第130章

Everything has to be sold alive so that each one may know what he buys --this[600]at least so far as concerns game --and there are fish from the rivers in large quantities.The markets are always overflowing with abundance of fruits,grapes,oranges,limes,pomegranates,jack-fruit,and mangoes,and all very cheap.It is said that in the markets they give twelve live sheep for a PARDAO,and in the hills they give fourteen or fifteen for A PARDAO.The King drinks water which they bring from a spring,which is kept enclosed under the hand of a man in whom the King has great confidence;and the vessels in which they draw the water come covered and sealed.Thus they deliver it to the women who wait on him,and they take it inside to the other women,the King's wives.

The greatest mark of honour that this King of Bisnaga confers on a noble consists of two fans ornamented with gold and precious stones,made of the white tails of certain cows;[601]he gives them bracelets also.Everything which the noble receives is placed on the ground.The King confers very high honour,too,if he permits a certain one to kiss his feet,for he never gives his hands to be kissed by any one.When he wishes to please his captains,or persons from whom he has received or wishes to receive good service,he gives them scarves of honour[602]for their personal use,which is a great honour;and this he does each year to the captains at the time that they pay him their land-rents.This takes place in the month of September[603]when for nine days they make great feasts.Some say that they do this in honour of the nine months during which Our Lady bore her Son in the womb;others say that it is only done because at this time the captains come to pay their rents to the King.Which feasts are conducted in the following manner.

The first day they put nine castles in a piece of ground which is in front of the palace,which castles are made by the nine principal captains in the kingdom.They are very lofty and are hung with rich cloths,and in them are many dancing-girls and also many kinds of contrivances.Besides these nine every captain is obliged to make each one his castle,and they come to show these to the King.Each one has his separate device,and they all come like this during the nine days of the feast.The officers of the city are bound to come with their devices each day at night,just as in our festivals,and in these nine days they slaughter animals and make sacrifice.The first day they kill nine male buffaloes and nine sheep and nine goats,and thenceforward they kill each day more,always doubling the number;and when they have finished slaying these beasts,there come nine horses and nine elephants of the King and these come before the king covered with flowers --roses --and with rich trappings.Before them goes the chief Master of the Horse with many attendants,and they make salaam to the King.And when these have finished making their salaam there come from within priests,and they bring rice and other cooked edibles,and water,and fire,and many kinds of scents,and they offer prayers and throw the water over the horses and elephants,just (as our priests do with)holy water;and they put chaplets of roses on them.This is done in the presence of the King,who remains seated on a throne of gold and precious stones;he never sits on this except only this once in the year.And this King that now reigns does not sit on it,for they say that whoever sits on it must be a very truthful man,one who speaks the whole truth,and this King never does so.Whilst this is going on there pass by the King fully a thousand women,dancing and posturing before him.After all the devices that have been prepared have been witnessed all the horses of the King pass by,covered with their silken trappings,[604]and with much adornment of gold and precious stones on their heads,and then all the elephants and yokes of oxen[605]in the middle of the arena[606]in front of the palace.After these have been seen there come thirty-six of the most beautiful of the King's wives covered with gold and pearls,and much work of seed-pearls,and in the hands of each a vessel of gold with a lamp of oil burning in it;and with these women come all the female servants and the other wives of the King,with canes in their hands tipped with gold and with torches burning;and these then retire inside with the King.These women are so richly bedecked with gold and precious stones that they are hardly able to move.

In this way during these nine days they are compelled to search for all things which will give pleasure to the King.

The King has a thousand wrestlers for these feasts who wrestle before the King,but not in our manner,for they strike and wound each other with two circlets with points[607]which they carry in their hands to strike with,and the one most wounded goes and takes his reward in the shape of a silk cloth,[608]such as the King gives to these wrestlers.They have a captain over them,and they do not perform any other service in the kingdom.