RALPH FITCH ad. 



1583-91. 



Bellapore, and so to Barrampore, which is in the country Bellapore. 



of Zelabdim Echebar. In this place their money is made 



of a kind of silver round and thicke, to the value of 



twentie pence, which is very good silver. It is mar- 



veilous great and a populous countrey. In their winter 



which is in June, July, and August, there is no passing 



in the streetes but with horses, the waters be so high. 



The houses are made of lome and thatched. Here is 



great store of cotton cloth made, and painted clothes of 



cotton wooll : here groweth great store of corne and 



Rice. We found manages great store both in townes Strange 



and villages in many places where wee passed, of boyes ^'^^^^S^^- 



of eight or ten yeeres, and girles of five or six yeeres 



old. They both do ride upon one horse very trimly 



decked, and are caried through the towne with great 



piping and playing, and so returne home and eate of a 



banket made of Rice and fruits, and there they daunce 



the most part of the night and so make an ende of the 



marriage. They lie not together untill they be ten yeeres 



old. They say they marry their children so yoong, 



because it is an order that when the man dieth, the 



woman must be burned with him: so that if the father [II. i. 254.] 



die, yet they may have a father in lawe to helpe to bring 



up the children which bee maried : and also that they 



will not leave their sonnes without wives, nor their 



daughters without husbands. From thence we went to 



Mandoway, which is a very strong towne. It was Mandozvay a 



besiep^ed twelve yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before hee ^'^^^ ^^^^^^ 

 (D ^ J J _ town, 



could winne it. It standeth upon a very great high rocke 

 as the most part of their castles doe, and was of a very 

 great circuite. From hence wee went to Ugini and V^ni. 

 Serringe, where wee overtooke the ambassadour of Zelab- 

 dim Echebar with a marveilous great company of men, 

 elephants, and camels. Here is great trade of cotton 

 and cloth made of cotton, and great store of drugs. 

 From thence we went to Agra passing many rivers, which 

 by reason of the raine were so swollen, that wee waded j^^^ ^ j. 

 and swamme oftentimes for our lives. Agra is a very citie. 



473 



