Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

supplied. At harvest time, the country magistrates inform those in the city how many reapers they want, which number being supplied, they commonly dispatch the work in a day. He who knows one of their towns, knows them all, they are so much alike unless their situations differ. I will therefore describe one of them; and none is so proper as Amaurot: for all the rest yield to it in precedence (it being the seat of supreme council), and I have lived in it five years.

It lieth on the side of a hill, or rather a rising ground. Its figure is nearly a square. For one side, which beginneth a little below the top of the hill, runneth two miles, until it come to the river Anider; but the side which runneth along the bank of that river is a little broader. The Anider riseth about 80 miles above the city, in a small spring, but is afterward joined by other streams, of which two are more considerable than the rest. At Amaurot it is half a mile broad, but still increases, till, after a course of 60 miles below it, it loses itself in the ocean. Between the town and the sea, and for some miles above the town, it ebbs and flows every six hours with a strong current. The tide cometh up so full for about 30 miles, that the water is salt, and some miles above that it is brackish; but a little higher, as it runneth past the town, it is quite fresh, and at the ebb it continueth fresh to the sea.

A stone bridge is thrown over the river, consisting of many stately arches. It is situate at the part of the town which

is farthest from the sea, that ships may lie along side of the town. There is also another pleasant small river, rising in the same hill on which the town standeth, which runs down through it and falls into Anider. The inhabitants have fortified the fountain-head of this river (which springeth a little without the town), that if they be besieged, the enemy may not be able to stop, divert, or poison the water. It is carried thence in earthen pipes to the lower streets. And for those parts of the town to which this water cannot be conveyed, they have large cisterns for receiving rain water, which supplieth its place.

The city is compassed with a high thick wall, in which are many forts and towers. A broad and deep dry ditch, set thickly with thorns, guardeth three sides of it, and the river the fourth. The streets are conveniently contrived for carriages, and are well sheltered from the winds. Their buildings are good, and so uniform, that the side of a street. looketh like one large house. The streets are twenty feet broad. Behind every house is a garden, large, but inclosed by buildings, which face the back part of the street; and every house hath a door to the street and a back door to the garden. They use folding doors, which open with the utmost ease, and shut themselves; and there being no property among them, any person may enter wherever he pleases they change their very houses by lot every ten years.

They cultivate their gardens with much care, and have

vines, fruits, herbs, and flowers. All is so well ordered and so finely kept, that I never saw gardens so uniting beauty with fertility. This cometh, not only from the pleasure their gardens afford them, but also from an emulation among the inhabitants of different streets, who vie with each other. Nothing belonging to the town is more useful and pleasant, and the founder of the city seems to have had a particular eye to these gardens.

Report saith, the first design of the town was by Utopus. But he left ornament and improvement to his successors, that being more than one man could accomplish. The records of the town and state are preserved with great care, and extend 1760 years backward. By these it appears, that their houses were at first low and mean, like cottages, with mud walls, any kind of timber, and thatched with straw. At present their houses are three storys high, faced with stone, plaster, or brick, and in the intervals is thrown the rubbish. Their roofs are flat, and they lay on them a kind of cheap plaster, which will not take fire, yet resists weather better than lead. Abounding in glass, they glaze their windows; and use also a thin linen cloth, so oiled or gummed, that it excludes wind while it freely admits light.

Thirty families choose yearly a magistrate, who was formerly called the syphogrant, but now the philarch. Over every ten syphogrants, with these their families each, is another magistrate, formerly called tranibor, now protophi

larch. The syphogrants, 200 in number, choose the prince from a list of four, named by the people of the four divisions of the city, taking an oath beforehand, that they will choose him whom they think fittest for the office. They vote privately, so that it is not known for whom each giveth his suffrage; and the prince is for life, unless he be removed on suspicion of a design to enslave his people.

The tranibors are newly chosen every year, yet generally continued; while all their other magistrates are annual. They meet every third day (oftener if necessary), and consult with the prince concerning the general interests of the state, or private dissensions among the people, though the latter seldom happen. Two syphogrants are alway called into the council-chamber, and are changed daily. It is a fundamental rule of the constitution, that nothing relative to the public can be concluded, until the matter hath been debated three days in the council. And it is death for any to meet and hold consultation concerning the state, except at their council, or in the general assembly of the people.

This hath been so provided, that the prince and the tranibors may not conspire to change the government and enslave the people. Therefore, when any thing of great importance is on foot, the syphogrants are made acquainted with it, who, when they have communicated it to the families belonging to their divisions, and have considered it themselves, make report to the senate; and on great oc

casions, the matter is referred to the council of the whole island.

One rule observed in their council is, never to debate a subject on the day on which it is proposed. It is ever referred to the next meeting, for fear of rashness and the heat of argument; which might lead them, instead of con-sulting the public good, to support their first opinions, and hazard their country rather than endanger their own reputation. To prevent this, they are made deliberate rather than expeditious.

Agriculture is so universally understood among them, that neither man nor woman is ignorant of it. They are instructed in it from their childhood, partly at school and partly by practice, being frequently led into the fields near the town, where they not only see others at work, but become exercised in it themselves. Beside agriculture, so common to them, every man hath some peculiar trade, as the manufacture of wool or flax, masonry, smith's or carpenter's work. No other trade is in great esteem among them. Throughout the island they wear one sort of clothes, without any other distinction than what is necessary for different sexes, and the married and unmarried. The fashion never changes, is easy and agreeable, suited to the climate, and for summer as well as winter.

Every family maketh clothes for itself; and women as well as men all learn some one of the trades before men

« VorigeDoorgaan »