In This Country They Make Great Quantities Of Cotton Cloth,
Both White And Painted, And The Land Produces Great Abundance Of Corn
And Rice.
In the towns and villages through which we passed, we found
many marriages celebrated between boys of eight or ten years old, and
girls of five or six.
These youthful couples did ride both on one horse,
very bravely dressed, and were carried about the streets with great
piping and playing, after which they returned home and banqueted on rice
and fruits, dancing most of the night, and so ended the marriage, which
is not consumated till the bride be ten years old. We were told they
married their children thus young, because when a man dies his wife is
burnt along with him; and by this device they secure a father-in-law, in
case of the fathers death, to assist in bringing up the children that
are thus early married, thus taking care not to leave their sons without
wives, or their daughters without husbands.
From thence we went to _Mandoway?_ a very strong town, which was
besieged for twelve years by Echebar before he could reduce it. It
stands on a very great high rock, as do most of their castles, and is of
very great circuit. From thence we went to _Vgini?_ and _Serringe?_
where we overtook the ambassador of Zelabdim Echebar, attended by a
prodigious retinue of men, elephants, and camels. In this district there
is a great trade carried on in cotton, and cloths made of cotton, and
great store of drugs.
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