the doore whereof he unlocked with his key, and there appeared unto us a pleasant faire green plot, into the which we entred. In the said greene stands a litle mount in forme of a steeple, replenished with fragrant herbes, and fine shady trees. And while we stood there, he tooke a cymbal or bell, and rang therewith, as they used to ring to dinner or bevoir in cloisters, at the sound whereof many creatures of divers kindes came downe from the mount, some like apes, some like cats, some like monkeys, and some having faces like men. And while I stood beholding of them, they gathered themselves together about him, to the number of 4200 of those creatures, putting themselues in good order, before whom he set a platter, and gaue them the saide fragments to eate. And when they had eaten he rang upon his cymbal the second time, and they all returned unto their former places. Then, wondring greatly at the matter, I demanded what kind of creatures those might be? They are (quoth he) the Soules of noble men which we do here feed, for the love of God who governeth the world: and as a man was honorable or noble in this life, so his soule after death, entreth into the body of some excellent beast or other, but the soules of simple and rusticall people do possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creatures. Then I began to refute that foule error: howbeit my speech did nothing at all to prevaile with him, for hee could not be perswaded that any soule might remaine without a body. From thence I departed unto a certaine citie named Chilenso, the walls whereof contained 40 miles in circuit. In this citie there are 360 bridges of stone, the fairest that euer I saw, and it is wel inhabited, having a great navie belonging thereunto, & abounding with all kinds of victuals and other commodities. And thence I went unto a certaine river called Thalay which where it is most narrow, is 7 miles broad: and it runneth through the midst of the land of the Pygm[oe]i whose chiefe city is called Cakam, and is one of the goodliest cities in the world. These Pygm[oe]ans are three of my spans high, and they make larger and better cloth of cotton and silke, then any other nation under the sunne. And coasting along by the said river, I came unto a certaine city named Janzu, in which citie there is one receptacle for the Friers of our order, and there be also three Churches of the Nestorians. This Janzu is a noble and great citie, containing 48 Thumans of tributarie fires, and in it are all kindes of victuals, and great plenty of such beastes, foules, and fishes, as Christians doe usually liue upon. The lord of the same citie hath in yeerely revenues for salt onely, fiftie Thuman of Balis, & one balis is worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne: insomuch that one Thuman of balis amounteth unto the value of 15000 florens. Howbeit the sayd lord, favoureth his people in one respect, for sometimes he forgiveth them frely 200 Thuman, lest there should be any scarcity or dearth among them. There is a custome in this citie, that when any man is determined to banquet his friends, going about unto certaine tavernes or cookes houses appointed for the same purpose, he sayth unto euery particular hoste, you shall haue such and such of my friends, whom you must entertain in my name, and so much I will bestowe upon the banquet. And by that means his friendes are better feasted at diverse places, then they should haue beene at one. Tenne miles from the sayde citie, about the head of the foresayd river of Thalay, there is a certaine other citie called Montu, which hath the greatest navy that I saw in the whole world. All their ships are as white as snow, & they haue banquetting houses in them, and many other rare things also, which no man would beleeve unlesse he had seene them with his owne eyes.

_Of the citie of Cambaleth._

TRAVELING eight dayes journey further by divers territories and cities, at length I came by fresh water unto a certaine citie named Leucyn, standing upon a river of Karavoran[1] which runneth through the midst of Cataie, and doeth great harme in the countrey when it overfloweth the bankes, or breaketh foorth of the chanell. From thence passing along the river Eastward, after many dayes travell, and the sight of divers cities, I arrived at a citie called Sumakoto,[2] which aboundeth more with silke then any other citie in the worlde: for when there is a great scarcity of silke, fortie pound is solde for lesse then eight groates. In this citie there is abundance of all merchandize, and all kinds of victuals also, as of bread, wine, flesh, fish, with all choise and delicate spices. Then travelling on still towards the East by many cities, I came unto the noble and renowned citie of Cambaleth, which is of great antiquitie, being situate in the province of Cataie. This citie the Tartars tooke, & neere unto it within the space of halfe a mile, they built another citie called Caido. The citie of Caido hath twelve gates, being each of them two miles distant from another. Also the space lying in the midst betweene the two foresayde cities is very well and thoroughly inhabited, so that they make as it were but one citie betweene them both. The whole compasse or circuit of both cities together is 40 miles. In this citie the great emperour Can hath his principall seat, and his Imperiall palace, the wals of which palace containe foure miles in circuit: and neere unto this his palace are many other palaces and houses of his nobility which belong unto his court. Within the precincts of the said palace Imperiall, there is a most beautifull mount, set and replenished with trees, for which cause it is called the Greene mount, having a most royall and sumptuous palace standing thereupon, in which, for the most part, the great Can is resident. Upon the one side of the sayde mount there is a great lake, whereupon a most stately bridge is built, in which lake a great abundance of geese, ducks, & all kinds of water foules, and in the wood growing upon the mount, there is a great store of all birdes and wilde beastes. And therefore when the great Can will solace himselfe with hunting or hauking, he needs not so much as once to step forth of his palace. Moreover, the principall palace, wherein he maketh his abode, is very large, having within it 14 pillers of golde, and all the walles thereof are hanged with red skinnes, which are said to be the most costly skinnes in all the world. In the midst of the palace stands a cisterne of two yards high, which consisteth of a precious stone called Merdochas, and is wreathed about with golde, & at ech corner thereof is the golden image of a serpent, as it were furiously shaking and casting forth his head. This cisterne also hath a kinde of network of pearle wrought about it. Likewise by the sayd cisterne there is drinke conveyed thorow certaine pipes and conducts such as useth to be drunke in the emperours court, upon the which also there hang many vessels of golde, wherein whosoever will may drinke of the said licour. In the foresayd palace there are many peacockes of golde: & when any Tartar maketh a banquet unto his lorde, if the guests chance to clap their hands for joy and mirth the said golden peacocks also will spread their wings abroad, and lift up their traines, seeming as if they danced, and this I suppose to be done by arte magicke or by some secret engine under the grounde.

[Footnote 1: Karamoron.]

[Footnote 2: Sumacoto.]

_Of the glory and magnificence of the great Can._