d about their middles without any more
apparell. We found it here very hote.

[Sidenote: Masulipatan.] The winter beginneth here about the last of May.
In these partes is a porte or hauen called Masulipatan, which standeth
eight dayes iourney from hence toward the gulfe of Bengala, whether come
many shippes out of India, Pegu, and Sumatra, very richly laden with
Pepper, spices, and other commodities. The countrie is very good and
fruitfull. [Sidenote: Seruidore.] From thence I went to Seruidore which is
a fine countrey, and the king is called, the king of Bread. The houses here
bee all thatched and made of lome. Here be many Moores and Gentiles, but
there is small religion among them. [Sidenote: Bellapore.] From thence I
went to Bellapore, and so to Barrampore, which is in the country of
Zelabdim Echebar. In this place their money is made of a kind of siluer
round and thicke, to the value of twentie pence, which is very good siluer.
It is marueilous great and a populous countrey. In their winter which is in
Iune, Iuly, and August, there is no passing in the streetes but with
horses, the waters be so high. The houses are made of lome and thatched.
Here is great store of cotton cloth made, and painted clothes of cotton
wooll: here groweth great store of corne and Rice. [Sidenote: Strange
mariages.] We found mariages great store both in townes and villages in
many places where wee passed, of boyes of eight or ten yeeres, and girles
of fiue or six yeeres old. They both do ride vpon one horse very trimly
decked, and are caried through the towne with great piping and playing, and
so returne home and eate of a banket made of Rice and fruits, and there
they daunce the most part of the night and so make an ende of the marriage.
They lie not together vntill they be ten yeeres old. They say they marry
their children so yoong, because it is an order that when the man dieth,
the woman must be burned with him: so that if the father die, yet they may
haue a father in lawe to helpe to bring vp the children which bee maried:
and also that they will not leaue their sonnes without wiues, nor their
daughters without husbands. [Sidenote: Mandoway a very strong town.] From
thence we went to Mandoway, which is a very strong towne. It was besieged
twelue yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before he could winne it. It standeth
vpon a very great high rocke as the most part of their castles doe, and was
of a very great circuite. [Sidenote: Vgini.] From hen