usk, and all other things. Gold and silver is
reckoned merchandise, and is worth sometimes more and sometimes less,
like all other wares, according to the supply and demand. The ganza or
brass money goes by weight, which they call a _biza_; and commonly this
biza is worth, in our way of reckoning, about half a crown or somewhat
less. The merchandises in Pegu are, gold, silver, rubies, sapphires,
spinels, musk, benzoin, frankincense, long pepper, tin, lead, copper,
_lacca_, of which hard sealing-wax is made, rice, wine made of rice,
[_aruck_,] and some sugar. The elephants eat sugar canes in great
quantities, or otherwise they might make abundance of sugar.

They consume many canes likewise[425], in making their _varellas_ or
idol temples, of which there are a prodigious multitude, both large and
small. These are made round like a sugar loaf, some being as high as a
church, and very broad beneath, some being a quarter of a mile in
compass. Within these are all of earth, faced round with stone. In these
_varellas_ they consume a vast quantity of gold, as they are all gilded
aloft, and some from top to bottom; and they must be newly gilded every
ten or twelve years, because the rain washes off the gold, as they all
stand exposed to the weather. Were it not for the prodigious quantities
of gold consumed in this manner, it would be very plentiful and cheap in
Pegu. About two days journey from Pegu there is a _varella_ or pagoda
called _dogonne_, of wonderful bigness, gilded all over from top to
bottom, to which the inhabitants of Pegu go in pilgrimage; and near it
is a house where their talapoins or priests preach to the people. This
house is fifty five paces long, and hath three _pawnes_ or covered walks
in it, the roof being supported by forty great gilded pillars, which
stand between the walks. It is open on all sides, having a vast number
of small gilded pillars, and the whole is gilded both within and
without. Round about this there are many fair houses for the pilgrims to
dwell in, and many goodly houses in which the talapoins preach, which
are all full of idols or images, both male and female, all gilded with
gold. This, in my opinion, is the fairest place in the world. It stands
very high, having four roads leading to it, all planted on each side
with fruit-trees, so that the people walk in the shade in all these
avenues, which are each above two miles long. When the grand festival
of this varella approaches, one can