Of the vpper India:  and of the prouince of Mancy.

First of al therefore, hauing traueled many dayes iourney vpon the Ocean-sea toward the East, at length I arriued at a certaine great prouince called Mancy, being in Latine named India.  Concerning this India I inquired of Christians, of Saracens, and of Idolaters, and of al such as bare any office vnder the great Can.  Who all of them with one consent answered, that this prouince of Mancy hath mo then 2000. great cities within the precincts thereof, and that it aboundeth with all plenty of victuals, as namely with bread, wine, rise, flesh, and fish.  All the men of this prouince be artificers and marchants, who, though they be in neuer so extreme penurie, so long as they can helpe themselues by the labor of their hands, wil neuer beg almes of any man.  The men of this prouince are of a faire and comely personage, but somewhat pale, hauing their heads shauen but a litle:  but the women are the most beautiful vnder the sunne.  The first city of the said India which I came vnto, is called Ceuskalon, [Marginal note:  Or, Ceuskala.] which being a daies iourney distant from the sea, stands vpon a riuer, the water whereof, nere vnto the mouth, where it exonerateth it selfe into the sea, doth ouerflow the land for the space of 12. daies iourney.  All the inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols.  The foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge nauy belonging thereunto, that no man would beleeue it vnlesse he should see it.  In this city I saw 300. li. of good and new ginger sold for lesse than a groat.  There are the greatest, and the fairest geese, and most plenty of them to be sold in al the whole world, as I suppose:  [Sidenote:  He meaneth Pellicans, which the Spaniards cal Alcatrarzi.] they are as white as milke, and haue a bone vpon the crowne of their heads as bigge as an egge, being of the colour of blood:  vnder their throat they haue a skin or bag hanging downe halfe a foot.  They are exceeding fat and wel sold.  Also they haue ducks and hens in that country, one as big as two of ours.  There be monstrous great serpents likewise, which are taken by the inhabitants and eaten:  whereupon a solemne feast among them without serpents is not set by:  and to be briefe, in this city there are al kinds of victuals in great abundance.  From thence I passed by many cities, and at length I came vnto a city named Caitan, [Marginal note:  Or, Zaiton.] wherin the friers Minorites haue two places of aboad, vnto the which I transported the bones of the dead friers, which suffred martyrdom for the faith of Christ, as it is aboue mentioned.  In this city there is abundance of al kind of victuals very cheap.  The said city is as big as two of Bononia, and in it are many monasteries of religious persons, al which do worship idols.  I my selfe was in one of those Monasteries, and it was told me, that there were in it iii.  M. religious men, hauing xi.  M. idols:  and one of the said idols which seemed