l maintaine themselues a
long time in a bush with rootes, flowers and leaues of trees, they cary
rice with them for their voyage, and that serueth them in stead of comfits;
it is so daintie vnto them. This king of Pegu hath not any army or power by
sea, but in the land, for people, dominions, golde and siluer, he farre
exceeds the power of the great Turke in treasure and strength. [Sidenote:
The riches of the king of Pegu.] This king hath diuers Magasons full of
treasure, as gold, and siluer, and euery day he encreaseth it more and
more, and it is neuer diminished. Also hee is Lord of the Mines of Rubies,
Safires and Spinels. Neere vnto his royall pallace there is an inestimable
treasure whereof hee maketh no accompt, for that it standeth in such a
place that euery one may see it, and the place where this treasure is, is a
great Court walled round about with walles of stone, with two gates which
stand open euery day. And within this place or Court are foure gilded
houses couered with lead, and in euery one of these are certaine heathenish
idoles of a very great valure. In the first house there is a stature of the
image of a man of gold very great, and on his head a crowne of gold beset
with most rare Rubies and Safires, and round about him are 4. litle
children of gold. In the second house there is the stature of a man of
siluer, that is set as it were sitting on heapes of money: whose stature in
height, as hee sitteth, is so high, that his highnesse exceeds the height
of any one roofe of an house; I measured his feete, and found that they
were as long as all my body was in height, with a crowne on his head like
to the first. And in the thirde house, there is a stature of brasse of the
same bignesse, with a like crowne on his head. In the 4. and last house
there is a stature of a man as big as the other, which is made of Gansa,
which is the metall they make their money of, and this metall is made of
copper and leade mingled together. This stature also hath a crowne on his
head like the first: this treasure being of such a value as it is, standeth
in an open place that euery man at his pleasure may go and see it: for the
keepers therof neuer forbid any man the sight thereof. I say as I haue said
before, that this king euery yere in his feastes triumpheth: and because it
is worthy of the noting, I thinke it meet to write therof, which is as
foloweth. [Sidenote: The great pompe of the king.] The king rideth on a
triumphant ca