A Discouerie of the countries of Tartaria, Sci­thia, & Cataya, by the North-East: With the maners, fashions, and orders which are vsed in those coun­tries.

Set foorth by Iohn Frampton mer­chaunt.

Imprinted at Lon­don at the three Cranes in the Vintree, by Tho­mas Dawson. 1580.

To the right worshipfull syr Rowland Hayward knight, and to master George Barne, Aldermen of the citie of London, and gouernours of the worshipfull company of the merchaunts ad­uenturers for discouerie of newe trades, and to the assistents & generalitie of all the sayd worshipfull fellowship, Iohn Frampton wisheth all happye successe in all their attempts.

THere came of late to my hands, (right vvorshipfull) a discours of the seueral & sundrye customes, and manners of diuers nations, which are founde to inhabite in the North, in the North East, and in [Page] the East partes of the worlde, &c. Collected and written by a certaine learned man called Francisco Tha­mara, a reader in Spayne, in the citie of Cadiz, and dedicated by him to the moste excellent Lorde, Don Iohn Claros de Guzman Earle of Niebla, and inheriter of the duke­dome and estate of Medina Cido­nia: And vnderstanding the pur­pose of your worthie enterprise, for the discouerie of the passages by sea to all those regions of the North, and Northeast, &c. for very great zeale I beare to you, and of desire I had to farther you in so famous an enter­prise, I tooke the translation of the same worke in hande, and bestowed the same in writing on such as you sent in the sayde discouerie in your two Pinesses, late sent forth, that fal­ling on those coastes, foreknowing the natures of those people, they [Page] might the better shunne perilles, and on the other side take the benefite of the place the better. And nowe ha­uing thought good to committ the same to print, and to dedicate the same to your worships, that eache of you may be partaker of the contents, praying you to accept of my small trauell, & good meaning, and to take the same in good parte, wishing that I were more able to do you pleasure or seruice, to the furtherance of so noble an enterprise: since the same tendeth to the ample vent of our cloth, and other our commodities of England, to the increase of our nauie, to the supply of sundry our wants, and to the annoy of the mor­tall enemies of this kingdome, wher­by you shal please God, purchace the prayer of the poore, and not offende any one or other honest person of the realme, and so I commit your [Page] worships to God, wishing the moste happy successe that is to be wi­shed.

From London this xv. of Iuly. 1580.
Your worships to com­maund, Iohn Frampton.

¶ Of the Region of Tarta­ria, and of the Lawes and power of the Tartars.

TArtaria, which by ano­ther name is called Mon­gall, as Vicencio writeth, standeth towardes the northeast, and at the East parte ioyneth with the Land of the Catheos and Solangos: on the South parte it bordereth with ye Country of Sartanecos, & on the West parte with that of the Naymanos, and of the North parte it is cōpassed about with the Occean Seas. It was called Tartaria, by reason of a Riuer running by it, called Tartar, and is a Region where the greatest parte is full of Moun­taines, and the most part of the plaine fields verie sandie, being a barren countrey, sauing that some parte of it is ouerflowen with the waters of ye Ryuers, & a great parte thereof is wildernesse & litle inhabited. Ther are no Cities nor Townes in it, sauing onelye the Citie of Cracuris. Ther is so great want and smal store of wood in it, that the people there are driuen to vse for the most parte the offall and dung of Oxen and Horses for their fuel, aswell in rosting and boyling their victuals, [Page] as otherwise. The ayre of this Region is ve­ry intemperate, and full of stormes and tem­pests, that in the sommer time there are such wonderfull thunders and lightninges, that men die for very feare of the same. At other times there is great heat, and immediate­ly followeth verye extreame colde, and snowe falling very thicke. The windes there are so boysterous an strong almost continu­ally, that they drawe men backward as they are ryding on their iournyes, ouerthrowing them to the ground, and also blowe vp trees by the rootes, and to conclude do much other harme. In the winter it neuer rayneth, in the summer many times, and at euery of the same so little, that scarselye it wetteth the ground: and yet for all this it is a rich coun­trey of all kinde of cattell, as well oxen as Camels, &c. Of beastes of seruice and hor­ses there is so great store and plentie, that it is to be supposed, there are not so many moe in all the rest of the worlde. There were at the beginning in this Realme foure sortes of people: The first sorte called Yeca Mon­gales, which is as much to saye the great Mongales: The second sorte called Sumon­gales, which signifieth the Mongales of the water, because they dwell neere to the Riuer [Page 2] Tartar, whereof they beare the name of Tar­tars: The third are called Mercat, and the fourth sorte Metrit: All these had one man­ner of shape of body, and vsed all one lan­guage. Their manner of lyuing at the firste was fearce & barbarous, without any lawes or policie, they lyued by the increase of rattell, and were a bruite people, and little regarded among the Scithians. Afterwarde in processe of tyme they deuided and seuered them selues into certaine places and be­gan to take theyr Captaines in companie which had charge of the whole common wealth, and yet for all that ceased not to pay tribute to the Naymanos, which next adioy­ned to them, vntill that by chaunce one Can­guista a man brought vp among them, was elected for their king, by meanes of an Ora­cle and reuelation. This man immediately after he had receiued the Empire and So­uereigne gouernment, commaunded that all honour accustomed to be done to the deuill, should ceasse, and established by his generall edicte, that all people shoulde honour and worship one onelye GOD, the migh­tiest, greatest and best of all others, and also gaue expresse commandement, that it should be generally published that he had receyued the Realme by the same Gods prouidence. [Page] After this he commaunded that all such as could beare armour, should come forthwith and represent them selues before him by a certeine day. And all the people apt for the warres being come together, he in his owne person hauing taken the number of them, de­uided them in order, and appoynted ouer thē Corporals, Sargents, Captaines and Co­ronels. &c. After this, to proue what force and power he had in the empire and supreme authoritie: he commaunded seuen of the most principall men that first had the charge and gouernment of all the Realme, to kill their sonnes with their owne handes, the which though it was and seemed a very hard thing vnto thē, yet they accōplished it forthwith, being moued thervnto, partly for feare of the cō ­mon people, and partly by reason of a deuout superstition in that they had conceiued a stedfast beliefe that God was the beginning and foundation of that kingdome, and that if they refused to obey the commaundementes of their king, they committed not an offence to him, but to God. And with this trust and power so raysed, the king Canguista, first of all brought vnder his subiection, by force of armes, the Scithians that bordered vpon his countrey making them his tributaries, with [Page 3] the other people also to whom his owne sub­iects had before payed tribute, and forthwith set vpon diuers other nations both farre and neere from his owne dominions, hauing so prosperous successe, that he brought in sub­iection vnder his Empyre all the Realmes, Dominions & nations, euen from Scithia vn­to the Mediterran sea, wher the Sun ryseth, & some what more, insomuch that with reason he intituleth him selfe Lord and Emperour of all the East partes.

All the Tartars are of an euill shape in their bodies, the most part of them being of a small stature. They haue great eyes, stan­ding farre out, and the liddes thereof coue­red with very much hayre, in such sorte that there can but a litle of their eies be sene, their faces are brode, they haue no beards, sauing on their vpper lips, & in the same haue but a few hayres, and those very thin: al of them for the most part are slender in the wast, in the fore pare of their heads they weare their hayre long like women of our countrey, and make two rowles thereof, and so gather thē behind their eares: and not only the Tar­tars do thus, but also such as are ioyning nere to them do the like. They are light peo­ple and good horsemen, but euill foote­men, [Page] none of them do go afoote, although they be very little. Their manner is to ride vpon horses or oxen whether so euer they tra­uaile, and the women vse Geldinges that are not fierce. They also vse to haue their forheds decked with siluer and precious stones, and conceiue a great glorye, in that their horses carry collers of belles to make a great iyng­ling. Their speach is sharpe and high, when they would singe they howle like wolues, when they drinke they shake the head, and al­so they accustome to drinke so often, tyll they fall downe, and take it for great honour.

They inhabite neither townes nor cities, but in the fieldes, as the Scithians did in the olde time, vnder Pauilions and Tentes: For the most parte are shepheardes. In the win­ter they vse to lyue in the plaine fieldes, in the Sommer they continue in the moun­taines, for the fruitefulnesse of the pasture. They make their lodginges and plates of abode like a shoppe eyther of bowes, or of timber, couered with felt, and in the middest of these sheddes, make a rounde windowe where the light commeth in, and the smoke goeth out, in the middest of the cottage is the fire, and their wiues and children alwayes about it. The men vse to shoote in bowes, [Page 4] and to wrastle, they are merueilous hunters, they ride a hūting armed on horsback, & whē they see any wilde beastes, they compasse them about, and euery one of them shooting his arow, they wound, & take him. They haue no bread, vse no table cloth nor napkins, and beleeue in one God onely, affyrming him to be the maker of all thinges, visible and inui­sible, they honour him not with any ceremo­nie, but make certeine Iodls of felt, or silke, or the likenesse of a man, and put them on both sides of their sheddes or shoppes, praying them to keepe safe their cattell, and shewing great reuerence toward them, offe­ring them all the milke that they haue first of the cattell, and before they beginne to eate or drinke, they set their part before them. Any manner of beast that they kyll for to eate, they put his hart in a vessell all night, and in the morning seeth and eate it. They honour and do sacrifise likewise to the Sunne and Moone, to the foure Elements, and also the great Chaam their king and Lorde, whome they thinke to be the Sonne of God, and so honour him deuoutly, and do sacrifice to him, and beleue that in al the world there is none better, nor of more dignitie then he, neyther wil they consēt yt any other be named but be.

This people in respect of them selues, thinking no other nation worthy to be com­pared with them, in wisdome nor goodnesse, and therfore will not willingly speake with any other, but rather auoyd them selues from their companies. They call the Pope and al other Christians dogges and Idolaters al­ledging that they honour stones and stockes. They are much adicted to wicked arts, geue credit to dreames, and enterteine and allow such as vse the magicall science and arte of diuination, and can enterpret their dreames: Also they aske questions and receiue answer of their Idols, with ful perswasion and be­liefe that God speaketh in them. And ther­fore what enterprise so euer they take in­hand, they begin and proceede in the same by the counsell of those Idols. They behold and marke the weather very much, and espe­cially the Moone: for they make no diffe­rence of one tyme more then of an other, nor honour any festiuall day, ne vse any manner of fasting or abstinence. At all times they liue after one fashion, and are so coue­tous, that what soeuer they see, if it like them well, if they cannot get it with the good will of the owner, being no Tartar, they take it from him by plaine stafford law, accoun­ting [Page 5] it a matter lawfull to be don by meanes of a commaundement and establishment of the king their souereign Lord. For they haue an ordinance of their Canguista and Chaam their first king, that any manner of Tartar or Tartars seruaunt finding by the way as he trauaileth any horse, man, or woman without a letter or safe conduct of the king, may sense and take them as his owne, and enioy them foreuer. They lend their monye to such as stand in neede of it, and take a certeine kind of vsurie, both very great and also intollera­ble: for they take after the rate often pounds vppon the hundred for euerie moneth, and if the vsurie money be not payde immediatly, then they they take further vsurie. They con­straine the people subued vnto them to paye so excessiue tribute and taxes, and so greatly molest and oppresse them, that there is no people read of, that so much molesteth their tributarie subiects. Their couetousnesse is such, as is skant credible to be beleeued, they are alwayes crauing and brybing, yea the most Lordes of all others, geue nothing to any, no not to such as are in necessitie, nei­ther giue to poore people almes: onelye in this they seeme worthy of some commenda­tion, that if any guestes by chaunce come to [Page] them when they be at meate, and would take parte with them, they turne them not awaye nor disturb them, but rather inuite them, and geue them of that they eate with much pitie. In their diet they are very filthy hauing nei­ther tables to eate vppon, nor table clothes, nor napkins, & vse not to wash their hāds nor bodyes, nor clothes. They eate no bread, for they haue it not, nor any manner of hearbes, but feede onely with the flesh of al manner of beastes, and likewise pigs flesh, and of cats, horses and rats: and when they take any pri­soner of their enemies, to shew their crueltie the more, and the desire they haue to reuenge them selues, somtimes they roast them at the fire, and after manye of them assemble and eate him, like vnto wolues, they teare him in peeces, and eate his flesh, and take the blood the which they keepe in certein vesselles and drink it, although that otherwise their accus­tomed drinke is the mylke of beastes. They haue no wine among them, but if by chaunce any be brought thyther to them, they drinke it with great desire and affection, as all o­ther men do. Likewise they eate the lyce one of an other, taking them out of their heades, or any other place: and when they haue ta­ken them, they say that they wil do so by theyr [Page 6] enemies. They take it for a great euill a­mong them, when any part of their meate or drink falleth from them, or is lost, and throw not their boanes to dogges, before they haue fully burnished them. They vse such scarcitie and niggardnesse of all thinges, that they neyther kill nor eate any manner of beaste while it is whole and sounde, but when it is lame, or hath some impediment in the body, or whē it beginneth to wax old, or by chaunce is sicke: In all other thinges they are verye modest, for they content themselues with ve­ry little meate. In the morning they drinke a vessell full of mylke, and afterwarde manye tymes neyther eate nor drinke in al the day. The apparell they vse is wel neere after one sorte, as wel men as women. The men weare vpon their heades a certeine thing, not very depe, which is playn before, and behind hath a tayle well neere a spanne long, and as much in breadth, and bicause it may stande close to the head, and not be blowne of for the winde, they haue certeine gardes sow­ed with it, neere to the eares, wherewith they binde them vnder the chinne. The mar­ried women weare a garment made lyke to a round basket, a foote and a halfe long, and the hygher parte of them playne much [Page] after the fashion of a boote, being of many coulours, al garnished and edged about with silke, or Peacocks feathers, and layde ouer with many precious stones, and golde: and the rest of the bodye euery one apparelleth according to their habilities, the richest sort of grayne and silke after the same manner that their husbands do, they haue cotes made full of pleites, open in the left side, whereby they put them on and off, hauing four or fiue lowpes or buttons to keepe them together and fast to theyr bodies. The apparell they weare in the sommer, is for the most parte black, and that which they weare in the cold and rayny wether is white: these cloths reach no lower thē to the knee: the maydēs are not easily knowne from the married wiues, nor the women from the men: for almost they haue the like faces and apparel that the men haue, euery one equally and after one sort vse all their small apparell alike. When they en­ter into battaile, some of them weare armour vpon their armes with certeine yron leaues, which they tye together with stringes, other vse leather many times doubled, and in the like sorte they arme their heades, there are few that vse Launces, and long swordes, but commonly they carry short swordes, three [Page 7] spannes long, round with a sharpe edge on the side, and with these they wounde their sides when they fight. The horsmen are very [...]ight, and great archers, and he is taken for more strong and valiant that is more obedi­ent, and laboreth most to preserue the Em­pyre. They fight without wages, and are ve­ry subtill and diligent in their battailes, and [...] all that they take in hand, and very readye at al times to serue and obey. The Captaines and Princes enter not into battayle, but ra­ther remaine without, and cry with a lowde [...]yce vnto their men, warning and steng­ [...]hening them, and from thence they prouide diligently what is conuenient to be done. Somtimes they set vpon horses their sonnes and wiues, and also the Images of men to [...]crease their army, because it should seeme [...] greater, and that it might be the more [...]onderfull and terrible to their enemies, [...]hen they fight, if it seeme good to them, [...]ey let them runne away, and it is not euill [...]ought of: when they should shoote their ar­ [...]wes they strippe their right arme naked, [...]d afterwarde shoote their arrowes with so [...]reat strength, that there is no kinde of ar­ [...]our can defend thenemies, but that it will [...]sse through. They go together and fight [Page] in squadrons, and also flye together, and then they wound their enemies, that follow them with mortall woundes of arrowes: and af­terwarde when they see the small number of theyr aduersaries, sodenlye they returne to battayle agayn, and then they shoote at them and their horses, and when it is thought that they are ouercome, then chiefly they remaine with the victorie. When they will geue bat­tell to any countrey, they deuide their army, and set vpon them in all partes, that they cānot be succoured of any, and none of the in­habiters can runne away, and so they haue alwaies victorie, and when they haue gotten it, they vse the same with great pride and cru­eltie, not pardoning any that they take, ney­ther children, women, nor olde folkes, they kill all without any difference, vnlesse it be the handy crafts men, whom they reserue for their worke, and such as they determine to kill, they deuide them among their pety cap­taines, who appoynt to euerye one of their seruaunts ten, that so they may kill them, or more or lesse, as the number requireth, and when all are put to death with a hatchet like pygges, that all others should be terrified, they take of euery thousand man one, & this manner they hang vpon a peece of wood a­mōg [Page 8] those that are dead, with his hed down­warde, that it may seme that he geueth war­ning and aduice to the other. They keepe neither fayth nor promise with any, what soeuer they haue promised, and much more crueltie they vse against such as do render and yeelde them selues vnto them. The young women that they take captiues, they maye [...]se them at theyr pleasure, and they carrye with them all such as they like well of and put them to all subiection and slauerie, and [...]ake them to serue in bondage and miserie [...]s long as they liue: these Tartars are the most vicious men of all the worlde, & though [...]ey take al the wyues yt they list, or are able [...] keepe, no degree of affinitie or kinred can l [...]t them but that they mary with any at their pleasure, except onelye the mother and the [...]ughter: yet for all this they are very vi­cious, no more nor lesse then the Sarasens, & Moores. And the wife which they take, they [...]lde her not for theyr lawfull wise, neither [...] they receiue her dowrie, vntil she bring [...]rth children: and therfore it is lawfull b [...] them to put away such as are barren, [...] haue no children, and to take an other in [...]r steede. And it is to be wondred at, that al­ [...]it many women haue but one husband, yet [...]ey neuer fall out, vnles it be great maruel. [Page] Notwithstanding that some of them be pre­ferred and made more of then others: some­times the goodman keepeth companie with one of his wiues, sometimes with an other, but euery one haue their family and habitati­on asunder, and they liue very chast: for if they be taken in adulterie, as well the man as the woman by their law shall suffer death presently. When the men haue no warres, they keepe their cattell, go a hunting, exer­cise them selues in wrastling, and do nothing els, all the rest of their affayres remayneth in the charge and ouersight of the women. They haue a care of yt is necessary, for their foode, apparell, and all other thinges apper­teining to the house. These people vse many superstitions and witchcraftes: chiefly they take it for a haynous matter to cast a knife into the fire, or touch the fire therewith, or take the meate out of the pot with a knife. There can no straunger be admitted to the kinges presence, though he be of great dig­nitie, and haue waightye affayres with him, but first he must purge him selfe. And if anye mans feete do smell, and come into the place where the Emperour is, although he be any of the Captaines, forthwith he is com­maunded to be slaine: and besides this if any [Page 9] when he is eating, take a mouthfull that hee cannot swallow, but is forced to vomit it, im­mediately they runne all to him, a [...]d make a hoale vnder the place where he is, and that way they plucke him out and kill him cruel­ly. There are many other thinges that these holde for sinne, without redemption: and in o­ther respects they account it a small matter to kill men, to take other mens landes, and to rob the goodes of others against al right and iustice, and set light by the commandements of God, and with all this they beleeue that they shall liue after this life, for euer in an o­ther worlde: but they knowe not how to de­clare it, and beleeue that there they shall re­ceiue rewarde according to their desertes. Immediately after that one of them falleth sicke, and is neere the poynt of death, they take a launce and pich it in ye tent where he is, and set vpon the top of the same a blacke cloth, in token that none which passeth that [...]ay should enter in there: & this being seene, [...]one dare go in, vnlesse hee be called. And when the sicke person is dead, all the hous­ [...]olde ioyne together, and take the body out [...] the shoppe or shedde, and carrieth it to a [...]lace yt they haue appoynted for this cause: [...] making there a hollow place, long and [Page] broad they rayse vp a small cotage or stall, and put a table therevppon full of meate, and set the deade body leaning to it, very richly apparelled, and so couer it alto­gether with earth, they likewise bury with him one of his Cattell, and a Horse with all thinges apperteining to him. And suche as are of moste power and riches, when they are lyuing doe choose one of their seruaunts, and marke him with his Yron and marke, whome they cause to bee buryed with his maister, to the ende that in the other worlde they may haue one too doe them seruice. After this the friendes of the deceased, take an other Horse, and kill him, and eate his fleshe, and fill the skinne full of hay, and sowing it togea­ther, rayse him vppe with foure peeces of timber, vppon the Sepulchre, in token that there is one buried, and the wo­men doe burne the bones, saying that they are for the purgation of the Soule. They which are of greatest authoritie doe an other thing with the skinne: namely they cut it small into very little strings and stretching them round about the Se­pulchre, measure the earthe, and beleeue [Page 10] that the dead body shall haue so much in the other worlde, as his friendes do measure, with his skinne, and at the 30. dayes ende, they make an ende of their crying and la­mentation. There are of the Tartars, certaine that are Christians, although con­trary to true christianitie. These take after their fathers, when they waxe olde, because they should dye the sooner, & make an end of themselues, and after their deceases, burne them, and gather diligently the ashes, which they keepe as a precious thing, and therewith dayly dresse their meate. And now it would be tedious to write any more of thē, as also perhaps to reade with what ceremo­nies and solemnitie the Tartars doe choose their kinges. After that any king dyeth (I will shewe it you in fewe woordes,) all the Princes, Captains, and chiefe men, and all the people of the realme, assemble and meete together, in a place appointed for that cause, in the fieldes according to their custome and manner, and then take him, to whome the realme ought to come, either by succession, or election, and place him in a Throne and Chaire of Gold, and he sitting downe, all the people with a loude voyce say in this maner, [Page] We pray thee, & likewise wil & commaund, thee to be our souereigne Lord. Whervn­to he aunswereth: if you will haue me so, it is necessary yt you be redy to do any thing that I commaund you, & come when I cal you, & that you go whether so euer I send you. And any that I commaund you to kill, that forth­with it be done, and that you put and leaue all the kingdome in our handes. Immedi­ately all aunswer: So we are content. Then the king saith, From hence forwarde I will you to vnderstand that the word of my mouth be my sword: all the people with great noyse and gladnesse confirme the same. Immedi­atly, the principal and chiefe men of the peo­ple take the king, and bring him down from the royall chayre, and cause him to sit vppon the ground, vpon a felt layd abroade, and say vnto him these wordes: Looke vpwarde, and knowe God, and then looke downe vpon the-felt whervpon thou sittest. Thou shalt vn­derstand, if thou gouerne the Realme well, thou shalt haue all that thou wilt at thy will: and if thou gouerne it ill, thou shalt bee throwne down, and dispossessed in such sort, yt that thou shalt not remaine with this poore felte where vppon thou sittest: and in saying this, they place him one of his wiues neere [Page 11] to him, that is best beloued, and lifting them both vp with the felt, they salute and reue­rence him, as Emperour of all the Tartars, and she as Empresse. Then the new Em­perour and Empresse are presented with many gifts, by al the people yt are vnder their Empire, and then they bring before him all that the deseased king left, the which the new Emperour partely deuideth among the princes of his Realme, and commaundeth the remaynder to be kept for him selfe, and so the election is finished, and the assemblie dismissed, and from that time forwarde, all thinges are in his handes and power, none can nor dare say, this is mine, nor, such a ones, none can liue in any part of the realme but where he is appoynted. The Emperour him selfe appoynteth places of abode, to the chiefe Captaines, and they, to the captaines of thousands, and these, to the Centurions, and the Centurions to the Corporals, and these to the other Lordes. The seale & signet which the king of the Tartars vseth, hath en­grauen God in heauen, and Cuicut Chaam in earth, the fortresse of God, and Empe­rour of all men, he hath fiue very great and strong armies, and fiue Captaines, with the which he destroyeth and keepeth in subiec­tion [Page] all his aduersaries. Vnto the Ambassa­dours of other nations, hee speaketh verie seldome, and consenteth not to haue them come before him, vnlesse that they and the giftes they bring, (without the which they neyther may, nor can come to his presence) bee firste purified, and by certaine wo­men appointed for that purpose, wtout the ob­seruing whereof he answereth them by third persons, and as long as he speaketh, they must heare and hearken kneeling vpon their knees, be they neuer so great, and in such sort they must giue eare, that they erre not in the woordes they speake to him, and change no woordes, for it is not lawfull for any man to alter nor change the Emperours woordes, nor stande against any iudgement that hee hath geuen in any manner of cause whatsoe­uer. Hee, nor any prince of Tartaria, neuer drinketh publikely, except they which serue first sing or play somthing vpō an instrument before him. And whē ye noblemen ride abrod they carry ouer them a hatte vppon a long lance, which shadeth them, and their wiues haue the like. These were the manners of the Tartars two hundreth yeeres past, and this was the maner of their liues, and about [Page 12] this time they ouercame and brought in sub­iection to them the Georgians, which were christians & kept the lawes of the Greekes, these were neighboures to the Greekes and their dominion did extend very farre euen from the region of Palestina vnto the Caspian mountaines, and had eighteene bi­shopricks and a Patriarcke Sea: at the be­ginning they were subiect to the patriarcke of Antioch: they were warlike people. Some of the women were also expert in the warres and exercised their weapons. When these Georgians woulde enter into battell, they accustomed to drinke a bottell of wine that they vse to carry with them, and when they had drunke it, they sette vppon their ene­mies with more courage.

The priestes gaue thē selues freely to vsu­rie and Simonie, they had greate strife and hatred with the people of Armenia. These Armenians, of whome we speake, were also Christians before the Tartars ouercame them, and brought them in subiection, and after that the Georgians were once sub­dued, they swarued in many thinges and departed from the true fayth and manners of the catholike Church.

They knowe not the day of the byrth of our Lorde, they keepe no holy dayes nor fasting dayes, nor the foure seasons of the yeare, the Satterday before Easter day they did not fast: For they affirme that the same day our Lord had rysen neere to the euening. All the Frydayes after Easter and Whitson­tide they eate fleshe, and otherwise they fas­ted much, and began their Lent from the Sunday of Septuagesima so straightly, that the Wednesday and Fryday they wold eate no oyle, nor fishe, nor drinke wine: for they thought hee did sinne more that dranke wine those dayes, then he which did commit the sinne of lecherie. They did not all wholy refrayne from all meates on the Munday. The Tewesday & the Thursday they made but one meale. The Wednesday and fryday they eate nothing. The Saterday and Sun­day they did continually eate flesh. They did admit children of two monethes olde to re­ceiue the holy Sacrament. They kept cer­taine Ceremonies of the Iewes, all their Priestes were vsurers, as the Georgians were, and gaue them selues much to the arte of Necromancie, and more to drinking then the laye people did. They tooke wiues, but as soone as any one of them died, none of them [Page 13] could marry againe. If any woman did com­mit adulterie, the Bishop gaue licence that her husband should put hir away, and take an other. Fynally in xxx. articles the Georgians gaue to vnderstand, that they were departed from the true Christian religion.

Of the Countrie of Sci­thia, and of the rude manners of the Scithians.

SCITHIA is a Regi­on that lyeth towardes the Septēcrion or north, so called by Scitha, Sonne vnto Hercules, as Herodoto sayth, or as Beroso affirmeth of an other Scitha, Sonne to Araxes Prisca wife to Noe, who was borne in that countrie. These Scithi­ans at the beginning did possesse a small countrey, vntill by little and little, by their valiantnes and strength, they enlarged their Empire, bringing vnder their subiection many nations. These people at the begin­ning made their abode neere to the riuer Araxes being very fewe in number, and litle esteemed, vntill they had gotten a Martiall King excelling in the feates of armes, vnder whom they enlarged their countrie and do­minions, and it extendeth by that side where the mountaines lye vnto the Ocean Seas, and the lake Meotis passeth by diuers pla­ces vnto the riuer Tanais: from the which ri­uer [Page 14] Scithia stretcheth in length. And at the east ende it is deuided into two sortes of people parted assunder almost in the mid­dest of the mountaine Ymao, the one of the which is called the Scithians within Ymao, and the other the Scithians without. The Scithians were neuer set vpon, or at the least not ouercome of any other strange empire. Darius king of the Persians set vpon them, but in the ende returned flying away with great shame. They beheaded the king Cirus with all his armie, and destroyed a Captaine of Alexander the Great with all his power, they hearde of the armies of the Romaines, but felt them not, they are a hard people and can suffer greate labour, & warres, & be very valiant, these people at the beginning did not go far one from another, for they neither vsed tillage, nor had any houses nor abiding place, but soiourned in the deserts & moun­taines, carrieng their beastes, and cattaile, wiues and children with them in cartes, they had no lawes, but obserued Iustice and equitie by their owne accord. Among these there was no greater euill then theft, nor a­ny thing more punished, and so it was need­full, seeing they had no houses, nor enclo­sures for their cattaile, but all thinges lay a­broade in the fieldes.

There was neyther golde nor siluer amonge them, neither knew they what it meant.

Their meate which they vsed most common­ly, was milke and hony. They cloathed their bodies against the colde and frost with the skinnes of wilde beastes, and rats. The vse of wooll and apparell was not knowne among them.

This was the manner of liuing vsed, and common for the most part among the Sci­thians, but not generally of all: for as some of them were farre of from the rest, by distaunce of places, so likewise they differ in their liues, and had peculiar customes a­mong them selues, of the which we wil speak after we haue declared the manners of the common sorte of people. The most parte of the Scithians reioyce to kil men, wherevpon they haue taken a custome to drink the blood of the first man that any of them taketh pri­soner in battaile, he drinketh blood, and of e­uery one that any of thē killeth, he presenteth the heades to the king, and for cutting off of the same, is partaker of any thing of value that is found about him, and otherwise not. They cut of the head in this sorte, they take the skull and cast out al that is in it, and take of the skin, and make it soft with their hands [Page 15] as the skinne of a cowe, and so keepe it as a precious thing, and put it in the raines of their horses, and of this they triumph much: for he that hath most of these is accompted [...]he worthiest and valiantest man. There are many of them that sowe the skinnes of men together, as though they were skinnes of [...]eastes, and vse them for coueringes, and o­thers of them vse to pluck of the skinne from [...]e right handes of their enemies with their [...]ayles, and therwith couer the quiuer of their [...]rowes. An other sort fleyeth the men, and casteth their skins vpon wood, and after put [...]em vpon horses, and the heades being cut [...], as we haue already declared, they couer [...]e skul with the raw skin of an oxe, and gild [...]on the in side, and vse to drink in the same. [...]nd sometimes when guests come to their [...]uses, they bring forth those cups, and shew [...]w those men were ouercome by them, and [...]is they account a worthy matter. Once a [...]eare all the Princes of those Regions do [...]anquet their neighbours, and all such as [...]ell neere vnto them with wine, in those Cuppes, whereof they all drinke, that haue [...]lled any of their enemies with their owne [...]andes, and he that hath killed none in that [Page] sorte, tasteth not of the same, but without ho­nour is set aside by him selfe from the rest of the company, which is taken among them for a matter of great shame and reproch, and such as haue killed many drinke with two cuppes together. The Gods vnto whome they pray & geue honour, are the Goddesse Vesta chiefly, and then Iupiter, and the God­desse Tellus: For they thinke that the earth is wife to Iupiter. After these they honour A­pollo, and the celestial Venus, and Mars, and Hercules: but their opinion is that they may not make any Intage of any of them, nor al­ters, nor Churches, but to the God Mars on­ly, vnto whome they offer in sacrifice one of euery hundred of their captiues. And to their other Goddesses they offer other beastes, and especially horses: Swine they esteeme not of, neyther will haue any in their countrie.

When the king giueth out a commaunde­ment to put any person to death, for any mat­ter or cause, he appoynteth all his sonnes to be slaine with him, but there is no hurt done to the women children. The leagues and a­mitie that the Scithians enter into in their warres are in this sort. They take a greater-then vessell, whervnto they powre wine with [Page 16] the blood of such as shall ioyne in friendship to them, wounding them selues with some knife, or cutting some place of their body. Af­ter that in the same vessell they wette their swords and arrowes, halbards, and launces, and then coniure & curse with many wordes, and immediately drinke that wine, not onely all such as enter into these leagues, but also their associates and companions, and especi­ally those that are of greatest degree. The Sepulchres and Tombes of their kinges are neere to the cittie called Gerros, where the Ryuer Boristeneus beginneth, to be na­ [...]igable, and euen there, as soone as the king is dead, they digge a great square hole, and then take the body, and open it, and take [...]ut the bowelles, and make them cleane, the which they fyll vp with the small bowes of a willow tree, beaten to powder, and of Thimiamo, and with the seede of Apio, and Annise seede, and immediately sowe it vp againe, and laye it in a cart, and so carrye him from one countrey to an other, and wheresoeuer they receiue him, they do the like: but such as are of kindred to the king do cut of his eares, and also his hayre round about, they geue his armes many [Page] small cuttes, and wound his forehead & nose, they shoote throw his left hand with arrowes and after this they carry the kinges body vn­to other people of his Empyre, who accom­pany him vntill they returne where the first came forth, and after they haue carryed him among all his people from countrie to coun­trie, they lay him among them that dwell in the vttermost partes of the Realme, where the Sepulchres of the kinges are, and after they haue put him into a place which is made vpon the Sepulchre, they shut him vp with lances made fast from one side to an o­ther, and prepare good store of wood, and co­uer him with a cloke, and in the other side of the Sepulchre, they cut the throtes of his woman which was best beloued of al, and al­so of a seruaunt, a cooke, a driuer of Asses, a post, a page, & a horse. They bury him with certeine cuppes of golde, and with the prin­cipal of all other things, and after a yeare ex­pired they do the like, killing alwayes the kinges chiefe seruaunts. These seruaunts of the kinges are the most principal of the peo­ple of Scithia: for there is no slaue admitted to the kinges seruice. Of these they cut the throtes of fiftie, and of as many horses of the [Page 17] most excellente, and after taking out the bowels, and hauing garmentes, and coue­rings stitched togither, they take the horses and rayse them vp on their feete in a place made hollowe round about the Kings Se­pulchre, and vppon them they place the ser­uantes sitting, and set them in such order, that afarre off they seeme like to a compa­ny of men on horsebacke that tarryed for the King. In this sort they vse the bury­als and Sepulchres of their kings. Like­wise, such as are next in degree to the king, and also the comon people haue their manner and fashion in their buryals: for as soone as one dyeth, the next of his kins­folkes lay him in a carte, and carry him a­mong his friends, from one to another, and euery one by him selfe receiueth him, and maketh great feastes, as well to the kinred as to others that accompany the dead bo­dy. In this sort they carry him fortie dayes and after bury him, taking out first all that is in his head, and washing it, and vpon the body they put three pieces of timber, lea­uing one to the other round about him, vpon the which they hang certeine woll. The men of Scithia wash not them selues, but the women wash their bodyes with water, [Page] and rub them selues with a plain stone shut within a peece of wood of Cypres, or Ce­der, or incēse. After they haue so washed thē selues, that they begin to smel, they annoynt all their body & face with oyntments, & so they remaine very cleane & shining. The maner of the othe that they sweare, is by the kings chayr. And if they find any periured, which they knowe by the diuines, that haue the knowledge therof, immediatly without any longer tarrying, they behead him, and he loseth all his goods, which is giuen to such as accused him of periury. There are in Scithia other people called the Massagetas towards the part of Asia neere to the Caspi­an sea, which are like to the people of Sci­thia in apparell, & also in life, by the which many beleeue yt they are Scithians. These fight both on horseback & on foote, & eyther way are almost inuincible. In battayle they vse arrowes & launces, & short swords that they always carry with thē. They vse much gold in their girdels, & in the trimming of their heads, & vnder their armepits, & in the breasts of their horses. The heades of their launces & arrowes be of copper. There is neither Iron nor siluer among them. Euery of them taketh out wife, but afterward shee [Page 18] is common to all. Howe long they liue, no man hitherto could set downe any certain­tie: for as soone as any of them beginneth to waxe olde, his kinsfolkes and friendes [...]eete together and kill him, and then seethe him, and after sacrifice him with certeyne [...]heepe, and then eate of that fleshe at a ban­ [...]et which they make. And this manner of death they accompt a happy kind of death. And if he dye of any disease, they eate him [...]ot, but rather bury him, & hold it for a gret s [...]me & losse that he was not killed & sacrifi­ [...]ed. They sowe nothing in the earth, but liue [...]f the cattel, & fishes that are taken in the [...]uer Araxes, and for the most parte drinke [...]ilke. They worship the Sunne, and to it they offer sacrifice wt horses, saying it is the [...]ightest planet, & therfore the lightest beast [...]ight to be sacrifised to him. There is ano­ [...]her sort of people called Seres, who are a­ [...]ong themselues very quiet & tame, they [...] from the company of al men, in so much [...]hat they wil haue no trafique wt any strange [...]eople. Howbeit merchants may passe vpō [...]heir riuer, & in the same without any other [...]ling put their merchandize to exchange, [...] that they buy nothing, but by way of bar­ [...]y exchange one cōmoditie for another.

Among this last sort, there is no woman brought to answer in iudgement nor other­wise touched, although shee be a wicked woman, an adulteresse, or theefe. And as it is reported, there hath beene no man put to death among them at any time: for the feare & reuerence which they haue to their lawes, is of more strength then any other constellation or sinne. They dwell at the beginning of the roundnesse of the worlde, and because they liue chaste, they be not af­flicted with Caterpiller nor worme, nor hayle, nor pestilence, nor any other euils. The woman after shee is conceiued, is nei­ther touched nor desired of any. Vncleane fleshe or forbidden, none eate thereof. Euery one is Iudge for him selfe, according to the righteousnes of Iustice, and therefore they are not chastened nor afflicted with those plagues that are vsed to come to others for their sinnes, and so they liue long, and ende their life without any disease. There are others which are called Tauroscythas of the mountayne Tauro, neare to the which they inhabite. These offer in sacrifice to the virgin Ephigenia all those that come say­ling to them by sea, and are lost, and al ma­ner of Greekes that repaire thither, and the [Page 19] sacrifice is in this manner. After they haue made certein prayers, they wound the head of the man, and so kill him. Others say, they cast the body headlong from a great rocke, because her temple standeth vpon a high rocke, and they set the head vpon a stake. And some say, that the body is not cast downe from the rocke, but that they bury it. This diuell to whome they offer this sacrifice, they say is Ephigenia, that was daughter to king Agamemnon.

Their enimies whome they take they vse in this sort: euery one cutteth off the head of his enimie, and carryeth it to his house, and setteth it vpon a staffe, the greatest that he can get, and then setteth it vpon his house, & commonly vppon the chimney, and say that they set them so high, to the ende their eni­mies may be keepers of all the house. They of this coūtrey liue by robberies & warres. There are others called Agatirsos, which are very politike, & vse to weare vpon their bodies great store of golde. All their wo­men are common among them, for they say [...]hey are al brethren, & of one house. There is not among them any enuye, nor contenti­ [...], but are like in manners to the people of Tracia. There are others called Neuros, [Page] which vse the maners and lawes of the Sci­thians. These were constrayned to leaue their countrey one yeare before the conquest of king Darius, by reason of the multitude of Serpentes that breede in it. They holde for a certaine trueth, and sweare, that euery yeare in certeine dayes they were conuer­ted into Wolues, and afterwarde returned into the forme and shape that they were first of. There are others which are called Antropophagis because they eate mens flesh, whose manners and lawes are the moste rude and beastly of all others, which are among men. They liue vnder no maner of lawe. All their trade is in cattell. Their apparel is like to theirs of Scithia. They haue a language proper to them selues. Ther are other called Melandenos, which vse to weare all their apparell blacke, and therefore are so called. These onely among the Scithians do eate mans fleshe: In the rest they haue the manners and lawes of the people of Scithia. The Budinos are ano­ther great nation, and all these haue fayre eyes, and the collours of their bodyes are white and red. The citie that these possesse is called Gelona, of the which they are cal­led Gelonas, and this is the head place of [Page 20] that realme. They make their feastes in the honour of the god Bacchus, which are called Trietericas Bacchanales, from three yeares to three yeares. These were Greeks in tymes past, but going out of their coun­trey, came to this region, where they made their abode, and euen at this daye, vse parte of the Greeke language, and part of the Scithians. The Budinos do differ from the Gelones in their language & life: for these Budinos are naturalles of this countrey, and al their liuing dependeth vpō the trade of cattell, and these of that regi­on vse to eate lyce. Gelones are labourers and tillers of the earth, and haue corne, and possesse gardeines and orchardes, and haue no manner of likenesse at all vnto the Budi­nos, neither in countenance nor collour: all the realme where these inhabite is full of trees, by a very great lake that is there.

They hunt great store of wilde beasts. And of their skinnes make gownes for them selues to weare. There is an other kynde of people called Argipeos, which liue at the foote of certeine high mountaines. They are a people balde from the tyme of their birth, as well the women as the men.

They haue flat and broad noses, and verye great beardes and a certayne sounde of a voyce wherewith they speake. They are apparelled like to the Scythians. They liue commonly of the fruite of trees. They care not for breeding of cattell, and there­fore haue not many. Euery one hath his dwelling place vnder a tree, which in the Winter they couer with a white couering, and in the Summer it is not couered at all. No people of the worlde hurteth them, for they say that they are sanctified. They pos­sesse no armour, neither to defende, nor to of­fend: but rather themselues by perswasions and faire meanes, take vp all maner of con­trouersies & strifes that rise among them. Whosoeuer commeth vnto them, they fa­uour and succour him. There are others called Isledones, which vse these customes: whensoeuer the father of any of them dy­eth, all his kinred bring thither their cat­tell, the which they kill and make bankets, and the like is done of the father of him that hath conuited them, and so they make their banket, eating the fleshe of the dead man, with the flesh of the cattaile. They flea and take off the skinne of the head of the dead man, and clense it of all that is therwithin, [Page 21] and after gilde the same, & haue it for their image, and make therevnto euery yeare very great ceremonies, and sacrifices. This the father doeth for the sonne, and the sonne for the father, euen as the Greekes do cele­brate the day of their birth. These do af­firme them selues to be a iust people, and their women are as strong as the men thē ­selues. These were the manners and fashi­ons of the Scithians in tymes past, vntill they were brought vnder the subiection of the Tartars, and then followed their ma­ner of liuing, and nowe liue as the Tar­tars do, being all called Tar­tars by one gene­rall name.

Of the Countrie that is called, the other side of Ganges, and of Cataya, and the region of Sinas, which is a countrey of the great Cham; and of the meruailous things that haue bene seene in those countries.

BEyond the riuer Ganges towards the East, is the land and part of India, that standeth on the o­ther side of the same ri­uer, and therfore is cal­led the other side of Gan­ges. This is the greatest, the best, & the ry­chest countrey of all India, which is to­wardes the East partes, where the Sunne riseth, and is now called Cataya, and it ap­pertaineth to the great Cham, who is lorde of Tartaria. In old time it was saide, that it belonged to Prester Iohn. The countrey of Cataya is greate, and hath in it manye kingdomes, and the buyldings like to Eu­rope. There is in it great policie of all things. It is a riche countrey of Gold, spi­ces, and precious stones, whereof there is great aboundance. The people are of great [Page 22] reason, and liue in better order then we do. There are among them Philosophers, who are much esteemed: The seconde sort are husbandmen: The third Shepheards: The fourth, handicraftes men: The fifth, men of warre to defende the countrey: The sixt, the presidents and gouernours, that gouerne the country: The seuenth, are the counsel­lers to the king. And these are cheefest, and haue charge ouer all the rest, and will not consent that any one should leaue his owne office or science, and take an other, and therefore they are better gouerned then we are. The great Chain deuyded this pro­uince into nine kingdomes, in the which are two thousande great cities, or therea­bouts. There is no richer prouince in the worlde. It hath all thinges necessarie, and in great plentie for the life of mankinde. The Catayans are idolaters, great mer­chauntes, and craftes men. They giue them selues much to Astronomy. There are among them many religious houses of Idolaters, which leade a straight life.

They haue among them there Vniuersi­ties and studies of learning, and the scrip­ture of the old and newe Testament, wher­of it commeth to passe that they honor God, [Page] and beleeue in the euerlasting life, but are not baptized. They loue the Christians and giue almes, with a good will. They haue no beardes. They are much like in face & countenaunce to those of the prouince of Mongall. There are many Christians in Cataya. It is so great a countrey, and so inhabited, that in a verye short space the great Cham can ioyne together an armye of three hundred thousand fighting men. In the prouince of Cataya they haue no wine, but make their drinke of Rise. They haue fleshe, milke, and cheese. They bury their dead bodyes richely. In this prouince they celebrate their weddings with great ban­kets, Songs, and Trumpets. They vse bathes. They deuide the yeare into 12 monethes, according to the twelue signes. The moste part of these people accompteth the yeare from August. They vse Crosse-bowes, and gunnes, and of all kinde of ar­tillery, for they are the best handycraftes men in the worlde. They write vppon the leaues of trees, and make bookes of them. They make money of the rinds of Mulbery trees. In some places they vse small Irons for money, like to needles: In other places small peeces of Golde. There is among [Page 23] these neither pestilence, nor any other conta­gious diseases, and therefore is such an in­finite number of people. There is in this countrey many and very great Serpents, which the Catayans do eate in their ban­kets with great affection. The princi­pall citie in Cataya is Cambula, contay­ning xxiiii. myles in compasse, and is foure square, and in euery square reacheth vi. myles. Some saye that it contayneth xl. Italian myles, which is xx. leagues in com­passe. The walles are xx. paces in height, and v. in breadth, with pinacles vpon all of three paces in height. In the foure corners are foure rounde fortes, and euery one of them foure myles in compasse, with greate prouision of armour in euery of the same.

This citie hath xii. gates, two myles di­stant one from another. Euery gate hath ouer it a faire large house, wherein are con­tinually a thousand watchmen kept to gard the citie. There is a wall that goeth to e­uery one of these fortes, with their arches, where the king may passe into any of them. The great Cham his pallace is strong and very stately and faire. The streetes are streight, in so much that the light of the fire is seene from one ende to another. In this [Page] citie are many faire and sumptuous houses, and palaces, and in the middest of it, is a great and wonderfull Pallace, with a high tower therein, wherevpon there is a great bell, and when it ringeth in the night, none dare walke abroad in the streates, but the watchemen of the citie, and Midwiues, and Phisicions, who must passe with light. And without the citie are twelue great streates, euery one aunswering to his gate of the ci­tie, wherein there are many craftes men and merchants dwelling: and in the same are lodged all such as come to the court a­bout any busines: and the Stewes are kept in those streates, in the which are aboue xx. thousand women of euil liuing, and not one of them dare enter into the citie vpon paine of burning. Out of this citie goeth euery day more then a thousand cartes laden with silke. Nere to the citie of Cambalu there is a mountayne, wherein are founde blacke stones which burne like vnto drye wood.

There is also nere to Cataya a countrey of xx. days iourney, inhabited with Christians Nestorians, which haue greater & fayrer churches then we haue. In this citie of Cā ­balu the great Cham hath his Pallace and Court, which is very great. And it is sayde, [Page 24] that this Pallace hath 4. Columnes of fine gold, and the walles of the Pallace layde o­uer with golde, and the floores layed with brickes of gold & siluer. In this Pallace are the great Cham his wiues, which are foure in nomber of lawfull birth, euery of which hath in her court thirtie thousand maides, & many pages, men & women that serue them which are more then foure thousand men & women. His eldest sonne of his first wife hath his court by him selfe. There watche euery night xx. thousande gentlemen on horsebacke, which are his garde: And foure thousand persons sit at meat with him. The first wife sitteth at his left hande, & the rest successiuely: and at his other hande sit his sonnes, & his sonnes sonnes, euery one ac­cording to his age. He hath xx. thousande huntsmen, & foure thousand dogs, & xx. thou­sand hawkes, & fiue thousand Gerfalcons, & a great nomber of Acorres. They pitch ten thousand tents in the fieldes, when he goeth to his pastimes of hunting. And two prin­cipall tents for him self, wherin may be two thousand knights at pleasure, the which tēts are furnished with such riches, that one of the small realmes is not able to buy them. The great Cham is the greatest Lord of [Page] the whole earth, and so intitleth him selfe king of kinges, and lorde of lordes, and in trueth, he is lorde from Scythia, euen tho­rowe out all the East partes, & from thence to the Mediteran Sea: so that not without reason he causeth him selfe to be written, lorde and Emperour of all the East partes. He commaundeth him selfe to be called the sonne of God, and in this gloryeth much. He hath great countryes and very riche, & thereby is the greatest lorde, and the richest of the worlde, as we haue already rehear­sed. In the Winter, the Tartars come in­to the plaine feeldes, which are hote and of good pasture, and in the Sommer they a­byde in the mountaynes, and among the trees, and fresh places. They make rounde houses of tymber & couer them with felts, and these houses they carry with them w [...] ­ther soeuer they goe. And alwayes they set the dore of the house in the Sommer time towardes the South, and in the Winter towardes the North. They bring likewise some cartes couered with feltes, so strong, that the water neuer passeth thorow them, the which are drawen with Camels. Vpon these they carry their wiues, children, & fa­mily. All the other customes and manners [Page 25] of the Tartars are spoken of already, where [...]e treated of Tartaria. The prouince of Mangi otherwise called Mongall is neare vnto Cataya, & subiect to the great Cham. It hath vnder the iurisdiction thereof eight realmes, and in euery realme a 140. cities. And in all the prouince of Mangi is a thou­sand two hundred and two cities, very great and riche. There is in this countrey great [...]rade of clothes of golde, and silke, and of precious stones, & pearles, and of all sortes of spices. The people are for the most parte all handycraftes men. They cause the chil­dren to followe their fathers occupations. There are a great nomber that vse the sci­ence of Necromancie, and witchecraft: and there are many euil people, and of wicked conditions. There is in this countrey no man of warre, nor horse for the warres, by reason it is situated in a strong place, and shut vp with many waters: and round about the cities and townes are deepe and broade [...]aues full of water. The people of this countrey are much toubled with sickenesse, and diseases. If they gaue them selues to seates of armes, all the world coulde not bring the prouince of Mangi vnder subiec­tion. They worship idols: they speake the [Page] [...] [Page 25] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 25] [...] [Page] Persian language: they burn their dead bo­dies. They vse in this countrie money of Corall, and the women bring it hanging at their neckes, and deck their Idols with it, & therefore it is much desired and set by. In this prouince they make clothes of golde & silke, and chamblet in very great quantitie. There are in this prouince mastiues, as great as Asses. All they that are borne in the prouince of Mangi haue the day & houre of their birthes written, that the lord of the countrey may knowe it. When any man will take his iourney, he goeth to aske coun­sell of the diuines. When they dye they ap­parell their bodies in canuas, & burne them with papers wherein are paynted diuels, horses, slaues, beastes, and apparell. And they say, that all the same shall serue those that dye in another worlde. And when they burne the bodyes, they sing and make much mirth, and saye that the goddes do so re­ceiue them with ioye in the other worlde.

There are many great & riche cities in the prouince of Cataya & Mangi, as for exam­ple one called Gengomsu, being ten miles in compasse, and the walles of the pallace of that citie, are round about on the inside lined with golde. In the prouince of Mangi is another citie called Nocian, subiect also [Page 26] to the great Cham, where men haue their teeth couered with golde, & the women set great store by their hayre, and buy & sell, & gouerne all the goods, and the men followe no kinde of busines, but apply their hun­ting, & pleasure, & pastimes in the feeldes, & go to the warres. And when the womē haue brought forth their children, the men go to bed & take the child & keepe it vntil fourtie dayes be past, & the women rise vp & go a­broad, as though they had not ben deliuered of any child & serue their husbands. Singni is also a great and noble citie, contayning fourtie miles in compasse, and in it is an in­numerable cōpany of people, & al are Phi­losophers, Phisicions, merchants & handy craftes men, very expert in all artes. Ther [...]re in this citie vii. thousand stone bridges, brought very curiously, vnder the which, a Galley may rowe very wel. In the moun­taines of this citie groweth Rewbarb and Ginger, in great abundance. There are wrought in it many clothes of gold & silke, of sundry coulours, the citizens reioycing [...]uch to apparell themselues therewith. And fiue days iourney beyond it, is the no­ble citie of Quinsay, which is as much to [...]ye, as the citie of Heauen, and it is the [Page] head citie in the prouince of Mangi. It is reported to conteine in compasse one hun­dred miles, and to haue twelue thousand bridges of stone, with arches so high, that a great ship may passe vnder. This citie is situate in the water, like Venis, and euery one dwelling therein followeth the occupa­tion of his father and auncestours. There is in this citie a lake xxx. myles in compasse, and in the same lake stande the best palla­ces of the worlde, especially in the middest thereof be two, wherein are made all the mariage feastes of the citie: and they are al­wayes furnished and trimmed for the ma­riages. In this citie they vse the money of Tartaria, which is of the rinde of a Mul­bery tree. Vppon euery one of those bridges there be always watchemen readie, to the ende there should no harme be done, nor any tumult or rebellion arise in the citie. There are in it xiiii. bathes. The gret Cham doth set great store by this citie. In the same there is a great & faire pallace of the kings, made foure square, and compassed about with walles ten myles, with verye faire chambers and other roomes, and gardeins, and fountayns, and a great pond with much fish. There is also in this citie an honorable [Page 27] church of Christians Nestorians. Of the ci­ [...]ie [...] Quinsaye & of his prouince the great Cham doth receiue foure thousand and fiue hundred hanegs of golde, and euery ha­neg is 126. thousande duccats and aboue, & this onely is receiued of salt. Of his other rents he receiueth euery yeare ten thousand hanegs of golde. In this course neare to Ganges is a countrey that is called the golden Chersoneso, the which is in the Equinoctiall, and runneth ouerthwart, and standeth from Melaca foure hundreth and fiftie leages. All this countrey is verye riche, and hath great aboundance of golde, and therefore it was so called, or because it seemeth that the Sunne riseth gilded, and shining. And beyond that, more then 500. leages lyeth the Iland of Ciampa or Ci­ampago, as Marcus Paulus calleth it. It is a great Iland, and very aboundant of gold and precious stones. The king of this Iland hath his pallaces all couered with planches of golde for tyles, and the win­dowes and marbles of the pallace are all of golde. All the trees of this Iland are of a sweete smel: there is in it much white pep­per. The people of this Iland are faire peo­ple, but euil in manners, for they are Ido­laters: [Page] they worship Idols, & figures pain­ted in diuerse sortes. They kill their ene­mies, eate their flesh, and drink their blood. They speake the Persian tongue. Neare to this Iland are many others which are in nomber aboue seuen thousande foure hun­dreth, as they report that haue sayled in those partes. From Ciampa vnto Iaua the great, are 150. leages. Iaua hath in com­passe three thousand myles: there are in it seuen crowned kings. It is an Iland verye rich of golde, and hath very great store of victuals: and there is in the same greate plentie of Cinamon, cloues, pepper, and ginger, and many other spices in great a­boundance. The people are Idolaters, they speake the Persian language. Iaua the lesse hath 200. miles in compasse: there are in it eight kings: they speake the Persian tongue: they worship idols: they haue lack of all kind of victuals. Eyght leages from Iaua towardes the Southwest is another Iland which is called Iocat, great & ryche. There is in it great abundance of golde, and many Elefants and Apes, and manye small snayles, of the which, they vse the shelles for money. And as they write from Ophir, from whence Salomon caused gold [Page 28] to be caryed for the Temple of Ierusalem, it is beleeued to be the same: for in it is great abundaunce of golde, and of all other things which were carryed to Salomon. And thirtie leages from Iaua the lesse, is the Gatigara nyne or ten degrees from the Equinocciall on the other side towardes the South. Beyond this there is no other countrey knowen, by reason there hath ben no nauigation any further frō these partes: and by land it cannot be trauailed, for the great number of lakes and high moun­taynes, which be there. And it is re­ported that the earthly Para­dize lyeth that way.

Of many notable things that are found in the land of Tartaria, and in the East India.

LYke as the gatherer of grapes, after he hath ga­thered all that he can, & made his principall ga­thering in: yet after that he causeth the refuse to be gathered, & maketh an after gathering. Euen so it will hap to mee in this worke: for at the conclusion I will not let to seeke agayne, if there be any notable thing to be found in these Indias and prouinces of the East partes, which haue not beene spoken of: and in the setting downe thereof, will keepe no other order, then to begin by the description and diuision of India, the which Pogio Florentino left written by the infor­mation of one Nicholas a Venecian that trauailed those partes and sawe them.

All India is deuided into three partes. The first part is from the region of Persia, vnto the riuer Indo. The second part is the middest from the riuer Indo, vnto the riuer [Page 29] Ganges. The thirde, called the farthest and last, is from Ganges vnto the ende of that which is knowen to be inhabited: and this exceedeth much the other in policy, riches, and good lawes. For it is certeine, that the men of this India haue sumptuous houses, and well wrought, and all things appertai­ning to them very cleane and handsome.

There are very riche merchauntes which haue tables and table clothes, and cupbords of plate as we haue: and many of them are not without fourtie ships of their owne, for their affaires, that euery one of them is es­teemed to be worth 80. thousand duccates. All these lacke bread and wine. They liue by Rice, flesh, milk, and cheese, & also make their drinke with Rice grounde & mingled with water: they make it a shyning red coulour with the iuyce of a certeyne kind of tree. They haue great abundance of hennes Capons, Partriges, Feysants, and other birdes, and wilde fowle, and sleepe in beds trimmed with golde, & couered with quilts of cotten woll. They weare also clothes of linnen, & sarge, tyed together with stringes of crimson and golde. The women vse to weare showes of thin leather paynted with [...]de and silke, and haue bracelets of golde [Page] on their armes, neckes, feete, and breastes. There be women that liue like harlots, and the Indians knowe not what sinne is. Some women vse to weare their hayre blacke, which couller among them is much set by. In the inner India which is that in the middest of the three, they consent not that one man haue more then one woman. In the other they haue as many as they list or can get. The manner of their buryals is not a­like in all the India, but diuerse and diffe­ring one from another. The foremost India exceedeth the others in sumptuousnesse of their burials: for they make vaultes vnder the grounde, wel and cunningly wrought, & lay the dead body in a bed costly decked wt golde and clothes verye precious. In the middlemost India they burne the bodyes, & the firste and bestbeloued wife of him that dyeth, is burned with her husbande. They weepe and bewayle them that dye dyuerse kindes of wayes. The Indians which are farthest within the countrey couer their heads with a sacke, and some put bowes of trees by the wayes, with verses written, & painted papers. These play vpon Instru­ments & feede the poore: others there be that weepe three days for him that is dead, [Page 30] and the kinsfolkes & neighbours goe to the [...]use of the deceased, and carry meate with [...]hem, in such sort, that ther is nothing dres­ [...]d in ye dead mans house in these iii. dayes. Such as bury father or mother, carry a [...]tter leafe in their mouth: and for the space [...]f a whole yeare neuer change their appa­ [...]ell: neither eate nor drinke but once a day: [...]either pare their nayles, nor hayre of their [...]ead, nor beard. The women bewaile such [...]s dye, by striking themselues vppon their [...]reastes. Some put in certaine vessels of gold & siluer the ashes of their Princes. The priestes which are called Bachales, eate of [...] beast, & especialy of the Oxe, saying, that [...]e is very profitable for mā. They eat ryce, [...]earbs, & fruites. They take but one wife who is burned with her husbande when he [...]th. Throughout all India are founde one [...]ind of Philosophers which are caled Bragmanes, Astronomers & also diuines. They liue long: yea, so long vntil they come to be 300. yeares of age. They vse great supersti­tions, & imaginatiōs. Throughout all India they worship idols, & haue churches verye much like to ours, paynted within wt diuers figures. There are in them idols of stone, of gold, siluer & Iuorie; som are 60. foote long. [Page] When they enter into their temple, they washe them selues with cleane water, and lye downe vppon the ground, and holding vp their feete and handes, they praye, and after kisse the earth. They insence their sacrifices, offer meates to their gods, and after distribute them among the poore to be eaten. The Chambaytas onely write in paper, all the rest in leaues of trees: and of them they make bookes very faire to the sight: they write from aboue downewarde. There are among the Indians many and diuers sortes of languages. They haue a great nomber of slaues. The debtor vnable to pay, is driuen to serue the creditour. He that is accused of any crime, hauing no wit­nesse, doth cleare him selfe by his othe only. There is no pestilence in the Indias, nor a­ny other contagious diseases: and for that cause there is a great multitude of people. There are many kings which make an ar­mie of more then of one Milleon of men.

It is sayed, that in the realme of Lambry are men hauing fethers about their secrete parts, both great and long like vnto Geese. And in Fansur is a kinde of great trees which haue a thin rynde, and vnder it is ful of meale very good, of the which they make [Page 31] meate very excellent. In all these Ilands, because there is want of wine, they make it of certeine trees like to Date trees: of the which they breake the bowes, where com­meth out certeine white and red licour like [...] wine, and is very excellent to drinke: and there is great store of it. All those people liue beastly, and haue no manner of lawe.

They worship the first thing that they see in the morning. They eate of all dead flesh good or euill, and flesh of mankinde, not ha­uing care howe it dye. In the realme of Bisina are Munkeis of diuers sortes, and Vnicornes little lesser then Elephants, ha­uing heads like to a Pigg, and a long black horne in their forehead, and their tongues sharpe and thornie with thornes, long and great. The Apes are little and haue their faces like to young children: they flea them, and then seeth them, and dresse them with spices in such sort, that there remaine no euill smell, and so eate them. There are in this countrey blacke valiant hawkes like to Crowes, and good for the game. In the same countrie, when any dieth, his kinsfolks eate him, & keepe the bones in a chest. They kill all the strangers that they take, and forthwith eat them, if they be not redeemed. [Page] The people of Nicuneya liue like beastes and go naked both men and women. They vse them selues like beastes in all thinges. In Nangama the people are idolaters, they liue beastly and eate mans fleshe; They are very cruell: they haue heads like to great mastiues, and teeth like to dogges teethe.

There is in this Ilande great quantitie of spices. And departing from this countrey declyning towards the West, one thousand myles, which are two hundred and fiftie leages, you shall come to the Iland called Saylan or Zaylan, which cōtayneth in com­passe three thousande myles, and is the best Iland of the worlde, and the richest. The people are Idolaters. They haue aboun­dance of Ryce and cattell, and wine made as we haue sayde. There are in it the best Rubies of the worlde, and many other pre­cious stones, as Topacios, Amatistas, and others of diuerse sortes. The king of this Ilande hath a Rubie, the best of the world, a spanne long, and as great as an arme, and as redd as fire shining without any soyle or spot. The people of this countrie are very lecherous, and nothing worth for the warres. Neere to this Iland toward the West, fourtie myles, which are tenne [Page 32] leages, there is a great prouince called Mohobar, which is called the greater In­dia. This is the greatest and the best pro­uince in the worlde: there are in it Pearles very great and fine, and it is deuided into fiue realmes: and all the men and women go naked, sauing they carry a linnen cloth, wherewith they couer their secrete places. Also the king goeth naked, sauing because he will be knowen, he carryeth a string at his necke full of precious stones, which are in nomber 54. in remembrance of so ma­ny prayers, which he is bound to saye, in the honour of their gods, morning and eue­ning, and vpon his armes, legges, and feet, he carryeth as manye precious stones, as [...]enne riche cities are worth. This king hath eyght hundred women. In this realme are faire women, according to there fashion, they paynt their faces and bodyes. When the king dyeth, they burne him, and all such with him as kept him compa­ny in his life. There is a custome in this lande, that such as are condemned to death, kill themselues for the loue they beare to their Idols.

In this countrey euery one hath as ma­nye wyues as he can mayntayne. And [Page] when the husband dyeth, they burne the bo­dy according to their fashion, and the wo­men of their owne accorde leape into the fire. All those are idolaters, and for the most parte worship the Oxe, saying he is a saint, because he ploweth the grounde where the wheat groweth, and therefore will not kill an Oxe for any thing in the worlde, nor eate of his flesh. And when any Oxe dyeth, they annoynt all the house with his tallowe.

These people descend of such as killed saint Thomas. The king and all the rest eate their meate vpon the ground. There gro­weth nothing else in this countrey but Rice. All men and women do wash them selues twice a day, morning and euening, and he that faileth therein shalbe taken for an he­retike. They are good in the handeling of their weapons: and fewe of them drinke wine. This countrey is of an intollerable heate, and it neuer rayneth in it, sauing at certeine times in Iune, Iuly, and August. There are in this region many Philoso­phers, Necromancers, and Soothsayers, and blacke hawkes like to crowes, & great Owles like to Hennes. In this prouince the body of Saint Thomas the Apostle ly­eth buryed in a small citie. And there liue [Page 33] many Christians. The men of this coun­trey do annoynt them selues with Benia­min to make them the blacker: for the blac­ker they are, the fayrer they thinke them­selues to be: and they paynt theyr Idoles blacke, and the diuels white. In all this India, they obserue neyther lawe nor order in their maryages. By this course of the sea towardes the South, are two Ilands of Christians, thirtye myles one from the o­ther, the one of men, the other of women: and the men go not to the women, nor the women to the men, but three monethes in the yeare, August, September, and Octo­ber. The men children remaine with their mothers vntill they be seuen yeares of age, and then they go to their fathers. They [...]ue by flesh, milke, fishe, and Ryce, hauing [...]o other victuals. In this Ilande is great quantitie of Ambar. Mandagaister is an o­ [...]er Ilande towardes the South, distant from Escorcia neare 250. leages. It hath in compasse one thousande & fourtie miles, [...]hich are 260. leages. It hath foure kings Mores. There is not eaten in it any other [...]leshe then of Elefants and Camels, where­ [...]f there be many: and therefore there is [...]reat trafique with Elefants tooth. There [Page] are founde in this Ilande certeine birdes that are called Nichas, so great, that the greatest Feathers of their Winges are twelue paces long: they are of so greate strength, that they take an Elephant, and carrye him vp into the ayre, and kill him, and after let him fall and feede vp­pon him at their pleasure. Tanquibar is another Ilande moste noble, and lyeth in the same course, and hath in circuite 250. leages. The inhabiters thereof are Ido­laters, and so great of stature, that they be like Giantes, and are of great force.

They be all blacke and go naked. They are to be wondered at. The women are foule and euil fauoured. They are strong in battell: for they esteeme not their liues.

Returning to the cities of Cataya and Tartaria: It is sayde, that the citie of Berengalia hath in circuite three score myles, which are fifteene leages, and that it hath nyne hundred thousande men, that can carrye armour. The men of that countrie take as many wiues as they list, who are burned with their husbands when they dye. And the king hath twelue thousande, of the which two or three thou­sande [Page 34] are taken vppon condicion, that when the king dyeth, they of their owne accorde shall burne with him, and to these is done great honour. In the citie of Berengalia three times in the yeare they make a greate feast to their goddes: they carrye their Idoles through the ci­tie in procession, in the middest of two cartes, accompanyed with many people, and manye maydens finely arrayed, sing­ing ioyfully with great deuotion: they spende three dayes in bankets, daunces and songes: and celebrate their marry­ages with bankets, songes, and trum­pets. They haue all kinde of Instru­struments as we haue, except Organs, which they lacke. They dawnce as wee do, one after an other, which is a thing to be seene. They vse bathes, except it bee such as are neare to Ganges. The other washe them selues manye tymes a daye in tolde water.

Neare to this citie of Berengalia is a mountayne so called, in the which are manye Diamonds, and the mountayne is full of serpents, but they take them wt poli­cye. They which dwell in these countreys, deuide the yeare into xii. partes as we do, & [Page] accompt the moneths like to the xii. signes. The most part recken the yeare from Au­gust, by Augustus Caesar. In some of those realmes, they vse certeine small stones for money, which are called the eyes of a Catt. In others they vse certeine small Irons like to needles: in others, certeine papers wherein is written the name of the king. In some prouinces of the India, more for­warde, they vse Venice duccats of golde: in others they haue money of siluer, and cop­per: in others they make pieces of golde, and vse them for money. Malpuria, or Ma­lapuria, or Milipar is an other citie in the prouince of Mahabaria, neare to the second entrance that the riuer Indo doth runne in at, where the body of saint Thomas the A­postle is honorably buryed in an honorable church, where are resident well neare 1000 Christians of the Nestorians: of the which are many throughout all the India, euen as the Iewes are here among vs. In the pro­uince of Macino, which Volaterano thin­keth to be the region of the Seras, are ma­ny Elephants. The king bringeth vp tenne thousande, and vseth of them in his warres. The men of this countrey take but one wife apeece. The women are verye lecherous. [Page 35] They are all Idolaters, and in the morning they turne towards the Sunne. They wor­ship the diuinitie of God in Trinitie. In this region is a ryuer called Daua, well neare as great as Ganges: the citie is cal­led Dua: it hath 18000. paces in circuite: they write in the leaues of certeine trees, for in all the India is no paper, except onely in the citie of Cambayta. They eate Ser­pents that are vi. foote in length, & as gro [...]e as a man. They eate likewise Ants which are red and as great as crabbes. In the end of this region towards Cataya, are certeine Oxen, white, and blacke, with maynes and tayles like horses, hauing longer hayre.

The hayres of their tayles are very small, & as light as fethers: they sell thē by waight: they are highly esteemed. Cibalechia is a royall citie, and one of the chiefest in all Ca­taya, it hath xxviii. miles in circuite: and in the middest a pallace very strong and faire: and at euery end a round fort of foure miles compasse, for a house of armour, where is all kinde of armour, and engins necessarye, and that may be imagined for the warres. From the kings pallace to euery one of these fortes, is a wall with arches: from whence the king may passe to any of them. [Page] Volaterrano caleth this citie Cubaleschia, and sayeth it hath 32. thousand paces in cir­cuit: and it shoulde seeme to bee the same Cambalu which we haue heretofore spoken of. About fifteene dayes iourney from this citie is an other citie called Neptay new­ly buylt, hauing in circuite thirtie myles and very full of people. Nicholao did af­firme, that the houses and palaces, and all other things of these two cities were verye like to our houses, and that the men were modest, and full of curtesie, and very riche. Neare the citie of Paconia, he found vines, yet very fewe: for all the India, as is alrea­die declared, lacketh wine, and grapes, and the grapes that there be, growe of trees, and therewith they make sacrifice to their gods.

Coloen is a noble Citie, twelue myles in compas: it hath neare to the same much Gynger, Pepper, and Cloues. And there be many serpentes of diuers kyndes, some of sixe cubites in length wonderfull to be seene, but they do no harme. Others haue foure feete and a long tayle like to a dogge: they take them in hunting, and eat them, and report it to be verye good meate. Others there are of the length of a Cubite [Page 36] with winges that haue seuen heads set in order by the length of their bodyes, and liue in trees: and flye swiftly, and are so full of poyson, that onely with their breath they kill. There are also cattes of the moun­taynes that flye. Cochin is an other ci­tie, that hath fiue myles in circuite, and standeth at the entrie of a ryuer, of the which it taketh his name: wherein there are sayde to be fishes in a manner like to men and women without any great diffe­rence. And passing farther, they go to a­nother citie that is called Colichuchia, conteyning viii. myles in circuits, which is the moste famous and noble of trade in all India. Here is much Pepper, Lacar, Ginger, and grose Cinamon, and manye o­ther sweete spices. In this region onely the women take as many husbandes as they liste: and the husbandes agree among them selues, and euery one contributeth towardes the womans mayntenance, and dwelleth in his owne house, and when he goeth to the woman he leaueth a signe vp­pon the doore. Euery manchilde is the husbandes, to whome the wife will giue him. Their inheritaunce fall not to the sonnes, but to the cousines.

This citie, according to the signes & shewes is Calicut. From hence fifteene days iour­ney, he came to the citie of Cambayta, nere to the sea, whose circuite is xii. miles, & is towardes the West, hauing great aboun­daunce of Espico nardo, Lacat, Indico, Mirabolanos and Sarge. There is a cer­teine kinde of Priestes that are called Bac­chales, which haue but one wife, who bur­neth her selfe with her husband when he dy­eth. These eate of no kinde of beast, but liue with fruites of the Earth, Rice, milk, and wild hearbes. In this citie the priestes do preache to the people in the presence of their Idols. And many kill themselues for the honour of their gods: and those that so do, are taken among them for Saintes.

There are many Oxen of the mountaynes, that haue maynes lyke horses, and hornes so long, that if they turne their heads, they reche with them their tayles. Neare to this citie lyeth two Ilandes distant a hundreth miles a sunder: the one inhabited with wo­men, and the other with men: one while the men passe to the women, another while the women to the men, euery one returning within sixe moneths to their owne Ilands: for they thinke, if they continued any longer [Page 37] together, that they should dye: of the which [...]eople we haue before spoken. There re­maineth behinde, for the conclusion of this [...]eregrination, to treat of a region of the Si­ [...]as, who by the North parte do border vpō the Seras towardes the West: but it is vn­ [...]nowen what countries there are on the South parte, but that it is wildernesse. To­wardes the West, the India lyeth neare to Ganges vnto the great gulfe that is called [...]he South sea: where it is sayde, that the [...]cthiafagi, to wit, such as liue onely with [...]sh, dwel. It hath many cities. The metro­ [...]olitan and principall of all, is the citie of [...]ina, which is at the South parte. Of this Ptolomeo speaketh, reporting it to be vn­ [...]er the Equinoctiall line: and that it exten­ [...]eth vnto the Antecos, which are on the o­ [...]her side of the South. The countrey of Ga­ [...]igara encloseth it on the West parte, & the [...]nknowen countrie, vnto the Promontorio [...]raso, and the sea of Prasodia. Gatigara is [...]port and a principall place, where the [...]hips do ryde and harbour in this region. And Aspithra is a riuer, and great citie in [...]he same. Calicut, Canonor, Cambayta, Narsinga, are no newe regions: for in truth [...]hey were knowen of the auncient writers, [Page] and in our time haue beene discouered, ma­ny and wonderfull things which are found in these East Indias newely discouered by the Spanyardes, but especially in euery region of the same are some precious thinges more in particular, as in the kingdome of Calicute and Narsinga gro­weth Pepper, Ginger, Cardamo, Mira­bolanos and Casia.

In Cambaya and Cochin is much Es­piquenardo and Mirabolannos and also cotten wo [...]l in aboundance. In the realme of Pego are al the like. And likewise the stone Cornerina, the Calcedonia & the diamōds. In the Iland of Armos are stones in great aboundance. In the Iland of Zailon which is Taprobana are found Rubies and Ia­cinets, Saphires and Topacios. In the realme of Melaca are many Popingeys, and E [...]ephants. In Sumotra is great a­boundaunce of Pepper. The Camfora is found in the Iland of Porne, in Monoch & Bandan which are Ilands. Neare to these partes, are Nutmegs, and Cloues great store, The Iland of Sipangry hath much golde and great riches. The Iland of Petar [...] and both Iauas yeld great store of Pepper, [Page 38] Nutmegs, Espique, of Galanga and o­ther swete odours. In Madagassar are many Elefants, and great aboundance of Iuory very fyne.

The Ilande of Zauzibar is verye much like to this, abounding with Lyons, and many other wilde beastes. Nicolao Veneciano, as Pogio declareth, reporteth yt in the small brooks of the ryuer Ganges there were canes of a meruailous length, & so great that a man could skarcely insorace them about with both armes, with the which they made small Boates to saile in, and at euery syde of those brookes are ma­ny gardeynes and orchardes very pleasant and full of delyght. And there groweth a fruite verye like to Figges that they call Musa, which is exceeding sweete, yea, sweeter then honye. It is sayde, that the Ilande Taprobana conteyneth sixteene thousande tymes, a hundreth thousand pa­ces in circuite, which amount to foure hun­dred leages, accompting foure Englishe myles to euery leag. The men of that I­lande were verye cruell in their manners, and both the men and women haue verye great eares, laden with Zarcillos of gold, & precious stones: and they weare linnen [Page] loth, and cloth of Sarge. And the men take many wiues, and haue lowe houses, by rea­son of the great heat, and are Idolaters, and haue great store of Pepper, of that sorte which is called the greatest, & of the toung, and plentie of Canfora, and Golde. In a certeine place of this Ilande, which they call Bateth are a kind of people called An­thropophagi, to wit, deuowrers of men, in respect that they eat the fleshe of their ene­mies, and keepe their heades for treasure: and he that hath most heads, is accounted most riche: for they make a trade with them and barter them away for other things. In Armenia the great, there is reported to be a fountayne, where water like oyle sprin­geth, in so great abundance, that many shippes are laden therewith. It is good to burne for light, and to annoynt beastes. In the land of Tartaria towards the North, are doggs not much lesse then Asses, the which drawe a frame of timber, like as if it were a Cart, sauing that it goeth not wt wheeles, vpon the which two men may go, and they put two or foure dogges or more to it, ac­cording to the burthen and necessitie. At the ende of this realme, is a countrie called Darknesse: because it is alwayes as darke [Page 39] as the first houre of the night: & the Sunne is neuer seene there. In this countrey are handsome men and women of person, but yellowe in couler. They haue neither king nor lawe, but liue like beastes. This coun­trey ioyneth with one parte of Russia.

Russia is a great prouince towardes the North, & a strong countrey. There are in it faire men and women, and are Christians. They pay tribute to the king of Tartaria. There is great store of costly skinnes and f [...]rres. There are in Russia many mynes of siluer: the countrie is very colde. In the same time Pogio declareth that there came certeine men from Aethiopia, which is par­cel of the Indias and the countrey of Prester Iohn, and declared that they were of the countrey, nere whereunto the riuer Nile springeth: and also sayd that the same riuer springeth neare to the Equinoctiall at the foote of certeine high mountaynes, that are alwayes couered with clowdes: and that the sayd riuer groweth of three great foun­taines: two of them which are 40. paces a­sunder, & these meete together at the ende of 500. paces, & then make the riuer so great, yt it cannot be waded through. The thirde fountayne is a greater streame, & a thou­sande [Page] paces from the other, and is neare to his riuer, and tenne myles from the o­ther ryuers. They saye that there runne aboue a thousande riuers into the riuer of Nile. And in the monethes of Marche, A­pril, and Maye, the rayne so much increa­seth in that countrey, that they cause the ri­uers to ouerflowe, and great floods to fol­lowe thereof. They saye also that the wa­ter of Nile is verye sweete, before it min­gleth with other ryuers, and that it had vertue to heale the leprosie and scabbes, of such as washed them selues therein: Say­ing that very neere about the place where the riuer Nile springeth, there standeth a citie where they were borne that had 25. myles in circuite, which is vi. leagues & a­boue, and that it was inhabited with peo­ple. And they sayde, that this region neare to Nile was verye temperate and a­boundant of all thinges. In so much tha [...] thrice a yeare they had Haye growing and mowen: and twyce Wheate, and had abundaunce of breade and wyne, and of all fruites like to ours, but Almondes ther [...] want. And the moste parte of Aethiopia in steede of Wine vse Water tempere [...] with Barley. They sayd that vnto the Ilan [...] [Page 40] of Meroe, the riuer of Nile was not naui­ [...]able by reason of the great nōber of rocks [...]hat are in it: and that from the same I­ [...]ande forwarde, shippes might easilye [...]ayle and passe. Men being asked of Aethiopia, which is of the Indias of Pre­ [...]er Iohn, vppon the sayde ryuer, and [...]hose that here wee speake of, reported [...]hat those people of Aethiopia, are com­ [...]only of a longer lyfe then wee are of, [...]nd many of them liue a hundred and fiftie [...]ares, and in some places two hundred▪

[...]hey neuer haue the Pestilence nor other [...]firmities: and that therefore it is a ve­ [...]e populous countrey. They haue no [...]oll: they apparell them selues with lin­ [...]n cloth, or with silke both men and wo­ [...]en, and the women for the moste parte [...]rrye behinde them a long trayne, and goe [...]rte with certeine broade gyrdels garri­ [...]ed with golde, and precious stones [...]ome couer their heads with thing [...] [...]at are wouen in with Golde, others carry [...]eir haire loose. Both men and women v [...] [...]weare rings on their fingers, they [...] [...]all tables to eat vppon: they couer th [...] [...]we do. All those people haue one [...] [...]ters, but diuerse languages.

They haue one king, who is intituled king of kings vnder God. There are in Aethio­pia Oxen, that are crooked backt like Ca­mels with hornes of three foote long. Their dogges be as great as our Asses. They can do more then Lyons, and they hunt Lyons with them. There are many Elefants that haue teeth of sixe foote in length. There are diuers other beasts, which differ from ours, and also birdes. They sayde, that in the de­serts were serpents of 50. foote of length without feete, that would swallowe vp a whole calfe. Vpon the riuer Eufrates is a noble citie, whose circuite is of 14. thousand paces. They saye, that it is one parte of the auncient Babylon: It is called Baldach, or Baldachia: & Eufrates passeth through the middest thereof. It hath one gate of 14. arches. There appeare from these parts many tokens of that great and auncient Babylon.

FINIS.

Imprinted at London, at the three Cranes in the Vintree, by Thomas Dawson. 1580.

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