FRIAR BEATUS ODORICUS a.d. 



^330. 



Mancy, being in Latine named India. Concerning this 

 India I inquired of Christians, of Saracens, & of Idola- 

 ters, and of al such as bare any office under the great 

 Can. Who all of them with one consent answered, that 

 this province of Mancy hath mo then 2000. great cities 

 within the precincts thereof, & that it aboundeth with 

 all plenty of victuals, as namely with bread, wine, rise, 

 flesh, and fish. All the men of this province be arti- 

 ficers & marchants, who, though they be in never so 

 extreme penurie, so long as they can helpe themselves 

 by the labor of their hands, wil never beg almes of any 

 man. The men of this province are of a faire and 

 comely personage, but somewhat pale, having their heads 

 shaven but a litle : but the women are the most 

 beautiful under the sunne. The first city of ye said 

 India which I came unto, is called Ceuskalon, which Or, Ceuskala, 

 being a daies journey distant from the sea, stands upon 

 a river, the water whereof, nere unto the mouth, where 

 it exonerateth it selfe into the sea, doth overflow the 

 land for the space of 12. daies journey. All the 

 inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols. The 

 foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge navy be- 

 longing thereunto, that no man would beleeve it unlesse 

 he should see it. In this city I saw 300.1i. of good & 

 new ffing^er sold for lesse then a proat. There are the ^^ meaneth 

 greatest, and the fairest geese, & most plenty of them to ^Tl^j! 

 be sold in al the whole world, as I suppose : they are as Spaniards cal 

 white as milke, and have a bone upon the crowne of their Akatrarxi. 

 heads as bigge as an ^^g'^^ being of the colour of blood : 

 under their throat they have a skin or bag hanging downe 

 halfe a foot. They are exceeding fat & wel sold. Also 

 they have ducks and hens in that country, one as big as 

 two of ours. There be monstrous great serpents like- 

 wise, which are taken by the inhabitants & eaten : where- 

 upon a solemne feast among them without serpents is 

 nought 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 & at length I came unto a city 



423 



