第84章

The size of this city I do not write here,because it cannot all be seen from any one spot,but I climbed a hill whence I could see a great part of it;I could not see it all because it lies between several ranges of hills.What I saw from thence seemed to me as large as Rome,and very beautiful to the sight;there are many groves of trees within it,in the gardens of the houses,and many conduits of water which flow into the midst of it,and in places there are lakes (TAMQUES);and the king has close to his palace a palm-grove and other rich-bearing fruit-trees.Below the Moorish quarter is a little river,and on this side are many orchards and gardens with many fruit-trees,for the most part mangoes and areca-palms and jack-trees,and also many lime and orange trees,growing so closely one to another that it appears like a thick forest;and there are also white grapes.All the water which is in the city comes from the two tanks of which Ihave spoken,outside the first enclosing wall.

The people in this city are countless in number,so much so that Ido not wish to write it down for fear it should be thought fabulous;but I declare that no troops,horse or foot,could break their way through any street or lane,so great are the numbers of the people and elephants.

This is the best provided city in the world,and is stocked with provisions such as rice,wheat,grains,Indian-corn,and a certain amount of barley and beans,MOONG,[417]pulses,horse-gram,[418]and many other seeds which grow in this country which are the food of the people,and there is large store of these and very cheap;but wheat is not so common as the other grains,since no one eats it except the Moors.But you will find what I have mentioned.The streets and markets are full of laden oxen without count,so that you cannot get along for them,and in many streets you come upon so many of them that you have to wait for them to pass,or else have to go by another way.There is much poultry;they give three fowls in the city for a coin worth a VINTEM,[419]which coins are called FAVAOS;[420]

outside the city they give four fowls for a VINTEM.

In this country there are many partridges,but they are not of the same sort or quality as ours:they are like the ESTARNAS[421]of Italy.

There are three sorts of these:one class has only a small spur such as those of Portugal have;another class has on each foot two very sharp spurs,almost as long and thick as one's finger;the other class is painted,and of these you will find the markets full;as also of quails,and hares,and all kinds of wild fowl,and other birds which live in the lakes and which look like geese.All these birds and game animals they sell alive,and they are very cheap,for they give six or eight partridges for a VINTEM,and of hares they give two and sometimes one.Of other birds they give more than you can count,for even of the large ones they give so many that you would hardly pay any attention to the little ones they give you,such as doves and pigeons and the common birds of the country.The doves are of two kinds;some are like those in Portugal,others are as large as thrushes;of the doves they give twelve or fourteen for a FAVAO;the pigeons are the same price as the other birds.Then the sheep that they kill every day are countless,one could not number them,for in every street there are men who will sell you mutton,so clean and so fat that it looks like pork;and you also have pigs in some streets of butchers'houses so white and clean that you could never see better in any country;a pig is worth four or five FANAMS.[422]Then to see the many loads of limes that come each day,such that those of Povos are of no account,[423]and also loads of sweet and sour oranges,and wild BRINJALS,and other garden stuff in such abundance as to stupefy one.For the state of this city is not like that of other cities,which often fail of supplies and provisions,for in this one everything abounds;and also the quantity of butter and oil and milk sold every day,that is a thing I cannot refrain from mentioning;and as for the rearing of cows and buffaloes which goes on in the city,there is so much that you will go very far before you find another like it.There are many pomegranates also;grapes are sold at three bunches a FANAM,and pomegranates ten for a FANAM.

On the north side of the city is a very great river with much water,in which are many fish,which fish are very unwholesome,and in this river there is that which passes for ...(SIC.IN ORIG.);other streams flow into it,which make it very large.

Now as to the places on the bank of this river.There is a city built there which they call SENAGUMDYM,[424]and they say that of old it was the capital of the kingdom,but there now live in it few people;it still has good walls and is very strong,and it lies between two hill-ranges which have only two entrances.A captain lives in this city for the king.People cross to this place by boats which are round like baskets;[425]inside they are made of cane,and outside are covered with leather;they are able to carry fifteen or twenty persons,and even horses and oxen can cross in them if necessary,but for the most part these animals swim across.Men row them with a sort of paddle,and the boats are always turning round,as they cannot go straight like others;in all the kingdom where there are streams there are no other boats but these.[426]

There are also in this city places where they sell live sheep;you will see the fields round the city full of them,and also of cows and buffaloes --it is a very pretty sight to see,--and also the many she-goats and kids,and the he-goats so large that they are bridled and saddled.Many sheep are like that also,and boys ride them.

Outside the city walls on the north there are three very beautiful pagodas,one of which is called VITELLA,[427]and it stands over against this city of Nagumdym;the other is called AOPERADIANAR,[428]and this is the one which they hold in most veneration,and to which they make great pilgrimages.