_ 178 _ well used, with many towns, villages and farms. On the next day, we left here and went through a forest called [Montrulet], arriving in a small hamlet seven leagues from Limoges called [Cigogne], and on the next day, three leagues farther on, we passed through a small city called Confolens. We crossed the River Vienne, which, beyond Nantes, a city in Brittany, flows into the sea five- or six-days’ journey from here. We put up seven leagues from [Cigogne] in a small town called Genolières. On the next day, 1st August, we travelled six leagues from here to St. Martin d’Entraigues [St Martin d’Ars (?)], which is a town belonging to Monsieur de Bim (?). On the next day, we went on to Surgères, a town eight leagues from St. Martin. All this was through thickly populated country. On the next day, we arrived in La Rochelle, five leagues from Surgères. The whole way is through level land, highly cultivated, with arable land, forests, vineyards, orchards, and innumerable windmills because there are few rivers. Item: La Rochelle has about five thousand citizens and consists of fine houses and buildings, encircled by a fine wall and well-defended gateways. At the entrance to the port, there are two fortified towers, but they are poorly provided with artillery. From Lyon to here we had been travelling all the time in a westerly direction.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy