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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	city_n	great_a	plenty_n	1,450	5	9.5854	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07873	A treatyse of the newe India with other new founde landes and islandes, aswell eastwarde as westwarde, as they are knowen and found in these oure dayes, after the description of Sebastian Munster in his boke of universall cosmographie: wherin the diligent reader may see the good successe and rewarde of noble and honeste enterpryses, by the which not only worldly ryches are obtayned, but also God is glorified, [and] the Christian faythe enlarged. Translated out of Latin into Englishe. By Rycharde Eden.; Cosmographia. English. Abridgments	Münster, Sebastian, 1489-1552.; Eden, Richard, 1521?-1576.	1553 (1553)	STC 18244; ESTC S101322	70,126	212

laid on a great fyre and the asshes therof reserued in erthen pottes putting thereto a porcion of salte petre and buryinge the same in theyr owne houses While the bodies are burning they cast into the fyre al kyndes of swete sauouring gummes and spices as Aloe Frankencense Myrre Storax Coralle sandalles and suche other innumerable In the meane tyme blowing trūpets shawmes after the maner of thē which amōge the gentiles were canonized into y e numbre of the goddes And within xv dayes after y e husbandes death the wyfe calleth to her all her kinsfolkes bidding them to a banket fo being decked with al her iewels she procedeth with thē to the place where her husbande was buried where a graue is redye digged for her inclosed about with silkē cloth hauinge in it a fyre made of sweete wood When the woman hath thus feasted her kynsfolkes she eateth much of the herbe called Betola wherby she is driuen into a madnes In thys meane whyle innumerable trūpetters wearing such vestures as they vse in the deuyls seruice go as it were on procession aboute the graue while the womā runneth vp and down daunsing cōtinually like a frantike bodie And thus whē the ceremonies are fynished she casteth her selfe headlong into the fyre and graue and that with no lesse cherefulnes thē yf she should be receaued into heauen And vnlesse the womā shoulde performe thys custome she should incurre most vyle infamie be a mocking stocke to all her naciō as one that loued not her husband But the cōmon people vse not thys custome but only the rulers princes And therfore the king him selfe is often tymes presente at these solemnities ¶ Of the kingdoms and cities of Pego and Bangella FRom the cytie of Iarnasseri to the cytie of Bangalla is .xi. dayes saylinge This cytie hath a kynge and the countrey is very fruyteful with great plentie of wheat fleshe suger ginger and gossampine cotton and hath therfore very rich marchātes There yearely passeth from this citie fyftie shyppes frayghted wyth gossampine cottō and silke clothes which are caried from thence to the Turkes Syrians Arabians Persians Ethiopians Indians Here are also founde certayne Christian merchaunt men which come out of Thempire of the great Cham of Cathay bringing with them Aloe Castoreū and the swete gūme called Laserpitium with other swete sauours In this cytie the men spinne and carde and make clothe and not the womenne From this cytie Eastwarde is another great citie called Pego beyng situate by a verye fayre ryuer The Kinge of thys cytie is an Idolater and hathe innumerable menne of worre both horsemenne and footemenne The soyle beareth wheate plentifullye and bringeth foorth in maner all kyndes of beastes hath therfore great abundaunce of fleshe Yet are there but fewe Elephants But of other beastes and foules greate plentie as is at Calicut speciallye of popingiayes whiche are of louder voice thē in any other place There is little trafficque or marchaundise in this region except iewels precious stones and speciallye Rubies called Pyropi whiche are broughte thether from the cytie of Capelan These precious stones shyne so brighte in the darke nyghte as thoughe it were the sonne beames The countrey adioyning bringeth forth Lacha Sandalum called saunders Also brasile gossampine cotton and sylke Frō Pego to the cytie of Malaccha whiche some call Melaqua is eyghe● dayes saylinge where on the other syde is sene a great Iland called Sumatra otherwise Samotra was in time paste called Taprobana This Malaccha hath a goodly cōmodious hauen by reasō wherof moe shippes arriue there then in any other place bringinge with them spyces and other marchaundise in great abundance The region is not generally fruytful yet hath it wheat and f●eshe but greate scarcenesse of wood The soules wander in the feldes as they doe in the region of Calicut But the popingiayes are here much fayrer It bringeth foorth also spices saunders tinne elephātes horses shepe wilde oxē pecockes and such other kyndes of beastes It is not lawfull there to bye and sell● except you bye spices and sylke It is also there very daungerous to walke in the citie in the nighte season beecause of the theft cruelnes of the inhabitātes which kil one another like dogges And therfore the marchaund straūgers lodge not out of their shippes How the Portugales subdued Malaccha shalbe said hereafter in the descripcion of the newe Ilandes ¶ Of the greate and ryche Ilande of Sumatra or Samotra sometyme called Tabrobana SOme thinke this Sumatra to be that Iland which of the old writers is called Tabrobana It is verye great and riche and hath in it foure Kinges crowned with Diademes They are Idolaters in religion maner of lyuinge and apparell not muche vnlyke the Kinge of Tarnasseri They exceade all other men in bignesse of bodie They haue greye or blewe eyes and are of cruell countenaunce and terrible voyce They are long lyued and lyue euen vntyl an hundreth yeares of age The sea in certaine chanels is of such heigth and depth that no anker may come to the bottome therof The inhabitantes are great fyshers on the sea and haue great pleasure to take the shelle fysshe called the Tortoyse of the sea of whiche some are of suche houdge bignes that the shelle of one of them may suffise to make a house well able to receaue a hole famelie For some of them beare shelles of xv cubites in length and are therefore apt for that purpose The most part of this Ilande is burnte with heate and hath in it many desolate places and wildernesses There are founde many and greate Pearles For theyr money they vse coyned golde syluer and tynne The goldē coyne hath on the one syde a deuils head grauen and on the othersyde a chariot which Elephantes draw This region bringeth foorth more plentie of Elephantes of greater stature a better broede then are found in any other place In the sea about this Ilande are often tymes sene the great monstrous fysshes kynde of Whales called Balene which bring many incōmodities to the inhabitantes They are of such monstrous bignes that when they approche to the Sea bankes they seeme lyke vnto hylles they haue rough backes full of sharpe prickes And except men walke very warely by the sea bankes they are in daūger to be sodeynly swalowed vp of these monsters Some of thē haue so greate and wyde mouthes that they sometymes swallowe whole shippes with the mē This coūtrey bringeth foorthe Lacha Lacca or Lacta which steyneth silke cloth in high redde or crimison coloure It is engendred in a tree not much vnlyke vnto our walnut trees Ther is also great plēty of pepper higher thē is founde in other places In ●heir mother tōge pepper is called Molaga It is solde there by measure as wheat is with

Ilandes the sodeyn straungenes or greatnes of the thing shal not so much amase thy wittes and gender in thee incrudelitie yf thou cōsider the saying of wyse Salomon who affyrmeth y t there is no new thing vnder the Sunne that the thing that hath been cometh to passe again which saying doeth greatly cōfyrme the trueth of such thinges as are spoken of in this Boke wheras the same perhappes to some mē might otherwyse seme in maner incredible yf the lyke had not been sene in ●yme paste approued by auctoritie of moste holy scripture which declaring the great wysdō ryches noble viages of King Salomō sayth that God gaue him wisdō and vnderstāding exceding muche and a large heart and that he prepared a nauie of shippes in the porte of Azion Gaber by the brinke of the redde sea which sayled to Ophir brought frō thence .xxi. score hundreth whiche is xl● M. weyght of golde Agay●e that the weyghte of golde which was broughte to Salomon in one yere was .vi. hūdreth thre score .vi. talētes of gold wheras the Hebrue talente called Talente Haebraicū sanctuarii was of our st●rling money 500. pounde Talent Haebrai●um uulgare was halfe so much Lykewyse y t si●uer was nothing worth in the dayes of Salomō and y t he made siluer gold in Hierusalē as plētiou● as stones Agay● that he ouerlayd the house of the Lord with precious stones beauti●ully and the gold wherwith he couered it was golde of Paruaim Also that the kinges nauie of shippes wēt once in thre yere to Tharsis and brought Gold Siluer Apes● Peacockes and Elephantes teeth Which wordes surely seme so to confirme such thinges as are spoken of in the nauigacions wherof this boke entreateth that nothinge can make more for the truth of the same and briefely to speake of the places whether Salomons shippes sayled for Gold as Tharsis and Ophir This ought to be cōsydered for a general rule that nearest vnto the south partes of the world betwene the two Tropikes vnder y e Equinoctial or burning lyne where the sunne is of greatest forse is the chiefest place where gold is engendred although it be sometymes founde in colde regiōs as in Scotland in Crayford more likewyse in H●ngary yet nether pure of it self nor in great quātitie the reason whereof is largely declared in the ●ookes of George Agric Albertus Magnus And wheras it is written in y e ●oke of Kinges in the Actes of Salomon that he prepared his shippes in Azion Gaber beyng by the brinke of the readde s●a and sayled from thence to Ophir for Golde it is apparaunt that howsoeuer the names of thinges haue altered and perisshed in tyme he sayled from thence southwarde towarde the Equinoctial lyne for asmuche as there is none other passage oute of the narownesse of the readde sea but onely into the mayne South sea by the which the Portugales euen at this daye make theyr viage to Calicut Samo●ra Madagascar and such other Ilandes in the South east partes of the worlde where Golde Spyces Apes and Elephantes are nowe founde in lyke maner But as for Tharsis bey●ge a cytye of Cilicia in Asia the l●sse the na●iue countreye of S. Paule the Apostle and situa●e muche more toward the North thē is Iudea and in maner directlye ouer againste Iudea on the othersyde of the sea called Mare Mediteraneū in the same clime in the which standeth the Ilande of Sicilia and the cytie of Ciuile in Spayne it hardelye agreeth with the principles of Philosophie cōmon experience that golde should be there engendred in lyke abundaunce as in Regions more towarde the south much lesse Elephantes and Apes which are no where engēdred farre frō the AEquinoctial lyne or beyonde the two Tropikes nor yet wil engendre yf they be broughte into those partes of the world The lyke is to be vnderstande of Popingiayes and spyces and dyuers other beastes fruites and trees which are engendered in ce●tayne climes of the worlde and wyll not prospere in other places the reason wherof were here to longe declare For lyke as pepper wyll not growe in Spayne no more wyll the Orange tree bringe foorth fruite in Englande Wherefore it maye seme by good reason that the Golde Apes and Elephantes teeth which were broughte from Tharsis yf it were Tharsis of Cilicia were not engēdered there but rather brought thether by marchaūtes from the south partes of the world out of Mauritania Marmarica Ethiopia Libia Arabia or otherwise by lande from the East India lyke as at this daye the greate multitude of Spyces Golde Precious stones Sylke and Iuerye whyche is at Calicut and Cambaia growe not al in the regiōs there about but are brought thether frō dyuers other countreys as doeth more largely appeare in this Boke And that Salomōs factours for exchau●ge of other marchaundyse bought the same in Tharsis be●●g bro●ght thether frō other countreyes as it is written in the thyrde Boke of the Kinges that Salomon had great plentie of Gold of Marchauntes Apothecaries So that to conclude I would rather thinke sauing reformacion of o●her better learned that this Tharsis not Tharsis of Cilicia from whence Salomon had so great plentie of Gold and Iuerie were rather some other coūtrey in the south partes of the world then this Tharsis of Cilicia For● not onely olde and newe Histories dayly experience and the principles of natural Philosophie doe agree y t the places most apte to bring forth gold spices precious stones are the South and Southeast partes of the world but also our Sauiour Christ approueth the same declaring that the Quene of the South meaning the Qu●ne of Saba came frō the vtmoste partes of the worlde to heare the wysdom of Salomon And lyke as by the auctoritie of these woordes it is playne fro● what partes of the world she came the same to a philosophical head is apparent by s●che r●ches presentes as she broughte with her For albeit that in the Chronacles of Salomon it is ●ot written by expressed wordes that she came frō the Southe yet is it wrytten that she came to Hierusalem with a very great trayne with camels laden with spyces swete odours exceading much gold precious stones which descripcion doeth well agree both with the situacion of the cytie of Saba in Ethiopia vnder Egipt and also with the cou●trey of Saba being in the middel of Arabia inuironned about with great rockes wherin is a great wood of Precious trees some of Cinomome Cassia some bringing forth frank●ncense and myrre as writeth Plinius lib. 12. and Theophrastus li. 9. de Hist. Plant. Wherefore the Quene of ●aba myghte worthely be called ●he quene of the South forasmuch as bothe Saba or rather Sabat in Ethiopia whiche Iosephus thinketh to be the Iland of

all the yere after The women kepe the mē children with them vntyll they bee xv yeares of age then send them to theyr fathers The women haue nought els to do but to take charge of their children and to gather certayne fruites But the men labour and haue care how they may fynde theyr wyfe and chyldren They are exercysed in fyshing and sell fyshes both newe taken and olde dryed to marchaunte straungers whereby they receaue great commoditios ¶ Of the greate Empyre of Cathay being vnder the dominiō of the great Cham whiche some call the great Can Emperoure of Tartaria in olde tyme called Scythia THe superiour or high India whiche is nowe called Cathay is a region excedinge large and of greate power whose Emperour is y e great Cham of Tartaria hauinge vnder him many Prouinces people and Princes and innumerable Ilādes in the great East sea called the greate Ocean He hath vnder his dominion great famous cities as are these Cambalu Quenquinafu Mi●n Cacausu Canglu T●dinfu Tingui and dyuers other Amōg the people of this countrey one mā hath manye wyues whiche declare theyr loue to their husbandes after this sort Whē the husband is dead euery one of his wiues pleade their cause before a iudge to proue which of them was most louing to her husband beste beloued of him so y t she which by the sentence of the iudges is found to haue been most faythful and diligēte decketh herselfe moste gorgiously in all her sumptuous araye procedeth like a Virago stoutly cherefully to the fire where the corps of her husbande was burnte castinge her selfe into the same fyre embrasing and kissing the dead bodi of her husband vntyll she also be cōsumed by the fyre whiche she reputeth for an honourable sepulture whereas his other wyues are estemed to lyue in shame and infamie They ioyne in mariage neyther in respect of riches or nobilite but onlye for loue beautie rather for y e encrease of posteritie then for plea●ure There is also another straūge custome amōg these Indians y t is that wheras the poorer sort are not able to geue any dowry with theyr doughters to mariage they bringe thē forth euē in y e floure of their age to y e market place with trūpettes such other instrumētes as they vse in the warres Where the multitude beynge called together the maydes fyrste of all discouere theyr backe partes euen vp to the shoulders afterward theyr forepartes in lyke maners And vpon this declaring their pouertie nakednes are maried to such as lyke thē best This people of Cathay are of the nacion of thē which in tyme past were called Scythians a kind of men as saith Haitho of subtill wyt affyrming that onely they see with two eies that all other men besyde them are blind of the one eye Theyr quickenes of witte is great but their boasting is more The hole naciō is perswaded that they greatly excel all other mē in subteltie of wit and knowledge The inhabitantes are whyte men with small eyes withoute beardes vtterly voyde of all godly knowledge For some of them pray to the sunne some to the mone some to Images some to an oxe and some to other monsters of theyr phantasticall supersticion They haue no law written and are of no faith And albeit that in workemāship and artes they are marueylous wyttie yet haue they no knowledge of dyuine or godly thinges It is a timorous kynde of men and greatly fearinge death And are therefore in theyr warres more politike then valient In the warres they vse arrowes certayne other kyndes of weapons vnknowē to men of other coūtreis The monie which they vse is made of a certayne paper beeinge foure square with y e Kinges ymage printed theron Theyr housholde stuffe is of golde syluer other metals they haue greate scarcenes of oyle The great Emperour of Cathay keepeth his courte in the riche mightie cytie called Cambalu being the chefest citie of all the Empyre of such greatnesse that it conteyneth in circuite sixe l●ages This citie is foure square so that euery quadrature or syde of the wall hath in it thre principal portes or gates Also in all the corners of the walles are veri faire palaces in which the artillery or armure of the cytie is reserued The stretes are made very streyght and right forth so that frō any one gate to the other beinge directly ouer against the same a man may se plainly through the cytie hauing y e houses on euery syde lyke palaces placed in goodly ordre most beautifull to behold Without the cytie there are twelue great suburbes adherēt to the .xii. gates of y e cytie whether the marchaūtes straungers haue their cōtinual recourse as to y e burse or strete It can not be spoken what great abundaunce of marchaundise and riches is brought to his citie a man wold thinke that it were sufficient to serue all the worlde Precious stones pearles silke and spices of dyuers kindes are brought thether from India and Mangi other regions There passeth not a daye in the yeare in which there are not about a thousand waynes ladē with silke which are brought to this citie by straunge marchauntes What greate pompe glory forniture of all thinges is obserued in the Emperours courte it can not be spokē He hath in his courte twelue thousand horsemen whiche haue the custodie of his body distribute their waytinge dayes after this order y t whereas one of y e captaynes of this garisō with his thre thousand souldiers hath wayted vpō the kinges personne three dayes another captayne in lyke order wyth as manye menne succedeth in hys rowme for other three dayes and lykewyse an other after hym executethe the same offyce When the Emperoure maketh anye bankette it cannot be said what great pompe is obserued He hath sytting at his lefte hand his chefest quene whō he most estemeth and at his right hād hys sonnes a●d suche as are of the kinges bloud but thei syt somwhat lower further of The other noble men which wayte not sytte in a place yet somewhat lower All such as in the court syt at meat vse none other drinking cuppes then of gold The Princes whiche wayte on the Emperoure at hys meate haue all theyr mouthes couered with fyne silken clothes least in any case they should blow or breath on the kinges meate or drinke And whē the Emperour lifteth vp his cup to drinke al the musicions and minstrels that stand about him playe on theyr instrumētes while in the meane time all suche as wayte on hym stoupe downe make lowe curtesie How great honoure is exhibited to this Emperour ' howe many precious and riche presentes are offred vnto him by his Princes Dukes Leaue tenauntes and presydentes of prouinces and rulers of cities no man is

able to expresse forasmuche as he hath vnder him in maner innumerable Kingdomes Prouinces Nacions and Dominiōs which are on euery syde about Cathay acknoweledge him to be theyr onelye Lorde and King whom they honoure and reuerence as a great God mighti Mahumet In what pompe triumphant magnificence he sheweth him self when he goeth to hauke or hunt and how many tentes he pitcheth in the felde which being sene a farre of a man would thinke to be a greate cytie he that desyreth to knowe let him reade Paulus Venetus in the second boke of hys nauigacions into India where he shal find thinges to marueyl at In Cathay they make a pleasaunt drinke of ryce certayne spyces which in drinking excelleth the swetenes of wine In many places they haue great lacke of wood In the stede wherof they digge out of the mountaynes a certayn kinde of blacke stone whiche burne in the fyre like coles and continue so long that yf they be kyndled ouer night they kepe fyre vnto the morning ¶ Of certaine Prouinces and regions subiect vnder the dominion of the greate Cham Emperour of Cathay THere passeth through the kingdom of Cathay a certayne greate ryuer called Pulisachnites which emptieth it selfe in the great Ocean sea by the whiche ryuer shyppes haue their passage into that lande Ouer this ryuer is a very fayre bridge of marble beyng in length three hundreth pases and in breadth eyghte pases with .xxiiii. arches and grauen Liōs on euery syde adourning the rayles or highest margentes of the same From hence it is not farre to the fayre and greate kingdom of ●ainfu in the which are many goodli vynes For in the kingdom of Cathay there groweth no wyne but is brought the ther from this region In this kingdome is greate vse of marchaundyse and hath plentie of conning artificers so that al the armure which the great Cham vseth in his warres is made there Toward the region of Mangi is situate the ryuer Caromoram whiche for the greate breadth and depth hath no bridge In this region is greate abundaunce of Ginger silke byrdes and speciallye Phesantes Somewhat beyonde this is the great cytie of Quenquinafu beynge the chief cytie of the same kingdome In this region are founde many muskeca●tes This beast in this countreye is but lyttle and fayre aboute the bignesse of a meane catte with grosse heare lyke a harte hauinge blunte clawes on his fete with two longe teeth in the vpper iawe and two in the nether iawe and hath nere vnto the nauell a bladder full of a certayne matter like vnto bloud being of wonderful ●tagrant sauoure and is the true muske ¶ Of the Prouince of Mangi and merueylous cyties conteyned in the same THe Prouince of Mangi hath in it many notable and great cities in the whiche is greate exercyse of marchaundyse and specially in the citie of Conigangui is solde great plentie of salt In the cytie of Panchi there is great sale of silke In the cytie of Sianfu is made great plētie of clothes of golde and silke In the cytie singui is a famous market where great abundāce of marchaūdise is brought by the ryuer Nere vnto the citie of Caigui groweth plentie of blade and ryce that it is caried from thence to the court of the greate Cham. In y e citie of singui are nūbred to be about sixe thousande bridges of stone hauinge so highe arches that greate shippes maye passe vnder the same without bowing down of the mast There is another citie called Quinsai which is so fayre great that there is thought to be no bigger in al the worlde It conteyneth in circuite a hūdreth Italien miles which make xxv leages It hath twelue thousande bridges of stone and those so highe that greate shippes with the maste standing vp right maye passe vnder This cytie is situate in a marrishe ground muche lyke vnto venes Therfore if they should lack bridges they coulde not passe ouer frō the one syde of the streete to the other It hath innumerable artificers and many marchauntes The cytezins lyue pleasantly and specially the womē which are fayrer thē in other partes of ●ndia Toward the South syde of the cytye there is a great lake or poole within y e walles of the cytie whiche cōteyneth in circuitie about .viii. leages hauinge about the bankes therof many noble mens houses very fayre both without and within In the middeste of this lake there are two litle Ilādes and in euery of thē a goodly palace in y ● which are reserued al suche ornamentes vessels as they vse for theyr mariages solemne feastes● for whereas any of the cytezins entende to make any great banket or feast they bring theyr gestes to one of these palaces where they are honorably enterteined In the stretes of y e citie are certaine comō towres into y ● which al such as dwell neare therto carie theyr goodes stuffe yf it so chaunce y e fyre be in the citie The inhabitantes are Idoloters eate the fleshe of horses camels of other vnclene beastes The great Cham hath in this cyt●e a myghtie garison to the intente to auoyde rebellion thefte murther For on euery bridge there wayteth dayly nightlye .x. watchmen for the same purpose and because the Prouince of Mangi is exceding large the great Cham hath deuyded it into nyne Kingdomes assigninge vnto euerye one a peculier Kynge whiche are al of greate powre and yet subiecte to the greate Cham. One of them dwelleth in the citie of Quinsai In thys Prouince of Mangi is an other Kyngdome called Fugui in whiche the people eate mannes flesshe so that they dye not of any disease They drinke the bloud and eate the fleshe of such as are slayne in y e warres There are hennes found in this region which in the stede of fethers haue heare much lyke cattes heare of blacke colour And laye very good egges ¶ Of the regiō of Tangut and of the great desertes voyces of deuylles hearde in the same of the Salamandra FRom the Kingdome of Persia there are two iourneyes to the region of Cathay For either the south side must be obserued towarde India or elles to passe by the prouinces of Carcham Cotam Peim Northeastwarde to the citie of Lop beynge the greatest and most notable cytie in all that region lying betwene the East and the North at the entraūce at the great desert In this cytie al suche marchauntes as entende to passe the desertes make preparaciō for all thinges necessarye for their yourneye And rest in the same vntill they are well prouided of strong asses and camels to carye there vitayles And when in y e desert their vitayles begin to fayle thē they kyl theyr asses or leaue thē there in the wyldernes because

his pompes triumphes are in maner incredible they that wayt vpon the kinge weare on the vpper partes of theyr shoes certayne shyning precious stones as Piro●i whiche are a kind of Rubies or Carbūcles with Diamādes such other But what maner of Iewelles they vse in y e stede of collers eareringes and ringes you may well consyder wheras they geue suche honour to theyr f●te In this kingdom is said to be a mountayne out of the which Diamandes are digged ¶ Of the Diamande stone called in Latine Adamas THe Diamande is engendred in the mynes of India Ethiopia Arabia Macedonia and Cyprus and in the golde mynes of the same countries That of India excelleth all other in beautie and clearenes that which is of the coloure of yron is called Siderites it is oftētymes found in colour like vnto cristal though it be sometimes lyke therto in whytnes yet doth it differ from cristall in hardnes in so much that if it be layd vpō an anuil and strongly strikē with a hammer the anuyl and hammer shal soner be wounded and leape away then the stone perished or diminished it doth not onelye refuse the forse of Iron but also resisteth the power of fyre whose heate is so farre vnable to melte it that it can not so muche as heate it if we geue credit to Plinie and is also rather made purer therby then anye wayes defyled or corrupted neuertheles the singuler and excellent hardnes of this stone is made so softe with y e hoate bloud of a Goate or a Lyon that it maye be broken and if it be put with moltē lead in hoate fornaces it waxeth so hoate that it wylbe dissolued yet are not a●l Diamādes of such hardnesse for that of Cyprus and also that of the coloure of Iron called ●iderites may be broken with hammers and perced with another Diamand his vertue is to be bewray poisons and to frustrate thopperacion therof and beeing therefore greatly estemed of Kinges and Princes it hath euer been of g●eat price The mountaine of India out of the which the Diamandes are digged is compassed with a walle on euery syde kepte with a strong defence ¶ Of the kingdoms cities of Narsinga and Canonor THe king of Narsinga in riches and dominion excelleth all other Kinges in those partes The chiefe cytie where the King is resident is in situa●ion and fynenes much lyke vnto the cytie of Milayne but that it s●andeth in a place somewhat declyning and lesse equall This king hath euer in a red●nes manye thousandes of men of armes as one that is euer at warre with other countreys borderers nere aboute him He is geuen to most vile Idolatrie and honoureth the deuyll euen as doth the king of Calicut The maners and fashions of the inhabitātes are after this sorte The gentlemen or such as are of greatest reuenewes vse to weare an inward cote or peticote not very long hauing theyr heades bounde aboute with listes rowles of sundry coloures after the maner of the Turkes The cōmon people couer onli their priuie parts and are besyde all together naked The Kynge weareth on his head a stately cap made of the riche cloth of Asia beyng two hādfulles in length Whē he goeth to y e warres he weareth a vesture of y e silke called Goss●mpine which he couereth with a cloke adorned w t plates of gold y e hemme or edge of his cloke is beset with all maner of ouches Iewelles Hys horse is iudged to be of such valure if you respect y e price as is one of our cities And this is by the meanes of y e innumerable multitude sundrie kindes of precious s●ones perles where with y e ●rappers barbes other furnitures of his horse are couered w t an incredible pōpe glori The soyle of Narsinga beareth nether wheate nor grapes and ●s in maner without al kinde of fruites except ●itrons and gourdes the inhabitantes eate no bread but ryce fishe and fleshe and also walnuttes which that countrey beareth there begin spyces to be found as ginger pepper mirabolanes Cardamome Cassia and dyuers other kyndes of spyces Cananor is a very excellente cytie fayre and beautifull in all thinges sauing that the Kinge thereof is an Idolater This citie hath a hauen whether the horses of Persia are brought but theyr tribute or custome is excedinge great the inhabitantes lyue with ryce flesshe and fyshe as do they of Narsinga in the warres they vse the sweorde the round target speares and bowes haue nowe also the vse of gonnes they are all naked sauing their prieuie partes and go beare headed except when they goe to the warres for then they couer theyr heades with a redde hatte which thei folde double and bind it fast with a lyst or bande In the warres they vse neither horse mule or asse nether that kynde of camels which we cōmonly call dromedaries but vse onely Elephātes There is also in the kingdō of Narsinga another godly citie called Bisinagar it is cōpassed aboute with a walle situate on the side of a hyll beeyng .viij. myles in circuite hauinge also in it a famous market place The soyle is very fruitful there are all delicate thinges to be foūd that may encrease the pleasures of this lyfe There maye no where be foūd more pleasaūt feldes and woddes for hauking hūtinge a man woulde thinke it were a very Paradyse of pleasure The king of this citie is of great power he keepeth dayly many thousandes of mē at armes vsinge Elephantes in the stede of horses And hath euer foure hundreth Elephantes prepared for the warres ¶ How the Elephantes in India are prepared to warre THe Elephāt is a beast very docible and apte to be taught and little inferiour from humaine sense excellinge all other beastes in fortitude and strength Therfore y e Indians when they prepare them to the warres put great packsaddels vpon thē which they bind fast with two chaines of Iron cōming vnder theyr belyes Upō the packsaddels they haue on euery side a litle house or towre or cage if you list so to cal it made of wood These towres ar made fast to the necke of the beaste with certayne sawed bordes of the thickenes of halfe a hande breadth Euery towre receyueth thre men And betwene both the towres● vpō the back of the beast sytteth an Indian a man of that countrey which speaketh vnto the beaste For this beast hath marueylous vnderstanding of the language of hys natyue countrey doth wonderfulli beare in memorie benefytes shewed vnto him It is also moste certayne that none other beast draweth so nere to the excellence of humayne sense or reason as doeth this beast as maye most playnly appeare yf we cōsidre how he is geuē to loue glory to a certeyn frendly gentlenes honest maners ioyned with a marueylous discrecion