h；　points　to　the　mines　on　the　Krishna　river　being　those　alluded　to　　mines　which　are　often　styled　the　〃mines　of　Golkonda〃　by　travellers。　Marco　Polo　told　the　same　tale　of　the　same　mines　in　the　year　1296。　Conti　continues：
  〃They　divide　the　year　into　twelve　months；　which　they　name　after　the　signs　of　the　zodiac。　The　era　is　computed　variously。。。。〃
  After　having　given　a　short　account　of　the　different　coinages　and　currencies；　which　is　interesting；　but　of　which　the　various　localities　are　left　to　the　imagination；　he　writes：
  〃The　natives　of　Central　India　make　use　of　the　ballistae；＇128＇　and　those　machines　which　we　call　bombardas；　also　other　warlike　implements　adapted　for　besieging　cities。
  〃They　call　us　Franks　and　say；　'While　they　call　other　nations　blind；　that　they　themselves　have　two　eyes；　and　that　we　have　but　one；　because　they　consider　that　they　excel　all　others　in　prudence。'＇129＇
  〃The　inhabitants　of　Cambay　alone　use　paper；　all　other　Indians　write　on　the　leaves　of　trees。　They　have　a　vast　number　of　slaves；　and；　the　debtor　who　is　insolvent　is　everywhere　adjudged　to　be　the　property　of　his　creditor。　The　numbers　of　these　people　and　nations　exceeds　belief。　Their　armies　consist　of　a　million　men　and　upwards。〃
  Abdur　Razzak　also　visited；　the　city　during　the　reign　of　Deva　Raya　II。；　but　about　twenty　years　later　than　Conti。　He　was　entrusted　with　an　embassy　from　Persia；　and　set　out　on　his　mission　on　January　13；　A。D。　1442。　At　the　beginning　of　November　that　year　he　arrived　at　Calicut；　where　he　resided　till　the　beginning　of　April　1443。　Being　there　he　was　summoned　to　Vijayanagar；　travelled　thither；　and　was　in　the　great　city　from　the　end　of　April　till　the　5th　December　of　the　same　year。　The　following　passage　explains　why　he　left　Calicut。
  〃On　a　sudden　a　man　arrived　who　brought　me　the　intelligence　that　the　king　of　Bidjanagar；　who　holds　a　powerful　empire　and　a　mighty　dominion　under　his　sway；　had　sent　him　to　the　Sameri＇130＇　as　delegate；　charged　with　a　letter　in　which　he　desired　that　he　would　send　on　to　him　the　ambassador　of　His　Majesty；　the　happy　Khakhan　（I。E。　the　king　of　Persia）。　Although　the　Sameri　is　not　subject　to　the　laws　of　the　king　of　Bidjanagar；　he　nevertheless　pays　him　respect　and　stands　extremely　in　fear　of　him；　since；　if　what　is　said　is　true；　this　latter　prince　has　in　his　dominions　three　hundred　ports；　each　of　which　is　equal　to　Calicut；　and　on　TERRA　FIRMA　his　territories　comprise　a　space　of　three　months'　journey。〃
  In　obedience　to　this　request；　Abdur　Razzak　left　Calicut　by　sea　and　went　to　Mangalore；　〃which　forms　the　frontier　of　the　kingdom　of　Bidjanagar。〃　He　stayed　there　two　or　three　days　and　then　journeyed　inland；　passing　many　towns；　and　amongst　them　a　place　where　he　saw　a　small　but　wonderful　temple　made　of　bronze。
  〃At　length　I　came　to　a　mountain　whose　summit　reached　the　skies。　Having　left　this　mountain　and　this　forest　behind　me；　I　reached　a　town　called　Belour；＇131＇　the　houses　of　which　were　like　palaces。〃
  Here　he　saw　a　temple　with　exquisite　sculpture。
  〃At　the　end　of　the　month　of　Zoul'hidjah＇132＇　we　arrived　at　the　city　of　Bidjanagar。　The　king　sent　a　numerous　cortege　to　meet　us；　and　appointed　us　a　very　handsome　house　for　our　residence。　His　dominion　extends　from　the　frontier　of　Serendib　to　the　extremities　of　the　country　of　Kalbergah　（I。E。　from　the　Krishna　River　to　Cape　Comorin）。　One　sees　there　more　than　a　thousand　elephants；　in　their　size　resembling　mountains　and　in　their　form　resembling　devils。　The　troops　amount　in　number　to　eleven　LAK　（1；100；000）。　One　might　seek　in　vain　throughout　the　whole　of　Hindustan　to　find　a　more　absolute　RAI；　for　the　monarchs　of　this　country　bear　the　title　of　RAI。
  〃The　city　of　Bidjanagar　is　such　that　the　pupil　of　the　eye　has　never　seen　a　place　like　it；　and　the　ear　of　intelligence　has　never　been　informed　that　there　existed　anything　to　equal　it　in　the　world。　It　is　built　in　such　a　manner　that　seven　citadels　and　the　same　number　of　walls　enclose　each　other。　Around　the　first　citadel　are　stones　of　the　height　of　a　man；　one　half　of　which　is　sunk　in　the　ground　while　the　other　half　rises　above　it。　These　are　fixed　one　beside　the　other　in　such　a　manner　that　no　horse　or　foot　soldier　could　boldly　or　with　ease　approach　the　citadel。〃
  The　position　of　these　seven　walls　and　gates　have　long　been　a　puzzle　to　me；　but　I　hazard　the　following　explanation。　The　traveller　approached　from　the　southwest；　and　the　first　line　of　wall　that　he　saw　must　have　been　that　on　the　neck　between　the　two　hills　south…west　of　Hospett。　Paes　also　describes　this　outer　defence…work　as　that　seen　by　all　travellers　on　their　first　arrival　from　the　coast。　After　being　received　at　this　entrance…gate　Razzak　must　have　passed　down　the　slope　through　〃cultivated　fields；　houses；　and　gardens〃　to　the　entrance　of　Hospett；　where　the　second　line　of　fortification　barred　the　way；　and　since　that　town　was　not　then　thickly　populated；　the　same　features　would　meet　his　eye　till　he　passed　a　third　line　of　wall　on　the　north　side　of　that　town。　From　this　point　the　houses　became　thicker；　probably　forming　a　long　street；　with　shops　on　either　side　of　the　road；　leading　thence　to　the　capital。　The　fourth　line　of　wall；　with　a　strong　gateway；　is　to　be　seen　on　the　south　of　the　present　village　of　Malpanagudi；　where　several　remains　of　old　buildings　exist；　and　notably　a　handsome　stone　well；　once　probably　belonging　to　the　country…house　of　some　noble　or　chief　officer。　The　fifth　line　is　on　the　north　of　Malpanagudi；　and　here　the　great　gateway　still　stands；　though　the　wall　is　much　damaged　and　destroyed。　The　sixth　line　is　passed　just　to　the　south　of　the　Kamalapur　tank。　The　seventh　or　inner　line　is　the　great　wall　still　to　be　seen　in　fairly　good　repair　north　of　that　village。　This　last　surrounded　the　palace　and　the　government　buildings；　the　space　enclosed　measuring　roughly　a　mile　from　north　to　south；　and　two　miles　and　a　quarter　from　east　to　west。　The　remains　of　the　upright　stones　alluded　to　by　Razzak　were　seen　by　Domingo　Paes　in　A。D。　1520。＇133＇　I　believe　that　they　have　now　disappeared。
  Razzak　describes　the　outer　citadel　as　a　〃fortress　of　round　shape；　built　on　the　summit　of　a　mountain；　and　constructed　of　stones　and　lime。　It　has　very　solid　gates；　the　guards　of　which　are　constantly　at　their　post；　and　examine　everything　with　severe　inspection。〃　This　passage　must　refer　to　the　outer　line　of　wall；　since　Razzak's　〃seventh　fortress〃　is　the　innermost　of　all。　The　guards　at　the　gates　were　doubtless　the　officers　entrusted　with　the　collection　of　the　octroi　duties。　Sir　Henry　Elliot's　translation　（iv。　104）　adds　to　the　passage　as　quoted　the　words；　　〃they　collect　the　JIZYAT　or　taxes。〃　This　system　of　collecting　octroi　dues　at　the　gates　of　principal　towns　lasted　till　recent　days；　having　only　been　abolished　by　the　British　Government。
  〃The　seventh　fortress　is　to　the　north；　and　is　the　palace　of　the　king。　The　distance　between　the　opposite　gates　of　the　outer　fortress　north　and　south　is　two　parasangs；＇134＇　and　the　same　east　to　west。
  〃The　space　which　separates　the　first　fortress　from　the　second；　and　up　to　the　third　fortress；　is　filled　with　cultivated　fields　and　with　houses　and　gardens。　In　the　space　from　the　third　to　the　seventh　one　meets　a　numberless　crowd　of　people；　many　shops；　and　a　bazaar。　By　the　king's　palace　are　four　bazaars；　placed　opposite　each　other。　On　the　north　is　the　portico　of　the　palace　of　the　RAI。　Above　each　bazaar　is　a　lofty　arcade　with　a　magnificent　gallery；　but　the　audience…hall　of　the　king's　palace　is　elevated　above　all　the　rest。　The　bazaars　are　extremely　long　and　broad。＇135＇
  〃Roses　are　sold　everywhere。　These　people　could　not　live　without　roses；　and　they　look　upon　them　as　quite　as　necessary　as　food。。。。　Each　class　of　men　belonging　to　each　profession　has　shops　contiguous　the　one　to　the　other；　the　jewellers　sell　publicly　in　the　bazaars　pearls；　rubies；　emeralds；　and　diamonds。　In　this　agreeable　locality；　as　well　as　in　the　king's　palace；　one　sees　numerous　running　streams　and　canals　formed　of　chiselled　stone；　polished　and　smooth。＇136＇
  〃On　the　left　of　the　Sultan's　portico　rises　the　DEWAN　KHANEH；＇137＇　which　is　extremely　large　and　looks　like　a　palace。　In　front　of　it　is　a　hall；　the　height　of　which　is　above　the　stature　of　a　man；　its　length　thirty　ghez　and　its　breadth　ten。＇138＇　In　it　is　placed　the　DEFTER…KHANEH　（court…house）；　and　here　sit　the　scribes。。。。　In　the　middle　of　this　palace；　upon　an　high　estrade；　is　seated　an　eunuch　called　the　Danaik；＇139＇　who　alone　presides　over　the　divan。　At　the　end　of　the　hall　stand　chobdars＇140＇　drawn　up　in　line。　The　Dewan　or　Danaik　settles　people's　affairs　and　hears　their　petitions。　There　is　no　appeal。　After　concluding　business　the　Danaik　passes　through　seven　doors　into　the　palace；　and　entering　the　last　alone；　makes　his　report　to　the　king。
  〃Behind　the　king's　palace＇141＇　are　the　house　and　hall　allotted　to　the　Danaik。　To　the　left　of　the　said　palace　is　the　Mint。
  〃This　empire　contains　so　great　a　population　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　give　an　idea　of　it　without　entering　into　extensive　details。　In　the　king's　palace　are　several　cells；　like　basins；　filled　with　bullion；　forming　one　mass。〃
  Opposite　the　DIVAN…KHANEH；　he　continues；　is　the　house　of　the　elephants。
  〃Each　elephant　has　a　separate　compartment；　the　walls　of　which　are　extremely　solid；　and　the　roof　composed　of　strong　pi