Now I wish you to know more of the situation,and of the city,and the people which it held.This city of Rachol lies between two great rivers,and in the midst of a great plain where there are no trees except very small ones,and there are great boulders there;from each river to the city is three leagues.One of these rivers is the northern boundary,and beyond it the country belongs to the Ydallcao,and the other is the boundary to the south which is the boundary of Narsymga.This plain lies in the middle of these two rivers,and there are large lakes therein and wells and some little streams where the city is situated,and a hill which looks like a woman's breast and is of natural formation.The city has three lines of strong walls of heavy masonry made without lime;the walls are packed with earth inside,and it has on the highest point a fortress like a tower,very high and strong;at the top where the fortress stands is a spring of water which runs all the year round.It is held to be a holy and mysterious thing that a spring which is in a lofty situation should in some way never be without water.Besides this spring there are several tanks of water and wells,so that the citizens had no fear of being ever taken for lack of water;and there were in the city supplies for five years.There were eight thousand men as garrison and four hundred horse and twenty elephants,and thirty catapults (TRABUCOS)which hurled heavy stones and did great damage.The towers which are on the walls are so close together that one can hear words spoken from one to the other.Between these and all around they posted their artillery,which consisted of two hundred heavy pieces,not to mention small ones.As soon as the people of the city knew of the arrival of the King's troops,and after they had received a captain of the Ydallcao who came with some soldiers to the city,they closed the gates with stone and mortar.The chief fight which takes place is on the east side,because on the north and south sides it stands on huge rocks which make it very strong;and,the city being besieged on all sides,the camp of the King was on the east side,and so was the strength of the attack.
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