Capt. I believe that you have already heard about their military affairs
and about their agricultural and pastoral life, and in what way these
are common to them, and how they honor with the first grade of nobility
whoever is considered to have knowledge of these. They who are skilful
in more arts than these they consider still nobler, and they set
that one apart for teaching the art in which he is most skilful. The
occupations which require the most labor, such as working in metals and
building, are the most praiseworthy among them. No one declines to go
to these occupations, for the reason that from the beginning their
propensities are well known, and among them, on account of the
distribution of labor, no one does work harmful to him, but only that
which is necessary for him. The occupations entailing less labor belong
to the women. All of them are expected to know how to swim, and for this
reason ponds are dug outside the walls of the city and within them near
to the fountains.

Commerce is of little use to them, but they know the value of money, and
they count for the use of their ambassadors and explorers, so that with
it they may have the means of living. They receive merchants into their
States from the different countries of the world, and these buy the
superfluous goods of the city. The people of the City of the Sun refuse
to take money, but in importing they accept in exchange those things of
which they are in need, and sometimes they buy with money; and the young
people in the City of the Sun are much amused when they see that for
a small price they receive so many things in exchange. The old men,
however, do not laugh. They are unwilling that the State should be
corrupted by the vicious customs of slaves and foreigners. Therefore
they do business at the gates, and sell those whom they have taken in
war or keep them for digging ditches and other hard work without the
city, and for this reason they always send four bands of soldiers to
take care of the fields, and with them there are the laborers. They go
out of the four gates from which roads with walls on both sides of them
lead to the sea, so that goods might easily be carried over them and
foreigners might not meet with difficulty on their way.

To strangers they are kind and polite; they keep them for three days at
the public expense; after they have first washed their feet, they show
them their city and its customs, and they honor them with a seat