owne fashion. They haue no Horses, only Mules & Asses in abundance; they till and plough their ground with great and small Ploughes, as we doe in Siberia at T••bolsk••. Their Cuttuffs are in our Language Patriarkes, and both in Mugalla and Catay are but two Cuttuffs; the one was about twentie, and the other thirtie yeeres of age. Within the Churches are made for them high pla∣ces with seats whereupon they sit: the King doth honour them with bowing downe before them. Their Lobaes are in our Language Friers, which are shorne about twentie yeeres of age, and know no women from their Mothers wombe, they eate flesh continually euery day, and shaue both Beards and Mustachoes: their Garments are of Damaske of all sorts and colours, and their Hoods yellow, they say that their Religion and ours are all one, only the Russe Monkes are blacke, and theirs white. [ 10]
Beyond the Land of Mugalla are three other Countreyes or Dominions, stretching towards Bughar, the one called Ortus, the Kings name there is Euakan, the Citie is of stone, and the King∣dome rich.
The other is called Dominions of Talguth, the Kings name is Sauelanche, his Cities are also of stone, and his Kingdome rich.
The third Countrey where the chiefe Citie is, is called Shar, and the King thereof is called Zellezney, or Iron King, his Kingdome is rich, and not farre from Bughar. From this Iron King come Diamonds, and all these three Kingdomes are vnder the South, and on the other side of the blacke Mugalls are the yellow Mugalls, stretching all alongst the Sea, aswel Townes as walking people, with their Families and Herds.
From the Countrey of Mugalla, where the Dutchesse Manchika dwelleth, to the Citie of [ 20] Shrokalga in Catay, is two dayes trauell on horsebacke: and the bordering or frontier wals stand vnder the South towards Bughar, two moneths trauell, all made of Bricke of fifteene fathome high, whereupon they told about a hundred Towres in sight, on both sides of them, but towards Bughar, and towards the Sea, the Towres are not to bee numbred, and euery Towre standeth from another about a flight shot distant. The said wall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 downe towards the Sea foure moneths trauell. The people of Catay say, that this wall stretcheth alongst from Bughar to the Sea, and the Towres vpon it stand very thicke; it was made, as they say, to be a border betweene Mugalla and Catay. The Towres vpon it are to the end, that when any enemy appeareth, to kindle fires vpon them, to giue the people warning to come to their places where they are ap∣pointed [ 30] vpon the wall. At the entring without the wall dwell the blacke Mugalls; and within is the Countrey and Cities of Catay. In the wall to Catay are fiue gates, both low, and straight or narrow, a man cannot ride into them vpright on horse-backe, and except these fiue gates there is no more in all the wall; there all manner of people passe into the Citie of Shrokalga.
Within the borders or wall is a Citie or Castle of Catay, called Shirokalga, built of stone, the Gouernour thereof is called Duke Shubin, who is sent thither for a time from Tambur King of Catay, the Castle is very high walled and artificially built; the Towres are high after the man∣ner of Mosco Castle, in the Loope-holes or Windowes are Ordnance planted, as also vpon the Gates or Towres; their Ordnance is but short, they haue also great store of small shot, and the Watchmen euery-where vpon the Gates, Towres, and Wals, well appointed; and assoone as [ 40] they perceiue the Sunne going downe, the Watch dischargeth their Peeces of Ordnance thrice, as also at the breake of day in the morning, they shoot out of their Pieces thrice, and doe not open the Castle Gates till the sixt houre of the day. Within the Castle are shops built of stone, and painted cunningly with diuers colours, wherein they haue all manner of Merchandizes, as Vel∣uets, Damaskes, Dorogoes, Taffataes, Cloth of Gold, and Tissue of diuers colours, sundry sorts of Sugars, Cloues, &c. in the Gouernours house is a strong Watch of Partisans and Halberds, and their Drummes made like great Barrels. When the Gouernour goeth abroad, they carry a Cano∣pie ouer him, and make way before him with Rods, as before our Emperour in Mosco.
And from Shirokalga to the Citie Yara is three dayes trauell: this Citie is large, built of stone, and the circuit of it is two dayes trauell, with many Towres, and foure Gates to come in at, the [ 50] Markets in the Citie are well and richly accommodated, with Iewels, Merchandizes, Grocerie, or Spices, the Citie well inhabited hauing no place void or waste in it. The houses and shops are built with stone, with streets betweene; the Gouernours here are called Duke By•• and Duke ••••chake, heere they haue Post Stages as wee, their Markets haue a very odoriferous smell with Spices.
And from this Citie, to a Citie called Tayth, is three dayes iourney, it is built of stone, large, and high walled, & is in compasse two daies trauel about, at the first comming to it are fiue gates barred and bolted with Iron, very thicke and close, fastned with Nailes; the houses and shops, or Ware-houses are all built of stone, wherein are all manner of Merchandizes, Spices, or Groce∣rie, and precious things more abundant then in the aforesaid Cities, they haue Tauernes or Drin∣king [ 60] houses stored with all manner of Drinkes, as Aquanit••, Meade, and Wines from beyond Seas in abundance, there they haue also their Watch, Ordnance, and Munition in great store; the Gouernours of this place are one Duke Tuga, and the other Duke Zumia, there wee saw Si∣namon, Anniseeds, Apples, Arbuzes, Melons, Cucumbers, Onions, Garlicke, Radish, Carrets,