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The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight / Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys cover

The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight / Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys

Chapter 125: Of the upper India: and of the province of Mancy.1
By Sir John Mandeville
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History - Medieval/Middle AgesReligion/SpiritualityTravel Writing

About This Book

The narrator offers a medieval travelogue that traces routes toward Jerusalem and across regions of Asia, Africa, and India, blending eyewitness-style observations, borrowed reports, and fantastic tales. It catalogs cities, landscapes, animals, plants, trade goods, and unfamiliar customs, alternating itinerary notes with moral and religious commentary. Frequent digressions present marvels and monstrous races alongside practical details about pilgrim routes, local rites, and fortifications, producing a text that shifts between guidebook information and imaginative storytelling. The structure mixes descriptive chapters with episodic anecdotes, inviting readers to weigh veracity while encountering the era's geographical knowledge, commerce, and popular curiosities.

Of the upper India: and of the province of Mancy.1

FIRST of al therefore, having traveled many dayes journey upon the Ocean-sea towards the East, at length I arrived at a certaine great province called Mancy, being in Latine named India. Concerning this India I inquired of Christians, of Saracens, & of Idolaters, and of al such as bare an office under the great Can; who all of them with one consent answered, that this province of Mancy hath mo then 2000 great cities within the precincts thereof & that it aboundeth with all plenty of victuals, as namely with bread, wine, rise, flesh, and fish. All the men of this province be artificers & marchants, who, though they be in never so extreme penurie, so long as they can help themselues by the labor of their handes, will neuer beg almes of any man. The men of this province are of a faire and comely personage, but somewhat pale, having their heads shaven but a little, but the women are the most beautiful under the sunne. The first city of the said India which I came unto, is called Ceuskalon, which being a daies journey distant from the sea, stands upon a river, the water whereof, nere unto the mouth, where it exonerateth it selfe into the sea, doth overflow the land for the space of 12 daies journey. All the inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols. The foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge navy belonging thereunto, that no man would beleeve it unlesse he should see it. In this city I saw 300 li of good and new ginger sold for lesse than a groat. There are the greatest, and the fairest geese, & most plenty of them to be sold in al the world, as I suppose: they are as white as milke, & haue a bone upon the crowne of their heads, as bigge as an egge, being of the colour of blood: under the throat they haue a skin or bag hanging down halfe a foot. They are exceeding fat and wel sold. Also they haue ducks and hens in that countrey, one as big as two of ours. There be monstrous great serpents likewise, which are taken by the inhabitants & eaten; whereupon a solemne feast among them without serpents is not set by.

And to be briefe, in this city there are al kinds of victuals in great abundance. From thence I passed by many cities & at length I came unto a citie named Caitan,2 wherein ye friers Minorites haue two places of abode, unto which I transported the bones of the dead friers, which suffered martyrdom for the faith of Christ, as it is aboue mentioned. In this citie there is abundance of al kind of victuals very cheap. The said city is as big as two of Bononia,3 & in it are many monasteries of religious persons, al which do worship idols.

I myselfe was in one of those monasteries, & it was told me, that there were in it III M religious men, having XI M idols; and one of ye said idols which seemed unto me but litle in regard of the rest, was as big as our Christopher. These religious men euery day do feed their idol-gods: wherupon at a certaine time I went to behold the banquet: and indeed those things which they brought unto them were good to eate, & fuming hote insomuch that the steam of the smoke thereof ascended up unto their idols, and they said that their gods were refreshed with the smoke: howbeit all the meat they conveyed away, eating it up their owne selves, and so they fed their dumb gods with the smoke only.

1:  Or China.

2:  Thsiuanchau or Chiuchau, the great mediæval port of China.

3:  Bologna.