secretary, for his master's information. Translated into Portuguese,
they were re-translated from the Portuguese into Italian by Ramusio,
who searched for but failed to obtain a copy of the original in
Latin. This original was first published in 1723 by the Abbe Oliva
of Paris under the title P. BRACCIOLINI, DE VARIETATE FORTUNAE,
LIBER QUATUOR.

Nicolo, on reaching India, visited first the city of Cambaya
in Gujarat. After twenty days' sojourn there he passed down the
coast to "Pacamuria," probably Barkur, and "Helly," which is the
"Mount d'Ely" or "Cabo d'Eli" of later writers. Thence he travelled
inland and reached the Raya's capital, Vijayanagar, which he calls
"Bizenegalia."[125] He begins his description thus: --

"The great city of Bizenegalia is situated near very steep
mountains. The circumference of the city is sixty miles; its walls
are carried up to the mountains and enclose the valleys at their
foot, so that its extent is thereby increased. In this city there
are estimated to be ninety thousand men fit to bear arms."

I must here interpose a correction. There were no "mountains" properly
so called at Vijayanagar; only a confused and tumbled mass of rocky
hills, some rising to considerable altitude. The extent of its
lines of defences was extraordinary. Lofty and massive stone walls
everywhere crossed the valleys, and led up to and mounted over the
hillsides. The outer lines stretched unbroken across the level country
for several miles. The hollows and valleys between the boulder-covered
heights were filled with habitations, poor and squalid doubtless,
in most instances, but interspersed with the stone-built dwellings
of the nobles, merchants, and upper classes of the vast community;