Among These Is One Named Mujet, The Inhabitants Of Which Are White
And Dress After The Chinese Manner; Their Country Is Full Of Mountains,
Having White Tops, And Of Very Great Extent, In Which There Are Great
Quantities Of Musk; Esteemed The Most Exquisite Of Any In The World.
They
have continual war with all the surrounding kingdoms; The kingdom of Mabet
is beyond that of Mujet, wherein
Are many cities, and the inhabitants have
even a greater resemblance to the Chinese than those of Mujet; for they
have officers or eunuchs like those who govern the cities among the
Chinese. The country of Mabet borders upon China, and is at peace with the
emperor, but not subject to him. The king of Mabet sends ambassadors every
year with presents to the emperor of China, who in return sends ambassadors
and presents to Mabet. But when the ambassadors of Mabet enter China, they
are very carefully watched, lest they should survey the country, and form
designs of conquest; which would be no difficult matter, as their country
is very extensive, and extremely populous, and as they are only divided
from China by rocks and mountains.
It is said that, in the country of China, there are above two hundred
cities having jurisdiction over others, each of which has a governor and an
eunuch or lieutenant. Canfu is one of these cities, being the port for all
shipping, and has jurisdiction over twenty towns. A town is raised, to the
dignity of a city, by the grant of certain large trumpets. These are three
or four cubits in length, and as large about as can be grasped by both
hands, growing smaller towards the end which is fitted to the mouth. On the
outside, they are adorned with Chinese ink, and may be heard at the
distance of a mile. Each city has four gates, at each of which five of
these trumpets are stationed, which are sounded at certain hours of the day
and night. There are also ten drums in each city, which are beaten at the
same times; and this is done as a public token of obedience to the emperor,
and to point out the hours of the day and night to the inhabitants; and for
ascertaining the time; they have sun dials, and clocks with weights[11].
In China they use a great quantity of copper money, like that named falus
by the Arabians, which is the only sort of small money, and is current all
over the country, and is indeed the only current coin. Yet their emperor
has treasures like other kings, containing abundance of gold and silver,
with jewels, pearls, silk, and vast quantities of rich stuffs of all kinds,
which are only considered as moveables or merchandize; and from foreign
commerce they derive ivory, frankincense, copper in bars, tortoise shell,
and unicorns horns, with which they adorn their girdles. Of animals they
have abundance, particularly of beasts of burden; such as oxen, horses,
asses, and camels; but they have no Arabian horses.
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