on their toes. [Sidenote:  Gold found.] Here at Patanaw they finde gold in this maner.  They digge deepe pits in the earth, and wash the earth in great holies, and therein they finde the gold, and they make the pits round about with bricke, that the earth fall not in.  Patenaw is a very long and a great towne.  In times past it was a kingdom, but now it is vnder Zelabdim Echebar, the great Mogor.  The men are tall and slender, and haue many old folks among them:  the houses are simple, made of earth and couered with strawe, the streetes are very large.  In this towne there is a trade of cotton, and cloth of cotton, much sugar, which they cary from hence to Bengala and India, very much Opium and other commodities.  He that is chiefe here vnder the king is called Tipperdas, and is of great account among the people.  Here in Patenau I saw a dissembling prophet which sate vpon an horse in the market place, and made as though he slept, and many of the people came and touched his feete with their hands, and then kissed their hands.  They tooke him for a great man, but sure he was a lasie lubber.  I left him there sleeping.  The people of these countries be much giuen to such prating and dissembling hypocrites.

From Patanaw I went to Tanda which is in the land of Gouren.  It hath in times past bene a kingdom, but now is subdued by Zelabdim Echebar.  Great trade and traffique is here of cotton, and of cloth of cotton.  The people goe naked with a litle cloth bound about their waste.  It standeth in the countrey of Bengala.  Here be many Tigers, wild Bufs, and great store of wilde foule:  they are very great idolaters.  Tanda standeth from the riuer Ganges a league, because in times past the riuer flowing ouer the bankes, in time of raine did drowne the countrey and many villages, and so they do remaine.  And the old way which the riuer Ganges was woont to run, remaineth drie, which is the occasion that the citie doeth stand so farre from the water.  From Agra downe the riuer Iemena, and downe the riuer Ganges, I was fiue moneths comming to Bengala, but it may be sailed in much shorter time.

I went from Bengala into the countrey of Couche, [Marginal note:  Couche:  this seemeth to be Quicheu, accounted by some among the prouinces of China.] which lieth 25. daies iourny Northwards from Tanda.  The king is a Gentile, his name is Suckel Counse:  his countrey is great, and lieth not far from Cochin China:  for they say they haue pepper from thence.  The port is called Cacchegate.  All the countrie is set with Bambos or Canes made sharpe at both the endes and driuen into the earth, and they can let in the water and drowne the ground aboue knee deepe, so that men nor horses can passe.  They poison all the waters if any wars be.  Here they haue much silke and muske, and cloth made of cotton.  The people haue eares which be marueilous great of a span long, which they draw out in length by deuises when they be yong.  Here they be all Gentiles,