must be burned with him: so that if the father
die, yet they may haue a father in lawe to helpe to
bring vp the children which bee maried: and also
that they will not leaue their sonnes without wiues,
nor their daughters without husbands. [Sidenote:
Mandoway a very strong town.] From thence we went
to Mandoway, which is a very strong towne. It
was besieged twelue yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before
he could winne it. It standeth vpon a very great
high rocke as the most part of their castles doe, and
was of a very great circuite. [Sidenote: Vgini.]
From hence wee went to Vgini and Serringe, where we
ouertooke the ambassadour of Zelabdim Echebar with
a marueilous great company of men, elephants, and
camels. Here is great trade of cotton and cloth
made of cotton, and great store of drugs. From
thence we went to Agra passing many riuers, which
by reason of the raine were so swollen, that wee waded
and swamme oftentimes for our liues. [Sidenote:
Agra a great citie.] Agra is a very great citie and
populous, built with stone, hauing faire and large
streetes, with a faire riuer running by it, which
falleth into the gulfe of Bengala. It hath a faire
castle and a strong with a very faire ditch. [Sidenote:
The great Mogor.] Here bee many Moores and Gentiles,
the king is called Zelabdim Echebar: the people
for the most part call him The great Mogor. From
thence we went for Fatepore, which is the place where
the king kept his court. The towne is greater
then Agra, but the houses and streetes be not so faire.
Here dwell many people both Moores and Gentiles.
The king hath in Agra and Fatepore as they doe credibly
report 1000. elephants, thirtie thousand horses, 1400.
tame Deere, 800. concubines: such store of Ounces,
Tigers, Buffles, Cocks and Haukes, that is very strange
to see. He keepeth a great court, which they call
Dericcan. Agra and Fatepore are two very great
cities, either of them much greater then London and
very populous. [Sidenote: The like is reported
of the cities of China.] Betweene Agra and Fatepore
are 12. miles, and all the way is a market of victuals
and other things, as full as though a man were still
in a towne, and so many people as if a man were in
a market. They haue many fine cartes, and many
of them carued and gilded with gold, with two wheeles
which be drawen with two litle Buls about the bignesse
of our great dogs in England, and they will runne
with any horse, and carie two or three men in one
of these cartes: they are couered with silke or
very fine cloth, and be vsed here as our Coches be
in England. Hither is great resort of marchants
from Persia and out of India, and very much marchandise
of silke and cloth, and of precious stones, both Rubies,
Diamants, and Pearles. The king is apparelled
in a white Cabie made like a shirt tied with strings
on the one side, and a litle cloth on his head coloured
oftentimes with red or yealow. None come into
his house but his eunuchs which keepe his women.
Here in Fatepore we staied all three vntill the 28.