a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第51章

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hing　but　a　round　stone　which　they　worship。　In　this　temple　of　Darcha　is　an　idol　in　the　figure　of　a　man　as　to　his　body；　and　the　face　is　that　of　an　elephant　with　trunk　and　tusks；＇387＇　and　with　three　arms　on　each　side　and　six　hands；　of　which　arms　they　say　that　already　four　are　gone；　and　when　all　fall　then　the　world　will　be　destroyed　they　are　full　of　belief　that　this　will　be；　and　hold　it　as　a　prophecy。　They　feed　the　idol　every　day；　for　they　say　that　he　eats；　and　when　he　eats　women　dance　before　him　who　belong　to　that　pagoda；　and　they　give　him　food　and　all　that　is　necessary；　and　all　girls　born　of　these　women　belong　to　the　temple。　These　women　are　of　loose　character；　and　live　in　the　best　streets　that　there　are　in　the　city；　it　is　the　same　in　all　their　cities；　their　streets　have　the　best　rows　of　houses　They　are　very　much　esteemed；　and　are　classed　amongst　those　honoured　ones　who　are　the　mistresses　of　the　captains；　any　respectable　man　may　go　to　their　houses　without　any　blame　attaching　thereto。　These　women　（are　allowed）　even　to　enter　the　presence　of　the　wives　of　the　king；　and　they　stay　with　them　and　eat　betel　with　them；　a　thing　which　no　other　person　may　do；　no　matter　what　his　rank　may　be。　This　betel　is　a　herb　which　has　a　leaf　like　the　leaf　of　the　pepper；　or　the　ivy　of　our　country；　they　always　eat　this　leaf；　and　carry　it　in　their　mouths　with　another　fruit　called　areca。　This　is　something　like　a　medlar；　but　it　is　very　hard；　and　it　is　very　good　for　the　breath　and　has　many　other　virtues；　it　is　the　best　provision　for　those　who　do　not　eat　as　we　do。　Some　of　them　eat　flesh；　they　eat　all　kinds　except　beef　and　pork；　and　yet；　nevertheless；　they　cease　not　to　eat　this　betel　all　day。

Afterwards　going　from　this　city　of　Darcha　towards　the　city　of　Bisnaga；＇388＇　which　is　eighteen　leagues　distant；　and　is　the　capital　of　all　the　kingdom　of　Narsymga；　where　the　king　always　resides；　you　have　many　cities　and　walled　villages；　and　two　leagues　before　you　arrive　at　the　city　of　Bisnaga　you　have　a　very　lofty　SERRA　which　has　passes　by　which　you　enter　the　city。　These　are　called　〃gates〃　（PORTAS）。　You　must　enter　by　these；　for　you　will　have　no　means　of　entrance　except　by　them。　This　range　of　hills　surrounds　the　city　with　a　circle　of　twenty…four　leagues；　and　within　this　range　there　are　others　that　encircle　it　closely。　Wherever　these　ranges　have　any　level　ground　they　cross　it　with　a　very　strong　wall；　in　such　a　way　that　the　hills　remain　all　closed；　except　in　the　places　where　the　roads　come　through　from　the　gates　in　the　first　range；　which　are　the　entrance　ways　to　the　city。　In　such　places　there　are　some　small　pits　（or　caves？）＇389＇　which　could　be　defended　by　a　few　people；　these　SERRAS　continue　as　far　as　the　interior　of　the　city。　Between　all　these　enclosures　are　plains　and　valleys　where　rice　is　grown；　and　there　are　gardens　with　many　orange…trees；　limes；　citrons；　and　radishes　（RABAOS）；　and　other　kinds　of　garden　produce　as　in　Portugal；　only　not　lettuces　or　cabbages。　Between　these　hill…ranges　are　many　lakes　by　which　they　irrigate　the　crops　mentioned；　and　amongst　all　these　ranges　there　are　no　forests　or　patches　of　brushwood；　except　very　small　ones；　nor　anything　that　is　green。　For　these　hills　are　the　strangest　ever　seen；　they　are　of　a　white　stone　piled　one　block　over　another　in　manner　most　singular；　so　that　it　seems　as　if　they　stood　in　the　air　and　were　not　connected　one　with　another；　and　the　city　is　situated　in　the　middle　of　these　hills　and　is　entirely　surrounded　by　them。

The　SERRAS　reach　as　far　as　the　kingdom　of　Daquem；＇390＇　and　border　upon　the　territories　belonging　to　the　Ydallcao；　and　upon　a　city　called　Rachol　that　formerly　belonged　to　the　king　of　Narsymga；　there　has　been　much　war　over　it；　and　this　king　took　it　from　the　Ydallcao。　So　that　these　ranges　are　in　a　way　the　cause　（of　the　two　kingdoms）　never　uniting　and　always　being　at　war；　and　even　on　the　side　of　Orya　also　there　are　ranges；　but　they　are　different　from　these；　since　like　ours　they　have　scrub　and　small　patches　of　brushwood；　these　ranges　are　low　and　between　them　are　great　plains。　On　the　extreme　east　of　these　two　kingdoms　you　must　know　that　the　country　is　all　covered　with　scrub；　the　densest　possible　to　be　seen；　in　which　there　are　great　beasts；　and　（this）　forms　so　strong　a　fortress　for　it　that　it　protects　both　sides；　it　has　its　entrances　by　which　they　pass　from　one　kingdom　to　the　other。　In　these　passes　on　the　frontier　the　king　of　Narsymga　has　a　captain　with　a　quantity　of　troops；　but　on　the　side　of　（Portuguese）　India　he　has　none；　except　as　I　have　said。

Now　turning　to　the　gates　of　the　first　range；　I　say　that　at　the　entrance　of　the　gate　where　those　pass　who　come　from　Goa；　which　is　the　principal　entrance　on　the　western　side；　this　king　has　made　within　it　a　very　strong　city＇391＇　fortified　with　walls　and　towers；　and　the　gates　at　the　entrances　very　strong；　with　towers　at　the　gates；　these　walls　are　not　like　those　of　other　cities；　but　are　made　of　very　strong　masonry　such　as　would　be　found　in　few　other　parts；　and　inside　very　beautiful　rows　of　buildings　made　after　their　manner　with　flat　roofs。　There　live　in　this　many　merchants；　and　it　is　filled　with　a　large　population　because　the　king　induces　many　honourable　merchants　to　go　there　from　his　cities；　and　there　is　much　water　in　it。　Besides　this　the　king　made　a　tank＇392＇　there；　which；　as　it　seems　to　me；　has　the　width　of　a　falcon…shot；＇393＇　and　it　is　at　the　mouth　of　two　hills；　so　that　all　the　water　which　comes　from　either　one　side　or　the　other　collects　there；　and；　besides　this；　water　comes　to　it　from　more　than　three　leagues　by　pipes　which　run　along　the　lower　parts　of　the　range　outside。　This　water　is　brought　from　a　lake　which　itself　overflows　into　a　little　river。　The　tank　has　three　large　pillars　handsomely　carved　with　figures；　these　connect　above　with　certain　pipes　by　which　they　get　water　when　they　have　to　irrigate　their　gardens　and　rice…fields。　In　order　to　make　this　tank　the　said　king　broke　down　a　hill　which　enclosed　the　ground　occupied　by　the　said　tank。　In　the　tank　I　saw　so　many　people　at　work　that　there　must　have　been　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　men；　looking　like　ants；　so　that　you　could　not　see　the　ground　on　which　they　walked；　so　many　there　were；　this　tank　the　king　portioned　out　amongst　his　captains；　each　of　whom　had　the　duty　of　seeing　that　the　people　placed　under　him　did　their　work；　and　that　the　tank　was　finished　and　brought　to　completion。

The　tank　burst　two　or　three　times；　and　the　king　asked　his　Brahmans　to　consult　their　idol　as　to　the　reason　why　it　burst　so　often；　and　the　Brahmans　said　that　the　idol　was　displeased；　and　desired　that　they　should　make　a　sacrifice；　and　should　give　him　the　blood　of　men　and　horses　and　buffaloes；　and　as　soon　as　the　king　heard　this　he　forthwith　commanded　that　at　the　gate　of　the　pagoda　the　heads　of　sixty　men　should　be　cut　off；　and　of　certain　horses　and　buffaloes；　which　was　at　once　done。

These　Brahmans　are　like　friars　with　us；　and　they　count　them　as　holy　men　　I　speak　of　the　Brahman　priests　and　the　lettered　men　of　the　pagodas　　because　although　the　king　has　many　Brahmans；　they　are　officers　of　the　towns　and　cities　and　belong　to　the　government　of　them；　others　are　merchants；　and　others　live　by　their　own　property　and　cultivation；　and　the　fruits　which　grow　in　their　inherited　grounds。　Those　who　have　charge　of　the　temples　are　learned　men；　and　eat　nothing　which　suffers　death；　neither　flesh　nor　fish；　nor　anything　which　makes　broth　red；　for　they　say　that　it　is　blood。　Some　of　the　other　Brahmans　whom　I　mentioned；　who　seek　to　serve　God；　and　to　do　penance；　and　to　live　a　life　like　that　of　the　priests；　do　not　eat　flesh　or　fish　or　any　other　thing　that　suffers　death；　but　only　vegetables＇394＇　and　butter　and　other　things　which　they　make　of　fruit；＇395＇　with　their　rice。　They　are　all　married；　and　have　very　beautiful　wives；　the　wives　are　very　retiring；　and　very　seldom　leave　the　house。　The　women　are　of　light　colour；　and　in　the　caste　of　these　Brahmans　are　the　fairest　men　and　women　that　there　are　in　the　land；　for　though　there　are　men　in　other　castes　commonly　of　light　complexion；　yet　these　are　few。　There　are　many　in　this　country　who　call　themselves　Brahmans；　but　they　lead　a　life　very　different　from　those　of　whom　I　have　spoken；　for　these　last　are　men　to　whom　the　king　pays　much　honour；　and　he　holds