AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1330. 



Cakam. called Cakam, and is one of the goodliest cities in the 



[II. i. 61.] world. These Pigmaeans are three of my spans high, and 

 they make larger and better cloth of cotten and silke, 

 then any other nation under the sunne. And coasting 

 along by the saide river, I came unto a certaine citie 



Janzu. named Janzu, in which citie there is one receptacle for 

 the Friers of our order, and there be also three Churches 

 of the Nestorians. This Janzu is a noble and great citie, 

 containing 48 Thuman of tributarie fiers, and in it are 

 all kindes of victuals, and great plenty of such beastes, 

 foules and fishes, as Christians doe usually live upon. 

 The lord of the same citie hath in yeerely revenues for 

 salt onely, fiftie Thuman of Balis, and one balis is worth 

 a floren and a halfe of our coyne : insomuch that one 

 Thuman of balis amounteth unto the value of fifteene 

 thousand florens. Howbeit the sayd lord favoureth his 

 people in one respect, for sometimes he forgiveth them 

 freely two hundred Thuman, least there should be any 

 scarcity or dearth among them. There is a custome in 

 this citie, that v/hen any man is determined to banquet 

 his friends, going about unto certaine tavernes or cookes 

 houses appointed for the same purpose, he sayth unto 

 every particular hoste, you shall have such, and such of 

 my friendes, whom you must intertaine in my name, and 

 so much I will bestowe upon the banquet. And by that 

 meanes his friendes are better feasted at diverse places, 

 then they should have beene at one. Tenne miles from 

 the sayde citie, about the head of the foresayd river of 

 Thalay, there is a certaine other citie called Montu, 

 which hath the greatest navy that I saw in the whole 

 world. All their ships are as white as snow, and they 

 have banqueting houses in them, and many other rare 

 things also, which no man would beleeve, unlesse he 

 had scene them with his owne eyes. 



428 



