of them for food, and many more
doe they consume in vaine things, as these following. In that kingdome they
spend many of these Sugar canes in making of houses and tents which they
call Varely for their idoles, which they call Pagodes, whereof there are
great aboundance, great and smal, and these houses are made in forme of
little hilles, like to Sugar loaues or to Bells, and some of these houses
are as high as a reasonable steeple, at the foote they are very large, some
of them be in circuit a quarter of a mile. The saide houses within are full
of earth, and walled round about with brickes and dirt in steade of lime,
and without forme, from the top to the foote they make a couering for them
with Sugar canes, and plaister it with lime all ouer, for otherwise they
would bee spoyled, by the great aboundance of raine that falleth in those
Countreys. [Sidenote: Idol houses couered with gold.] Also they consume
about these Varely or idol houses great store of leafe-gold, for that they
ouerlay all the tops of the houses with gold, and some of them are couered
with golde from the top to the foote: in couering whereof there is great
store of gold spent, for that euery 10. yeeres they new ouerlay them with
gold, from the top to the foote, so that with this vanitie they spend great
aboundance of golde. For euery 10. yeres the raine doth consume the gold
from these houses. And by this meanes they make golde dearer in Pegu then
it would bee, if they consumed not so much in this vanitie. Also it is a
thing to bee noted in the buying of iewels in Pegu, that he that hath no
knowledge shall haue as good iewels, and as good cheap, as he that hath
bene practized there a long time, which is a good order, and it is in this
wise. There are in Pegu foure men of good reputation, which are called
Tareghe, or brokers of Iewels. These foure men haue all the Iewels or
Rubies in their handes, and the Marchant that wil buy commeth to one of
these Tareghe and telleth him, that he hath so much money to imploy in
Rubies. [Sidenote: Rubies exceeding cheape in Pegu.] For through the hands
of these foure men passe all the Rubies: for they haue such quantitie, that
they knowe not what to doe with them, but sell them at most vile and base
prices. When the Marchant hath broken his mind to one of these brokers or
Tareghe, they cary him home to one of their Shops, although he hath no
knowledge in Iewels: and when the Iewellers perceiue that hee will employ a
goo