a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第50章

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h　which　we　are　at　peace；　and　in　some　of　them　we　have　factories；　namely；　Amcola；　Mirgeo；　Honor；　Batecalla；　Mamgalor；　Bracalor；　and　Bacanor。　And　as　soon　as　we　are　above　this　SERRA　we　have　a　plain　country　in　which　there　are　no　more　ranges　of　hills；　but　only　a　few　mountains；　and　these　small　ones；　for　all　the　rest　is　like　the　plains　of　Ssantarem。＇373＇　Only　on　the　road　from　Batecala＇374＇　to　a　town　called　ZAMBUJA；　there　are　some　ranges　with　forests；　nevertheless　the　road　is　very　even。　From　Batecala　to　this　town　of　Zambur＇375＇　is　forty　leagues；　the　road　has　many　streams　of　water　by　its　side；　and　because　of　this　so　much　merchandise　flows　to　Batecala　that　every　year　there　come　five　or　six　thousand　pack…oxen。

Now　to　tell　of　the　aforesaid　kingdom。　It　is　a　country　sparsely　wooded　except　along　this　SERRA　on　the　east；＇376＇　but　in　places　you　walk　for　two　or　three　leagues　under　groves　of　trees；　and　behind　cities　and　towns　and　villages　they　have　plantations　of　mangoes；　and　jack…fruit　trees；　and　tamarinds　and　other　very　large　trees；　which　form　resting…places　where　merchants　halt　with　their　merchandise。　I　saw　in　the　city　of　Recalem＇377＇　a　tree　under　which　we　lodged　three　hundred　and　twenty　horses；　standing　in　order　as　in　their　stables；　and　all　over　the　country　you　may　see　many　small　trees。　These　dominions　are　very　well　cultivated　and　very　fertile；　and　are　provided　with　quantities　of　cattle；　such　as　cows；　buffaloes；　and　sheep；　also　of　birds；　both　those　belonging　to　the　hills　and　those　reared　at　home；　and　this　in　greater　abundance　than　in　our　tracts。　The　land　has　plenty　of　rice　and　Indian…corn；　grains；　beans；　and　other　kind　of　crops　which　are　not　sown　in　our　parts；　also　an　infinity　of　cotton。　Of　the　grains　there　is　a　great　quantity；　because；　besides　being　used　as　food　for　men；　it　is　also　used　for　horses；　since　there　is　no　other　kind　of　barley；　and　this　country　has　also　much　wheat；　and　that　good。　The　whole　country　is　thickly　populated　with　cities　and　towns　and　villages；　the　king　allows　them　to　be　surrounded　only　with　earthen　walls　for　fear　of　their　becoming　too　strong。　But　if　a　city　is　situated　at　the　extremity　of　his　territory　he　gives　his　consent　to　its　having　stone　walls；　but　never　the　towns；　so　that　they　may　make　fortresses　of　the　cities　but　not　of　the　towns。

And　because　this　country　is　all　flat；　the　winds　blow　here　more　than　in　other　parts。　The　oil　which　it　produces　comes　from　seeds　sown　and　afterwards　reaped；　and　they　obtain　it　by　means　of　machines　which　they　make。　This　country　wants　water　because　it　is　very　great　and　has　few　streams；　they　make　lakes　in　which　water　collects　when　it　rains；　and　thereby　they　maintain　themselves。　They　maintain　themselves　by　means　of　some　in　which　there　are　springs　better　than　by　others　that　have　only　the　water　from　rain；　for　we　find　many　quite　dry；　so　that　people　go　about　walking　in　their　beds；　and　dig　holes　to　try　and　find　enough　water；　even　a　little；　for　their　maintenance。　The　failure　of　the　water　is　because　they　have　no　winter　as　in　our　parts　and　in　（Portuguese）　India；　but　only　thunder…storms　that　are　greater　in　one　year　than　in　another。　The　water　in　these　lakes　is　for　the　most　part　muddy；　especially　in　those　where　there　are　no　springs；　and　the　reason　why　it　is　so　muddy　is　because　of　the　strong　wind　and　the　dust　that　is　in　this　country；　which　never　allows　the　water　to　be　clear；　and　also　because　of　the　numbers　of　cattle；　buffaloes；　cows；　oxen；　and　other　small　cattle　that　drink　in　them。　For　you　must　know　that　in　this　land　they　do　not　slaughter　oxen　or　cows；　the　oxen　are　beasts　of　burden　and　are　like　sumpter…mules；　these　carry　all　their　goods。　They　worship　the　cows；　and　have　them　in　their　pagodas　made　in　stone；　and　also　bulls；　they　have　many　bulls　that　they　present　to　these　pagodas；　and　these　bulls　go　about　the　city　without　any　one　causing　them　any　harm　or　loss。　Further；　there　are　asses　in　this　country；　but　they　are　small；　and　they　use　them　only　for　little　things；　those　that　wash　clothes　lay　the　cloths　on　them；　and　use　them　for　this　more　than　for　anything　else。　You　must　know　that　this　kingdom　of　Narsymga　has　three　hundred　GRAOS　of　coast；　each　GRAO　being　a　league；　along　the　hill…range　（SERRA）　of　which　I　have　spoken；　until　you　arrive　at　Ballagate　and　Charamaodel；＇378＇　which　belong　to　this　kingdom；　and　in　breadth　it　is　one　hundred　and　sixty…four　GRAOS；　each　large　GRAO　measures　two　of　our　leagues；　so　that　it　has　six　hundred　leagues　of　coast；　and　across　it　three　hundred　and　forty…eight　leagues。。。　across　from　Batacalla　to　the　kingdom　of　Orya。＇379＇

And　this　kingdom　marches＇380＇　with　all　the　territory　of　Bengal；　and　on　the　other　side　with　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　which　is　to　the　east；　and　on　the　other　side　to　the　north　with　the　kingdom　of　Dakhan；　belonging　to　which　are　the　lands　which　the　Ydallcao＇381＇　has；　and　Ozemelluco。＇382＇　Goa　is　at　war　with　this　Ydallcao；　because　that　city　was　his；　and　we　have　taken　it　from　him。

And　this　kingdom　of　Orya；　of　which　I　have　spoken　above；　is　said　to　be　much　larger　than　the　kingdom　of　Narsymga；　since　it　marches　with　all　Bengal；　and　is　at　war　with　her；　and　it　marches　with　all　the　kingdom　of　Pegu　and　with　the　MALLACA　Sea。　It　reaches　to　the　kingdom　of　Cambaya；　and　to　the　kingdom　of　Dakhan；　and　they　told　me　with　positive　certainty　that　it　extends　as　far　as　Persia。　The　population　thereof　is　light　coloured；　and　the　men　are　of　good　physique。　Its　king　has　much　treasure　and　many　soldiers　and　many　elephants；　for　there　are　numbers　of　these　in　this　country。　（My　informants）　know　this　well；　and　they　say　that　there　is　no　ruler　greater　than　he。　He　is　a　heathen。

Coming　back　to　our　subject；　I　say　that　I　will　not　mention　here　the　situation　of　the　cities；　and　towns；　and　villages　in　this　kingdom　of　Narsymga；　to　avoid　prolixity；　only　I　shall　speak　of　the　city　of　Darcha；＇383＇　which　has　a　monument　such　as　can　seldom　be　seen　elsewhere。　This　city　of　Darcha　is　very　well　fortified　by　a　wall；　though　not　of　stone；　for　the　reason　that　I　have　already　stated。　On　the　western　side；　which　is　towards　（Portuguese）　India；　it　is　surrounded　by　a　very　beautiful　river；　and　on　the　other；　eastern　side　the　interior　of　the　country　is　all　one　plain；　and　along　the　wall　is　its　moat。　This　Darcha　has　a　pagoda；　which　is　the　monument　I　speak　of；　so　beautiful　that　another　as　good　of　its　kind　could　not　be　found　within　a　great　distance。　You　must　know　that　it　is　a　round　temple　made　of　a　single　stone；　the　gateway　all　in　the　manner　of　joiners　work；　with　every　art　of　perspective。　There　are　many　figures　of　the　said　work；　standing　out　as　much　as　a　cubit　from　the　stone；　so　that　you　see　on　every　side　of　them；　so　well　carved　that　they　could　not　be　better　done　　the　faces　as　well　as　all　the　rest；　and　each　one　in　its　place　stands　as　if　embowered　in　leaves；　and　above　it　is　in　the　Romanesque　style；　so　well　made　that　it　could　not　be　better。　Besides　this；　it　has　a　sort　of　lesser　porch　upon　pillars；　all　of　stone；　and　the　pillars　with　their　pedestals＇384＇　so　well　executed　that　they　appear　as　if　made　in　Italy；　all　the　cross　pieces　and　beams　are　of　the　same　stone　without　any　planks　or　timber　being　used　in　it；　and　in　the　same　way　all　the　ground　is　laid　with　the　same　stone；　outside　as　well　as　in。　And　all　this　pagoda；　as　far　round　as　the　temple　goes；　is　enclosed　by　a　trellis　made　of　the　same　stone；　and　this　again　is　completely　surrounded　by　a　very　strong　wall；　better　even　than　the　city　has；　since　it　is　all　of　solid　masonry。　It　has　three　entrance　gates；　which　gates　are　very　large　and　beautiful；　and　the　entrance　from　one　of　these　sides；　being　towards　the　east　and　facing　the　door　of　the　pagoda；　has　some　structures　like　verandahs；　small　and　low；　where　sit　some　JOGIS；＇385＇　and　inside　this　enclosure；　which　has　other　little　pagodas　of　a　reddish　colour；　there　is　a　stone　like　the　mast　of　a　ship；　with　its　pedestal　four…sided；　and　from　thence　to　the　top　eight…sided；　standing　in　the　open　air。　I　was　not　astonished　at　it；　because　I　have　seen　the　needle　of　St。　Peters　at　Rome；　which　is　as　high；　or　more。＇386＇

These　pagodas　are　buildings　in　which　they　pray　and　have　their　idols；　the　idols　are　of　many　sorts；　namely；　figures　of　men　and　women；　of　bulls；　and　apes；　while　others　have　nothing　but　a　round　stone　which　they　worship。　In　this　temple　of　Darcha　is　an　idol　in　the　figure　of　a　ma