a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第37章

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ga　has　three　hundred　GRAOS　of　coast；　each　GRAO　being　a　league；　along　the　hill…range　（SERRA）　of　which　I　have　spoken；　until　you　arrive　at　Ballagate　and　Charamaodel；＇378＇　which　belong　to　this　kingdom；　and　in　breadth　it　is　one　hundred　and　sixty…four　GRAOS；　each　large　GRAO　measures　two　of　our　leagues；　so　that　it　has　six　hundred　leagues　of　coast；　and　across　it　three　hundred　and　forty…eight　leagues。。。　across　from　Batacalla　to　the　kingdom　of　Orya。＇379＇

And　this　kingdom　marches＇380＇　with　all　the　territory　of　Bengal；　and　on　the　other　side　with　the　kingdom　of　Orya；　which　is　to　the　east；　and　on　the　other　side　to　the　north　with　the　kingdom　of　Dakhan；　belonging　to　which　are　the　lands　which　the　Ydallcao＇381＇　has；　and　Ozemelluco。＇382＇　Goa　is　at　war　with　this　Ydallcao；　because　that　city　was　his；　and　we　have　taken　it　from　him。

And　this　kingdom　of　Orya；　of　which　I　have　spoken　above；　is　said　to　be　much　larger　than　the　kingdom　of　Narsymga；　since　it　marches　with　all　Bengal；　and　is　at　war　with　her；　and　it　marches　with　all　the　kingdom　of　Pegu　and　with　the　MALLACA　Sea。　It　reaches　to　the　kingdom　of　Cambaya；　and　to　the　kingdom　of　Dakhan；　and　they　told　me　with　positive　certainty　that　it　extends　as　far　as　Persia。　The　population　thereof　is　light　coloured；　and　the　men　are　of　good　physique。　Its　king　has　much　treasure　and　many　soldiers　and　many　elephants；　for　there　are　numbers　of　these　in　this　country。　（My　informants）　know　this　well；　and　they　say　that　there　is　no　ruler　greater　than　he。　He　is　a　heathen。

Coming　back　to　our　subject；　I　say　that　I　will　not　mention　here　the　situation　of　the　cities；　and　towns；　and　villages　in　this　kingdom　of　Narsymga；　to　avoid　prolixity；　only　I　shall　speak　of　the　city　of　Darcha；＇383＇　which　has　a　monument　such　as　can　seldom　be　seen　elsewhere。　This　city　of　Darcha　is　very　well　fortified　by　a　wall；　though　not　of　stone；　for　the　reason　that　I　have　already　stated。　On　the　western　side；　which　is　towards　（Portuguese）　India；　it　is　surrounded　by　a　very　beautiful　river；　and　on　the　other；　eastern　side　the　interior　of　the　country　is　all　one　plain；　and　along　the　wall　is　its　moat。　This　Darcha　has　a　pagoda；　which　is　the　monument　I　speak　of；　so　beautiful　that　another　as　good　of　its　kind　could　not　be　found　within　a　great　distance。　You　must　know　that　it　is　a　round　temple　made　of　a　single　stone；　the　gateway　all　in　the　manner　of　joiners　work；　with　every　art　of　perspective。　There　are　many　figures　of　the　said　work；　standing　out　as　much　as　a　cubit　from　the　stone；　so　that　you　see　on　every　side　of　them；　so　well　carved　that　they　could　not　be　better　done　　the　faces　as　well　as　all　the　rest；　and　each　one　in　its　place　stands　as　if　embowered　in　leaves；　and　above　it　is　in　the　Romanesque　style；　so　well　made　that　it　could　not　be　better。　Besides　this；　it　has　a　sort　of　lesser　porch　upon　pillars；　all　of　stone；　and　the　pillars　with　their　pedestals＇384＇　so　well　executed　that　they　appear　as　if　made　in　Italy；　all　the　cross　pieces　and　beams　are　of　the　same　stone　without　any　planks　or　timber　being　used　in　it；　and　in　the　same　way　all　the　ground　is　laid　with　the　same　stone；　outside　as　well　as　in。　And　all　this　pagoda；　as　far　round　as　the　temple　goes；　is　enclosed　by　a　trellis　made　of　the　same　stone；　and　this　again　is　completely　surrounded　by　a　very　strong　wall；　better　even　than　the　city　has；　since　it　is　all　of　solid　masonry。　It　has　three　entrance　gates；　which　gates　are　very　large　and　beautiful；　and　the　entrance　from　one　of　these　sides；　being　towards　the　east　and　facing　the　door　of　the　pagoda；　has　some　structures　like　verandahs；　small　and　low；　where　sit　some　JOGIS；＇385＇　and　inside　this　enclosure；　which　has　other　little　pagodas　of　a　reddish　colour；　there　is　a　stone　like　the　mast　of　a　ship；　with　its　pedestal　four…sided；　and　from　thence　to　the　top　eight…sided；　standing　in　the　open　air。　I　was　not　astonished　at　it；　because　I　have　seen　the　needle　of　St。　Peters　at　Rome；　which　is　as　high；　or　more。＇386＇

These　pagodas　are　buildings　in　which　they　pray　and　have　their　idols；　the　idols　are　of　many　sorts；　namely；　figures　of　men　and　women；　of　bulls；　and　apes；　while　others　have　nothing　but　a　round　stone　which　they　worship。　In　this　temple　of　Darcha　is　an　idol　in　the　figure　of　a　man　as　to　his　body；　and　the　face　is　that　of　an　elephant　with　trunk　and　tusks；＇387＇　and　with　three　arms　on　each　side　and　six　hands；　of　which　arms　they　say　that　already　four　are　gone；　and　when　all　fall　then　the　world　will　be　destroyed　they　are　full　of　belief　that　this　will　be；　and　hold　it　as　a　prophecy。　They　feed　the　idol　every　day；　for　they　say　that　he　eats；　and　when　he　eats　women　dance　before　him　who　belong　to　that　pagoda；　and　they　give　him　food　and　all　that　is　necessary；　and　all　girls　born　of　these　women　belong　to　the　temple。　These　women　are　of　loose　character；　and　live　in　the　best　streets　that　there　are　in　the　city；　it　is　the　same　in　all　their　cities；　their　streets　have　the　best　rows　of　houses　They　are　very　much　esteemed；　and　are　classed　amongst　those　honoured　ones　who　are　the　mistresses　of　the　captains；　any　respectable　man　may　go　to　their　houses　without　any　blame　attaching　thereto。　These　women　（are　allowed）　even　to　enter　the　presence　of　the　wives　of　the　king；　and　they　stay　with　them　and　eat　betel　with　them；　a　thing　which　no　other　person　may　do；　no　matter　what　his　rank　may　be。　This　betel　is　a　herb　which　has　a　leaf　like　the　leaf　of　the　pepper；　or　the　ivy　of　our　country；　they　always　eat　this　leaf；　and　carry　it　in　their　mouths　with　another　fruit　called　areca。　This　is　something　like　a　medlar；　but　it　is　very　hard；　and　it　is　very　good　for　the　breath　and　has　many　other　virtues；　it　is　the　best　provision　for　those　who　do　not　eat　as　we　do。　Some　of　them　eat　flesh；　they　eat　all　kinds　except　beef　and　pork；　and　yet；　nevertheless；　they　cease　not　to　eat　this　betel　all　day。

Afterwards　going　from　this　city　of　Darcha　towards　the　city　of　Bisnaga；＇388＇　which　is　eighteen　leagues　distant；　and　is　the　capital　of　all　the　kingdom　of　Narsymga；　where　the　king　always　resides；　you　have　many　cities　and　walled　villages；　and　two　leagues　before　you　arrive　at　the　city　of　Bisnaga　you　have　a　very　lofty　SERRA　which　has　passes　by　which　you　enter　the　city。　These　are　called　〃gates〃　（PORTAS）。　You　must　enter　by　these；　for　you　will　have　no　means　of　entrance　except　by　them。　This　range　of　hills　surrounds　the　city　with　a　circle　of　twenty…four　leagues；　and　within　this　range　there　are　others　that　encircle　it　closely。　Wherever　these　ranges　have　any　level　ground　they　cross　it　with　a　very　strong　wall；　in　such　a　way　that　the　hills　remain　all　closed；　except　in　the　places　where　the　roads　come　through　from　the　gates　in　the　first　range；　which　are　the　entrance　ways　to　the　city。　In　such　places　there　are　some　small　pits　（or　caves？）＇389＇　which　could　be　defended　by　a　few　people；　these　SERRAS　continue　as　far　as　the　interior　of　the　city。　Between　all　these　enclosures　are　plains　and　valleys　where　rice　is　grown；　and　there　are　gardens　with　many　orange…trees；　limes；　citrons；　and　radishes　（RABAOS）；　and　other　kinds　of　garden　produce　as　in　Portugal；　only　not　lettuces　or　cabbages。　Between　these　hill…ranges　are　many　lakes　by　which　they　irrigate　the　crops　mentioned；　and　amongst　all　these　ranges　there　are　no　forests　or　patches　of　brushwood；　except　very　small　ones；　nor　anything　that　is　green。　For　these　hills　are　the　strangest　ever　seen；　they　are　of　a　white　stone　piled　one　block　over　another　in　manner　most　singular；　so　that　it　seems　as　if　they　stood　in　the　air　and　were　not　connected　one　with　another；　and　the　city　is　situated　in　the　middle　of　these　hills　and　is　entirely　surrounded　by　them。

The　SERRAS　reach　as　far　as　the　kingdom　of　Daquem；＇390＇　and　border　upon　the　territories　belonging　to　the　Ydallcao；　and　upon　a　city　called　Rachol　that　formerly　belonged　to　the　king　of　Narsymga；　there　has　been　much　war　over　it；　and　this　king　took　it　from　the　Ydallcao。　So　that　these　ranges　are　in　a　way　the　cause　（of　the　two　kingdoms）　never　uniting　and　always　being　at　war；　and　even　on　the　side　of　Orya　also　there　are　ranges；　but　they　are　different　from　these；　since　like　ours　they　have　scrub　and　small　patches　of　brushwood；　these　ranges　are　low　and　between　them　are　great　plains。　On　the　extreme　east　of　these　two　kingdoms　you　must　know　that　the　country　is　all　covered　with　scrub；　the　densest　possible　to　be　seen；　in　which　there　are　great　beasts；　and　（this）　forms　so　strong　a　fortress　for　it　that　it　protects　both　sides；　it　has　its　entrances　by　which　they　pass　from　one　kingdom　to　the　other。　In　these　passes　on　the　frontier　the　king　of　Narsymga　has　a　captain　with　a　quantity　of　troops；　but　on　the　side　of　（Portuguese）　India　he　has　none；　except　as　I　have　said。

Now　turning　to　the　gates　of　the　first　range；　I　say　that　at　the　entrance　of　the　gate　where　those　pass　who　come　from　Goa；　which　is　the　principal　entrance　on　the　western　side；　this　king　has　made　within　it　a　very　strong　city＇391＇　fortified　with　walls　and　towers；　and　the　gates　at　the　entrances　very　strong；　with　towers　at　the　gates；　these　walls　are　not　like　those　of　other　cities；　but　are　made　of　very　strong　masonry　such　as　would　be　found　in　few　other　parts；　and　inside　very　beautiful　rows　of　buildings　made　after　their　manner　with　flat　roofs。　There　live　in　this　many　merchants；　and　it　is　filled　with　a　large　population　because　the　king　induces　many　honourable　merchants　to　go　there　from　his　cities；　and　there　is　much　water　in　it。　Besides　this　the　king　made　a　tank＇392＇　there；　which；　as　it　seems　to　me；　has　the　width　of　a　falcon…shot；＇393＇　and　it　is　at　the　mouth　of　two　hills；　so　that　all　the　water　which　comes　from　either　one　side　or　the　other　collects　there；　and；　besides　this；　water　comes　to　it　from　more　than　three　leagues　by　pipes　which　run　along　the　lower　parts　of　the　range　outside。　This　water　is　brought　from　a　lake　which　itself　overflows　into　a　little　river。　The　tank　has　three　large　pillars　handsomely　carved　with　figures；　these　connect　above　with　certain　pipes　by　which　they　get　water　when　they　have　to　irrigate　their　gardens　and　rice…fields。　In　order　to　make　this　tank　the　said　king　broke　down　a　hill　which　enclosed　the　ground　occupied　by　the　said　tank。　In　the　tank　I　saw　so　many　people　at　work　that　there　must　have　been　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　men；　looking　like　ants；　so　that　you　could　not　see　the　ground　on　which　they　walked；　so　many　there　were；　this　tank　the　king　portioned　out　amongst　his　captains；　each　of　whom　had　the　duty　of　seeing　that　the　people　placed　under　him　did　their　work；　and　that　the　tank　was　finished　and　brought　to　completion。

The　tank　burst　two　or　three　times；　and　the　king　asked　his　Brahmans　to　consult　their　idol　as　to　the　reason　why　it　burst　so　often；　and　the　Brahmans　said　that　the　idol　was　displeased；　and　desired　that　they　should　make　a　sacrifice；　and　should　give　him　the　blood　of　men　and　horses　and　buffaloes；　and　as　soon　as　the　king　heard　this　he　forthwith　commanded　that　at　the　gate　of　the　pagoda　the　heads　of　sixty　men　should　be　cut　off；　and　of　certain　horses　and　buffaloes；　which　was　at　once　done。

These　Brahmans　are　like　friars　with　us；　and　they　count　them　as　holy　men　　I　speak　of　the　Brahman　priests　and　the　lettered　men　of　the　pagodas　　because　although　the　king　has　many　Brahmans；　they　are　officers　of　the　towns　and　cities　and　belong　to　the　government　of　them；　others　are　merchants；　and　others　live　by　their　own　property　and　cultivation；　and　the　fruits　which　grow　in　their　inhe