priuities. The nailes of some of his fingers were two inches long, for he
would cut nothing from him, neither would he speake. He was accompanied
with eight or tenne, and they spake for him. When any man spake to him, he
would lay his hand vpon his brest and bowe himselfe, but would not speake.
Hee would not speake to the king. We went from Prage downe Ganges, the
which is here very broad. Here is great store of fish of sundry sorts, and
of wild foule, as of swannes, geese, cranes, and many other things. The
country is very fruitfull and populous. The men for the most part haue
their faces shauen, and their heads very long, except some which bee all
shauen saue the crowne: and some of them are as though a man should set a
dish on their heads, and shaue them round, all but the crowne. In this
riuer of Ganges are many Ilands. His water is very sweete and pleasant, and
the countrey adioyning very fruitfull. From thence wee went to Bannaras
which is a great towne, and great store of cloth is made there of cotton,
and Shashes for the Moores. In this place they be all Gentiles, and be the
greatest idolaters that euer I sawe. [Sidenote: A pilgrimage of the
Gentiles.] To this towne come the Gentiles on pilgrimage out of farre
countreys. Here alongst the waters side bee very many faire houses, and in
all of them, or for the most part they haue their images standing, which be
euill fauoured, made of stone and wood, some like lions, leopards, and
monkeis, some like men and women, and pecocks, and some like the deuil with
foure armes and 4. hands. They sit crosse legged, some with one thing in
their hands, and some another, and by breake of day and before, there are
men and women which come out of the towne and wash themselues in Ganges.
And there are diuers old men which vpon places of earth made for the
purpose, sit praying, and they giue the people three or foure strawes,
which they take and hold them betweene their fingers when they wash
themselues: and some sit to marke them in the foreheads, and they haue in a
cloth a litle Rice, Barlie, or money, which, when they haue washed
themselues, they giue to the old men which sit there praying. Afterwards