ng the extent of his territories, his wealth, and
the rich commodities of his dominions, is the greatest known monarch of
the east, if not in the whole world. This widely extended sovereignty is
so rich and fertile, and so abounding in all things for the use of man,
that it is able to subsist and flourish of itself, without the help of
any neighbour. To speak first of food, which nature requires most. This
land abounds in singularly good wheat, rice, barley, and various other
grains, from which to make bread, the staff of life. Their wheat grows
like ours, but the grain is somewhat larger and whiter, of which the
inhabitants make most pure and well-relished bread. The common people
make their bread in cakes, which they bake or fire on portable iron
hearths or plates, which they carry with them on their journeys, using
them in their tents. This seems to be an ancient custom, as appears from
the instance of Sarah in our bible, when she entertained the angels.

To their bread, they have great abundance of other excellent provisions,
as butter and cheese in great plenty, made from the milk of their
numerous cows, sheep, and goats. They have likewise a large animal,
called a buffalo, having a thick smooth skin without hair, the females
of which give excellent milk. Their flesh resembles beef, but is not so
sweet or wholesome. They have plenty of venison of several kinds, as red
and fallow deer, elks, and antelopes. These are not any where kept in
parks, the whole empire being as it were a forest, so that they are seen
every where in travelling through the country; and they are free game
for all men, except within a certain distance of where the king happens
to reside. They have also plenty of hares, with a variety of land and
water fowl, and abundance of fish, which it were too tedious to
enumerate. Of fowls, they have geese, ducks, pigeons, partridges,
quails, pheasants, and many other good sorts, all to be had at low
rates. I have seen a good sheep bought for about the value of our
shilling: four couple of hens for the same price; a hare for a penny;
three partridges for the same money; and so in proportion for other
things.

The cattle of this country differ from ours, in having a great bunch of
grisly flesh on the meeting of their shoulders. Their sheep have great
bob-tails of considerable weight, and their flesh is as good as our
English mutton, but their wool is very coarse. They have also abundance
of salt, and sugar