also: then loosed he the diue doppers from the poles, which presently
went into the water, and within lesse then the space of one houre, caught
as many fishes as filled the 3. baskets: which being full, mine hoste
vntyed the threeds from about their neckes, and entering the second time
into the riuer they fed themselues with fish, and being satisfied they
returned and suffered themselues to be bound vnto the saide poles as they
were before. And when I did eate of those fishes, me thought they were
exceeding good. Trauailing thence many dayes iourneys, at length I arriued
at another city called Canasia, [Marginal note: Or Cansai, or Quinzai.]
which signifieth in our language, the city of heauen. Neuer in all my life
did I see so great a citie; for it conteineth in circuit an hundreth miles:
neither sawe I any plot thereof, which was not throughly inhabited: yea, I
sawe many houses of tenne or twelue stories high, one aboue another. It
hath mightie large suburbs containing more people than the city it selfe.
Also it hath twelue principall gates: and about the distance of eight
miles, in the high way vnto euery one of the saide gates standeth a city as
big by estimation as Venice, and Padua. The foresaid city of Canasia is
situated in waters or marshes, which alwayes stand still, neither ebbing
nor flowing: howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like vnto Venice. In
this city there are mo than 10002. bridges, many whereof I numbred and
passed ouer them: [Sidenote: The Italian copy in Ramusius, hath 11000.
bridges.] and vpon euery of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the
citie, keeping continuall watch and ward about the said city, for the great
Can the Emperour of Catay. The people of this countrey say, that they haue
one duetie inioyned vnto them by their lord: for euery fire payeth one
Balis in regard of tribute: and a Balis is fiue papers or pieces of silke,
which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine. Tenne or twelue
housholds are accompted for one fire, and so pay tribute but for one fire
onely. Al those tributary fires amount vnto the number of 85. Thuman, with
other foure Thuman of the Saracens, which make 89. in al; And one Thuman
consisteth of 10000. fires. The residue of the people of the city are some
of them Christians, some marchants, and some traueilers through the
countrey: whereupon I marueiled much howe such an infinite number of
persons could inhabite and liue together. There is great abound