A Momentous Journey

89 but they are nonetheless infine condition and the city is well-planned with long streets and large squares, and there is always such aflow of people that they cannotfit into the streets and squares. There is a vast trade among countless principal merchants, both those that are resident and natives of the city, and those who travel here. The king gives them so much freedom that they can come and go as they please and practise their religions without anyone bothering them, and without anyone considering whether they are Christian; Jewish; Mouros, or gentile. Everyone here enjoys truth and justice, both from each other and from the city governors. There is also a diamond mine here, like the one in Deccan, from which many good stones are extracted. All sorts of other precious stones are brought here from Pegu and Ceylon, whilst many seed-pearls and pearls are brought from Hormuz, and there is more trade here in precious stones than there is anywhere else, since they are highly valued here. Common brocades are very popular in this city. They come from China to sell them, with wrought and unwrought metal; large quantities of copper; quicksilver; vermillion; saffron; rose-waters; opium; sandalwood; agarwood; camphor; musk, a large quantity of which is consumed every year, as they anoint themselves with it and other perfumes. A lot of pepper is used in this city and the rest of the kingdom. It is brought by donkey and ox from Malabar. All this trade is carried on using pardaus, which are made in several places in the kingdom, above all in Hora, which is why they call them horãos. I have already described several times what they look like and how much they are worth. The local people are all very truthful and have never been caught lying nor do they lie, but many others do. The king rarely leaves this city, he lives very comfortably here, without any work, because he passes all the governance on to his governors. The native people here are gentiles like he is; their skin is pale brown, and they have long straight

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