Description of the
fruitfulnesse of that soyle.] It is a very commodious and pleasant voyage,
hauing on both sides of the riuers many great vilages, which they call
Cities: in the which hennes, pigeons, egges, milke, rice, and other things
be very goode cheape. It is all plaine, and a goodly Countrey, and in eight
dayes you may make your voyage vp to Macceo, distant from Pegu twelue
miles, and there they discharge their goods, and lade them in Carts or
waines drawen with oxen, and the Marchants are caried in a closet which
they call Deling, [Sidenote: Deling is a small litter carried with men as
is aforesaid.] in the which a man shall be very well accommodated, with
cushions under his head, and couered for the defence of the Sunne and
raine, and there he may sleep if he haue will thereunto: and his foure
Falchines cary him running away, changing two at one time and two at
another. The custome of Pegu and fraight thither, may amount vnto twentie
or twentie two per cento, and 23. according as he hath more or lesse stolen
from him that day they custome the goods. It is requisite that a man haue
his eyes watchfull, and to be carefull, and to haue many friendes, for when
they custome in the great hall of the king, there come many gentlemen
accompanied with a number of their slaues, and these gentlemen haue no
shame that their slaues rob strangers; whether it be cloth in shewing of it
or any other thing, they laugh at it. And although the Marchants helpe one
another to keepe watch, and looke to their goods, they cannot looke therto
so narrowly but one or other will rob something, either more or lesse,
according as their marchandise is more or lesse: and yet on this day there
is a worse thing then this: although you haue set so many eyes to looke
there for your benefit, that you escape vnrobbed of the slaues, a man
cannot choose but that he must be robbed of the officers of the custome
house. For paying the custome with the same goods oftentimes they take the
best that you haue, and not by rate of euery sort as they ought to do, by
which meanes a man payeth more then his dutie. At length when the goods be
dispatched out of the custome house in this order, the Marchant causeth
them to be caried to his house, and may do with them at his pleasure.

There are in Pegu 8. brokers of the kings, which are called Tareghe, who
are bound to sell all the marchandize which come to Pegu, at the common or
the currant price: then if the marcha