IN this countrey there is one strange thing to be observed, y^t euery several kind of fishes in those seas come swimming towards the said countrey in such abundance, that, for a great distance into the sea, nothing can be seene but the backes of fishes: which casting themselues upon the shore when they come neere unto it, do suffer men, for the space of 3 daies to come & take as many of them as they please, & then they return again to the sea. After that kind of fishes comes another kind, offering itselfe after the same maner, & so in like sort all other kinds whatsoever: notwithstanding they do this but once in a year. And I demaunded of the inhabitants there how, or by what meanes this strange accident could come to passe: They answered, that fishes were taught, even by nature to come and do homage unto their Emperour. There be Tortoises also as bigge as an oven. Many other things I saw which are incredible, unlesse a man should see them with his own eies. In this countrey also dead men are burned, & their wives are burned aliue with them, as in the city of Polumbrum aboue mentioned: for the men of that countrey say that she goeth to accompany him in another world, that he should take none other wife in mariage. Moreouer I traveled on further by the ocean-sea towards the South, & passed through many countries and islands, whereof one is called Moumoran, & it containeth in compasse ii. M miles, wherein men & women haue dogs faces, and worship an oxe for their god: and therefore euery one of them cary the image of an oxe of gold or silver upon their foreheads. The men & women of this country go all naked, saving that they hang a linen cloth round their loins. The men of the said country are very tall and mighty, and by reason that they goe naked, when they are to make battell, they cary yron or steele-targets before them, which do cover and defend their bodies from top to toe: and whomsoever of their foes they take in battel not being able to ransome himselfe for money, they presently devoure him: but if he be able to redeeme himselfe for money, they let him go free. Their king weareth about his necke 300 great & most beautiful unions,¹ and saith euery day 300 prayers unto his god. He weareth upon his finger also a stone of a span long, which seemeth to be a flame of fire, and therefore when he weareth it, no man dare approach unto him: and they say that there is not any stone in the whole world of more value than it. Neither could at any time the great Tartarian Emperour of Katay either by force, money, or policie obtain it at his hands, notwithstanding that he hath done the utmost of his indeavour for this purpose.

1:  Large and fine pearls.