heart of a prince, whose name and country I have forgot, that he both
furnished them plentifully with all things necessary, and also with the
conveniences of travelling; both boats when they went by water, and
waggons when they travelled over land: he sent with them a very faithful
guide, who was to introduce and recommend them to such other princes as
they had a mind to see: and after many days' journey, they came to
towns, and cities, and to commonwealths, that were both happily governed
and well peopled. Under the equator, and as far on both sides of it as
the sun moves, there lay vast deserts that were parched with the
perpetual heat of the sun; the soil was withered, all things looked
dismally, and all places were either quite uninhabited, or abounded with
wild beasts and serpents, and some few men, that were neither less wild
nor less cruel than the beasts themselves. But as they went farther, a
new scene opened, all things grew milder, the air less burning, the soil
more verdant, and even the beasts were less wild: and at last there were
nations, towns, and cities, that had not only mutual commerce among
themselves, and with their neighbours, but traded both by sea and land,
to very remote countries. There they found the conveniences of seeing
many countries on all hands, for no ship went any voyage into which he
and his companions were not very welcome. The first vessels that they
saw were flat-bottomed, their sails were made of reeds and wicker woven
close together, only some were of leather; but afterwards they found
ships made with round keels, and canvas sails, and in all respects like
our ships; and the seamen understood both astronomy and navigation. He
got wonderfully into their favour, by showing them the use of the
needle, of which till then they were utterly ignorant. They sailed
before with great caution, and only in summer-time, but now they count
all seasons alike, trusting wholly to the loadstone, in which they are
perhaps more secure than safe; so that there is reason to fear that this
discovery, which was thought would prove so much to their advantage, may