第126章

Now this King Crisnarao,when he was young and growing up in this city of Bisnaga,had an intrigue with a courtezan for whom he had much affection,and who was called Chinadevidy,and for the great love he bore her he promised many times that if ever he became King he would marry her;and though he said this in jest,it afterwards became true,so the history records.For when raised to the throne and taken away from the things he had done when a young man,he still did not forget the affection he felt for this woman,but used secretly to leave his palace and go to her house.And this was discovered one night by his minister Sallvatinica,who watched him until he had got into the woman's house,and he rebuked him much for it and brought him back to the palace.Then the King told him how well he loved her,and that he had promised to marry this woman and was determined to do so in any case;and the minister,seeing how he was bent on it,gave way to his wish,saying that he would accomplish it in such a way that His Highness would not be blamed for it.In order to do this he sought for him a very beautiful woman of the family of the kings of Narsymga,and after he had married him to her,at the end of the wedding ceremonies,he put this woman and the other in a house,to which he had added a tower very lofty and large,and in which he lodged her.Afterwards the King married many other wives,for these kings hold it as a very honourable thing to have many wives;and this King Crisnarao married four,and yet he loved this one better than any of the others.This King built a city in honour of this woman,for the love he bore her,and called its name Nagallapor and surrounded it with a new wall which is one of the best works that he has in his kingdom,and he made in it a street very long and large with houses all of masonry.In order to people this town he ordered all the chiefs of his kingdom to build themselves palaces therein,and so they did.This town has one principal street,of length four thousand and seven hundred paces[581]and of breadth forty,which is certainly the most beautiful street it is possible to see;and he made and finished this town without stinting any expense on it.It now yields forty-two thousand PARDAOS of duties for things which enter into it,the duties in this land being very great;since nothing comes through the gates that does not pay duty,even men and women,as well as head-loads and all merchandise.

This King also made in his time a lake for water,which lies between two very lofty SERRAS.But since he had no means in the country for making it,nor any one who could do it,he sent to Goa to ask the Governor to send some Portuguese masons,and the Governor sent him Joao della Ponte,[582]a great worker in stone,to whom the King told how he wanted the tank built.Though it seemed to this man (MESTRE,modern MAISTRY)impossible to be made,nevertheless he told the King he would do it and asked him to have lime prepared,at which the King laughed much,for in his country when they build a house they do not understand how to use lime.The King commanded to throw down quantities of stone and cast down many great rocks into the valley,but everything fell to pieces,so that all the work done in the day was destroyed each night,and the King,amazed at this,sent to call his wise men and sorcerers and asked them what they thought of this thing.They told him that his idols were not pleased with this work,it being so great and he giving them nothing,and that unless he spilled there the blood of men or women or buffaloes that work would never be finished.So the King sent to bring hither all the men who were his prisoners,and who deserved death,and ordered them there to be beheaded;and with this the work advanced.He made a bank across the middle of the valley so lofty and wide that it was a crossbow-shot in breadth and length,and had large openings;[583]and below it he put pipes by which the water escaped,and when they wish so to do they close these.By means of this water they made many improvements in the city,and many channels by which they irrigated rice-fields and gardens,and in order that they might improve their lands he gave the people the lands which are irrigated by this water free for nine years,[584]until they had made their improvements,so that the revenue already amounts to 20,000PARDAOS.

Above this tank is a very large ridge all enclosed,and in the middle some very strong gates with two towers,one on one side and one on the other;and within are always posted 1000men on guard.For through this gate all things must enter that come into the two cities,since in order to enter the city of Bisnaga there is no other road but this,all other roads meeting there.This gate is rented out for 12,000PARDAOS each year,and no man can enter it without paying just what the renters ask,country folk as well as strangers.In both these cities there is no provision or merchandise whatever,[585]for all comes from outside on pack-oxen,since in this country they always use beasts for burdens;[586]and every day there enter by these gates 2000oxen,and every one of these pays three VINTEES,[587]except certain polled oxen without horns,which never pay anything in any part of the realm.

Outside these two cities are fields and places richly cultivated with wheat and gram and rice and millet,for this last is the grain which is most consumed in the land;and next to it betel (BETRE),which is a thing that in the greater part of the country they always eat and carry in the mouth.