CHAPTER XX

Description of Venice.—The Gondolas.—St. Mark's.—The Campanile.—

The government.—Provisions and trade.—Wealth of the common

people, — Sanitary    arrangements. — Rigorous   administration of

juSlice.—The Arsenal.—A hospital for foundlings.—Scrupulous

regard for money matters.—The possessions abroad.

The city of Venice is very populous, and there is much
country round about it. The houses are built very
close together. They say that there are 70,000 in¬
habitants, but the ftrangers and serving people, moftly
slaves, are very numerous. The city has no walls,
nor any fortress, except those two caftles which- enclose
the harbour, since its defence lies in the sea. They
draw a chain across from one side to the other so that
they may be secure, and if the whole world came up
againft the city, the Venetians could sink a ship between
the two caftles in the canal and be safe. The city is
built on the sea, and there are artificial canals along
which the boats can pass, and in some parts there are
ftreets where the people can go on foot. Elsewhere,
in places where the canals are too narrow for ships,
there are bridges, and as in Caftile everyone has a
beaft to ride, so here they all have boats and pages to
row and attend to them. And as we pride ourselves
on a fine horse and a pretty well-dressed page, so they
set great ftore by their boats, which are kept very
properly. They are well hung and fitted with cabins
and seats, so that one or two or more may travel in them.
The exits from the city to the main-land are made
artificially, and only small boats can go there, since the
water is not sufficient for large craft, and the canals are
shallow and sandy. Thus neither great ships nor
beafts can enter or leave the city, which is sea-bound,
and for this reason they say that Venice is the fineft

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