RALPH FITCH ad. 



1583-91. 

 which they call Godon, which is made of bricke to put 

 your goods in, for oftentimes they take fire and burne 

 in an houre foure or five hundred houses : so that if 

 the Godon were not, you should bee in danger to have 

 all burned, if any winde should rise, at a trice. In 

 the newe towne is the king, and all his Nobilitie and 

 Gentrie. It is a citie very great and populous, and is 

 made square and with very faire walles, and a great 

 ditch round about it full of water, with many croco- 

 diles in it: it hath twenty gates, and they bee made [II. i. 259.] 

 of stone, for every square five gates. There are also 

 many Turrets for Centinels to watch, made of wood, 

 and gilded with golde very faire. The streets are the 

 fairest that ever I saw, as straight as a line from one 

 gate to the other, and so broad that tenne or twelve 

 men may ride a front thorow them. On both sides of 

 them at every mans doore is set a palmer tree which is 

 the nut tree : which make a very faire shew and a very 

 commodious shadow, so that a man may walke in the 

 shade all day. The houses be made of wood, and 

 covered with tiles. The kings house is in the middle 

 of the city, and is walled and ditched round about : 

 and the buildings within are made of wood very sump- 

 tuously gilded, and great workemanship is upon the 

 forefront, which is likewise very costly gilded. And the 

 house wherein his Pagode or idole standeth is covered 

 with tiles of silver, and all the walles are gilded with 

 golde. Within the first gate of the kings house is a 

 great large roome, on both sides whereof are houses 

 made for the kings elephants, which be marvellous great 

 and faire, and are brought up to warres and in service 

 of the king. And among the rest he hath foure white P^^^'^ ^^ite 

 elephants, which are very strange and rare : for there is ^^^P^^^^^^- 

 none other king which hath them but he : if any other 

 king hath one, hee will send unto him for it. When 

 any of these white elephants is brought unto the king, 

 all the merchants in the city are commanded to see them, 

 and to give him a present of halfe a ducat, which doth 



487 



