test part of the marchants strangers which
come to Babylon do lie with their marchandize. [Sidenote: A bridge made of
boats.] The passing ouer Tygris from Babylon to this Borough is by a long
bridge made of boates chained together with great chaines: prouided, that
when the riuer waxeth great with the abundance of raine that falleth, then
they open the bridge in the middle, where the one halfe of the bridge
falleth to the walles of Babylon, and the other to the brinks of this
Borough, on the other side of the riuer: and as long as the bridge is open,
they passe the riuer in small boats with great danger, because of the
smalnesse of the boats, and the ouerlading of them, that with the
fiercenesse of the streame they be ouerthrowen, or els the streame doth
cary them away, so that by this meanes, many people are lost and drowned:
this thing by proofe I haue many times seene.

Of the tower of Babylon.

The Tower of Nimrod or Babel is situate on that side of Tygris that Arabia
is, and in a very great plaine distant from Babylon seuen or eight miles:
which tower is ruinated on euery side, and with the falling of it there is
made a great mountaine, so that it hath no forme at all, yet there is a
great part of it standing which is compassed and almost couered with the
aforesayd fallings: this Tower was builded and made of foure square
Brickes, which Brickes were made of earth, and dried in the Sunne in maner
and forme following: first they layed a lay of Brickes, [Footnote: These
bricks be in thicknes six or seuen inches, and a foot and a halfe square.]
then a Mat made of Canes, square as the Brickes, and in stead of lime, they
daubed it with earth: these Mats of Canes are at this time so strong, that
it is a thing woonderfull to beholde, being of such great antiquity: I haue
gone round about it, and haue not found any place where there hath bene any
doore or entrance: it may be in my iudgement in circuit about a mile, and
rather lesse then more.

This Tower in effect is contrary to all other things which are seene afar
off, for they seeme small, and the more nere a man commeth to them the
bigger they be: but this tower afar off seemeth a very great thing, and the
nerer you come to it the lesser. My iudgment and reason of this is, that
because the Tower is set in a very great plaine, and hath nothing more
about to make any shew sauing the ruines of it which it hath made round
about, and for this respect descrying it a farre of