many houses of tenne or twelue stories high, one aboue another.  It hath mightie large suburbs containing more people than the city it selfe.  Also it hath twelue principall gates:  and about the distance of eight miles, in the high way vnto euery one of the saide gates standeth a city as big by estimation as Venice, and Padua.  The foresaid city of Canasia is situated in waters or marshes, which alwayes stand still, neither ebbing nor flowing:  howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like vnto Venice.  In this city there are mo than 10002. bridges, many whereof I numbred and passed ouer them:  [Sidenote:  The Italian copy in Ramusius, hath 11000. bridges.] and vpon euery of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the citie, keeping continuall watch and ward about the said city, for the great Can the Emperour of Catay.  The people of this countrey say, that they haue one duetie inioyned vnto them by their lord:  for euery fire payeth one Balis in regard of tribute:  and a Balis is fiue papers or pieces of silke, which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine.  Tenne or twelue housholds are accompted for one fire, and so pay tribute but for one fire onely.  Al those tributary fires amount vnto the number of 85.  Thuman, with other foure Thuman of the Saracens, which make 89. in al; And one Thuman consisteth of 10000. fires.  The residue of the people of the city are some of them Christians, some marchants, and some traueilers through the countrey:  whereupon I marueiled much howe such an infinite number of persons could inhabite and liue together.  There is great aboundance of victuals in this citie, as namely of bread and wine, and especially of hogs-flesh, with other necessaries.

Of a Monastery where many strange beastes of diuers kindes doe liue vpon an
  hill.

In the foresaide citie foure of our friers had conuerted a mighty and riche man vnto the faith of Christ, at whose house I continually abode, for so long time as I remained in the citie.  Who vpon a certaine time saide vnto me:  Ara, that is to say, Father, will you goe and beholde the citie?  And I said, yea.  Then embarqued we our selues, and directed our course vnto a certaine great Monastery:  where being arrived, he called a religious person with whom he was acquainted, saying vnto him concerning me:  this Raban Francus, that is to say, this religious Frenchman commeth from the Westerne parts of the world, and is now going to the city of Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can, and therefore you must shew him some rare thing, that when hee returnes into his owne countrey, he may say, this strange sight or nouelty haue I seene in the city of Canasia.  Then the said religious man tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques which remained of the table, and led me vnto a little walled parke, the doore whereof he vnlocked with his key, and there appeared vnto vs a pleasant faire green plot, into the which we entred.  In the said greene stands a litle mount in forme of