He who is quite bald is esteemed a beauty amongst them, for they abominate long hair; whereas, in the comets, it is looked upon as a perfection at least; so we heard from some strangers who were speaking of them; they have, notwithstanding, small beards a little above the knee; no nails to their feet, and only one great toe.  They have honey here which is extremely sharp, and when they exercise themselves, wash their bodies with milk; this, mixed with a little of their honey, makes excellent cheese. {94} Their oil is extracted from onions, is very rich, and smells like ointment.  Their wines, which are in great abundance, yield water, and the grape stones are like hail; I imagine, indeed, that whenever the wind shakes their vines and bursts the grape, then comes down amongst us what we call hail.  They make use of their belly, which they can open and shut as they please, as a kind of bag, or pouch, to put anything in they want; it has no liver or intestines, but is hairy and warm within, insomuch, that new-born children, when they are cold, frequently creep into it.  The garments of the rich amongst them are made of glass, but very soft:  the poor have woven brass, which they have here in great abundance, and by pouring a little water over it, so manage as to card it like wool.  I am afraid to mention their eyes, lest, from the incredibility of the thing, you should not believe me.  I must, however, inform you that they have eyes which they take in and out whenever they please:  so that they can preserve them anywhere till occasion serves, and then make use of them; many who have lost their own, borrow from others; and there are several rich men who keep a stock of eyes by them.  Their ears are made of the leaves of plane-trees, except of those who spring, as I observed to you, from acorns, these alone have wooden ones.  I saw likewise another very extraordinary thing in the king’s palace, which was a looking-glass that is placed in a well not very deep; whoever goes down into the well hears everything that is said upon earth, and if he looks into the glass, beholds all the cities and nations of the world as plain as if he was close to them.  I myself saw several of my friends there, and my whole native country; whether they saw me also I will not pretend to affirm.  He who does not believe these things, whenever he goes there will know that I have said nothing but what is true.

To return to our voyage.  We took our leave of the king and his friends, got on board our ship, and set sail.  Endymion made me a present of two glass robes, two brass ones, and a whole coat of armour made of lupines, all which I left in the whale’s belly. {96} He likewise sent with us a thousand Hippogypi, who escorted us five hundred stadia.