arallel
ranges of columns. The salt excise brings in daily 700 _balish_ in
paper-money. The number of craftsmen is so great that 32,000 are employed
at the dyer's art alone; from that fact you may estimate the rest. There
are in the city 70 _tomans_ of soldiers and 70 _tomans_ of _rayats_, whose
number is registered in the books of the Dewan. There are 700 churches
(_Kalisia_) resembling fortresses, and every one of them overflowing with
presbyters without faith, and monks without religion, besides other
officials, wardens, servants of the idols, and this, that, and the other,
to tell the names of which would surpass number and space. All these are
exempt from taxes of every kind. Four _tomans_ of the garrison constitute
the night patrol.... Amid the city there are 360 bridges erected over
canals ample as the Tigris, which are ramifications of the great river of
Chin; and different kinds of vessels and ferry-boats, adapted to every
class, ply upon the waters in such numbers as to pass all powers of
enumeration.... The concourse of all kinds of foreigners from the four
quarters of the world, such as the calls of trade and travel bring together
in a kingdom like this, may easily be conceived." (_Revised on Hammer's
Translation_, pp. 42-43.)

The Persian work _Nuzhat-al-Kulub_:--"KHINZAI is the capital of the
country of Machin. If one may believe what some travellers say, there
exists no greater city on the face of the earth; but anyhow, all agree
that it is the greatest in all the countries in the East. Inside the place
is a lake which has a circuit of six parasangs, and all round which houses
are built.... The population is so numerous that the watchmen are some
10,000 in number." (_Quat. Rash._ p. lxxxviii.)

The Arabic work _Masalak-al-Absar_:--"Two routes lead from Khanbalik to
KHINSA, one by land, the other by water; and either way takes 40 days. The
city of Khinsa extends a whole day's journey in length and half a day's
journey in breadth. In the middle of it is a street which runs right from
one end to the other. The streets and squares are all paved; the houses
are five-storied (?), and are built with planks nailed together," etc.
(Ibid.)

_Ibn Batuta_:--"We arrived at the city of KHANSA.... This city is the
greatest I have ever seen on the surface of the earth. It is three days'
journey in length, so that a traveller passing through the city has to
make his marches and his halts!.. It is subdivided into six tow