people do
possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creatures. Then I began to
refute that foule error: howbeit my speach did nothing at all preuaile with
him: for he could not be perswaded that any soule might remaine without a
body. [Sidenote: Chilenso.] From thence I departed vhto a certaine citie
named Chilenso, the walls whereof conteined 40. miles in circuit. In this
city there are 360. bridges of stone, the fairest that euer I saw: and it
is wel inhabited, hauing a great nauie belonging thereunto, and abounding
with all kinds of victuals and other commodities. [Sidenote: Thalay.] And
thence I went vnto a certaine riuer called Thalay, which where it is most
narrow, is 7. miles broad: [Sidenote: Cakam.] and it runneth through the
midst of the land of Pygmaei, whose chiefe city is called Cakam, and is one
of the goodliest cities in the world. These Pigmaeans are three of my spans
high, and they make larger and better cloth of cotten and silke, then any
other nation vnder the sunne. [Sidenote: Ianzu.] And coasting along by the
saide riuer, I came vnto a certaine citie named Ianzu, in which citie there
is one receptacle for the Friers of our order, and there be also three
Churches of the Nestorians. This Ianzu is a noble and great citie,
containing 48 Thuman of tributarie fiers, and in it are all kindes of
victuals, and great plenty of such beastes, foules and fishes, as
Christians doe vsually liue vpon. The lord of the same citie hath in
yeerely reuenues for salt onely, fiftie Thuman of balis, and one balis is
worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne: insomuch that one Thuman of balis
amounteth vnto the value of fifteene thousand florens. Howbeit the sayd
lord fauoureth his people in one respect, for sometimes he forgiueth them
freely two hundred Thuman, least there should be any scarcity or dearth
among them. There is a custome in this citie, that when any man is
determined to banquet his friends, going about vnto certaine tauernes or
cookes houses appointed for the same purpose, he sayth vnto euery
particular hoste, you shall haue such, and such of my friendes, whom you
must intertaine in my name, and so much I will bestowe vpon the banquet.
And by that means his friendes are better feasted at diuerse places, then
they should haue beene at one. Tenne miles from the sayde citie, about the
head of the foresayd riuer of Thalay, there is a certaine other citie
called Montu, which hath the greatest nauy that I saw in the