REPORTS OF CHINA ad. 



c. 1565. 

 One oxe draweth the plough alone, not onely in this 

 shire, but in other places also, wherein is greater store 

 of cattell. These countreymen by arte do that in tillage, 

 which we are constrained to doe by force. Here be solde 

 the voydings of close stooles, although there wanteth not 

 the dung of beastes : and the excrements of man are good 

 marchandise throughout all China. The dungfermers 

 seek in every streete by exchange to buy this durtie ware 

 for herbs and wood. The custome is very good for 

 keeping the Citie cleane. There is great aboundance of 

 hennes, geese, duckes, swine, and goates, wethers have 

 they none : the hennes are solde by weight, and so are 

 all other things. Two pound of hennes flesh, geese, 

 or ducke, is worth two foi of their money, that is, 

 d.ob. sterling. Swines flesh is sold at a penie the pound. 

 Beefe beareth the same price, for the scarcitie thereof, 

 howbeit Northward from Fuquieo and farther off from 

 the seacoast, there is beefe more plentie and solde better 

 cheape ; We have had in all the Cities we passed through, 

 great abundance of all these victuals, beefe onely excepted. 

 And if this Countrey were like unto India, the inhabi- 

 tants whereof eate neither henne, beefe, nor porke, but 

 keepe that onely for the Portugals and Moores, they [II. ii. 70.] 

 would be sold here for nothing. But it so falling out, 

 that the Chineans are the greatest eaters in all the world, 

 they do feed upon all things, specially on porke, which, 

 the fatter it is, is unto them the lesse lothsome. The 

 highest price of these things aforesaid 1 have set downe, 

 better cheape shal you sometimes buy them for the great 

 plentie thereof in this countrey. Frogs are solde at the 

 same price that is made of hennes, and are good meate 

 amongst them, as also dogs, cats, rats, snakes, and all 

 other uncleane meates. 



The Cities be very gallant, specially neere unto the 

 gates, the which are marveilously great, and covered with 

 iron. The gatehouses are built on high with towers, & 

 the lower part thereof is made of bricke & stone, pro- 

 portionally with the walls, from the walls upward the 



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