a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第43章

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and　to　see　the　bombs　and　fire…missiles　over　the　plains；　this　was　indeed　wonderful。　Truly　it　seemed　as　if　the　whole　world　were　collected　there。

In　this　way　it　went　on　till　the　king　arrived　at　the　place　where　the　tent　was　that　I　have　already　mentioned；　and　he　entered　his　and　performed　his　usual　ceremonies　and　prayers。　You　must　not　think　that　when　the　king　passed　the　troops　moved　from　their　positions；　on　the　contrary　they　stood　motionless　in　their　places　till　the　king　returned。　As　soon　as　the　king　had　finished　his　ceremonies　he　again　took　horse　and　returned　to　the　city　in　the　same　way　as　he　had　come；　the　troops　never　wearying　of　their　shouting；　as　soon　as　he　passed　by　them　they　began　to　march。　Then　to　see　those　who　were　on　the　hills　and　slopes；　and　the　descent　of　them　with　their　shouts　and　beating　of　shields　and　shaking　of　arrows　and　bows　that　were　without　count。　Truly；　I　was　so　carried　out　with　myself　that　it　seemed　as　if　what　I　saw　was　a　vision；　and　that　I　was　in　a　dream。　Then　the　troops　began　to　march　to　their　tents　and　pavilions　in　the　plains；　which　were　in　great　number；　and　all　the　captains　accompanied　the　king　as　far　as　the　palace；　and　thence　departed　to　rest　themselves　from　their　labour。

Now　I　desire　you　to　know　that　this　king　has　continually　a　million　fighting　troops；＇453＇　in　which　are　included　35；000　cavalry　in　armour；　all　these　are　in　his　pay；　and　he　has　these　troops　always　together　and　ready　to　be　despatched　to　any　quarter　whenever　such　may　be　necessary。　I　saw；　being　in　this　city　of　Bisnaga；　the　king　despatch　a　force　against　a　place；　one　of　those　which　he　has　by　the　sea…coast；　and　he　sent　fifty　captains　with　150；000　soldiers；　amongst　whom　were　many　cavalry。　He　has　many　elephants；　and　when　the　king　wishes　to　show　the　strength　of　his　power　to　any　of　his　adversaries　amongst　the　three　kings　bordering　on　his　kingdom；　they　say　that　he　puts　into　the　field　two　million　soldiers；　in　consequence　of　which　he　is　the　most　feared　king　of　any　in　these　parts。　And　although　he　takes　away　so　many　men　from　his　kingdom；　it　must　not　be　thought　that　the　kingdom　remains　devoid　of　men；　it　is　so　full　that　it　would　seem　to　you　as　if　he　had　never　taken　away　a　man；　and　this　by　reason　of　the　many　and　great　merchants　that　are　in　it。　There　are　working　people　and　all　other　kinds　of　men　who　are　employed　in　business；　besides　those　who　are　obliged　to　go　into　the　field；　there　are　also　a　great　number　of　Brahmans。　In　all　the　land　of　the　heathen　there　are　these　Brahmans；　they　are　men　who　do　not　eat　anything　that　suffers　death；　they　have　little　stomach　for　the　use　of　arms。

Should　any　one　ask　what　revenues　this　king　possesses；　and　what　his　treasure　is　that　enables　him　to　pay　so　many　troops；　since　he　has　so　many　and　such　great　lords　in　his　kingdom；　who；　the　greater　part　of　them；　have　themselves　revenues；　I　answer　thus：　These　captains　whom　he　has　over　these　troops　of　his　are　the　nobles　of　his　kingdom；　they　are　lords；　and　they　hold　the　city；　and　the　towns　and　villages　of　the　kingdom；　there　are　captains　amongst　them　who　have　a　revenue　of　a　million　and　a　million　a　half　of　PARDAOS；　others　a　hundred　thousand　PARDAOS；　others　two　hundred；　three　hundred　or　five　hundred　thousand　PARDAOS；　and　as　each　one　has　revenue　so　the　king　fixes　for　him　the　number　of　troops　he　must　maintain；　in　foot；　horse；　and　elephants。＇454＇　These　troops　are　always　ready　for　duty；　whenever　they　may　be　called　out　and　wherever　they　may　have　to　go；　and　in　this　way　he　has　this　million　of　fighting　men　always　ready。　Each　of　these　captains　labours　to　turn　out　the　best　troops　he　can　get　because　he　pays　them　their　salaries；　and　in　this　review　there　were　the　finest　young　men　possible　to　be　seen　or　that　ever　could　be　seen；　for　in　all　this　array　I　did　not　see　a　man　that　would　act　the　coward。　Besides　maintaining　these　troops；　each　captain　has　to　make　his　annual　payments　to　the　king；　and　the　king　has　his　own　salaried　troops　to　whom　he　gives　pay。　He　has　eight　hundred　elephants　attached　to　his　person；　and　five　hundred　horses　always　in　his　stables；　and　for　the　expenses　of　these　horses　and　elephants　he　has　devoted　the　revenues　that　he　receives　from　this　city　of　Bisnaga。　You　may　well　imagine　how　great　these　expenses　may　be；　and　besides　these　that　of　the　servants　who　have　the　care　of　the　horses　and　elephants；　and　by　this　you　will　be　able　to　judge　what　will　be　the　revenue　of　this　city。

This　king　of　Bisnaga　has　five　kings　his　subjects　and　vassals；＇455＇　besides　other　captains　and　lords　having　large　territories　and　great　revenues；　whenever　a　son　happens　to　be　born　to　this　king；　or　a　daughter；　all　the　nobles　of　the　kingdom　offer　him　great　presents　of　money　and　jewels　of　price；　and　so　they　do　to　him　every　year　on　the　day　of　his　birth。

You　must　know　that　when　these　feasts　of　which　I　have　spoken　are　ended；　at　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　October；　when　eleven　of　its　days　are　past；　they　make　great　feasts；　during　which　every　one　puts　on　new；　and　rich；　and　handsome　cloths；　each　one　according　to　his　liking；　and　all　the　captains　give　their　men　handsome　cloths　of　many　colours；　each　one　having　his　own　colour　and　device。　On　the　same　day　they　give　great　gifts　of　money　to　the　king；　it　is　even　said　that　they　give　on　that　day　to　the　king　in　money　a　million　and　five　hundred　thousand　gold　PARDAOS；　and　each　PARDAO　is　worth　three　hundred　and　sixty　REIS；　and　from　this　you　will　be　able　to　know　how　many　REIS　there　will　be。　I　wish　you　to　know　that　on　this　day　begins　their　year；　it　is　their　New　Year's　Day；　and　for　this　they　make　the　feast　and　give　the　gifts；　and　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at；　for　we　also　do　the　same　on　New　Year's　Day。　They　begin　the　year　in　this　month　with　the　new　moon；　and　they　count　the　months　always　from　moon　to　moon。＇456＇

And　now　I　wish　you　to　know　that　the　previous　kings　of　this　place　for　many　years　past　have　held　it　a　custom　to　maintain　a　treasury；　which　treasury；　after　the　death　of　each；　is　kept　locked　and　sealed　in　such　a　way　that　it　cannot　be　seen　by　any　one；　nor　opened；　nor　do　the　kings　who　succeed　to　the　kingdom　open　them　or　know　what　is　in　them。　They　are　not　opened　except　when　the　kings　have　great　need；　and　thus　the　kingdom　has　great　supplies　to　meet　its　needs。　This　king　has　made　his　treasury　different　from　those　of　the　previous　kings；　and　he　puts　in　it　every　year　ten　million　PARDAOS；　without　taking　from　them　one　PARDAO　more　than　for　the　expenses　of　his　house。　The　rest　remains　for　him；　over　and　above　these　expenses　and　of　the　expenses　in　the　houses　of　his　wives；　of　whom　I　have　already　told　you　that　he　keeps　near　him　twelve　thousand　women；　from　this　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how　great　is　the　richness　of　this　kingdom；　and　how　great　the　treasure　that　this　king　has　amassed。

And　if　any　one　does　not　know　what　a　PARDAO　is；　let　him　know　that　it　is　a　round　gold　coin；　which　coin　is　not　struck　anywhere　in　India　except　in　this　kingdom；　it　bears　impressed　on　it　on　one　side　two　images　and　on　the　other　the　name　of　the　king　who　commanded　it　to　be　struck；　those　which　this　king　ordered　to　be　struck　have　only　one　image。　This　coin　is　current　all　over　India。　Each　PARDAO；　as　already　said；　is　worth　three　hundred　and　sixty　REIS。

After　all　these　things　（feasts）　had　passed　the　king　betook　himself　to　the　new　city；　of　which　I　have　already　told　you　that　he　delights　in　it　much　because　it　was　made　and　peopled　by　him；　of　which　I　have　already　told　you。　In　two　years　the　king　built　this　city。　The　king　was　received　by　the　citizens　with　great　feasts；　and　the　streets　were　hung　with　rich　cloths；　and　with　many　triumphal　arches　under　which　he　passed。　In　this　city　the　king　held　another　review　of　the　troops　of　his　guard；　and　he　distributed　pay　to　all　because　it　was　the　beginning　of　the　year；　and　it　is　their　custom　to　pay　salaries　year　by　year。　An　inspection　is　held　by　the　officers　of　his　house；　and　they　write　down　the　name　of　each　one；　and　the　marks　that　he　has　on　his　face　or　body。　There　are　men　of　the　guard　who　have　a　thousand　PARDAOS　pay；　and　others　eight　hundred；　others　six　hundred　and　more；　and　a　little　more　or　less；　there　is　a　difference；　and　also　a　difference　in　the　persons。　Some　men　of　them　who　are　of　higher　rank　than　others　have　two　horses　or　three；　and　others　have　no　more　than　one。　These　troops　have　their　captains；　and　each　captain　goes　with　his　guard　to　mount　guard　at　the　palace　according　to　order　and　custom；　the　king　has　in　his　guard　five　hundred　horse；　and　these　watch　outside　the　palace　armed　with　their　weapons。　There　are　two　watches　inside；　and　people　with　swords　and　shields。

The　king；　then；　being　in　his　new　city；　as　I　have　said；　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　begged　him　of　his　kindness　that　he　would　permit　him　to　be　shown　the　palace　of　the　city　of　Bisnaga；　forasmuch　as　there　had　come　with　him　many　Portuguese　who　had　never　been　in　Bisnaga；　and　they　would　rejoice　to　see　it；　in　order　to　have　somewhat　to　tell　of　on　their　return　to　their　own　lands；　whenever　God　should　take　them　there。　The　king　at　once　commanded　that　they　should　be　shown　certain　of　his　residences；　for　that　of　his　wives　no　one　ever　sees。　As　soon　as　we　had　returned　to　the　city　of　Bisnaga；　the　governor　of　that　place；　who　is　called　Gamdarajo；　and　is　brother　of　Salvatinica；＇457＇　showed　us　the　palace。

You　must　know　that　on　entering　that　gate　of　which　I　have　spoken；　by　which　the　ladies　serving　the　king's　wives　make　their　exit　when　they　come　to　the　feast；　opposite　to　it　there　is　another　of　the　same　kind。　Here　they　bade　us　stand　still；　and　they　counted　us　how　many　we　were；　and　as　they　counted　they　admitted　us　one　by　one　to　a　small　courtyard　with　a　smoothly　plastered　floor；　and　with　very　white　walls　around　it。＇458＇　At　the　end　of　this　courtyard；　opposite　this　gate　by　which　we　entered；　is　another　close　to　it　on　the　left　hand；　and　another　which　was　closed；　the　door　opposite　belongs　to　the　king's　residence。　At　the　entrance　of　this　door　outside　are　two　images　painted　like　life　and　drawn　in　their　manner；　which　are　these；　the　one　on　the　right　hand　is　of　the　father　of　this　king；　and　the　one　on　the　left　is　of　this　king。　The　father　was　dark　and　a　gentleman　of　fine　form；　stouter　than　the　son　is；　they　stand　with　all　their　apparel　and　such　raiment　as　they　wear　or　used　to　wear　when　alive。　Afterwards；　wishing　to　pass　in　at　this　door；　they　again　counted　us；　and　after　they　had　finished　counting　us　we　entered　a　little　house　which　contained　what　I　shall　now　relate。

As　soon　as　you　are　inside；　on　the　left　hand；　are　two　chambers　one　above　the　other；　which　are　in　this　manner：　the　lower　one　is　below　the　level　of　the　ground；　with　two　little　steps　which　are　covered　with　copper　gilded；　and　from　there　to　the　top　is　all　lined　with　gold　（I　do　not　say　〃gilded；〃　but　〃lined〃　inside）；　and　outside　it　is　dome…shaped。　It　has　a　four…sided　porch　made　of　cane…work＇459＇　over　which　is　a　work　of　rubies　and　diamonds　and　all　other　kinds　of　precious　stones；　and　pearls；　and　above　the　porch　are　two　pendants　of　gold；　all　the　precious　stonework　is　in　heart…shapes；　and；　interweaved　between　one　and　another；　is　a　twist　of　thick　seed…pearl　work；　on　the　dome　are　pendants　of　the　same。　In　this　chamber　was　a　bed　which　had　feet　similar　to　the　porch；　the　cross…bars　covered　with　gold；　and　there　was　on　it　a　mattress　of　black　satin；　it　had　all　round　it　a　railing　of　pearls　a　span　wide；　on　it　were　two　cushions　and　no　other　covering。　Of　the　chamber　above　i