declare of it largely as wel of the commodities there as also of their manner and vsages Of a prouince called Vochaym CHAP. 27. DEparting from Balassia you shall goe thrée dayes iourney betwéene the Northeast and by a riuer that is neare to Balassia In thys prouince be many Cities and townes The men of this prouince be valiaunt in armes and speake the Persian language and be Mahomets At the ende of this thrée dayes iourney is a Citie called Vochayn very long of thrée dayes iourney on eyther side The people of this prouince be subiecte to the king of Balassia and there be greate hunters of wilde beastes and taking of wilde foules in great number Of the nouelties of this Countrey CHAP. 28. THrée dayes iourney going forewarde you shall goe vp an hill vpon the whiche is a riuer and goodly fruitefull pastures that if you put in your cattell there very leane within tenne dayes they wil be fat There be greate plentie of wylde beastes and among them wilde shéepe that some of them haue their hornes of foure and some of seuen and some of tenne spannes long And of these hornes thâ— heardemen there doe make dishes and spones In the valey of this mountaine called Plauor you shall trauell tenne dayes iourney without comming to anye towne or anye grasse therefore it shall be néedefull for the traueylours that waye to carrie prouision with them as wel for themselues as for their horses There is greate colde in that Countrey that the fire hath not the strength to séethe thâ—ir victuals as in other Countries Of the Desert Bosor and of manye maruellous things there CHAP. 39. AFter that you be departed from thence within thré◠daies iourney you shal be faine to trauell fortie dayes iourney continually vpon Mountaines Heathes and Valleys betwéene the Northeast and East and passing ouer diuers riuers and deserts And in all this waye you shall come to no towne nor habitation nor grasse and therefore it is néedefull for those that do trauell that waye to carrie with them prouision and victuals for themselues and their horses And this Countrey is called Bosor The people there liue on the high hils be called people of the Mountaines They be Idolaters and liue by their cattel and be cruell people Of the prouince Caschar and of other Nouelties CHAP. 40. LEaue this prouince and let vs goe to another called Caschar that in olde time was a kingdome although nowe it be subiect to the greate Cane In this prouince are manye faire Cities and townes the best is Caschar they be all Mahometes This prouince is betwéene the Northeast the East In it be many great Merchants faire possessions and Vines they haue much Cottenwooll there and very good The Merchaunts of that countrey bée neare and couetous In this prouince which endureth fiue dayes iourney be Christians called Nestorians and haue Churches and speake the Persian tong Of Sumarthan and of a miracle CHAP. 31. SVmarthan is a Citie great and faire in the which dwell Christians and Moores that be subiect to the great Cane but this king beareth thâ—m no good will. In this Citie chaunced a maruellous thing A brother of the greate Cane that was Lorde of that Countrey became a Christian by meanes whereof the Christians there receyued great comfort and buylded them a Churche in the name of Saint Iohn Baptist. And it was builded in such sorte that one Piller of Marble standing in the middest did beare vp all the roufe of the Church and the Christians did put vnder the sayde piller a goodly Marble stone whiche was the Moores and for bycause the king was a Christian they durst say nothing of it This king died and one of his sons succéeded him in the kingdome which was no Christian and on a time the Moores demaunded their stone of the Christians thinking that in taking away that stone the whole roufe of the Church would fal downe and the Christians did offer to pay the Moores for the stone what they woulde demaunde but they woulde not by anye meanes but haue their stone and in the ende the new king commaunded the Christians to restore the stone to the Moores and the time appointed being come that the Moores would haue it the sayde Piller lifted it selfe vp thrée spannes aboue the stone and so haÌ„ged in the ayre that the Moores might take away their stone and yet the Church fell not and so doth thâ— Piller remayne til this day Of the prouince of Carcham CHAP. 32. GOing forwards you shall come to a prouince called Carcham whiche is fiue dayes iourney long and is subiect to the greate Cane and be Mahomets but there is among them Christians Nestorians There is in this prouince aboundaunce of all things Of the prouince Chota and of their manners CHAP. 33. CHota is a prouince betwéene the Northeast and the East and is of fiue dayes iourney subiect to the gret Cane and be Mahomets In this prouince there be diuerse cities and towns but the chiefest is Chota In this prouince be goodly possessions and faire Gardens and Vines plentie of Wine and fruites and Oyles Wheate Barley and all other victuals great plentie of Cotton-wâ—oll In this Countrey be rich Merchaunts good and valiaunt men of armes Of the prouince of Poym and of their vsages CHAP. 34. POym is a small prouince of fiue dayes iourney it is betwéene the Northeaste and the East and be subiect to the great Cane and be Mahomets and the principall Citie is called Poym In this prouince there is a riuer in the whiche there is founde precious stones called Iaspes and Calcedonies there is great plentie of all kinde of victuals and great trade of Merchandizes In this prouince there is this custome that when the husband departeth from his house for fiftéene or thirtie dayes or more or lesse if the wife can get another husbande for the time she taketh him and the husbande taketh another wife til he returne home to his house Of the prouince of Ciarchan being in great Turkie CHAP. 35. AL the prouinces beforesayde from Caschar to this be subiectes to the greate Cane and were of greate Turkie in the which there is a great Citie called Ciarchan in a prouince also called Ciarcham set betwéene the Northeast the East and the people of that Countrey speake the Persian tong and be Mahomets In this prouince be many Cities townes and riuers wherein be found many pretious stones called Calcedonies whiche Merchauntes carry all the worlde ouer to sell and get muche money by them In this Countrey is aboundaunce of all things néedefull And this prouince for the most part is sandie and the waters there for the most part pleasaunt and swéete yet in some places brackish And the people of that Countrey fering the ill people do flie with their householde stuffe and cattell two or thrée dayes iourney till they maye come to some good place whereas is water and grasse for their
is neither beastes nor Serpent and from thence they doe gather that whiche is called Salamandra which is a thréede they doe make cloth of They gather it after this manner they digge a certaine vayne that they doe there finde and afterwardes they beate it in a morter of a lofer and afterwarde washe it and there remaineth small fine théedes faire and cleane and after they haue caste out that which they doe washe it withall they spinne it and weaue it and make table clothes and napkins of it then they caste them into the fire for a certaine time whereas it waxeth as white as snowe and the great Cane once in thrée yeres doth send for some of them that be made of Salamandra And they wer wont for to seÌ„d of these napkins for to hang before the vernacle of oure Lorde Iesus Christ whome the people of Leuant do take for a great prophet Departing from this prouince and going betwéen the Northeast and East you shal trauaile tenne dayes iourney and come to little habitation and at the end of the tenne dayes iourny you shall find a prouince called Sanchur in it be Christians and Idolators subiects to the great Cane The two prouinces beforesaide to say Chamul and Hingnitala be called Tanguth with the prouince of Sachar In all the hilles of this prouince is found greate plentie of Rewbarbe and there the Merchauntes do buy it and carry it to all places to sel. There they doe not vse any occupation but the moste parte doe liue by the laboure of the Countrey Of the Citie called Campion and of many euill vsages there CHAP. 44. CAmpion is a greate Citie and fayre is the heade of the prouince of Tanguth In this Citie be thrée sortes of people that is to say Christians Idolators and Mahomets The ChristiaÌ„s haue thrée great Churches and faire and the Idolators haue also Monasteries Abbeys and religious houses more chaste and comly than the other and they do kil no beast nor fowle there till the fifth day of the Moone and in those fiue days they liue more honest deuout and chast than in any other time of the yeare These Idolators may haue thirtie wiues apéece or more if they be able to maintaine them but the firste wife is chiefe and if anye of them doe not contente him he may put hir away They do mary in kinreds and liue like beastes In this Citie was Mapheo Nicholas and Marcus Paulus seauen yeres vsing the trade of merchaundize Of a Citie called Eusina and of many notable things in Tartaria CHAP. xlj DEparting from the foresayde Cittie Campion and trauailing twelue dayes iorney you shall come to a Citie called Eusina the whyche is in a fielde of the Desert called Sabon toward the North and is of the prouince Targuth In this Citie they bée al Idolators and haue great abundaunce of Camels and other cattell withall they gette their liuing by labouring the ground In this Citie those that do trauaile do prouide them of victualles and other necessaries for fortie dayes iourney whyche they must passe through a great Desert wheras be no towns nor houses nor grasse but in the mountaines about dwel people and also in the valleys beneath the Desert There be many Asses and other wild beasts of the mountaines and greate Pine apple trées At the ende of this Deserte there is a Citie called Catlogoria whiche is towarde the North and of this Citie was the first Prince or Lorde among the Tartars and his name was Catlogoria The Tartars dwel towards the North wheras is but few cities Townes but true it is there be fayre playnes pastures riuers and very good waters There dwell Tartars that haue no King nor Lorde they doe gouerne themselues in common and do pay tribute to Prester Iohn It formned that these Tartars multiplyed to so greate a number that Prester Iohn did feare that they woulde rise against him therefore he determined with himselfe to sende certaine Lordes of his that shoulde be among them to kéepe them asunder and also to kéepe the countrey in good order and to banishe or diminishe parte of them bycause they should not be of so greate a power And the Tartars perceyuyng thys ioyned themselues togither and tooke councell determined to leaue that countrey and to goe and dwell vpon the mountaines and in the deserts by meanes whereof from that time forwarde they stoode in no feare of Prester Iohn nor woulde pay him tribute And at the end of certaine yeares that they were not vnder the obedience of Prester Iohn they did elect and choose among themselues a King whiche they called Chenchis a valiaunt and wise man and this was in the yeare of oure Lorde God .1187 and crowned him for King of the Tartars aforesaide And all the Tartars that were in Persia and other Countreys thereâ—boutes came to him and put themselues vnder his gouernement and obeyed him as their King and he receiued them very friendly gouerning them iustely and discréetely And after that Chenchis was confirmed and had the whole gouernment within a short time he made war and in shorte time conquered righte Kingdomes or Prouinces and when he hadde gotten anye Prouince or Citie he did iniurie to no man but lette them remaine wyth their goods sauing to those that were able and fitte menne for him they he tooke with him into the warres and by this meanes he was welbeloued and all men were content to goe with him Of the beginning of the raigne of the Tartars and of many maruellous and straunge thinges CHAP. 42. CHenchis perceyuyng himselfe to be of suche power minding to ioyne himselfe in kindred or stocke with Prester Iohn sente to him his Embassadoures requiring his daughter in marriage and this was in the yeare of oure Lord God .1190 Prester Iohn disdained that Embassage and aunswered that he maruailed muche that Chenchis being his Subiecte shoulde presume to demaunde his Lordes daughter to be his wife saying he woulde rather kil hir so the matter remayned thus Chenchis hearing this aunswere of Prester Iohn was sore troubled and vexed in minde againste hym and incontinent sent him defiaunce saying he woulde warre vppon him and of this Prester Iohn made small reckning saying that the Tartars were but slaues and not menne of warre notwithstanding he made himselfe in a readinesse and came vpon Chenchis who had also made himselfe in a readinesse and came oute againste him and encountred togither in a great plaine called Tanguth where it was appointed the battaile shoulde be of both parties thus ioyned togither in a fierce loÌ„g battel for both parts was strong but in the end Prester Iohn being slaine and many of both parts the field remayned to Chenchis who conquered all the prouince Cities and townes of Prester Iohn and raigned after his death sixe yeares and at the end of sixe yeares laying siege to a Castell was hurte in the knée with an arrowe and of that wounde dyed After the
that thys Shomaker dyd pull out his eye by this meanes He hadde hearde manye timâ—s this saying in the Gospell If thy eye offende thee pull it out and cast it from thee He being a simple man thought that so corporally and mâ—terially the Scriptures shoulde be vnâ—erstanded For it chanced on a time there came a Mâ—yde into his Shoppe to bespeake a payre of Shoes and to take the measure of his foote put off hir hose and he withall was tempted to lye with hir remembring himselfe and â—hinking vpon his sinne and yll intent sent hir away without discouering any thing of his yll thoughte and intente and remembring the saying of the holy Gospell being ouercome with zeale and yet not hauing the true knowledge plucked out his eye And so this Shomaker being so desired by the Bishop and other Christians did graunt and promised to praye vnto our Lord God for the sayd cause And the time of the .xv. dayes being come that the Calipho had appoynted he caused to come togither all the Christians whiche came in Procession with their Crosse into a faire playne hard by the hill and Mountayne And to that place came the Calipho with muche people armed with intention that streight way if the Mountayne did not remoue to kill them all Incontinente the Shomaker knéeled downe vppon the earth vpon his bare knées and very deuoutely prayed to oure Lorde lifting vp his hearte and handes to Heauen praying to Iesus Christe to succour and helpe them his Christians that they shoulde not perishe and for that his faith was cléere makyng an end of his Prayer the power of the Almightie God Iesus did cause the Mountayne to remoue and goe from the place it stoode into the place the Calipho and his Councell hadde commaunded And the Moores séeyng thys greate and manyfest miracle stoode wonderfully amazed saying Great is the God of the Christians and the Calipho with a great number of the same Moores became Christned And after this Calipho dyed the Moores that were not Christned would not consente that this Calipho should be buried wheras the other Caliphoes were buried for bycause that after that myracle he lyued and dyed like a true and faythfull Christian. Of Persia and of the Countreys of the Magos and of other good things that be in them CHAP. 13. PErsia is a noble Prouince or Countrey although it was much more in the old time than it is at this present for it was destroyed by the Tartars In Persia is a Citie called Sabba from the which the saying is the thrée Kings departed that went to Iesus Christ that was newly borne in Bethleem In this citie there are Sepulchres very faire and beautifull and I Marcus Paulus was in that Citie and asked of the people of that Countrey what they could say or knewe of the thrée Kings to the which they could say nothing but that they were buried in those thrée Sepulchres But the other people out of the Citie thrée dayes iourney talked of this matter in thys maner following for the which you shal vnderstaÌ„d that thrée days iourney froÌ„ the Citie Sabba is a Towne which is called Calassa Tapeziston which in our language is as much as to say the Towne of them that worship the fire for their god And these people say that wheÌ„ the thrée Kings departed froÌ„ the prouince for to go to the land of the Iewes which was Bethleem to worship the great Prophet there newly borne they carried with theÌ„ Golde Incense and Myrre and when they came to Bethleem in Iudea found a child lately borne and did worshippe him for God and presented to him the foresaide thrée things and that the said child did giue theÌ„ a little Boxe closed or shut fast commanding theÌ„ they should not open it But they after they had trauelled a long iourney it came in their mindes to sée what they carried in the said Boxe and opened it and fouÌ„d nothing in it but only a stone and they taking it in ill parte that they sawe nothing else did cast it into a well and by and by descended fire from Heauen and burnt all the Well wyth the stone And the Kings séeing this each of them toke of the same fire and carried it into their Countreys and for thys cause they do worship the fire as god And when it chanceth in any place in that Countrey that they lacke fire they goe to séeke it in another place where they caÌ„ get of it and so do light their Lampes And sometimes they goe and séeke it eyght or tenne dayes iourney and not finding of it they goe ofttymes to the Well aforesayd to haue of the same fire Of all this before written you shall take that which doth agrée with the holy Gospell in saying the thrée Kings went to worship our Lord Iesu and did offer those giftes aforesaide All that is declared besides that be erroures and reacheth not to the truth but augmeÌ„ted with lyes vpon lyes as the vulgar people without knowledge are accustomed to do Of eyght Kingdomes in Persia and the commodities of them CHAP. 14. IN the Prouince of Persia be eyght Kingdomes the first is called Casun the second which is towardes the South is Curdistan the third Lore the fourth Ciestan the fifth Iustanth the sixth Iciagi the seauenth Corchara the eyght Tunchay All these Kingdomes be in Persia in the partes towards the South sauing Tunchay In these Kingdomes be very faire Horses and Moyles coursers of great value and Asses the greatest in the worlde of great price that wil go and runne very swiftely and these the Merchants of India do commonly buy in the Cities of Atrisâ— of Arcones which do ioyne by Sea vpon the India and do sel theÌ„ as Merchandise In this Kingdome Tunchay be very cruell meÌ„ that wil kill one another If it were not for feare of the Tartar of the East which is their Lord and King neyther Merchant nor other could passe but should be eyther robbed or taken prisoner They be strong people and be of the sect of Mahomet There they do worke and make greate plentie of cloth of gold and silke in great abundance and rich In that Countrey grâ—weth greate plentie of Cotten wooll Also there is grâ—ate abundance of Wheate Barly Dates and â—ther grayne and Wine and Oyles and frutes Of Iasoy and of many maruellous things there CHAP. 15. IAsoy is a goodly Citie and bigge full of Merchants There they do make great abundance of cloth of gold and silke They be called accordyng to the Citie Iasoy The people of this Countrey be of the sect of Martin Pinol that is Mahomet and do speake another language than the Persians And going forward eyght dayes iourney from this Citie through a playne Countrey but not peopled or anye Towne sauing Mountaynes where is great plentie of Partriches and wild Asses at the ende of this is the Kingdome of the Crerina that is a
very good for â—ll trauellers What is found in that Countrey CHAP. 18. DEparting from the foresayd Castell you shall come into â— very faire playne full of grâ—sse with all things in it fitte for mans sustenance And this playne dothe last â—ixe dayes iourney in the whiche there is manâ— fayre Cities and Townes The â—â—â—ple of that Countrey â—peake the Persian language and haue greate lacke of water and sometimes they shall fortune to go .40 miles and not finde water Therfore it shall be needefull for those that do trauell that way to carrie wâ—ter with them from placâ—â—o place And being past these sixe dayes iournâ—y there is a Citie called Sempergayme faire and pleasaunte with abundance of victuals There be excellenâ—e good Mellones and the best Hunters for wilde beastes and tâ—king of wilde Fowle that be in the world Of the Citie of Baldach and of many other things CHAP. 19. TRauelling forward in this Countrey you shall come to a Citie called Baldach in the whiche King Alexander married with the daughter of Darius king of the Persians This Citie is of the Kingdome of Persia they do tâ—â—re speake the Persian tong and be all of the sect of Mahomet And this Countrey dothe ioyne with the Tartar of the East betwéene the Northeast and the East And departing from this Citie towardes the Countreys of the said Tartar you shall goe two dayes iourney withoute finding any Towne bycause the people of that Countrey do couet to the strong Mountaynes bycause of the ill people that be there In that Countrey be many waters by reason whereof is greate plenty of wild Fowle and of wylde Beasts and there be manâ— Lions It is néedefull for the trauellers that way to carrie prouision with them that shall be néedefull for themselues and for their Horses those two dayes iourney And being past that you shall come to a Towne called Thaychan a pleasaunt place and well prouided of all vittayles néedefull and the hilles be towâ—rdes the South faire and large That prouince is .xxx. dayes iourney And there is great pleÌ„tie of salt that all the Cities and Townes thereaboutes haue their salt from thence Of that Countrey CHAâ— â–ª 20. DEparting from that towne and trauelling Northeast and to the East for the space of thrée dayes iourney you shall come to faire Cities and Townes well prouided and victuals and frutes in great abundance and these people do speake the Persian language and be Mahomets There be singular good wines and great drinkers and yll people They go bareheaded hauing a Towell knit aboutâ— their browes They weare nothing but skinnes that they do dresse Of the Citie Echasen CHAP. 12. AFter that you haue trauelled forwarde foure dayes iourney you shall come to a Citie called Echasen on a playne and there is not farre from it manie Cities and townes and great plentie of woods about it There goeth through the middest of this Citie a gret riuer There is in that countrie many wilde beastes and when they be disposed to take anye of them they will cast dartes and shootâ— them into the flancks and into the sides The people of that countrey doe speake the Persian tong and the husbandmen with their cattayle do liue in the fieldes and in the woods Of the manner of the Countrie CHAP. 22. DEparting from this Citie you shall trauayle thrée dayes iourney without comming to any towne or finding any victuals eyther to eate or drinke and for thys cause the trauellers do prouide themselues for the time at the end of these thrée days iourney you shal come to a prouince called Ballasia Of the prouince called Ballasia and of the commodities there CHAP. 23. BAllasia is a great prouince they do speake the Persian tong be Mahomets and it is a great kingdome and auncient There did raygne the successours of king Alexander and of Darius king of Persia. And their king is called Culturi which is as much to say as Alexander and is for remembraunce of the great king AlexaÌ„der In this countrey grow the precious stones called Ballasses of greate value And these stones you can not carrie out of the countrey without speciall licence of the king on pain of léesing life and goods And those that he doth let passe be eyther he doth forgiue tribute of some king or else that he doth sell and if they were not so straightlye kept they would be little worth there is such great plentie of them This countrie is very colde and there is found greate plenty of siluer there be very good coursers or horses that be neuer shod bycause they bréede in the mountaines and woods There is great plentie of wilde foule and greate plentie of corne and Mylâ— and Loliâ— In this kingdome be great woods narrow ways strong men and good Archers and for this cause they feare no bodie There is no cloth they apparell themselues with skinnes of beastes that they kil The women do weare wrapped aboute their bâ—dies likâ— the neather part of garments some an hundreth fathom some fourescore of linnen very fine and thinne mâ—de of flaxe and Cotton wool for to séeme great and fayre and they doe weare bréeches very fine of silke with Muske put in them Of the Prouince of Abassia vvhere the people be blacke CHAP. 24. AFter you be departed fâ—oÌ„ Ballasia eyght dayes iourney towards the South you haue a prouince calâ—ed Abassia whose people be blacke and do speake the Persian tong and doe worship Idolles There they do vse Negromancie The men do weare at their heares iewels of golde siluer and pretious stones They be malicious people and leacherous by reason of the great heate of that Countrey and they eate nothing but flesh and Rice Of the Prouince called Thassimur and of many things there CHAP. 25. WIthin the iurisdiction of this Countrey betwéene the East and the South there is a Prouince called Thassymur and the people do speake the Persian tong They be Idolaters and great Negromancers and do call to the Spirits and make them to speake in the Idols and do make their Temples séeme to moue They doe trouble the ayre and doe many other diuelish things From hence they may go to the Indian Sea. The people of that Countrey be blacke and leane and do eate nothing but flesh and Rice The Countrey is temperate In this Countrey be many Cities and Townes and rounde about many hilles and strong wayes to passe And for this cause they feare no body and their King dothe mainteyne them in peace and iustice There be also Hermitâ—s that do kéepe great abstinence in eating drinking And there be Monasteries and many Abbeys with Monkes very deuout in their Idolatrie and naughtinesse Of the saide prouince of Thassymur CHAP. 26. I Minde not now to passe further in this prouince for in passing of it I shâ—uld enter into the Indeas wherof for this time I wil not declare any thing but at the returne I wil
by his sayd wiues two and twentie Sonnes the eldest of them is called Chinchis in remembrance of the first King of Tartares and also to renue that name this firste sonne is called Chinchis Cane and shoulde haue succéeded his father in the Kingdome but bycause he dyed before his father his eldest sonne called Themur Cane and this his sonnes sonne bycause he should raigne after him kepte a greate Court by himselfe Of a greate Citie called Cambalu and of all the goodly and maruellous things that be done there CHAP. 55. NOw I will declare vnto you of the worthy and noble Citie called Cambalu the whiche is in the prouince of Cathaya This Citie is foure and twenty myles compasse and is fouresquare that is to euery quarter sixe miles compasse The wall is very strong of twenty paces high and battlements of thrée paces high The wall is fiue paces thicke This Citie hathe twelue gates and at euery gate is a very faire pallace And vpon the toppe of euery corner of the said wal is also a faire pallace and in all these pallaces ioyning to the wall be many people appoynted for to watch and kéepe the Citie And in those pallaces be all maner of armour and weapons for the defence and strength of the Citie The stréetes of this Citie be so faire and streight that you may sée a Candle or fire from the one ende to the other In this Citie be manye fayre Pallaces and houses And in the middest of it is a notable greate and faire Pallace in the whiche there is a great Toure wherein there is a greate Bell and after that Bell is tolled thrée times no body may goe abroade in the Citie but the watchmen that be appoynted for to kéepe the Citie and the nurses that doe kéepe children newly borne and Phisitions that goe to visit the sicke and these may not go without light At euery gate nightlye there is a thousand men to watch not for feare of any enimies but to auoyde théeues and robbers in the Citie which many times do chance in the Citie And this great watche the greate Cane doth cause to conserue and kéepe hâ—s people and subiects that no man should do them hurt Without this Citie be twelue suburbes very greate and euery one of theÌ„ answereth to his gate of the Citie And in these be many Merchantes and men of occupations and thyther do resort all people that come out of the Countreys and such Lordes as haue to do with the King or his Courtes And in these suburbes be moe than twentye thousande single or common women and neuer a one of them maye dwell within the Citie on payne of burning Out of this Citie goeth euery daye aboue a thousande Cartes with silke The great Cane is garded euery night with twentie thousande Gentlemen on Horsebacke not for any feare but for dignitie They be called Chisitanos which is as much to say as Knightes for the body or trustie Knights The manner of the great Cane for his dinner is this They make ready all the Tables rounde about the Hall and in the middest of the Hall is made ready the Table for the greate Cane setting his backe towardes the North and his face towardes the South His firste wife sitteth next vnto him on hys lefte hande and his other wiues following orderly On his other side do sitte his sonnes and his sonnes children one after another according to his age Those that be of the imperiall lignage do sitte downe afterward at another table more lower And the other Lords and their wiues do sitte at other Tables more lower according to their degrées dignities offices estates and age At the saide Tablâ—s commonly do sitte foure thousand persons or very néere and euery one may sée the great Cane as he sitteth at his dinner In the middest of the Hall is a very greate vessell or cesterne of fine gold that will holde tenne Hoggesheads which is alwayes kept full of perfect good drinke And néere vnto that vessell be other foure vessels of siluer bigger than that full of good wine with many other vessels and pottes by them of gold and of siluer which may be of pottels a péece or as muche as will serue foure men for a dinner At dinner out of the vessell of golde wyth pottes of golde they drawe wine for to serue the greate Cane his Table for him his wiues children and kindred and out of the vesselles of siluer with Iars and Pottes of siluer they drawe wine to serue the Lordes and the Ladies and all others sitting at the Tables as well wemen as men And euery one that sitteth at the tables hathe a cuppe of golde before hym to drinke in And euery one that bringeth anye seruice to the greate Canes Table hathe a towell of golde and silke before his mouth bycause his breath shall not come vppon the meate and drinke they bring When the great Cane will drinke all the Musitians that bée in the Hall doe play and euery one that serueth knéeleth downe tyll hée haue drunke In the Hall be alwayes Iesters Iuglers and fooles attending vpon the Tables to make pastime all dynner tyme and after Dinner is done and the Tables taken vppe euerie man goeth aboute his businesse All the Tartares kéepe greate feasting and chéere euery yeare on the daye that Cublay Cane was borne which was on the eight and twentith day of September and that is the greatest feast they make in all the yeare saue one that héereafter shall be spoken of The greate Cane doth apparell himselfe that day he was borne on in cloth of golde maruellous rich and .12000 BaroÌ„s be apparelled with him after the same sorte touching the cloth of gold but not so rich and preciouse and euery one of theÌ„ hath a great girdle of gold and that apparell and girdles the great Cane giueth them And there is neuer a one of those garments with the girdle but it is worth .10000 Bisancios of golde whiche may be a thousand Markes By this you may perceyue that he is of great power and riches And on the sayde day all the Tartares and Merchantes and subiects and those that dwell in his Countreys be bounde to presente vnto hym euery one somethyng according to his degrée and abilitie in knowledging him to be their Lorde And whatsoeuer he be that doth begge any office or gift of him must giue him a present according to the gift he doth aske And all his Subiects and Merchantes and trauellers or anye other that be founde in his Countreys or Prouinces be vsually bounde to pray for the greate Cane to hys Idols to preserue hym and hys Countreys whether they be Tartares or Christiane or Iewes or Moores The Tartares begin their yeare the firste day of February and do kéepe a great feast that day And the greate Cane and hys Barons with all the rest of the Citie doe apparell themselues in white that daye
much discord that loke what the one would haue done the other did againe say it and through this meanes they toke neyther Citie nor Towne but only one and they killed all them that they founde therein for that they would not yéeld sauing eyght men whyche could not be killed with any iron for that eache of them had a precioâ—s stone enchanted in his righte arme betwéene the fleshe and the skynne and these stones did defend theÌ„ from death to be killed with yron and knowing of it these two Captaynes procured to kill these eyghte men with clubs of wodde and toke those stones for them selues and in that instant there arose suche a tempest of wind of Septentrion or North so terrible and doubting that their Shippes would breake they hoysed vp Sayle and went vnto another Iland tenne miles distant off froÌ„ this and the wind was so terrible that it opened many of their Ships and manye were forced to make backe towards their owne Countrey againe and about .30000 of them fledde by land of these they thought that they were all killed And as soone as it was caulme on the Sea the King of this Iland which had bin so spoyled wente with a great armie of Shippes vnto the other Ilande where as they were gone to haue taken them that were fledde and as soone as hée was on lande with his men the Tartares like wise and politike men retired backe by the Ilande and went vnto the Shyppes of this King whiche they had lefte without strength entred in hoysed vp the Sayles with the Auncientes and Flagges of that King whiche they left behinde in the Ilande and sayled vnto the first Iland where they were receyued and the gates opened thinking it had bin their owne king And in thys manner the Tartares tooke that Citie wherein the King had his habitation and ransacked it And as soone as the King of this Ilande knewe of it he caused many other Shippes to be prepared and with the men that hée had and many of her that hée tooke of new enuironed his proper Citie hauyng it beséeged seauen moneths And finallye the abouesayd Tartares hopyng for no succoure delyuered vp the Citie vnto the right King conditionally to let them go with their liues bagge and baggage Thys hapned in the yeare of our Lorde .1248 In this Ilande there bée Idols that some haue heads like Wolues some heads like Hogges some like Shéepe some like Dogs some haue one head and foure faces some thrée heads hauing one only necke and onely one right hande some haue onely one lefte hande some haue foure handes and some tenne and the Idoll that hath most handes is taken to be the most beautifull and to him that demaundeth of them wherefore they haue so many Idols they doe gyue no other reason sauing that so did their predecessors WheÌ„ the people of this Iland do take in battell any stranger if he doe not caunsome himselfe for money they kill him drinke his bloud and eate his flesh This Ilande is enuironed round about with the Occean sea The portes are frée for themselues The Marriners which vse that Sea say that there is in it .7448 Ilandes There is no trée there but he is of a swéete odoure frutefull and of greate profite In this Iland groweth the white Pepper From the Prouince of Mangi vnto the India and home is a yeares sayling the reason is for that there raygneth two stedfast windes the one in the winter and the other in the Sommer contrary the one vnto the other Of the Prouince named Ciabane and of that King who hath .325 sonnes and daughters of his owne There be many Elephants and much spices CHAP. 107. WHen you do go from Iaython whych is vnder the segniorie of the greate Cane towardes the Occidente and somewhat declining towarde the midday fiue dayes iourney you come vnto a Countrey named Cyaban wherein there is a Citie riche great and famous subiect vnto a King that he and his subiects speake the Persian tong And in the yeare of our Lord .1248 the greate Cane sente thither a great Baron named Sagato with a greate armie to conquere that Prouince and hée coulde do nothing but destroy muche of that Countrey and for that he should do no more hurt that King became tributarie vnto the greate Cane and euery yeare he sente him his tribute And I Marcus Paulus was in this countrey in the yeare of our Lord .1275 and I found this King very olde He had many wiues and amongst sonnes and daughters he had .325 Among his sonnes he hadde .25 of them that were very valiante men of armes In thys Countrey there be many Elephants and Lyons greate plenty and great Mountaynes of blacke Ebbante Of the great Iland named Iaua and of many Spices that grow there CHAP. 108. GOing from Ciaban sayling betwéene the midday and Solano or East and by South 1400. miles you come vnto a greaâ—e Ilande named Iaua whiche is in compasse thrée thousand miles In this Iland there be seauen crowned Kings frée paying no tribute at all In this Ilande there is great abundance of victuals and greate riches hauing very muche Pepper Cinamon Cloues and many other singular Spices in great quantitie The people do honour the Idols The great Cane could neuer make himselfe Lord of it Of the Iland named Iocath and of other two Ilands their conditions and properties CHAP. 109. SAyling seauentéene myles from Iaua betwéene the midday and Solano or East and by South you come vnto two Ilands the one is named Sondure and the other Condur And beyond these two Ilands almost two hundreth miles standeth the Countrey name Iocathe great and rich They speake the Persian tong and worship Idols They pay no kinde of tribute to any man for there is no man that can do them hurt There is found greate plentye of gold and a greate number of the small white shels of the Sea whyche is vsed in some places in stead of money as before it is rehearsed Also there be many Elephantes Vnto this Ilande there commeth very fewe Strangers for that it standeth out of the way Of the Kingdome named Malenir and of the Ilande named Pentera and of Iaua the lesse and of their customes CHAP 110. SAyling beyond Iocath fiue miles towardes the midday you come vnto the Iland named Penthera full of Mountaynes And in the middes of this Iland about forty miles there is but foure passes of water therefore the great Shippes do take off their Rudders and being paste these fiue miles towards the midday you come vnto a Realme named Malenir The Citie and the Iland is named Pepethan where there is plentie of Spices And going forwarde sayling by Solano or East and by South a hundred miles you come vnto the Ilande named Iaua the lesse which is in compasse two hundred miles In this Iland there is eyghte Kings euery one hauing his Kyngdome by himselfe They doe all
prouince that is in the world standing in the firme land being an excellent regigion There is in thys prouince Margarites verye fayre and great This prouince is diuided into fiue kingdomes wherevpon raigneth fiue brethren legitimate In the first beginning of this prouince standeth the firste kingdome gouerned by one of those fiue brethren named Sendarba and is entituled as king of Nor here is fine great pearles in great number This king hath the tenth of all the pearls whych are founde in his kingdome The fishermen do fish these pearles from the beginning of April vntill the middest of May in a gulfe of the Sea where there is greate plentie of them they are founde in the Oysters The men and women of this realme goe all naked sauing that they do weare a certaine cloth to couer theyr priuities Also the king goeth naked and to be knowen he weareth about his necke a lace full of precious stones whyche are in number a hundereth foure in the remembrance of a hundreth foure prayers that he vseth to say in the honour of his gods morning and euening and on his armes legges féete and téeth he weareth so manye precious Stones that tenne riche Cities be not able to paye for them This king hath fiue hundreth wiues and one of them he toke from his brother In this realme there be verye faire women of themselues also they do vse paynting sâ—tting more beautie vnto their faces and on their bodies Thys king haâ—h alwayes a greate companie with him to serue him when the king dyeth they burne his bodye and with him of their owne voluntarie willes all those that accompanied and serued him in his life time leape into the fire and burne themselues with him saying that they do go to beare their king companie in the other world and liue as they did here in this worlde Yerely this King buyeth tenne thousande horses of the countrey named Cormos at the price of fiue ounces of gold euery horse some more some lesse according vnto the goodnesse and beautie of the horse The merchaunts of Quinsay of Suffer and of Beden sell those horses vnto the merchauntes of this realme These horses lyue not in this prouince aboue one yeare by this meanes that king consumeth a greate part of his treasure in horses In this countrey they doe vse this custome that is when a man is condemned to dy he is begged of the Prince that he maye kill himselfe and when they haue obtayned the kings good will he killeth himselfe in the loue and honour of his Idols After thys wise hauing obtayned the kings grace and fauour the wife of this malefactour and kinred taketh him tying about his necke twelue kniues and in this manner he is carried by them vnto a place of iustice where he crieth as lowde as he may saying I doe kill my selfe in the honour and for the loue of suche an Idoll and with one of these kniues striketh himselfe and then with another vntyll such time as he falleth downe deade this done hys parents with great ioye and gladnesse burne the dead body thinking that he is happy In this countrey euerye man hath as many wiues as he is able to maintain wheÌ„ the husbande dyeth according vnto their custome his bodie is burnt and â—is wiues of their owne frée willes burne themselues with him and shée that leapeth firste into the fire the beholders take hir to be the best They are all Idolaturs and for the more part of them worship the Oxe saying he is a Sainct for that he laboureth and tilleth the grounde where the corne growth and so by no manner of meanes they will eate anye kinde of Oxe fleshe nor yet for all the golde in the world will they kill an Oxe and when any Oxe dyeth with his tallow they do rubbe al the insides of their houses These people descende of those that killed Saint Thomas the Apostle and none of them can enter into Sainct Thomas Churche whiche he edified in that countrey besides this if one will presume to enter into the Temple he falleth streight deade It hath bene proued oftentimes that some of them would enter perforce into the Church and it hath not bin possible for them doe it The king and those of this prouince eate alwayes vpon the ground and if it be demaunded of them by question why they doe so they doe aunsweare for that they doe come of the earth and to the earth they muste and they cannot doe so much honour vnto the Earth as is worthy In thys prouince there groweth nothing else but Rice these people go naked vnto the warres hauing no other weapon but speare and shield and they kill no wilde beastes at all for their eating but they cause some other that is not of their lawe to kill them All the men and women do wash themselues twice aday morning and euening for otherwise they dare neyther eate nor drinke and he that should not kepe this vse among them shoulde be reputed to bée and Hereticke and they do washe themselues in thys manner as we haue rehearsed they goe all naked and so they go vnto the riuer and â—ake of the water and powre it vpon their heads and then one doth helpe to washe another They are good men of warre and verye fewe of them drinke wine and those that doe drinke it are not taken to be as a witnesse nor yet those that go vnto the Sea saying that the Marriners are dronkards They are desperate men and estéeme lecherie to be no sinne This countrey is intollerable hote and the boyes go altogither naked It neuer rayneth in that Countrey sauing in Iune Iuly and August In this Region there be many Philosophers and many that vse Negromancie and verye manie of them that tell fortunes There be Hawkes as blacke as Rauens bigger than ours and good to kill the game Also there be Owles as bigge as Hennes that flye in the ayre all night Many of those men doe offer their children vnto those Idols that they haue most respect vnto and when they worship and feast those Idols they do cause to come before them all the yong men and maydes whiche are offered vnto them and they doe sing and daunce before the Idols and this done they do cause their meate to be broughte thither and they doe eate the flesh saying that the smell of the flesh filleth the Idols Of the Realme named Musuly vvhere there be found Adamants and many Serpents and of the manners of those in that Countrey CHAP. 117. MVsuly is a Region that standeth beyonde Moabar trauelling towards Septentrion which is the North .1000 miles The people of this Realme worship Idols And in the Mountaynes of this Countrey there be found fine Adamants And after they haue had muche rayne the men goe to séeke them in the streames that runne from the Mountaynes and so they do find the Adamants whiche are brought from the Mountaynes in Sommer when the dayes are
the Kingdome named Melibar and of the things found there CHAP. 122. MElibar is a greate Kingdome in India towards the Occidente and the King payeth no tribute All the people of this Countrey be Idolaters Out of thys Realme and the nexte there goe manye Shippes vnto the Sea a rouing whiche robbe all kind of people They do carrie with them their wiues and chyldren and they sayle in all the Sommer a hundred Shippes togither and when they doe come to the shore they roue into the Countrey a hundred miles taking all that they can finde doyng no hurte vnto the people saying vnto them Go and gette more for peraduenture you shall come againe into our hands In this Countrey there is plentye of Pepper of Ginger and of Turbit which is certayne rootes for medicines Of thys Countrey and their conditions I will not rehearse for it would be very tedious therefore I will passe vnto the Realme of Giesurath Of the Kingdome named Giesurath of their euill conditions CHAP. 123. GIesurath is a Kingdome in lawe faith and tong of the Persians standing towards the Occidente All the people are Idolaters FroÌ„ hence you maye playnely sée the North Starre In this kingdome be the worst and cruellest Rouers in the worlde they doe take the Merchantes not onely taking their goodes but setting a price of their ransome for their bodyes and if they do not pay it in a short time they giue them so great tormentes that many dye of it Héere they worke good Leather of all maner of coloures Of the Kingdome named Thoma and of the Kingdome Sembelech which stand in India the great CHAP. 124. GOing from Giesurath towardes the Occidente you come vnto the Kingdomes of Thoma vnto Sembelech In these Realmes there is al kind of Merchandizes And these Realmes haue the language and fayth of Persia and in none of them both there groweth anye other sustenance than Rice They are Realmes and Prouinces of India the great Of the things already declared CHAP. 125. I Haue onely declared of the Prouinces and Kingdomes of India which stande only vpon the Sea coast and haue declared nothyng vnto you of the Prouinces and Kingdomes within the land for then this treatise would be very long and tedious vnto the Readers but yet something of those partes I will not let to declare Of tvvo Ilands the one of men and the other of women Christians and how there is much Amber CHAP. 126. WHen you go from Besmaceian sayling thorough the meane sea towards the midday or South .25 miles you come vnto two Ilandes of Christians the one thirtie miles distant from the other The Iland where there is all men is named Masculine and the other where there is all women is named Feminine The people of those Ilands are as one The men go not vnto the women nor the women vnto the men but thrée monethes in the yeare as to witte August September and October and these thrée moneths the men and women are togither and at the third moneths end they returne vnto their owne houses doing the rest of their businesse by theÌ„selues The children Males tarrie with their mothers vntill they be seauen yeares of age and then they goe vnto their fathers In this Ilande there is greate plentye of Amber by reason of the greate number of Whales that they do take In thys Iland they are good fishers and take greate plentie of fishe and drâ—e it at the sunne hauing great trade with it Here they liue wyth fleshe milke fishe and rice and there increaseth no other sustenaunce Here ruleth and gouerneth a Bishop suffragane of the Archbishop of Discorsia Of the Iland named Discorsia vvhiche are Christians and of the things that be founde there CHAP. 127. GOing from these two Ilandes and sayling towards the middaye 500. myles â–ª you come vnto an Ilande named Discorsia wherein are Christians and haue an Archebishoppe Here is great abundaÌ„ce of Amber Also they do make very faire clothes of Cottenwooll the people goe all naked without any clothing Here is the stall of Rouers and Pirates and the Christians buy with a good wil the goods whiche they bring haue robbed for that these Pyrates do not robbe but only the Moores and Paynims and meddle not with the Christians When a ship sayleth vnder sayle with a prosperous winde a whole day the day following the Pyrates with inchauntmentes of the Diuel cause the shippe to haue a contrarie winde and so take it Of the Ilande named Maydeygastar vvhere Elephantes be founde and other strange things and the foule named Nichas which hâ—th quils on his wings twelue paces in length and of many other conditions CHAP. 128. MAydeygastar is an Ilande standing towardes the midday distaunt from Discorsia about a thousande myles This Ilande is gouerned by foure Moores and hath in compasse a thousand four hundred myles Here is greate trade of Merchaundise for Elephantes téeth for that there is great plentie they eate no other flesh in this Iland but of Elephants and of Cammels Here be many mountaines of redde Sandalos or Saunders trées also there is founde greate plentie of Amber Here is good hunting of wilde beasts and hauking of foules and hither come many shippes with Merchaundise Also there is very great plentie of wilde Boares There was sente from hence vnto the greate Cane the Iawe of a wilde Boare which wayghed twentie fiue poundes In some times of the yeare there is founde in this Ilande a certaine foule named Nichas which is so big that the quill of his wings is of twelue paces long and he is of suche bignesse and strength that he with his talents taketh an Elephante and carrieth him vp into the ayre and so killeth him and the Elephant so being dead he letteth him fal and leapeth vpon him and so féedeth at his pleasure Of the Iland named Tanguybar vvhere there be men like Gyants CHAP. 129. TAnguybar is an Ilande of great nobility being tenne thousand myles in compasse and the people of this countrey are Idolatours and so bigge and grosse that they séeme like Giants One of them wil bear a burthen as waightie as sixe of our men may beare They are all black and go naked without any couer These men are fearefull to beholde hauing greate mouthes and a great redde nose great eares and bygge eyes horrible in sight The women are filthy and euil fauoured There is great trade of Merchandise These people are bigge of their bodies strong and great fighters and estéeme not their liues The wilde beastes of thys Iland differ much from other wilde beastes of other IlaÌ„ds and countries Of the things rehearsed CHAP. 130. YOu shall vnderstande that all whyche I haue declared of India is only of the noble and great prouinces bordering vppon the sea coastes and I doe beléeue that there was neuer man Christian nor Iew nor Paynim that hath séene so much of the leuaunt parties as I Marcus paulus haue séene for I