The near view of the country seeming so barren, naturally led me to ask Quilly from whence they got provision for so many people as the city contained, which, to be sure, could not be less than three hundred thousand. He told me that they had nothing but what came from the Great Forest on the skirts of the mountain. "But for the grain of it, and some few outward marks," says I, "I could have sworn I had eaten some of my country beef the other day at the king's table."—"I don't know what your beef, as you call it, is; but I am sure we have nothing here but the fruit of some tree or shrub, that ever I heard of."—"I wonder," says I, "Quilly, how your cooks dress their victuals. I have eaten many things boiled, and otherwise dressed hot, but have seen no rivers, or water, since I came into this country, except for drinking, or washing my hands, and I don't know where that comes from. And another thing," says I, "surprises me, though I see no sun as we have to warm the air, you are very temperate in the town, and it is seldom cold here; but I neither see fire nor smoke."—"We have," says Quilly, "several very good springs under the palace, both of hot water and cold, and I don't know what we should do with fires; we see the dread of them sufficiently at Mount Alkoe. Our cooks dress their fruits at the hot springs."—"That is a fancy," said I; "they cannot boil them there."—"I am sure we have no other dressing," says he.—"Well, Quilly," says I, "we will go home the way you told me of, and to-morrow you shall show me the springs; but, pray, how come you to be so much afraid of Mount Alkoe? I suppose your eyes won't bear the light; is not that all?"—"No, no," says Quilly, "that is the country of bad men. Some of us have flown over there accidentally, when the mountain has been cool, as it is sometimes for a good while together, and have heard such noises as would frighten any honest man out of his senses, for there they beat and punish bad men." I could not make much of his story, nor did I inquire further, for I had before determined, if possible, to get over thither. As we were now come into the garden, I ordered Quilly to get ready my dinner, and I would come in presently.
We went next morning to view the springs, and indeed it was a sight well worth considering. We were in divers offices under the rock (Quilly carrying two globe-lights before me), in which were springs of very clear water, some of hot, and some of cold, rising within two or three inches of the surface of the floor. We then went into the kitchen, which was bigger than I ever saw one of our churches, and where were a great number of these springs, the hot all boiling full speed day and night, and smoking like a caldron, the water rising through very small chinks in the stone into basons, some bigger, some less; and they had several deep stone jars to set anything to boil in. But what was the most surprising was, you should see a spring of very cold water within a few feet of one of hot, and they never rise higher or sink lower than they are. I talked with the master cook, an ingenious man, about them; and he told me they lie in this manner all over the rocky part of the country, and that the first thing any one does in looking out for a house, is to see for the water, whether both hot and cold may be found within the compass he designs to make use of; and finding that, he goes on, or else searches another place. And he told me where this convenience was not in great plenty the people did not inhabit, which made the towns all so very populous. He said, too, that those warm springs made the air more wholesome about the towns than in other parts where there were none of them. I thanked him for his information, which finished my search for that time.
CHAPTER XIX.
Peter sends for his family—Pendlehamby gives a fabulous account of the peopling of that country—Their policy and government—Peter's discourse on trade—Youwarkee arrives—Invites the king and nobles to a treat—Sends to Graundevolet for fowls.
THE days hanging heavy on my hands till the arrival of my family, I sent Pendlehamby word that as I had sent for my family and effects in order to settle in this country, and expected them very soon, I should be glad of his, my brother, and sister's company, to welcome them on their arrival.