feet with their hands, which they then kissed. They
took him for a great man, but in my opinion he was only a lazy lubber,
whom I left sleeping there. The people of these countries are much given
to these dissembling hypocrites.

From Patna I went to _Tanda_ in the land of _Gouren_[409], which is in
the country of Bengal. This is a place of great trade in cotton and
cotton cloth, formerly a kingdom, but now subject to the great Mogor.
The people are great idolaters, going naked with only a cloth about
their middles, and the country hath many tigers, wild buffaloes, and
wild fowl. _Tanda_ is about a league from the river Ganges, as in times
past the river flowed over its banks in the rainy season, and drowned a
considerable extent of country with many villages, and so it yet
remains, and the old bed of the river still remains dry, by which means
the city now stands at a distance from the water. From Agra I was five
months coming down the Jumna and the Ganges to Bengal, but it may be
sailed in much shorter time.

[Footnote 409: In our modern maps Tanda and the country or district of
Gouren are not to be found; but the ruins of _Gour_, which may have some
reference to Gouren, are laid down in lat. 24 deg. 52' N. long. 88 deg. 5' E.
about seven miles from the main stream of the great Ganges, and ten
miles south from the town of Maida.--E.]

I went from Bengal into the country of _Couche_[410], which is 25 days
journey north from Tanda. The king is a Gentile, named _Suckel Counse_.
His country is very extensive, and reaches to within no great distance
of Cauchin China, whence they are said to procure pepper. The port is
called _Cacchegate_. All the country is set with bamboos or canes made
sharp at both ends, and driven into the earth, and they can let in the
water and drown the country above knee-deep, so that neither men nor
horses can pass; and in case of any wars, they poison all the waters.
The people are all Gentiles, who kill nothing, having their ears
marvellously great and a span long, which they draw out by various
devices when young. They have much silk and musk, and cloth made of
cotton. They have hospitals for sheep, goats, dogs, cats, birds, and all
kinds of living creatures, which they keep when old and lame until they
die. If a man bring any living creature into this country, they will
give money for it or other victuals, and either let it go at large or
keep it in their hospitals. They even give food to t