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
thrée parts of the world beforesaid to whiche it may be moste properly iudged to be and lyeth nearest vnto Ethiopia MOreouer you muste note that Ethiopia is a common name to manye Prouinces and Countries inhabited with blacke people called Negros And to begin with the moste Weaste partes the firste is 〈◊〉 that is to saye from Cabâ— Verde or the gréene Cape and following the coâ—st of the Sea to the mouth or streite of the Redde Sea. Al those prouinces be called Ethiopians and of these Ethiopians from Ginney vnto Casâ— Mansa that is to saye the Kings pallace they be of the sect of Mahomet circumcised the most parte of them And the chiefest and most principall of these people be the Iolofos and Mandingos and be moste parte vnder the gouernement of a King called Mandimansa for Mansa is as muche to saye as Senior or Lord and Mandy Mandinga so by this his title he is Lord Mandinga This King is blacke and his abiding is in the prouince of Sertano four hundred leagues within the land in a Citie compassed about with a wall called Iaga which is riche of golde and siluer and of all suche merchaundize as is occupied in Adem and in Meca and from thence forwarde the Ethiopians be Idolators to the cape called Buona Esperanca and there turneth againe to the sect of Mahomet Beyonde these prouinces following vp into the land of Sartanâ— bée greate and highe mountaines or hilles called mountaines of the Moone the toppes of them be alwayes couered with Snow at the foote of theÌ„ springeth the riuer Nilus and this Countrie is called Ethiopia beside Egâ—pt and in Arabia it is called Abas and the inhabitants â—â—hâ—ssmâ—s and be Christians and doe vse to be marked with an yron in the face they be not baptized with fire as some doe saye but as we are but they be Heretikes Iacobites and Hebeyonites They do holde on the olde lawe with the newe and be circumcised and doe kéepe the Sabaoth daye and doe eate no Poâ—ke and some of them doe take manye wiues and be also baptized and doe saye that their King came and descended of King Salomon and of the Quéene Saba and this King hathe continuall warres with the Moores There is another Ethiopia called Asiatica interior which the Arabians call Zenium and these doe extende from the sayd hilles of the Moone and of Nilus to the borders of Barbarie And the saying is that among all Riuers onelie Nilus entereth into two Seas that is to saye one braunche into the East Sea and another braunche into the West Sea. All these Ethiopians bée Moores and theyr laboure and occupation is digging of golde out of the grounde where they doe fynde great plentie There is also another Ethiopia called Tragodytica and thys dothe reache or extende from the foresayde Ethiopia to the streyte or mouth of the redde Sea and these bée somewhat whyter and the King and people bée Moores and came out of Arabia foelix for the Arabians came ouer the streyte of the redde Sea and gotte that Countrey of the Iacobites by force and at this daye there is robbing and stealing among them secretely for the King of the Iacobites is of so greate power that the Souldan of Babilon doth giue him tribute Arabia THat whiche wée doe call Arabia the Arabians doe call Arab and is called Gesyrdelaab That whyche is betwéene the redde Sea and Sinus Perficus is called the Iland of Arabia and thys is called Arabia Foelix by reason of the Incense that groweth there There bée other two Arabias besyde thys the one of them extendyng from the Mount Sinay to the dead Sea where the Children of Israell wente fortye yeares and thys is called Arabia petrea takyng that name of a Citie that is there The other dothe extende betwéene Syria and Euphrates towardes the Citie of Lepâ— and thys they doe call Arabia desan which is as muche to say as of Siria and our Latines doe call it Arabia deserta And wheras the vulgar people and men for the most part do thinke that Antilla or those Ilandes lately found out by commaundemente of the Catholike King Don Fernando and Lady Isabell Quéene be in the Indias they be deceyued therein to call it by the name of the Indias And for bycause that in Spaniola or newe Spayne they do find gold some doe not let to say it is Tharsis and Ophin and Sethin from whence in the time of Salomon they brought gold to Hierusalem And thus augmenting erroures vpon erroures let not to saye that the Prophetes when they sayde that the name of oure Lorde God should be pronounced to people that haue not hearde of it and in places and Countreys very farre off and aparted which is sayd to be vnderstanded by those that be called Indians and by these Ilandes and furthermore doe not let to say to this day that it is to be vnderstanded by the places mentioned in the holy Scripture and the Catholike doctors and that this secret God hath kept hidden all this time and by finding out these Ilands did reueale it I séeing how they are deceyued in their vayne inuentions and greate simplicitie for zeale and good will of the truth and to kill this canker that it créepe no more nor ingender greater erroures will giue light to this errour answering to the said muttering talkers according as to euery of them doth require And first you shall vnderstande that this name India according to all Cosmographers as well Christians as Infidels of old time and of later yeares the name dothe come of a Riuer named Hynde or Hyndo that going towards the East is the beginning of the Indias whiche bée thrée in number that is to say the first is called the lower or nether India the seconde is called the middle India and the third is called the high or vpper India The first or lower India is renamed Caysar and these do extend towards the East from the Riuer India vnto a Porte or Hauen on the Sea side of great traffike and trade called Cambaya And the King of this India and also the most part of the people be Moores and the rest Idolaters The second or middle India is surnamed Mynbar and dothe reache to the borders of Colchico and this hath very faire Hauens and Portes of greate traffike where they doe lade Pepper Ginger and other Spices and Drugges The Portes or Hauens be called Colocud Coulen Hely Fatenâ—r Colnugur and héere be many Christians Heretikes Nestorians and many Indians although towards the North they be Idolaters The thirde India whiche is the hygh India is surnamed Mahabar and dothe extend vnto Cauch whiche is the Riuer Gange Héere groweth plentye of Sinamon and Pearle The King and people of thys Countrey worship the Oxe Besides these thrée Indias whiche lye towardes the rising of the Sunne there can not be found neyther Author nor Man that hathe trauelled the firme land neyther
that the two brethren and M. Paulus found to returne to Venice Cap. 2. How they sayled to Iaua Cap. 3. How the saide Nâ—cholas and Mapheo and Marcus Paulus returned to Venice after that they had seen many things Cap. 4. Of Armenia the lesser and many things that be ther made Cap. 5. Of the Turchomanos in Armenia the lesse Cap. 6. Of Armenia the greater and of the Arcke of Noe. Cap. 7. Of Georgiania Cap. 8. Of the parties of Armenia which lye towardes the South and of the kingdome Mosul Cap. 9. Of Baldach and of many things that be there Cap. 10. Of the Citie Totis Cap. 11. Of a great miracle which happened in Mosul Cap. 12. Of Persia and of the countries of the Magos and of other good things Cap. 13. Of eight kingdomes of Persia and of things that be founde there Cap. 14. Of the Citie Iasor Cap. 15. Of the Citie of Cormoe Cap. 16. Of the Citie of Crerina and of the death of the olde man of the Mountaine Cap. 17. Of that which is founde in the same countrey Cap. 18. Of the Citie of Baldach and of many other things Cap. 19. Of the manner of the same countrey Cap. 20. Of the Citie of Hechasem Cap. 21. â—f the manners of the same land Cap. 22. Of the prouince of Bâ—llasia and of their things Cap. 23. Of the prouince Abassia whereof the people be blacke Cap. 24. Of the prouince Chassimuru and of many things Cap. 25. Of the saide prouince Cap. 26. Of the prouince named Vochanu Cap. 27. Of the nouelties of this countrey Cap. 28. Of the desert Bosor and of many nouelties Cap. 29. Of the prouince Caschar Cap. 30. Of Sumartha and of a miracle Cap. 31. Of the prouince Cartham Cap. 32. Of the prouince Chota and of their customes Cap. 33. Of the prouince Poyn Cap. 34. Of the prouince Ciâ—rtham being in the great Turkey Ca. 35. Of a great desert and of the Citie named Iob. Cap. 36. Of the prouince named Tanguith and of the Citie Sanguethia Cap. 37. Of the prouince named Chamul and of their noughtie customes Cap. 38. Of the prouince Hinguitalas and of the Salamandra that is found there Cap. 39. Of the citie which is called Campion and of manye beastlye customes that they vse Cap. 40. Of the citie called Eâ—cinâ— and of many noble things of Tartaria Cap. 41. Of the beginning of the seigniorie of the Tartarians and of many things Cap. 42. Of the customes ordinances honouring of the gret Cane and how he goeth vnto the warre Cap. 43 Of the playne of Berga and of the customes of the people there Cap. 44. Of the great Sea which is called Occean Cap. 45. Of the kingdome Erguil and of many other kingdomes of the muske which is there found and many nouelties Ca. 46 Of the citie Callacia and of many things that be made there Cap. 47 â–ª Of the prouince called Taâ—guith which is subiect to Prester Iohn and of the stone Lagulus whiche is founde there and of Goâ—h and Magot cap. 48. Of the Citie Sindatoy in Cataya where there is founde siluer Cap. 49 â–ª Of the Citie Gianorum cap. 50. Of the Citie Liander cap. 51. Of the sacrifice and other manners of the liuing of the greate Cane cap. 52. Of a victorie that the great Cane gote cap. 53. Of the great things belonging to the great Cane cap. 54. Of the great citie named Cambalu and of all the faire and maruellous things that bee in the seigniorie of the greate Cane cap. 55. Of the manner that the great Cane vseth in hunting cap. 56. Of the manner of their hauking cap. 57. Of the manner that the greate Cane vseth in riding through his countries and being in the fielde in pauillions cap. 58. Of the money that is vsed in that land cap. 59. Of the order and gouernement which the greate Cane vseth in his dominions cap. 60. Of the same order cap. 61. Of the sayde Citie Cambalu cap. 62. Of many maruellous things which are found in that countrey cap. 63. Of the Citie Gâ—igu and of many maruellous things cap. 64. Of the way leading to the prouince of the Magos cap. 65. Of the Citie of Tarasu cap. 66. Of the Citie named Paymphu cap. 67. Of a king named Bor. cap. 68. Of the Citie called Caciomphur cap. 69. Of the Citie Gengomphu cap. 70. Of the prouince of Chinchy cap. 71. Of the prouince and Citie callâ—d Cinilith Mangi and of manye other things that be there founde cap. 72. Of the prouince and Citie called Sindariffa cap. 73. Of the prouince Chelethi cap. 74. Of the prouince Thebeth cap. 75. Of the prouince Mangi cap. 76. Of the prouince Chandu cap. 77. Of another prouince cap. 78. Of the prouince Caraya cap. 79. Of the prouince Ioci and of their beastly customes cap. 80. Of the prouince Cheriaâ— and of many Serpentes that be there cap. 81. Of the prouince Cingui of the Citie called Canchasu ca. 82 Of the prouince Machay where there be found Vnicornes Elephants and many other nouelties cap. 83. Of the prouince called Cingui and of the Citie named Canchasu cap. 84. Of the Citie named Cianglu cap. 85. Of the Citie Candrafra and of the Citie Singuimat cap. 86. Of the riuer Coromoran and of the Citie Coygangui and of another Citie called Cayni cap. 87. Of the noble prouince of Mangi cap. 88. Of the Citie Coygangui cap. 89. Of the Citie Pangay of another which is called Cayni ca. 90. Of the Citie called Thingui cap. 91. Of the Citie Nangni which hath seauen and twentie Cities vnder it and of an othâ—r named Saymphu which hath vnder it twelue Cities cap. 92. How this prouince was made subiect to the great Cane cap. 93. Of the Citie called Cingus and of many other things cap. 94. Of the Citie called Ciangui cap. 95. Of the Citie Pingranphu and of other things which be in that countrey cap. 96. Of the Citie Singui and of a bridge of Marble stone vnder the whiche Citie be eighteene great Cities and of Rubarbe and other spices that grow there cap. 97. Of the Citie Gynusay which in compasse 100. myles cap. 98. Of the Citie Gansu cap. 99. Of the diuision which the great Cane made of the prouince of Mangi cap. 100. Of the rents which the great Cane hath of the prouince of Gynâ—say cap. 101. Of the Ciâ—ie Thampinguy cap. 102. Of the Citie Cinanguari and of the crueltie of the men that dwel there and of other things cap. 103. Of the Citie Frigui and of many other things cap. 104. Of the Citie which they call Iaython and of many other things cap. 105. Of the Isle which they cal Ciampagu and the maruellous things which be founde there and how the great Cane would haue conquered it cap. 106. Of the prouince called Ciabam and of the Lord that hath 325. sonnes and daughters and there bee manye Elephants and much spice cap. 107. Of the I le called Iaua
of many spices that grow there ca. 108. Of the Iland Iocath and of the other two Ilands and of their coÌ„ditions cap. 109. Of the kingdome Malenir and of the Iland Pencera and of Iaua the lesse cap. 110. Of the kingdome of Baxina and of the Vnicornes and other beasts cap. 111. Of the kingdome Samara cap. 112. Of the kingdome Lambri and of the kingdome â—amphur and of things found there cap. 113. Of two Ilands and of their sluttish and beastly liuing cap. 114. Of the I le Saylan cap. 115. Of the prouince Moahar in the which there be fiue kingdomes cap. 116. Of the kingdomâ— Masuli where Adamants and many serpents be found cap. 117. Of the prouince Labe. cap. 118. Of the kingdome Orbay cap. 119. Of the prouince Châ—man and of the people and verye straungâ— beastes cap. 120. Of the kingdome of Hely and of the straunge beastes whyche are there found cap. 121. Of the kingdome Malibar of the things that be found there cap. 122. Of the kingdome Giesurath and of their euill customs cap. 123. Of the kingdome Thoma and of the kingdom Semebelech which is in India the greater cap. 124 A rehearsal of the things alreadie spoken of cap. 125. Of two Ilands one of men and the other women Christians and how there is much Amber cap. 126. Of the Iland called Escorsia which are Christians and of things that be found there cap. 127. Of the Iland Maydegastar where Elephants and other great nouelties are founde and a birde called Nichia which hath the quilles of his wings of twelue paces in length cap. 128. Of the Iland Tanguibar where there be men like Giants ca. 129 An Epiloge cap. 130. Of Abaxia cap. 131. Of the prouince Aden cap. 132. Of a very mighty king in the North part cap. 133. How the Armynes and other beastes are bought cap. 134. Of the prouince of Russia and of the things that be founde there cap. 135. FINIS TABVLAE The Prologue TO all Princes Lordes Knightes and all other persons that this my Booke shall sée heare or reade health prosperitie and pleasure In thys Booke I do mind to giue knowledge of strange and maruellous things of the world and specially of the partes of Armenia Persia India Tartaria and of many other prouinces and Countreys whiche shall be declared in this worke as they were séene by me Marcus Paulus of the noble Citie of Venice and that which I saw not I declare by report of those that were wise discrete and of good credite but that which I saw I declare as I saw it and that which I knew by others I declare as I heard it And for that this whole worke shall be faithfull and true my intente is not to write any thing but that which is very certaine I do giue you all to vnderstande that sithence the birth of our Sauioure and Lorde Iesus Christ there hathe bin no man Christian nor Heathen that hathe come to the knowledge and sight of so manye diuers maruellous and strange things as I haue séene and hearde whiche I will take in hande the laboure to write as I did sée and heare it For me thinke I shoulde do a great iniurie to the world in not manifesting or declaring the truth And for better information to them that shall reade or heare this worke I do giue you to vnderstand that I trauelled in the foresayd Prouinces and Countreys and did sée those things that I will declare the space of sixe and twentie yeares caused theÌ„ to be written to Mayster Vstacheo of Pisa the yeare of our Lorde God .1298 He and I then being prisoners in Ianua raigning in Constantinople the Emperoure Baldouino and in his time in the yeare of oure Lord .1250 Nicholas my father and Mapheo my vncle his brother Citizens of Venice went to Constantinople with their Merchandises And béeyng there a certayne tyme wyth councell of theyr friendes passed wyth such wares and iewels as they had boughte in the Countrey of the Souldan where they were a long time determining to goe forwarde and trauelling a long iourney came to a Citie of the Lorde of the Tartarians which is called Barcacan who was Lord of a greate parte of Tartaria â—urgaria and Asia And this Lord Barcacan tooke greate pleasure to sée my father Nicholas and my Vncle Mapheo and shewed them greate friendship and they presented to hym such iewels as they broughte with them from Câ—nstantinople who receyued them thankefully and gaue them giftes double the valew whiche they sent into dyuers partes to sell and they remayned in his Courte the space of one yeare in which tyme warres beganne betwéene the sayde Barcacan and Alan Lord of the Tartares of the East and there was betwéene them many great battayles and muche shedding of bloud but in the end the victorie fell to Alan And bycause of these warres my father and vncle coulde not returne the way they went but determined to go forwarde to the Eastward and so to haue returned to Constantinople and following their way came to a Citie in the East partes called Buccata whiche is within the precinct of the East Kingdome And departing from this Citie passed the Riuer which is called Tygris whiche is one of the foure that commeth out of Paradise terrenall and goyng seauentéene dayes iourneys through a Deserte not finding anyâ— Citie or Towne yet méeting with manye companyes of Tartares that went in the fields with their Cattel béeing past thys Desert they came to a great noble Citie called Bocora and the same name hadde that Prouince which the Kyng of that Countrey had and the Citie was called Barache and this is the greatest Citie in Persia. In thys Countrey were these two bréethren thrâ—e yeares And in this time came an Embassadoure from Hamil Lorde of the Easte whiche wente to the greate Alan Lorde of the Tartares that before was spoken of This Alan is otherwise called the greate Cane Thys Embassadoure maruelled muche to sée these two Bréethren béeyng Christians and tooke greate pleasure at them bycause they hadde neuer before that tyme séene any Christians and sayde to them Friends if you wyll followe or take my councell I will shewe you wayes or meanes whereby you shall gette greate riches and renowme Oure Lorde the King of the Tâ—rtares didde neuer sée anye Christians and hathe great desire to sée of them if you will goe with me I will bring you to his presence where you shall â—aue greate profite and friendshippe of hym They hearing thys determined to goe with hym and trauelling the space of one yeare towardes the East Southeast and after turning to the lefte hande towards the Northeast and after towardes the North in fine they came to the Citie of the great Cane in the whyche trauell they sawe manye straunge and â—aruellous things whyche shall be declared in thys Bâ—â—ke And these two bréethren béeyng presented to the great Cane were receyued by him very fauourably shewing
Armenia he lesser and of many things that there is made CHAP. 5. FIrst and formost I will beginne to declare of the Prouince of Armenia noting suche commodities as there is You shall vnderstand there be two Armenias the greater and the lesser In the lesser there is a King subiect to the Tartar and he dothe maynteyne the Countrey in peace and iustice In this Countrey be many Cities and Townes and greate abundance of all things In thys Countrey they take great pleasure and pastime in Hawking and Hunting as well of wilde beastes as of Fowles of all sortes In that Countrey be many infirmities by reason the ayre is yll there and for that cause the men of that Countrey that were wonte to be valiant and strong in armes bée turned nowe to be vile and giuen to ydlenesse and drunckennesse In this Prouince vpon the Sea side there is a Citie called Gloza wherevnto is greate trade of Merchandise and all Merchantes that doe traffique thither haue their Cellers and Warehouses in that Citie as well Venetians and Ianoueys and all other that do occupye into Leuant Of the Torchomanos in Armenia the lesser CHAP. 6. I Haue declared vnto you of Armenia the lesser and now I will shewe you of Torchomania whiche is a part of Armenia in the which ther be thrée maner of people the one called Torchomanos and those bée Mahomets and speake the Persian language and they liue in the Mountaynes and fieldes whereas they may find pasture for their Cattell for those people liue by the gaines of their Cattell There be very good Horses called Torchomani and good Mayles of great value The other or second maner of people be Armenians and Greekes and those dwell and liue togither and liue by occupations and trade of Merchandises There they doe make very goodly and rich Carpettes large and fayre as you shall finde in any place Also they worke there cloth of Crymson Silke and other goodly couloures The chiefest Cities in that Countrey be Chemo Isiree and Sebasto whereas Saint Blase was martired There be also many Townes of which I make no mention and they bée subiecte to the Tartar of the East and he setteth gouernoures there Of Armenia the greater and of the Arke of Noe. CHAP. 7. ARmenia the greater is a greate Prouince or Countrey In the beginning thereof is a greate Citie called Armenia where they doe make excellente Bochachims or Buckrams In this Citie be very good Bathes naturallye And this Countrey is subiect to the Tartar there is in it many Cities Townes and the most noble Citie is called Archinia which hath ioyning to it two prouinces the one called Archeten the other Arzire In this Citie is a Bishop The people of this Countrey in the sommer time bée in the pastures meddowes but in the winter they can not by reason of the great cold snow waters for then it is so colde the scant the cattell and beastes can liue there and for this cause they do driue their cattel into warmer places wher they haue grasse pleÌ„ty In this gret Armenia is the Arke of Noe on a high Mountain towards the South which doth ioyne to a Prouince towardes the East called Mausill And in that Prouince diuell Christians which be called Iacobites and Nestorians Heretikes of the which hereafter shall be spoken This Countrey towards the North doth ioyne vpon the Georgians of the whych shall be spoken in the next Chapter In this part towards the Georgians there is a well the water wherof is like oyle and is of great abundance quantitie that sometimes they lade .100 Ships with it And this oyle is not good to eate but for Lamps and Candles and to annoint Camels Horses and other beastes that be galled scabbie and haue other infirmities and for this cause it is fetched into diuers places Of the Georgians and of the Tovver and gate of yron CHAP. 8. IN Georgiania is a king called Nand Maliche which is as much to say as Dawnid and is subiect to the Tartar. The saying is that in the olde time the Kings of that Prouince were borne with a token or signe vnder their right shoulder In this Countrey the men be faire of body venterous valiant in armes and good archers and are Christians Gréekes mingled togither they go all with their heare like Priestes This is the Prouince that King Alexander could not passe wheÌ„ he woulde haue come towards the West parts bycause that wayes were dangerous narrow compassed on the one side with that Sea on the other side with high Mountaines that no Horse can passe or go for the space of four leagues for the way is so narrow stroÌ„g that a few meÌ„ be able to kéepe it against al the hostes of the world And K. Alexander perceiuing that by no meanes he coulde passe would likewise make prouision that the people of that Countrey might not passe to him And made there a greate strong Tower which is called the Tower and gate of yron In this Prouince of the Georgians be many Cities and townes there they do make great pleÌ„ty of cloth of gold of silke in great abundance for they haue greate plentie of silke And there doe bréede the goodlyest and best Hawkes in the world And the Countrey is plentifull of all things néedefull They liue there by the trade of Merchandise and by labour of the Countrey Through all this Countrey is greate Mountaynes and the way narrow and strong and many welles and for this cause the Tartars can neuer haue the vpper hand of them There is a Monastâ—rie of Monckes of the order of Saint Bernarde and hard by the Monasterie there is a water that descendeth from the Mountayne in the which they find no fishe but in Lent and then they do take it in greate plentie from the firste day of Lent till Easter euen The place is called Geluchelan and hath sixe hundred Miles compasse and it is from the Sea twelue dayes iourney and this water entreth into Euphrates whyche is one of the foure principall Riuers whiche come from Paradice terrenall and commeth out of India and is deuided into many branches and doth compasse those hilles From thence they bring a silke called Gella Now I haue declared vnto you the partes of Armenia which be towards the North and now I wil declare vnto you of others their neyboures which be towards the South and West Of the parties of Armenia tovvards the South and of the Kingdome of Mosull CHAP. 9. MOsull is a great Kingdome in the which dwell many generations of people called Arabies and all be of the secte of Mahomet although there be some Christians called Iacobites and Nestorians and these haue by themselues a Patriarke called Iacobia and he dothe institute Bishops Archbishops Abbots Priestes and other Religious men There is made cloth of gold and of silke which
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
children that dyed doe take hands togither and be alwayes after friendes and Grandfathers and Grandmothers and Cousens euen as though they had bin maried aliue Of a plaine called Barga and of the customs of the people of that Countrey CHAP. 44. DEparting from the Citie called Cuthogora aforesade and the mountaine called Acay where they bury theyr Kings of the Tartars whiche is the greate Cane you shall trauell through a great plaine called the plaine of Barga fortie dayes iorney towards the North. The people of that country be called Mecrith They be sauage people and doe lyue the moste parte by killyng of redde Deare called Stagges and other wilde beastes and doe ride and trauaile vppon harts or stagges as they doe in other places vppon horses They haue neyther breade nor wine and be subiectes to the greate Cane Of the greate Sea called the Occean CHAP. 45. AFter you haue trauailed fortie daies iorney you shal come to a greate Sea called the Occean Sea and also greate mountaynes in the which you shal haue goodly Hawkes greate plentie and speciall good called Peregrinos And in the Ilandes of the Sea bréedeth great plentie of Gerfalcons In this Sea be two great Ilandes whiche shall be spokeÌ„ of hereafter and lye towardes the North and haue the Sea out of the South Of the Kingdome Erguyl and of many other Kingdomes and of Muske and other sweete and pleasaunte thinges that be there founde and many other things CHAP. 46. I Haue declared vnto you of the prouinces of the North till you come to the mountaines and the Occean Sea and now I will compte to you of the other prouinces belonging to the great Cane til you come to his country returning to the country called Campion where you shal passe .5 days iorny in length in the which many times you shal hear the voices of euil spirits At the end of these fiue days iorny towards the East there is a kingdom called Erguil of the prouince of Tanguth subiect to the greate Cane and in this prouince there liue thrée sorts of people that is to say Christians that be Nestorians and Idolators and Mahomets and there be many Cities and Townes but the principall Citie is called Erguyl From this Citie trauelling East Southeast you shall come to a Countrie whiche is a greate prouince in the whiche there is a great Citie called Syrygay that hath neare vnto it many Cities and Townes all subiect to the greate Cane and there be in it Christians Idolators and Mahomets There be wild Oxen as bigge as Elephants very faire beasts to sée white and blacke al couered with haire sauing a spanne long vpon the necke whyche is called Del Espinazo whiche is bare and hath no haire and many of these Oxen they do make tame and doe laboure and till the grounde with them They will carrye greate waighte by reason they be so great bodyed There is the best Muske in the worlde The Beast that â—hey haue it off is bodyed like a Catte with foure téeth two aboue and two beneath of thrée fingers long they be slender of body an haue heare like a redde Déere and féete lyke a Catte and they haue a thing like a poshe or bagge of bloud gathered togither néere to their nauell betwéene the skinne and the fleshe whiche they cutte and take away and that is the Muske and there be many of those Beastes there The people of that Countrey do liue by their occupations and trade of Merchandise and haue good plenty of corne This Countrey is long of .25 days iourney There be plenty of Feysants and very greate for one of them is as bigge as two of oures with tayles of eyght nine and tenne spannes long The people of that Countrey be fatte and of lowe browes and blacke heared and haue no beardes but a fewe heares about the mouth The women be faire and white and well bodyed The pâ—ople fot that Countrey bée gyuen muche to the pleasure of the body for a riche man to obteyne the fauoure of a woman wyll giue hir a ioynter They bée all Idolaters â–ª Of the Citie called Calacia and of many things they do make there CHAP. 47. DEparting from Erguill and trauelling towardes the East eyght dayes iourney you shall come to a Prouince called Egregia that hathe vnder it many Cities and is of the Prouince of Tanguthe and the principall Citie of it is called Chalacia and is subiecte to the greate Cane in the which be thrée Churches of Christians Nestorians and all the rest be Idolaters There they make excellent good Chamlets of Camels heare of white wooll and from thence Merchantes carrie them to sell into other Countreys Of the Prouince called Tanguthe which is subiect to Prester Iohn and of a stone called Lapis laguli that is there found and of Gog and Magog CHAP. 48. DEparting from Arguill and entring into the Kingdomes of Prester Iohn you shall come to a Prouince called Tanguthe which is vnder a King of the lignage of Prester Iohn whiche is called George by his proper name and he holdeth that Countrey of the great Cane especially those that were taken of Prester Iohn And the greate Cane dothe alwayes take the chiefest daughters of this Kyng commonly since that Chenchis the first King of the Tartares slewe Prester Iohn in battell as before is declared In this Countrey is found Lapis laguli whiche is a stone that maketh a fine blew The most part of this prouince be Christians and they be gouernoures and chiefe of the Countrey There be also Mahomets whiche doe liue by Cattell and labouring of the ground In this Prouince be another kind of people called Argarones or Galmulos this they do say for bicause they do desceÌ„d of two seueral nations that is to say of the christiaÌ„s of TaÌ„guthe the Mahomets They be faire meÌ„ wise and discret more than the others of that countrey In this prouince was the imperiall chayre or seate of Prester Iohn when he raygned ouer the Tartars and yet there doe raygne in that prouince of the stocke of Prester Iohn of whome came this George King of thys prouince Here is that place that the holye Scripture speaketh of called Gog and Magog Of the Citie Sindathoy in Cataya where siluer is founde CHAP. 49. HAuing passed seauen dayes iorney in thys prouince towards the East you shal come to Cataya a broade Countrey in the which there be many Christians and many Idolators and many of the sect of Mahomet and they be al handi-crafts men and Merchauntes There they make great plentie of cloth of gold and also of cloth of silke verye fine In this prouince is a Citie of the greate Canes called Sindathoy where they doe worke and make all manner and kinde of armour for the wars and in the mountaines of this prouince be vaines of fine siluer and plentie called there Idica Of a Citie called Giannorum and of many nouelties CHAP.
making greate pastymes saying the greate Cane is blâ—ssed and fortunate and so doe desire a ioyfull yeare And on that daye there is presentâ—d to the great Cane more than .10000 Horses and Mares al white and more than fiue thousand ElephaÌ„ts with two greate baskettes vpon them full of prouision necessarie for hys Courtes And besides thys there is presented to hym a great number of Camels couered all with white cloth of silke for seruice of their K. And when they giue these presents they doe all passe by where the great Cane doeth stande and sée them On the same daye that this feast is in the morning bâ—times before the Tables be couered all the kings Dukes Marquesses Lords Captaynes Gouernours and Iusâ—ices of his countryes other officers come into the Hal before y presence of the great Cane and those that can not come in be in another place where as the great Cane may sée them all and thus being altogither as though they woulde make some request there goeth one vppe vpon a buylding or scaffolde that is made for the same purpose in the middest of the hall with a loude or high voyce biddeth them al knéele downe vpon their knées and giue landes and thankes to their Lord and streight wayes euery one doth honor him as if he were an Idoll and this they doe foure times and thys being done euery one goeth and sitteth downe in his place and afterwardes do rise one after an other and goe to an aulter whiche is set in the middest of the hall and vpon it is a table set written on with letters of gold and garnished with pretious stones of greate value and the writing is the proper name of the greate Cane and wyth Sensors of fine golde full of incense and fire they incense that table in honour of the great Cane And after that euery one in presence of the great Cane doth offer great and precious giftes according to his state condition and abilitie and this being done they go all and sitte downe at the tables to dinner And the great Cane thirtéene times in the yeare doeth giue apparell to his Barrons in thirtéen great feastes he doeth make and at euery time he doeth chaunge this apparel and this apparel that he doth giue is of greater and lesser value according to the degrée of him that he giueth it vnto And to euerye one he giueth a girdle or a payre of hosen or a hatte garnished wyth golde and set with pearles and pretious stones according to the degrée of the parties and of this apparell is euerye yeare 1â—6000 and this he doth for to honour and magnifie his feastes And at euery such feast the gret Cane hath lying at his féete a tame Lyon vpon a rich Carpet And the great Cane is resident during the sayde thrée moneths in Camballo that is to say December Ianuarie and Februarie And during the sayd three months the whole country thereabout to say thirtie dayes iourney is kept for hawking hunting and fouling only for to serue the Courtes and what they do take and kil is presented and broughte to the greate Canes Courte and such as dwell further of in other prouinces that kill wilde beastes not able to bée brought to the Court they do trimme and dresse the skins thereof and bring them to the Courte for to dresse make and trimme armour and munitions for the wars which he hath infinite number Of the manner the great Cane doth vse in his hunting CHAP. 56. THis Cublay Cane or great Cane hath wyth him two noble men that be his brethren the one called Baian and the other Mytigan and they be called Cinicil whych is as muche to say as maisters or gouernours of the dogs or Masties of theyr Lordes eyther of these two noble menne hath tenne thousande menne all apparelled in one liuerye of whyte and redde and euerye one of these twentie thousande menne hath charge and gouernemente of two Mastyes or at the leâ—st one and when the great Cane wyll go on hunting these two noble men go wyth him with theyr twentye thousande men or with the moste parte of them and so beginne their hunting with those men and dogges who be well vsed to it and the great Cane goeth into the middest of the fields hauing his two Lordes with their men and dogges on eche side of him and diuideth them into companies in such sorte that there shal no game rise that shall scape them what kynde of beaste so euer it bée Of the manner of his hauking for wildefoule CHAP. 57. THe first day of March the great Cane departeth from Cambalu and goeth with his Court and Barons towards the South seas named the Occean that lyeth two dayes iourney from Cambalu and he carrieth with him ten thousande Faulcons fiue thousand Gerfaulcons and other kinde of Haukes a great number which are very singular and good aboue all other and are bred in his Seniories and al those that they take in his countries are presented to the great Cane for his own vse Court and Barrons that alwayes kepe his companie which are neuer lesse than 15000. and they bée called Tâ—stores which is as much to say as the Lords gard all these do practise hauking and euery one of them doth carry his reclayme or lewer and haukes hood that when he hath néede he may take vp his Hauke They doe neuer léese one of these Faulcons for euery one of them hath fastned vnto hys Belles a Scutchion of gold wherin is written the name of hys Mayster and when soeuer one of theÌ„ is loste he that findeth him streyghte wayes doeth present him vnto the great Cane or to one of those barroÌ„s his brethren and he causeth hym to be deliuered agayne to him that before had charge of him for he is knowen by the Scutchion that the Hauke hath vpon his belles Of the manner that the great Cane hath in trauelling in his countrey and how he abydeth in the fields in his tents and pauilions CHAP. 58. WHen the greate Cane maketh any iourney in his countrey he goeth in a fayre lodge or edification hauing a verye faire chamber made vpon foure Elephants which is couered with the skinnes of Lions and in this chamber he hath twelue Gerfaulcons and certain of the Barrons in his company to giue him pleasure and pastime and round about these Elephants there be on horsebacke very many barrons and as soone as they sée anye foule or Crane fly they declare it vnto their Lord and he immediately letteth these Gerfaulcons flye â—nd after this sort he goeth through his countrey and when the greate Cane commeth to any broade and faire fields which they do call Caziamâ—n which he doth finde ready set with tents and pauilions for him and his wiues and for his children and barrons and these tentes and pauilions are at the least .10000 and the tentes of the great Cane are so large
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
haue séene India bothe the greate and the lesse Tartaria wyth other prouinces Ilands which are so many that the age of one man yea peraduenture of ij men would not suffice to them all And now I will declare vnto you of India the great Of Abashya CHAP. 131. IN India the greate there is a greate prouince named Abashia whych is to say the middle India for it standeth betwéene India the greate and India the lesse The king of the prouince is a Christian and the Christians that be vnder hym carrye two tokens made with a burning yron from the forheade vnto the pointe of their nose The great King dwelleth in the middest of the prouince the Moores dwel towardes the prouince of Cadamy The holye Apostle Saint Thomas did conuerte muche people vnto the Christian faith in this prouince and afterwards went from thence vnto the prouince of Moaber where he was martyred In this prouince there be many valiant knights and meÌ„ of armes and they do euer make war against the Souldan of Aden The people of thys countrey liue vpon fleshe milke and Rice and of no other thing There they vse muche vsurie and in this prouince there be many Cities and townes Of the prouince of Adem or Ades and of the things found there CHAP. 132. THe prouince of Adem hathe a King and he is named the Sowdan of Adâ—m There be in this prouince many Cities and Townes and the people are Moores and haue greate strife with the Christians There be in this prouince Ports and Hauens whither many shippes come with merchaundize and the moste of this prouince liue vppon Rice for that they haue little fleshe and lesse milke This country is very dry and without fruite and there groweth no grasse and therefore the beastes of this prouince liue vppon drie fishe salte and rawe which they doe eate in steade of strawe and barley Of a mightie King of the Orient parties CHAP. 133. NOwe I haue tolde you of India the greate India the lesse and of middle India and nowe I haue remayning to tell you of the Countries whiche are towards Septentrion or the North where there raygneth a King of the imperiall house of the greate Cane These people do worshippe the same Idoll that the Tartarians doe worshippe whiche they name Nazigay This prouince hathe plaines and mountaines There groweth no kinde of sustenaunce neiâ—her corne nor Rice and the people liue onelye vppon fleshe and milke of Mares and no man maketh warre againste them nor they againste no manne Here bée manye Camelles and other beastes but they are deade Vppon the Seigniorie of this Kyng there is a Countrey so strong that no manne maye enter into it nor yet beaste being bigge by reason of the straites lakes and fountaynes whyche bée there and for that alwayes there is suche feruent colde that it is alwayes frozen and vnto them there can come no shipping This Countrey is in compasse twelue dayes iorney Hovve Armines are boughte and of other beastes CHAP. 134. I Will declare vnto you howe in these twelue dayes iourney they doe buy the wilde beasts for to haue theyr skinnes In euerye place of these twelue dayes iourney there is plentie of habitations and there be masties or dogges little lesse than Asses These masties doe drawe after them a certaine thing made of Woodde whiche is called Slioiala whiche is a sleade as the Oxen or Horses doe drawe a Carte sauing it hathe no whéeles as oure Cartes haue and these Slyoialas or sleddes are as bigge as twoo menne maye be in it that is to saye the Mayster of the maysties or carte and the Merchaunt that goeth to buy the skinnes And these masties cease not drawing excepte it be in some myry place they sette foure or sixe masties to drawe as among vs wée doe sette Oxen or Horses when they do come to their iourneys end the Merchaunt hyreth an other carter with his slead and masties for that the firste coulde not endure so muche labor and so he maketh his twelue dayes iourney till he come to the mountains where the Armins and skinnes are sold where they buy them and afterwaâ—des they retourne as they came At the ende of this Countrey there standeth a Kingdome whiche is named the Barkland for it is there euer darke as wee call the Twylight for the Sunne shyneth not there and is not séene The people of this Countrey haue no King but liue as beastes without lawe In this Countrie the men and women are well made of their bodies although they be somewhat yellowe of coloure The Tartarians that border vppon them doe spoyle them very muche and when the Tartarians doe goe to robbe in that darke valley they ride vppon mares that haue horse or mare coltes following them for they doubte to come oute that wayes that they were in by reason of the darknesse and wooddes and when they come neare vnto the place where they meane to robbe they doe tye their horse or mare coltes vnto the trées and ride vppon the mare and doe their feate and as they haue done it they lette their mares goe whither they liste and the mares goe straighte vnto their horse or mare coltes where they lefte them tyed vnto the trées Those in that Countrie wyth certaine deuises doe take many Armines and diuers other wilde beasts and take the skinnes and dresse them make merchaundize This obscure and darke Counâ—rey ioyneth one parte with Ronselande Of Rouseland and of other thinges whiche be founde there CHAP. 135. ROuselande is a greate Prouince towardes Trasmontana whiche is the North. The people of Russia are Christians according to the vse of the Gréekes Touching the things â—f the holy Church they are verye simple Rouseland is a strong Countrey and hathe very strong passages There be very fayre menne and women and vnto no man they giue tribute sauing vnto the King of Tartarie of the Occident There is made greate merchaundize of noble furres for apparell In Rouseland there be founde many mines of siluer also there is such feruent colde that the people can scarce liue This prouince reacheth vnto the Occean Seas towardes the Septentrion in which Seas there be many Ilandes wherein bréedeth many Gerfaulcons and singular Hawkes FINIS Nâ—lus The redde Sea. Souldan Arabia Felix Alepo Erronious iudgements of the voyages of Salomon Three Indias the first is the lower India The second or middle India Lading of Spices The third India called the higher India An Oxe worshipped 1298 1250 1272. Marco Polo was sent as Embassador from the great Cane Maâ—co Polo was in the great Canes Court seaueÌ„teene yeares Marco Polo and his Father Vncle had leaue to depart and went without Embassadors Foureteene great Ships with foure Mastes in a Shippe and sixe hundred men in eueâ—y Shippe and vittayled for two yeares Within three Monethes sayling they arriued at Iaua The returne of the two breethreÌ„ and Marco Polo to Venice in Anno. 1295. They take great
plesure in Hawking and hunting a Citie vpon the Sea side called Gloza Good Horses â—alled accorâ—ing to the Countrey Torchâ—manos and good Moyles Goodly rich and faire carpets made heere Cloth of silke of Crimson and other couloures made heere Heere was Brioâ— Blase martyred Heere on a high Mountaâ—ne rested the Arke of Noe after the â—ound Heere be Chrisâ—ians of the sect of the Nestorians and Iacobites Here is a wel that the water is like to Oyle and is occupyed for diuers purposes Heere was King Alexander put backe and could not be suffered to passe In this countrey be many fayre Cities and Townes wher is made great plenty of cloth of gold and of silke Excellente good hawkes Great trade of Merchandise A Monastery of Monckes of the order of S. Bernard A water or lake of syxe hundred miles compasse wherein is no fish but only in the Lent. Euphrates Here is made cloth of golde and silke called Mosulinus Thorough this Citie Bâ—lâ—â—ch goeth a Riuer and entreth into Sinos Pâ—râ—icus Great trade vp and down this Riuer to and from the Indians Here is made cloth of golde and of silke called cloth of Nafiâ—h Câ—lâ—pho is among the Mooâ—es as the Popâ— is in Christâ—dome Tâ—is Citie was wonne in Anno. 1230. by Alâ—n King of the Taâ—tars and he put the Calipho into a Tower among his treasure and so was famished This Citie Totis is a noble Citie and of great trade of merchandise There is made cloth of gold and of silke very rich To this City there commeâ—h Merchants from diuers countreys A great miracle A Mountain remoued froÌ„ one place to another The Calipho became christned and a great nuÌ„ber of his Moores In this Citie Sabba the three Kings met that weÌ„t to worship Christ and heere they were buried The three Kings offered Gold Incense and Myrre A miracle if it be true Heere is great plenty of fayre Horses Moyles and Asses Heere is made great plentie of rich cloth of gold silke Heere they do make gret plentie of cloth of golde and silke Pretious stones as Turkises and others Sadles and bridles and other costly furniture for Horses Cloth of gold and silke Excellent good hawkes Sheepe as great as asses EnchantmeÌ„t Great trade of MerchaÌ„ts When the husband dyeth the wife the friends do â—eep once a day for the space of four yeares Great plenty of salte Good wines and great drinkers For lacke of cloth the people weare skinnes of such beastes aâ— they kil Nâ—gromancers A Citie of 3. days iourney long Sheep that haue hornes of foure or fiue and ten spans long Fortie dayeâ— iourney and haue no habitation Iaspes and Calcedonies The Citie Iob. A rich mouening good cheare Prester Iohn slaine in batteâ— by Chenchis King of the Taâ—tars The first Emperour of the Tartars called Great Cane In this mouÌ„taine Alchay be al the gret Canes buryed The Tartares doe make them Idols of feltes and other baggage The Nobilitie Gentlemen go in cloth of gold and silke furred with rich furres The Tartaâ—es going a warfare carrie with them a thing made in paste of Mares milke and other compounds and do serue for his drinke When any of the Tartares sonnes dye and also a daughter of another then they do marrie these two togither saying they shall be so in the other worlde The voice of euil spirites heard Monsâ—rous greate Oâ—en aâ— biâ—ge as Elâ—pâ—ants Heere is the best Muske in the world I think these be Peacocks Heere be Chamlets made Heere is founde the stone called Lapâ—s â—â—guâ—i wherewith thâ—y do make a syne blâ—we Heere was the imperiall seate of Pâ—ester Iohn Here be Cranes of fiue sorts or colours The wall of this house is gilded Herâ— y Emperor hath great store of Haukes of all sortes Here y Cane doth make sacrifice with milke ro his Idols Al y Mares the great Cane do ride on be white A superstitious beliefe y great Cane hath Here his enchaunters do worke by the Diuel A great Monasâ—erie of Monkes Three hundred thousand fighting men The pollicie of the great Cane A strange kind of death to his cousin The great Cane haâ—h foure wiues and they kepe great Courts The great Cane hath many Concubines The greate Cane had by his foure wiues two and twenty sonnes after his eldest son dyed who should haue bin king His sonne was heyre and kept a great Couâ—t Cambalu This is a goodly Citie and well ordered At euery gate is a thousand mâ—n that do watch No common woman may dwell within the Citie Aboue a thousande Cartes with silke goeth euery daye out of this Line The greate Cane is garded nightly with twentie thousande Horsemen The manner of the greate Cane at hys â—inner with his wiues and children Commonly foure thousand persons do sitte in that Hall at a dinner A vessell of fine gold thaâ— will holde tenne Hogsheads of Wine and four of siluer bigger than that Euery one that sitteth at the tables hath a cuppe of gold before him Euery one that bringeth meate or drinke to the Table hath a towell of golde and silke before his mouth Great feast is made euerie yeare the day when the great Cane was borne He giueth a rich Liuerie Euery Liuerie is worth a thousande Markes The Tartares begin their yeare the first day of February Tenne thousand white Horses and Mares presented to the great Cane Al his nobilitie do â—ncle and worshiâ— the Cane as if he were an Idol A great and rich offering The great Cane doth giue liueriâ—s 13. times in a yeare and euery time he changes his colours Four months he doth continue in Camballo No man may hunt no haulâ— nor foule within thirtie days iourney of his Citie Two noble men be maisters of his dogs and they haue ten thousand meÌ„ apeece The greaâ— Cane hath with him ten thousand Faulcons fiue thousand Gerfaulcons They do neuer leese Faulcon nor Gerfaulcon A straunge going a hauking There be at the least ten thousand teÌ„ts and pauilions set vp in the fielde These two tents bee of a good valure Three dayes he doth make great cheare after his hunting is ended The money tâ—at is vsed in those countries He â—hat doth counterâ—aâ—e hys coâ—ne sâ—â—ll â—e destroyed to the tâ—â—râ—e generâ—tion The noble men that doe set order for all the greate Canes affaires Marcus Paulus was made the Emperoures Embassador The riuer Poluisanguis A goodly Bridge and long Here is plentie of cloth of Golde Here is much armor â—â—â—de A King was made a sheephearde by Prester Iohn Cloth of gold and cloth of silke made The inside of the pallace wall is layde on with gold Mâ—ngi a citie Great trade oâ— Merchandâ—se Mâ—ngâ— Here be many Muske cuttes A bridge of a myle long and eight paces brode of marble and housen on it Here be Canes of fifteen paces long and ten spans about No maydens may marrie in this Countrey For lacke of wollen cloth they do wear Canuas and wilde beastes Skynnes
to them greate friendshippe demaundyng of them of the Emperoure of the Christians of hys state and howe hée ruled and gouerned hys Countreys and kepte them in peace and iustice And when hée made anye warres howe and after what manner hée broughâ—e hys people into the fielde andeh demaunded of them the state and order of other Kyngdomes and Dukedomes in Chrystendome or theyr conditions and afterwarde wyth greate diligence hée enâ—uyred of them of the Pope and the Cardinalles and of theyr fayth and of the Catholike Church and of all other conditions of the Christians to the which demaundes the two bréethren aunswered in order very discretely and wisely who hadde vnderstanding and could speake the Tartarie language The great Cane vnderstandyng theyr answeres had grat pleasure therein and speaking to his Lords saying that hée woulde sende an Embassadour to the Pope the head Bishop of the Christians and requested the said two bréethren that it woulde please them to be his Embassadors to the Pope with one of his Lordes they aunswered they were readie to doe all that he woulde commaund them Streight way the great Cane caused to bée written Letters of beliefe in the Tartarian tong to the Pope and also commaunded by worde of mouth to hys sayd Embassadors that they shoulde saye and desire hys holynesse that it would please him to send him a hundred men discrete wise and learned Christians in the Catholike faith to instruct him and his Subiects whereas then they did all worship Idols and would gladly receyue the true faith And also the great Cane requested them to bring him some of the Oyle that did burne before the Sepulchre of Iesus Christe in Ierusalem This done the great Cane commaunded to be broughte to him a Table of gold and wrote in it commaunding expresly to all hys subiects that shoulde sée that his Table that they shoulde receyue those Embassadors with all frendshippe and to shew them honour and obedience and to do al things that shoulde be necessarie and to deliuer them money and to prouide them what they woulde demaunde as well for shipping as also Horses or any other thing in as ample maner as if it were for his owne person When the sayd Nicholas and Mapheo and Cocoball Embassador to the great Cane were at a poynt to depart taking their leaue of the great Cane they rode with their coÌ„pany thirtie days iourney and at the ende of them the saide Cocoball fell sicke and dyed and the two bréethren followed on theyr iourney and in euery Towne where they came shewing the foresayd Table of gold where very honourably receyued and enterteyned as the person of the king And continuing their iourney they came to a towne called Giaza and from thence departed and came to Acre in the moneth of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God .1272 whereas they vnderstoode that the Pope Clement was dead and finding there a Legate of the Popes which was called Miser Thebaldo that was there for the defence of the holy Church at the vttermost partes of the Seas to him they did theyr Embassage of the greate Cane and when Miser Thebaldo vnderstoode their Embassage he prayed them to tarrie the creation of a newe Pope and hearing this aunswere the two bréethren departed incontinente and went to Nigro Ponte and from thence to Venice to sée their houses and founde the wife of Nicholas dead and had left behinde hir a sonne whose name was Marcus of the age of fiftéene yeares which neuer saw his father before for he left hir with child of him at his departing and this is the same Marcus that made thys Booke as héereafter followeth These two bréethren remayned in Venice the space of two yeares tarying the creation of a newe Pope and séeyng howe long they had taryed departed from Venice to Ierusalem for to gette some of the Oyle that burned in the Lampe before the holy Sepulâ—hre of oure Lorde God for to carrie with them to the greate Cane according as he commaunded and caryed with them Marcus sonne to the saide Nicholas and after they had taken of the sayd oyle returned to Acre whereas the Popes Legate Theobaldo was and taking leaue or licence of him to returne to the great Cane for whome the sayde Legate gaue them Letters séeing they woulde not tarrie to do their Embassage to the Pope and sayde as soone as there was a new Pope created he would doe their Embassage to the Pope and that he should prouide that which should be conuenient and so departed the two bréethren and Marcus and trauelled till they came to a Towne called Giaza And in this time the Legate receyued Letters from Rome that there was a new Pope created called Gregorie of Placentia The sayd Legate incontinent sent his messenger after these two bréethren that they should returne to Acre certifying theÌ„ that there was a new Pope created and they vnderstanding this requested the King of Armenia to commaunde to arme forthe a Galley wherein they sayled incontinente to the Pope of whome they were well receyued who hauyng hearde their Embassage streighte way gaue them two Friers of the order of Sainct Dominike being greate Clearkes to go with them to the greate Cane the one of them was called Frier Nicholas of Venice and the other Frier William of Tripolle the whiche were well séene and exercised in disputations in the defense of the holy Catholike faith And these two religious men with Nicholas and Mapheo and Marcus trauelled till they came to a Towne called Giaza And in this time the Souldan of Babylon came into Armenia and did there greate hurte and for that cause fearing to passe anye further the two Friers taryed there and wrote to the greate Cane that they were come thyther and the cause wherefore they wente not forwarde The sayd Nicholas and Maphâ—â— and Marcus hys sonne wente on theyr iourney and came to a Citie called Bemoniphe where the great Cane was but in the way they passed in greate daunger of their bodyes and saw many things as shall héereafter be declared and taryed in going betwéene Giaza and Bomeniphe â— yeare and a halfe by reason of great Riuers rayne and cold in those countryes and when the greate Cane hadde knowledge that Nicholas and Mapheo were returned he sent to receyue them more than fortie dayes iourney and at their comming receyued them with gret pleasure anthey knéelyng down making great reuerence he commauÌ„dded them to arise vp demauÌ„ding of them how they spedde in their voyage and what they had done with the Pope and after they had made their answeare to al things deliuered to him the Friers letters that remayned in Giaza and the oyle they had taken out of the Lampe that burned before the holy Sepulchre of Iesus Christe whiche he receyued with great pleasure and put it vp and kept it in a secrete place with also the letters and demaunding of them who Marcus was they aunswered he was Nicholas sonne of the
which the great Cane was glad and toke him into his seruice and gaue order to place him in his Court among his Lordes and Gentlemen Here foloweth the discourse of many notable and strange things that the noble and vvorthy Marcus Paulus of the Citie of Venice did see in the East partes of the world ¶ Howe Miser Marco Polo vsed himselfe in the Court of the Great Cane CHAP. 1. MArco Polo learned well not onely the vsed language and conditions of those people but also other thrée languages and coulde write and reade them and by that meanes came in great fauour with the great Cane whose pleasure was to proue what he could do to be sent Embassage and made hym â—is Embassadour in one of his Countreys sixe Monethes â—ourney And he perceyuing the great Cane had greate pleaâ—ure to heare newes and oftentimes would find fault with his Embassadoures and messengers when they coulde not make â—iscourse and tell him newes of the Countreys and places â—hey trauelled into he determined with himselfe to note and â—nderstand in that iourney all that could be spoken as well of â—he Townes Cities and places as also the conditions and â—ualities of the people noting it in writing to be the more â—eadie to make his aunswere if any thing should be demaunâ—ed of him and at his returne declared to the great Cane the â—unswere of the people of that Countrey to his Embassage â—nd withall declared vnto hym the nature of Countreys â—nd the conditions of the people where he had bin and also â—hat he had heard of other Countreys which pleased well the â—reat Cane and was in great fauoure with him and set great â—ore by him for which cause all the noble men of his Courte â—ad him in great estimation calling him Senior or Lorde He â—as in the greate Canes Court .xvij. yeares and when anye â—reate Embassage or businesse shoulde be done in any of hys Countreys or Prouinces he was alwayes sente wherefore â—iuers great men of the Court did enuie him but he alwayes kepte thys order that whatsoeuer he sawe or heard were 〈◊〉 good or euill hée alwayes wrote it and had it in minde to declare to the great Cane in order The manner and vvayes that the tvvo breethren and Marcus Paulus had for their returne to Venice CHAP. 2. THe sayd Nicholas and Mapheo and Marcus Paulus hauyng bin in the greate Canes Court of a long time demaunded licence for to returne to Venice but he louing and fauouring them so well would not giue them leaue And it fortuned in that time that a Quéene in India dyed whose name was Balgonia and hyr Husbande waâ— called Kyng Argon This Quéene ordeyned in hir Testamente that hyr Husbande shoulde not marrie but with one of hyr bloud and kynred and for that cause the sayde Kyng Argon sente hys Embassadors with great honor and companye to the Greate Cane desiring hym to sende hym for to bée hys Wife a Mayde of the lignage of Balgonia his firste Wiâ—â— The names of these Embassadors were called Onlora Apusca and Edilla When these Embassadors arriued at thâ— Courte they were very well receyued by the Great Caâ—â— â–ª And after they hadde done theyr message the Greate Caâ—â— caused to bée called before him a Mayden whiche was called Cozotine of the kindred of Balgonia the whyche was veryâ— fayre and of the age of seauentéene yeares And as she was come before the Great Cane and the Embassadors the great Cane sayde to the Embassadors thys is the Mayden that you demaunde take hyr and carrie hir in a good houre anâ— wyth thys the Embassadors were very ioyfull and merrie And these Embassadors vnderstandyng of Nicholas and Mapheo and Marcus Paulus Italians which before that tyme haâ—â— â—one for Embassadors vnto the Indians and were desirous to â—epart from the greate Cane desired hym to gyue them liâ—ence to goe and accompanye that Lady and the Greate â—ane although not wyth good will but for manners sake and â—lso for honour of the Ladye and for hyr more safegarde in â—assing the Seas bycause they were wise and skilfull menne â—as content they should goe Hovv they sayled to Iaua CHAP. 3. HAuing licence of the Great Cane the sayde Nicholas Mapheo and Marcus Paulus as aforesayde as his custome was gaue them two Tables of golde by the whiche he did signifie that they should passe fréelie through all his prouinces and dominions and that theyr charges should be borne and to be hoâ—ourably accompanyed And besides this the great Cane sent â—iuers Embassadors to the Pope and to the Frenche King â—nd to the King of Spayne and to many other Prouinces in Christendome and caused to be armed and sette forth foureâ—éene great Shippes that euery one of them had four Mastes To declare the reason wherefore he did this it were too long â—herefore I let it passe In euery Shippe he put sixe hundreth men and prouision for two yeares In these Shippes wente â—he sayd Embassadors with the Lady and Nicholas and Maâ—heo bréethreÌ„ and Marcus Paulus aforesayd and sayled thrée Monethes continually and then arriued at an Ilande called â—aua being in the South partes in the which they found marâ—ellous and strange things as héereafter shall be declared And departing from this Iland sayling on the Indian Seas â—viij Moneths before they came to the place they would come to founde by the wâ—y many maruellous and strange things â—s héereafter shall be declared Hovv Nicholas and Mapheo and Marco Polo returned to Venice after they had seene and heard many maruellous thinges CHAP. 4. AFter their arriuall with this foresayde Lady to the Kingdome they went vnto they found that the King Argon was dead and for that cause married that mayde to his sonne and there did gouerne in the roome of the Kyng a Lorde whose name was Archator for bycause the King was very yong And to this Gouernoure or Viceroy was the Embassage declared and of him the two Bréethren and Marco Polo demaunded licence to goe into their Countrey whiche he graunted and withall gaue them foure Tables of gold two of them were to haue Ierfawcons and other Hawkes with them The thirde was to haue Lyons And the fourth was that they shoulde goe frée withoute paying any charges and to be accompanyed and enterteyned as to the Kings owne person And by this commaundement they had company and gard of two hundreth Knightes from Towne to Towne for feare of manye Théeues vppon the wayes and so much they traueiled that they came to Trapesonsia and from thence to Constantinople and so to Nigro Ponte and â—â—â—alâ—ie to Venice in the yeare of oure Lord God .1295 This we doe declare for that all men shall knowe that Nicholas and Mapheo bréethren and Marco Polo haue seene hearde and did knowe the maruellous things written in this Booke the which declaring in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost shall be declared as héereafter followeth Of
be called by the name of the Kingdome Mosulinus and there is greate plentie and abundance of it and also greate plentie of spices and good cheape and of other Merchandise In the Mountaynes of this prouince dwell people calâ—ed Cordos and others called Iacobinos The rest be Moores of the sect of Mahomet and be good men of warre and be all rouers and robbers of Merchants Of Baldach and of many goodly things that be there CHAP. 10. BAldache is a very great Citie in the whych is resident one that is called Calipho whiche is among that Moores as it were chiefe gouernour head Through the middest of the Citie runneth a great Riuer and goeth into the Indian Sea. And there is from this Citie to the place where it entreth into the Sea. xviij dayes iourney From this Citie to the Sea and from the Sea to this Citie there dothe passe dayly by this Riuer in many and diuers vessels diuers kinds of Merchandise and they haue to their neyboure the India And in this Countrey is a Citie called Chisi By thiâ—â—iuer they goe to the Indian Sea. Betwéene Baldach and Chisi vppon the Riuer is a Citie called Barsera compassed with greate Mountaynes of Palmes and Date trées perfect good In Baldach they doe make cloth of golde of diuers sortes and cloth of silke called cloth of Nasich of Chrimson and of diuâ—rs other coloures and fashions There is great plentie of foure footed Beastes and of Fowles This Citie is one of the best and the noblest in the worlde There was in this Citie a Calipho of the Moores wonderfull and maruellous rich of gold and pretious stones And in the yeare of our Lorde God .1230 the King of the Tartars called Alan ioyned a greate company and went and sette vpon this Citie and toke it by force being in the Câ—tie one hundred thousande Horsemen besides infinite number of footemen And there he founde a great Tower full of golde siluer and pretious stones And King Alan séeing this great treasure maruelled much and sent for the Calipho and sayd vnto him I do much maruell of thy auarice that hauing so great treasure didst not giue parte of it to mainteyne valiant men that might defend me from thée knowing that I was thy mortall enimie And perceyuing the Calipho knewe not how to make him an answere said vnto him bycause thou louest this treasure so well I will thou shalte haue thy fill of it and caused him to be shut fast in the same Tower where he liued foure dayes and died miserably for hunger and from that time forwards the Moores woulde haue no more Caliphos in that Citie Of a Citie called Totis and of other notable things CHAP. 11. TOtis is a greate Citie of the Prouince or Countrey of Baldach in the whiche Prouince there be manye Cities and Townes but the most noblest is Totis The people of thys Citie bée Merchantes and hâ—ndycraftes men There they do make cloth of golde and of silke very riche and of greate value And this Citie is sette in so good a place that they doe bryng thyther all Merchandises of India and of Baldach and of Osmaseilli and of Cremes and of many other Cities and Countreys and also of the Latines There is greate plenty of pretious stones and for that cause the Merchants gette muche Thyther trade the Armenians Iacobiteâ— Nestorians Persians and these in a manner bée all Mahomets Rounde aboute this Citie be many fayre Gardens full of singular good frutes although the Moores that there doe dwell be very ill people robbers and killers Of a great miracle that hapned in Mosull CHAP. 12. IN Mosull a Citie in the Prouince of Baldach was a Calipho a great enimie of the Christians whose studie daye and night was how he might destroy them and to make them forsake their faith in Iesus Christ and vpon this ioyned in councell diuers times with hys wise men and in the ende one of them said I will tell you a way how you shal haue good cause to kill or force them to renounce their Faith. Iesus Christ sayth in hys Gospell If you haue so much Faith as the grayne of Mustard seede and saye to thys Mountayne passe from this place to another place it woulde do therefore cause to be called togither all the Christians and commaund them by their beléefe that such a hill doe passe from that place to suche a place truly it is not possible for them to doe it and not doing it you may iustly saye to them that eyther theyr Gospell dothe not saye truth and by that meanes they follow lyes or else they haue not so much Fayth as a grayne of Mustarde séede And thus as well for the one as for the other you maye iustly putte them to death or else force them to forsake theyr Fayth they holde This councell pleased well the Calipho and those of hys sect beléeuing that nowe they hadde good occasion to performe their euill purpose and incontinent he commaunded all the Chrystians that were in hys Countrey to come togither whiche was a great number and they being come before hym he cause theÌ„ to reade those Scriptures of Iesus christ And after that euery one of them had hearde it he asked them if they beléeued that these sayings were true and they answered yea IncoÌ„tinent said the Calipho to them I wil giue you fiftéene days respite to make either yoÌ„der hil to passe to such a place or else to renounce youre fayth in Iesus Christe as false and to turne Moores and if you will not doe this you shall all die And the Christians hearing this cruell sentence were sore troubled yet on the other part they comforted themselues with hope in the faith they had in the truth they beléeued And incontinent the Bishops and Prelates and Ministers that were among the Christians commaunded all the Christians men women and children to fall to continuall Prayer to oure Lorde Iesus Christ that he would helpe and councell them howe to rule and gouerne themselues in that greate trouble and néede And after eyght dayes were past appeared an Angell to a holy Bishop and commaunded him that he should say vnto a Shomaker that was a Christian that had but one onely eye that he should make Prayers to God the which for his fayth and Prayers shoulde make that hill remoue from his place into the place the Calipho had appoynted And incontinente the Bishop sente for that Shomaker and with great desire prayed him to make Prayers to oure Lord God that for hys mâ—rcie and pitie he woulde remoue that hill as the Calipho and Mâ—ores had appoynted The poore Shomâ—ker excused himselfe saying he was a greate Sinner and vnworthy to demaund that grace of God and this excuse he made with great humilitie like a iust and chast man full of vertue and holynesse and a kéeper of Gods commaundements deuoute and a great almes man according to his abilitie You shâ—ll vnderstande
Kingdome of the Persians of a great and long inheritance In this Countrey they doe finde greate plentie of pretious stones and of Turkies great store in the Mountaynes in the whiche Mountaynes is greate plentie of Vayne or Ore of Stéele and of Calamita In this Citie they do make greate plentie of costly saddles bridles and harnesses for Horses and for noble men Swords bowes and other riche furniture for Horse and man The Women of this Countrey doe nothing but commaunde their Seruauntes They make also there very riche cloth of gold and silke And in those Mountaynes be excéeding good Hawkes valiaunte and swifte of wings that no fewle can scape them And departing from Crerina you shall goe eyght dayes iourney in playne way full of Cities and Townes very faire and there is pleasaunte Hawking by the way great plentie of Partriches And being past the sayd eyght dayes iourney there is a going downe the hil of two dayes iourney whereas there is great plenty of frutes In the olde time there was manye Townes and houses and now there be none but heardmen that kéepe the Cattell in the field From the Citie of Crerina so this going down al the winter is so great cold that although they go very wel clothed they haue ynough to do to liue And being past this going downe two dayes iourney forwarde you shall come into a faire playne way the beginning whereof is a great faire Citie called Camath the whiche was in the old time noble and greate and nowe is not so for that the Tartars haue destroyed it That playne is very hote and that Prouince is called Reobarle There be apples of Paradise and Festucas and Medlars and diuers other goodly frutes in great abundance There be Oxen maruellous great the heare short and soft and the hornes short bigge and sharp and haue a greate rounde bunche betwéene the shoulders of two spannes long And when they will lade these Oxen they do knéele downe on theyr knées like Camels and being ladeÌ„ do rise and they carrie great weight There the Shéepe be as greate as Asses hauing a greate tayle and thicke that will weigh .32 pound and be maruellous good to eate In that playne be many Cities townes with walles and Towers of a great heigth for the defence of the enimies called Caraones which be certaine Villages The people of that Countrey their Mothers be Indians and their fathers Tartars When that people will go a robbing they worke by enchantment by the Deuill to darken the aire as it were midnight bycause they woulde not bée séene a farre off and this darkenesse endureth seauen dayes And the Théeues that know well all the wayes goe togither withoute making anye noyse and as many as they can take they robbe The olde men they kill and the yong men they sell for slaues Their King is called Hegodar and of a truth I Marcus Paulus do tell you that I escaped very hardly from taking of these 〈◊〉 and that I was not slaine in that darkenesse but it pleased God I escaped to a towne called Ganassalim yet of my companie they tokâ— and slewe many This playne is towardes the South and is of seauen dayes iourney and at the end of them is a mouÌ„tayne called Detustlyno that is eightéene miles long more and is also very daungerous with théeues that do rob Merchauntes and all trauellers At the ende of this mountaine is a faire playne called the goodly playne which is seauen dayes iourney in the which there be many wels and date trées very good and this playne bordereth vpon the Ocean Sea and on the riuer of the sea is a Citie called Carmoe Of the Citie Carmoe and of many maruellous and straunge things that be there CHAP. 16. Carmoe is a greate Citie and is a good porte of the Ocean sea Thither do occupie MerchaÌ„ts of the Indeas with spices cloth of gold silke and with precious stones and Elephantes téeth and is a Citie of great trade with merchaundize and is heade of that kingdome and the king is called Mâ—nedanocomoyth It is very hote there and the ayre infectious When there doth dye any Merchaunt they doe make hauocke of all his goods In this Citie they do drinke wine made of Dates putting good spices to it yet at the beginning of dinner it is daungerous for those that be not vsed to it for it will make them very soluble streight waye but it is good to purge the body The people of that Countrey do not vse of our victuals for when they eate bread of wheate and fleshe by and by they fall sicke Their victuals is Dates salte Tonny Garlike Onyons The peoplâ— of that Countrey be blacke and be of the sect of Mahomet And for the great heate in the Sommer they dwell not in the town but in the 〈◊〉 and in gardens and Orchyards There be many riuers and Wels that euery one hath faire water for his garden and there be manye that dwell in a desart wheras is al sande that ioyneth to that playne And those people assoone as they féele the great heate they goe into the waters and there tarrie till the beate of the daye be past In that countrey they do sowe their wheate and corne in Nouember and gather it in Marche And in thys time the fruites be greater than in any place And after March is passe the grasse hearbes and leaues of trées doe drie sauing of Date trées which continue till Maye And in that countrey they haue this custome â—hat when the husband doth dye the wife and hir friendes doe wéepe once a day for the space of foure yeares Of the Citie of Crerima and the death of the Olde man of the Mountaine Câ—AP 17. LEauing hers this Citie and not declaring any more of the Indians I retourne to the Northwarâ—â—â— declaring of those prouincâ—s 〈◊〉 â—nother way to the Citie Crerima aforesayde for bycause that way that I would tell of could not be trauelled to Crerima for the crueltie of the king of that câ—â—untrie whâ—â—â—e is called Ren 〈◊〉 ela vacomare from whome fewe coulde scape buâ— eyther were robbed or slayne And for this cause manye kings did paye him tribute and hys name is as muche to saye as the olde man of the mountayne But I wyll nowe declare vnto you howe this cruell King was taken prisoner in the yeare of our Lord .1272 Alan King of the Tartars of the East hearing of the greate crueltie of this olde mâ—n of the Mountayne that he did sent a great host of men and besette his Castell rounde about and thus continued three yeares and coulde neuer take it till that victuals did sayle them for it was very strong and vnpossible to be gotten At the length Alan toke the Casteâ—â— and the old man of the Mountayne and of al his Souldioures and men be caused the heads to be stricken off and from that time forwarde that way was
cattel and by reason the way is sandie their tracte is soone filled by reason whereof the théeues knowe not howe to follow in that Countrey Of a great deserte and of the Citie called Iob. CHAP. 36. DEparting from Ciarchan you shal trauayle fiue dayes iourney in sande and in the waye fresh and swéete waters and some saltish Being paste these fiue dayes iorney you shal finde a great desert and at the beginning of it a gret Citie called Iob betwéene the Northeast and the Easte They be vnder the obedience of the great Cane be Mahomets And they that wil passe this desert had néede to be in thys Citie a wéeke for to prouide them victuals and other necessaries for them and theyr horses for a moneth for in thys desert you shall finde nothing to eate or drinke and there be many sandie hils and greate After you be entred into it one dayes iourney you shall finde good water but after that neyther good nor badde nor beastes nor foules nor any thing to eate and trauelling that waye by nighte you shall heare in the ayre the sound of Tabers and other instruments to putte the trauellers in feare and to make them lose their way and to depart from their company and loose themselues and by that meanes many doâ— die being deceiued so by euill spirites that make these soundes and also do call diuerse of the trauellers by their names and make them to leaue their companye so that you shall passe this desert with great daunger Of the prouince of Tanguith and of the Citie Sangechian and of many straunge things there CHAP. 37. AFter you be passe the sayde thirtie dayes iourney by the deserte you shall come to a Citie called Sangechian subiect to the greate Cane And this prouince is called Tanguith in the whiche al be Idolaters sauing some be Christians Nestorians and some Mahomets The Idolaters speake the Persian tong and doe liue by the fruites of that Countrey There be among them manye Monasteries of the Idolaters wher with great deuotion they bring their children and with euerie of them a shéepe and do present to their Idols and euerie yeare they come with theyr children and make great reuerence to their Idols bryng with them their shéepe and kill them and séeth them and present them there before their Idols saying to them they must eate their meate the which they can not doe for they haue neyther mouth nor sense and séeing their Idols doâ— not eate it they carrie it home to their houses with greate reuerence and call theyr kyndered togyther and do eate of it as meate sacrificed to their Gods and put the bones in a basket When anye man or woman dieth they burne the body and this they accustome to doe with al the Idolators And in the way that the deade bodies shall passe to be burnte stande all their friendes and kinsfolkes to accompany the body to the sepulchre all clothed in cloth of golde and silke and after the burnte bodye is put into the grounde they cause to be brought thither meate drinke and there they do eate and drinke with greate myrth saying These bodies shall be receiued in the other worlde with like honour When they burne the bodies they do also burne with them diuers papers paynted of men women and beastes sayâ—ng that as many pictures of men women and beastes as they do burne with them so many seruaunts they shall haue in the other world to doe them seruice and when they cary them to bury there goeth before them diuers kinds of instruments playing And wheÌ„ one of these Idolators dieth his friendes incontinentlye declare to the Astrologers the day and the houre hée was borne in and wil not bury him before the day houre the Astrologers doe commaunde by that meanes some they bury straightways and somtimes they tarry ten twenty and thirtie dayes and sometime sixe moneths according as the Astrologers doe commaunde and in the meane time they do sire the body with spices and put it in a coffin and nayle it faste and lay a cloth ouer it and euerye day they set their table ouer the Coffin and there do eate and drinke and pray the dead body to eate with them And when the day appointed is come for to bury him the Astrologers do say that if he hath layne there one month it is not good to take him oute of that place by the iudgement of the Constellations and for that cause muste first remoue him to some other side of the house from thence carry him to bury Of the prouince Chamul and of the euill customes there CHAP. 38. CHamul is a prouince in the whiche be manye Citties and Townes whereof the chiefest is called Chamul and this prouince is towards the winde called Maistral which is Northeast and hath two Deserts on the one side the Deserte is of thrée dayes iorney and on the other side as muche The people of this Countrey worship Idols and doe speake the Persian tongue They liue by their labor in the Countrey and haue plentie of al things néedefull They be people giuen much to their owne pleasure as playing on instrumentes dauncing and singing And if any straunger doe goe to sée their pastime they receiue him and make very much of him with feasting and cheare and the goodman commaundeth his wife to make hym the beste cheare she can and to obey him in al things he will commaunde or desire and so the goodman goeth to his laboure into the fieldes and leaueth the straunger with hys wife willing hir to obey hym as to his owne person and this custome the menne and the women vse there be not ashamed therof The women be very faire there In the time of the greate Cane that is passe for the greate dishonestie hée heard of the people of that countrie and the greate hurte they susteined in their houses commaunded them that they shoulde receiue no straungers into their houses wherewithall the people were sore offended and thinking themselues not well vsed sent Embassadors to the greate Cane requesting him that he woulde not restraine them from their auntient liberties and customes that their anticessors hadde euer vsed and they for their partes woulde continue the same otherwise they shoulde be vnthankefull to their Idolls After the greate Cane hadde hearde their Embassage aunswered them séeyng they had pleasure in suche shamefull vsages and woulde not leaue it he also was contented with it Of the prouince Hingnitala and of the Salamandra that is founde there CHAP. 39. HIngnitala is a prouince set betwéen the North and the Easte and is a long prouince of sixetéene dayes iourney and is subiect to the great Cane and there is manye Cities and Townes There is also in that prouince thrée linages of people to saye Idolators that be Christians Nestorians and Iacobites and the other Mahomets At the ende of this prouince towardes the North is a greate hill on the whiche there
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
50. PArting from this Citie and trauelling .iij dayes iorny you shall come to a Citie called Gianorum in the which there is a meruellous goodly Pallace of the great Canes to lodge him and his Court when he commeth to that Citie and in this Citie he is desirous to be with good will for bycause that neare vnto it is a good countrey in the which be great plentie of wyld Géese and Duckes and of Cranes of fiue sortes or manners the first be great and all blacke like Crowes the second all whyte sauing the heades that be all red the thirde al black sauing the heade is white and shyning the fourth gréene with blacke heads they be farre bigger than ours the fifth be little with all their feathers redde Neare vnto this Citie is a great valley where the great Cane hath many wilde beastes great and smal and among theÌ„ great plentie of Partridges to serue for his prouision when hée goeth into that Countrey Of a maruellous Citie called Liander and of many maruellous and farre things they haue there CHAP. 51. DEparting thrée dayes iourney from this Citie betwéen the Northeast and the North you shall come to a Citie called Liander which Cublay Cane buylded In this Citie is a maruellous goodlye Pallace made of Mâ—rble and flint stones called pedras viuas al gilded wyth gold and neare to this Pallace is a wall which is in compasse fiftéene miles and within this wall be faire riuers Wels and gréene Meadowes where the great Cane hath plentie of all kinde of wilde foule and beastes for to finde his Hawkes called Faulcons and Gerfaulcons that bée there in mew which he at sometimes more than 40000. that which many times he goeth thyther to sée WheÌ„ he doth ride in these Meadowes he carrieth behinde him on the buttockes of his horse a russet or graye Lyon tame and setteth him to the stagges or redde Déere and to other wylde beastes and vppon these beastes do the Gerfaulcons and Faulcons season In the middest of these Meddowes is a great house where the great Cane doth resort to dinner and to banquet and to take his reste and pleasure in when he goeth that waye And this house is compassed about with greate Canes that be gilded and couered with Canes that be varnished and closed all in one in such sort that no water can passe throughteuerye Cane is at the least thrée spannes compasse and from tenne to fiftéen paces long And this house is so made that at al times they maye take it downe and set it vp againe vpon a sodayne It is tyed with aboue 200. cordes of silke after the manner of tentes or pauilions And the greate Cane repayreth thither for his pleasure in Iune Iuly and August and there by commaundement of his Prophets Idolaters maketh sacrifice with milke to his Idols for to preserue and kéepe his wiues and sonnes and daughters and his subiâ—ctes and seruauntes and cattell and foules corne vines fruite and all other things in his countries All the Mares that the great Cane rideth on be as white as milke Among the which he hath alwayes ten Mares that no body doth drinke of their milke but onlye he and some greate men of his Courte and some others that hée called honourable and noble bycause of a victorie had against the â—nemies of Chenchis the first king of the Tartars Of the sacrifice and other maners of the life of the greate Cane CHAP. 52. WHen the great Cane will make sacrifice he poureth out the Mares milke vpon the ground and in the ayre and the Prophets of his gods say that milke poured out is the holye Ghoste of the which all the Idols be ful and do beléeue that this sacrifice is the cause of his confirmation and of his subiects of al his other things And this sacrifice he doth euery yere the 29. day of August And to those white horses and Mares wheresoeuer they do go they do great reuerence This greate Cane hath in his Court certaine Negromanciers whiche by arte of the Diuel when it is foule troubleseme weather it shal be fayre and cleare weather in his Pallace And do gyue to vnderstande to the people that the clearnesse is ouer the Pallace where the great Cane is only for his deserts and holy life and by vertue of his Idols When anye one is iudged to dye as soone as he is deade they séeth him and eate him but those that dye by natural death be meat for their Idols And besides thys when the great Cane is at hys table these inchaunters doe worke by arte of the Diuel that Cuppes doe rise from the table tenne Cubits into the ayre and do set themselues down again and wheÌ„ they wyll doe this they demaunde of the greate Cane a blacke shéepe and the wood of Alloe and Incense other swéete spyces wherof there is great plenty bicause their sacrifice séeme the more swéeter and he commaundeth to be deliuered to them what they will haue for bycause they beléeue that their Idols doe preserue and kéepe him and all his companie These Prophets and Priestes do cause the flesh to be sodden with spices in presence of their Idols do put incense therin and poure the broth into the ayre they say the Idol taketh of it what pleaseth him and thys they do with gret singing Euery Idol hath his name and to euery one they do this worship on their dayes as we do on our saints dayes They haue many Monasteries deputed to the names of their Idols There is in that countrey one Monasterie as big as a good Citie in the which there be 400. Monkes that goe honestly apparelled and their beardes and heads shauen Vpon their feaste dayes they kepe great solemnity with singing and praysing and lights and some of these religious men haue many wiues and some of them liue chaste the chast do eate the branne and the meale kneaded togither with a little hote water and do fast oftentimes in reuerence of their Idols and do weare garments made of Canuas died blacke or blewe some white and do lye in Almadraques sharpe and harde beds and the other religious that be maried they go well apparelled and do eate and drinke wel and doe saye that those which liue the streight life be Heretickes and fooles bycause they do punish their bodies by meanes whereof they can not honor their Idols as they ought to do and as reason is All the Idols of these married religious men they do name by the name of women bycause they be such leacherous people Of a victorie the great Cane had CHAP. 53. HEre for your better information I wyll declare vnto you of a victory the gret Cane had wherby you shal the better vnderstand and know of his strength and power It was he that now raigneth which was called Cublay Cane whiche is as muche to saye as Lorde of Lordes You shall vnderstande that this
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
that when they are set vp there may be vnder and walke at theyr ease .2000 knights and the entring into them openeth towardes the South and one of the tentes is for the Barrons and Knightes that are of the Lordes garde and in a smaller tente that standeth by it opening towardes the Septentrion edified wyth faire chambers wrought all with golde ordayned for the great Cane where he kéepeth Courtes and audience to all them that come and in this tent there be two chambers with faire Halles and the feelings is susteined vppon thrée pillers of a maruellous worke and are couered with Lions skinnes and of other beasts wroughte and painted of diuers coloures so that neyther wind nor raine can enter or passe through for they are made onely for that purpose and these chambers and halles are furred with Ermines and Iebelines or Sables whiche Sabels is so pretious that one furre for a Knighte are or is worth .2000 Bysancios of gold All the cordes of these tents are of silke and these twoo tentes are of suche value that a meane King thoughe he do sell all his lande is not able to buy them â–ª And rounde aboute these two tentes stande manye other tentes being verye faire for the Barons and for the other people so wel set and ordayned that it séemeth to be a greate Citie from euery place there commeth people to sée the mightinesse pleasure of the greate Cane There goeth with the greate Cane all his Courte that he kéepeth in Cambalu and in the place he remayneth hunting and hawking vntil al the moneth of Aprill for there they finde greate plentie of wildefoule for that there be great lakes and riuers When the greate Cane goeth on hawking for wilde foule there may no man hawk néere him not within twentie dayes iorny vppon a great penaltie And from the beginning of March vntill October there is no Baron nor subiecte vnto the great Cane that dare take any wild beast or foule â–ª though there be very greate plentie in that countrie vppon great penaltie and when the time of his hawking is ended hée returneth vnto the Citie of Cambalâ— hawking by the way and néere vnto the Citie he doth kéepe solemne cheare .iij. dayes Within the saide Citie they lodge no straungers nor bury any dead corps There commeth vnto this Citie merchandize from all parts of the world cloth of gold and of silke pretious stones and pearles and great plentie of other notable thinges to maintaine the magnificence of the greate Canes Courte that he hathe and for the greate resorte of people that come thither and this Citie is scituated in the middest of his prouinces and countries Of the money that is vsed in all that countrey CHAP. 59. THe greate Cane causeth his money to be made in this manner causing the rine of a Mulberry trée to be cut very thinne whiche is between the vtter rine and the trée and of this he maketh mony both small and great whiche some of them is worth halfe an ounce some an ounce some ten groats some twentie some thirtie and same worth a Bisanco of golde and some of twoo Bisancoes and so they rise vntil tenne Bisancios of gold This money is staÌ„ped with the signe of the Lord it is currant in al his Country and in al the prouinces which are subiect vnto him no man may refuse this mony for if he do he must léese his head he that doth counterfet hys coine shall be destroyed vnto the third generation There commeth sometimes vnto the Courte of Cambalu Merchants that bring golde and pretious stones for to buy the cloth of golde and silke and other Merchaundizes in quantitie of thrée thousand Bisancios of golde and many times the greate Cane commaundeth that all the golde siluer and pretious stones that may be founde in the Merchauntes handes and subiectes of his dominions shoulde be deliuered to his treasurers and so they doe and they be paid for it in this saide money which is made of the rine of a Mulbery trée that they may sée how al the gold siluer pearle pretious stones is closed vp in his treasury being boughte for this vile money of no value so that little golde siâ—uer pearles and pretious stones commeth out of his country and after this sorte he maketh himselfe the richest Prince of the worlde Of the order and rules that he hath in his dominions CHAP. 60. THe great Cane hathe sette tenne Barons or noble men of greate estimation to gouerne .64 prouinces and countries subiects vnto him and they euer remaine in hys Citie imperial of Cambalu and these tenne Barons doe appoynt Iudges and Notaries ouer the Countries that are vnder their guiding of the which euery one of them doth exercise his office in the country that he hath charge of and these Iudges remaine also in the Citie of Cambalu vnder the obedience of those Barons These tenne Barons do constitute gouernours and officers throughe all the Countries and doe chaunge them when they liste and when they haue putte them in the roome they doe present them before the greate Cane and hée doeth accepte them and giueth them Tables of Golde and by writing the order howe to vse themselues and these gouernoures and officers doe gyue them knowledge by letters and messengers vnto the Iudges which are deputies ouer them and those Iudges doe notifie all things vnto those ten Barons and they do make declaration of it vnto the great Cane so that after this manner he knoweth what is done in hys Countries and prouideth for all things necessarie Of the saide order CHAP. 61. THese ten Barons are called Senich which is to say the principalles of the Court and these doe prouide for the preseruation of the great Canes estate and they do ordain his warres and hostes and Knightes and they doe treate and make peace betwéene the Lordes and they doe make prouision in euery manner of thing that toucheth their Lordes estate and to all his dominions but they lette nothing passe vntill suche time as their Lorde do vnderstande it Of the Citie Cambalu CHAP. 62. THe Citie of Cambalu hathe manye outlettes and gates that thoroughe them they maye goe vnto diuers prouinces and countries when they goe from thence for to goe vnto Cataya they finde a great mountaine where there is blacke stones they burne like wood when they be well kindled they will kéep a fire from one day to an other which I suppose be of the nature of oure Sea-coles and they do burne of them in that Country thoughe the haue woodde but the woodde is more dearer than are the stones or seacoales Of the meruailous things that be founde in that countrey CHAP. 63. THe great Cane sent me Marcus Paulus as his Embassador towards the Occident or Westwarde in the which message I was fourtéene moneths from the time that I went from Cambalu And héere I will declare to you
of the meruailous things that I saw with mine own eies aswel at my going outwards as at my commyng homewardes as that at my going froÌ„ Cambalu and taking my iourney towards the Occident or Westwarde And after that I had gone tenne dayes iorney I founde a very great riuer which is called Poluisanguis and runneth his course into the Occean sea Vppon this riuer there is a bridge the fayrest in the worlde it hath thrée hundred paces of length and eighte paces of breadth so that there may goe tenne menne in a rancke on horsebacke This Bridge hathe foure and twentie arches of Marble very artificially wroughte at the heade of this Bridge at the one side standeth a Piller being verye greate of Marble hauing a Lion standing on the toppe and an other Lion at the neather ende being very liuely made and a pace and a halfe distant from that standeth an other like vnto it and so orderly standeth one by another til you come vnto the further ende of the bridge so there is on eche side of the bridge two hundred pillers and in the middes of euery piller there is made Images of men very artificially Of the Citie named Goygu and of many meruellous things CHAP. 64. FRom this Bridge you shall goe tenne miles throughe fields full of Vines very faire palaces at the ten miles end there is a Citie named Goygu it is very great faire in it there straÌ„deth a gret Abby of Idolatry The people of this Country liue vppon merchaundize and be artificers for they do make great plentie of cloth of golde and silke Also there is plentie of lodgings for those that do trauaile and come thither out of other places Of the vvay that goeth vnto the Countrey of the Magos CHAP. 65. GOyng from this Citie almoste a myle there parteth twoo wayes the one goeth vnto the Occident or Weast and the other goeth towardes the Siroco The waye whiche goeth vnto the Occident or Weaste leadeth vnto the Occean Sea towards the high Countrey of the Magos and you may trauaile throughe the prouince of Cataâ—a tenne dayes iourney in the whiche waye there is many Cities and Townes Of the Citie named Tarasu CHAP. 66. AFter you do goe from the Citie of Goygu trauailing ten dayes iourney you come vnto a Citie named Tarasu whiche is the heade Citie of that countrie or prouince where there is plentie of vines muche wine and there they doe make all kinde of armoure for the greate Canes Court. In the Countrie of Cataya there is no wine for they prouide themselues of wine out of this region Of the Citie named Paimphu CHAP. 67. TRaueling from theÌ„ce towards the Occident or Weast eighte dayes iourney throughe fayre Cities and Townes wherein they doe traffike Merchandizes at the eyght dayes iorney you shal come vnto a very gret and fayre Citie whiche is named Paymphu and going twoo dayes iorney beyonde it you shall come vnto a fayre Towne named Caychin whiche was made by their King. Of a King named Bur. CHAP. 68. THis Bur warred a long time with Prester Iohn he coulde neuer haue anye vauntage of him but at laste Prester Iohn gotte him by a traine after this sorte Seauen yong Gentlemen of Prester Iohns Courte went from him with his liceÌ„ce and came to the Court of this king Bur shewing as though they had departed from Prester Iohn in great displeasure so offered themselues to serue the said King Bur who retayned them as squires and pages in his Courte and after they had bin with hym two yeares hauing greate confidence and truste in them thys King Bur on a tyme roade abroade for his pleasure and taking with him the saide seauen Gentlemen and being the distaunce of a myle from his Castell perceyuyng they had him now at aduantage to execute their purpose tooke him and carryed him to Prester Iohn and Prester Iohn made him his shéepehearde and kept his shéepe two yeares and afterwardes gaue him horses and menne and sent him to his Castell as his shéepehearde Of the Citie named Casiomphur CHAP. 69. BEyond this castel twentie miles towardes the Occident there standeth a great Citie named Casiompâ—ur and the people of it worship Idolles The like doe all those of the Countrey of Cataya In this Citie there is made muche cloth of golde and of silke Of the Citie named Bengomphu and of many things that there is found in those parties CHAP. 70. GOing from Casiomphur eight dayes iourney towards the Occident you shal goe alwayes by greate Cities and faire Townes and excellente places with goodlie and faire Gardens with principal houses there is great plentie of wilde beasts and foules for hunting and hauking and at the ende of these eight dayes iourney there standeth a faire Citie whiche is called Bengomphu and is the head Citie of that realme There is in this Citie as king one of the great Canes sonnes who is called Magala The people of this Realme are Idolatours This Citie hath plentie of all things and without this Citie standeth the pallace royall of the king the which with the Wal of the Citie is tenne myle compasse In this Citie there is a lake made of many fountaines that runneth and serueth the Citie The Walles of this Citie haue very faire battlementes and on the inside of the Wall of the Pallace it is layde on with gold like playster and without this Pallace round about that lake there is very faire and delectable ground and fields Of the prouince named Chinchy CHAP. 71. GOing from thys pallace towards the Occident thrée dayes iourney you come vnto a playne full of faire Cities and townes and at this thrée dayes iourneys ende there bée greate mountaines and valleis belonging â—o the prouince of Chinchy in these mountaines and valleys there be many Cities and townes and all the people there are Idolaters husbandmen and hunters This iorney endureth twentie dayes there be in it manye Lions â—nd plentie of other wilde beastes and in all these twentie dayes iourney there is plentie of lodging for those that doe trauell Of the Countrey and Citie called Cineleth Mangi and many other things which be founde there CHAP. 72. AT the end of twentie dayes iourney standeth a Citie named Cyneleth a noble and a greate Citie and vnder the obedience of this Citie there be many Cities townes towaâ—d the Occident The people of thys Countrey are Idolatours they haue great trade of Merchandise In this countrey there is plentie of Ginger â–ª and from thence the Merchaunts do carrie it vnto Cataya Also there is aboundance of wheate and other graine Thys countrey is called Cyneleth Mangi and it hath two dayes iourney of plaine countrey Beyond this countrey there be great playnes and valleys mountaines being greatly inhabited with Cities and townes for the space of twentie days iourney where there be many Lions and beares besides other wilde beastes Also there is greate plentie
of Muskcats and other noble and faire beastes Of the countrey and Citie named Cindarifa and of a maruellous bridge CHAP. 73. AFter you haue gone these twentye dayes iourney you come vnto a great plain being of the countrey named Cindarifa whiche is twenty miles compasse and the great Cane before he died diuided it into thrée partes al thrée parts be strongly walled rounde about Through the middest of this countrey runneth a great riuer which is called Champhu half a mile brode There is in this riuer plentie of fish and there is scituated vpon this riuer many Cities and townes also by shipping vpon this riuer they sayle from Citie to Citie with all kind of Merchaundises· From the beginning and heade of this riuer vntill the entring into the maine sea there is thirtie days iourney and the chiefe Citie of this countrey is named Sindarifa From this citie ouer the riuer there is a bridge of a mile long and eight paces brode made of marble stone and couered with timber of Pineaple trée verye fayre On the sides of this bridge there be houses and shops for Merchauntes and of diuerse occupations and at the foote of this bridge there standeth a custome house verye faire made where they do gather their Lords customes and euery daye they receiue tenne thousande Bisancios of god The people of this countrey are Idolatours Of the prouince named Cheleth CHAP. 74. GOing from this countrey you shal trauell through a faire plaine country ful of many townes and Cities it indureth fiue dayes iourney and then you shal come vnto a prouince whiche is called Cheleth which was destroyed by the great Cane In this prouince there bée Canes which are called Berganegas of fiftéene paces long and tenne spannes in compasse euerye one of them and they haue from the one knot to the other thrée spans The trauellours make fire with these Canes for they haue this propertie that as soone as they féele the heate of the fire they giue such a great cracke that the sound is harde many miles off and the Lyons and wilde beastes that are thereabouâ—s be so fearefull of that noyse that they do run away and do no hurt vnto those that trauell and the horses that the trauellours doe ride on haue so much feare of that noyse being not vsed vnto it that they breake theyr brydles and haulters and runne away so that sometimes they cannot finde them againe therefâ—re those that trauell doe tye their horses and Asses in certaine holes or Caues that they finde in the Mountaines This countrey is twentie dayes iourney long where they finde nothing to eate nor yet to drinke nor no habitation therfore those that trauell that way do carrie prouision for those twenty daies iourney whiche they do passe with great feare and trauell Of the Prouince named Thebet and of the maruellous beastlinesse and filthie liuing of the people there CHAP. 75. AT these twenty dayes iourneys end you come vnto a Prouince or Countrey that is full of Cities and Townes And the custome in this Countrey is that none dothe marrie with maydes nor virgins but that first she must be knowen carnally of many men and specially of strangers And for this occasion when the mothers meane to marrie anye of their damsels the mother dothe carrie them néere the high way side and with mirth and chéere procureth those that do trauell to sléepe with hir and sometimes there lyeth with hir ten and with some other twenty And when the stranger or traueller goeth his wayes from any suche Damsell hée must leaue vnto hir some iewell the whiche iewell the saide damsels or wenches do hang at their neckes in token and signe that they haue lost their virginitie wyth strangers And she that hathe vsed hir selfe with moste strangers it shall be knowen by the most quantitie of iewels that she weareth aboute hir necke and she most soonest shall finde a mariage and shall be most praysed and loued of hir husband And those of this prouince are Idolaters euill men cruell and robbers In this Countrey there be manye wilde beastes and specially of Muskettes All those of this Countrey doe weare Canuas and Cowhydes and the skinnes of wilde beastes whych they do take in hunting This Countrey is named Thebethe and is adioyning vnto the Prouince of Maugy Of the Prouince and Countrey named Maugi CHAP. 76. MAugi is a great prouince and Countrey and it hathe vnder it eyghte Kingdomes and Riuers and in the same there is found much gold of Payulsa And they doe vse money made of Currall and the Currall is there very déere for that the women do vse to weare it about their neckes and doe decke their Idols with it In this Countrey they doe worke cloth of gold and silke and of Chamlet great plenty Also there groweth much spice Also there be manye Negromancers Astronomers Inchanters and euill disposed men Also there be in this Countrey Masties as bigge as Asses and the people be subiects to the great Cane Of the Prouince and Countrey named Candon and of the iewels that grow there and of the beastly conditions of the people CHAP. 77. CAndrew is a Countrey that lyeth towards the Occident and it hathe vnder it seauen Kingdomes of Idolaters subiectes vnder the greate Cane In this Countrey there be many Cities Townes and Villages And in one place of this Countrey there is greate plenty of Pearles and precious stones but the great Cane dothe not suffer them to be had out And in the Mountaynes in this Countrey there be fouÌ„d many Turquesses and they may not be had out of the Countrey without expresse licence of the greate Cane Also the custome of the people in this Countrey is that as soone as there commeth a stranger to lodge in his house the good man goeth out commaunding his wife children and seruantes to obey that Stranger as his owne proper person and hée neuer commeth home vnto his owne house vntill he know that the Stranger is gone from his house and he knoweth it by a signe and a token that the Stranger dothe leaue at his going at the dore And when the good man spyeth the signe or token he entreth into hys house This vse they doe kéepe thorough all that Countrey and take it for no shame although the Strangers do vse their wiues But rather they doe take it in greate honor and estimation that they do so well enterteyne the Strangers And theyr Idols tell them for that they doe honoure the Strangers their Gods do encrease their substance The people of this CouÌ„trey do vse money made of gold that euery péeâ—e is worth .7 Duckets In this prouince and Countrey there is great plenty of all kinds of spice and muske and great plentye of fishe by reason of the greate lakes and pooles that be there Of another Prouince vvhere there is found gold and other things CHAP. 78. GOing out of the foresaid prouince and
trauelling tenne dayes iourney through a Countrey full of Cities and Townes and verye much people seming much in their vse and custome vnto those of the last rehearsed Countrey And at the tenne dayes iourneys end you come vnto a greate Riuer whiche is named Bruâ— at the which endeth the Countrey and prouince named Candew In this Riuer there is founde great plentie of gold And fast by this riuer groweth very much Ginger And thys Riuer falleth into the Occean Sea. Of the Prouince named Caraya CHAP. 79. BEyonde this Riuer you come vnto a Prouince named Caraia towards the occident In this Countrey there be seauen Kingdomes subiectes vnder the great Cane Héere raigneth one of the greate Canes sonnes named Esentemur being rich wise and a valiant man and gouâ—rneth his subiects with great prudence and iustice These people be Idolaters And after that you haue passed the saide Riuer and trauelling fiue dayes iourney there be many Cities and Townes and there is brought vp and bredde great plentie of Horses Of the Prouince named Ioci and of their beastly customes CHAP. 80. AT fiue dayes iourneys end you come vnto a Citie which is named Ioci and is verye great and full of people Idolaters sauing that there be some Christian people Heretikes Nestorians They do vse for their money fine shelles white whiche are founde in the Sea and fourescore of them are worth a Sazo of gold whyche is worth two grotes of golde And eyght Sazos of siluer which is an ounce and is worth a Sazo of golde There they do make Sault of the water of Welles great pleÌ„ty And in this Countrey no man careth though another man haue to do with his wife There is a Lake in thys Prouince hauing in compasse a hundred miles Therein is plentie of excellent good fish The people of this Countrey do eate rawe fleshe after this manner They cut it in small péeces and sauce it with Garlike and spices which giueth them a good tast vnto the flesh Of the Prouince named Chariar and of the strange Serpents that be there CHAP. 81. GOing from this Prouince Ioci and trauelling tenne dayes iourney you come vnto another Prouince named Chariar subiect vnto the greate Cane and it is full of people of Idolaters and one of the great Canes sonnes named Chocayo ruleth and gouerneth them And in this Countrey there is found great plenty of gold And a Sazo of gold goeth there for sixe of siluer And they doe vse in this Countrey little white shelles of the Sea in stead of money which is broughte from India In this Prouince there be certayne Serpents of tenne paces in length and their gaule is solde very déere for they do vse it in mâ—nye medicines for if a man shoulde be bitte with a madde Dogge laying vppon the sore so muche quantitie of that gaule as will lye vpon a farthing it healeth it immediately Also it easeth a woman of hir pangs that is in trauell The men of this Countrey are peruerse people and cruell for if they do sée anye trauellers that are prudente and faire they do marke where the night doth take them and thither they come and kill them saying that the fairenesse and prudence of the dead doth passe vnto them and therefore they do kill them and not for to rob them This peruerse custome was among them before they became vnder the great Cane But .95 yeares hitherto that they were vnder the greate Cane they dare not doe anye such thing and therefore become a greate deale better people and of a better disposition Of the Prouince named Cingui and of many things that be there and of the Citie named Caucasu CHAP. 82. AFter that a man departeth from Chariar he goeth fiue dayes iourney towards the Occident and commeth to another Prouince named Nocteam and also the Citie named Nociam whiche is the head of thys Prouince and it is vnder the great Cane All the men of this Prouince haue their téeth couered with golde And the women do dresse their Horses The men doe no other thing but goe on Hunting passing the time in the fields and goe vnto the warre The women doe buy and sell and do all things necessarie belonging to the house and gouerne all the goodes and their men and women Seruantes Ouer and aboue this the women of this Countrey haue this custome that as she is deliuered of childe she riseth and wrappeth the childe and dothe all things belonging to the house and receyueth no more payne than though she had not bin deliuered of childe but in giuing the childe sucke and as soone as she is deliuered the husband lyeth in the bedde laying the childe by hym as though he had borne it himselfe for the space of fortye dayes and the woman dothe serue him He is visited of the kinsmen and friends neyghbours as though he had bin deliuered himselfe making great feastes for the space of thirtie dayes In this Countrey they doe giue a Sazo of golde which is an ounce for fyue Sazos of siluer being fyue ounces Also they doe vse Persiuolas béeyng little shelles of the Sea whiche come from Inâ—iâ— in stead of money These people haue no Idols but euery householde worshippeth theyr Superiour and Mayster None of them can write nor reade for that they dwell among the moyst Mountaynes corrupted with euill ayres In thys Prouince and in the other two afore specifyed there be no Phisitions but when they doe fall sicke they cause to come vnto their houses certayne Ministers which vse inchantmentes by the power of the Diuell and declare the sicknesse that the diseased hathe and these Ministers sounde their instrumentes in honor of theyr Idols in so muche that the Deuill entereth into one of those Ministers Inchanters or Idols and falleth downe as though hée were dead and those Ministers or Maysters of the Idols demaunde of hym that lyeth inchanted or in a trance wherefore that man fell sicke and hée aunswereth for that he hathe angered suche or suche an Idoll and then those Maysters or Ministers of the Idols saye vnto him that is inchanted we request thée to pray vnto that Idoll that is angrie wyth the sicke bodye to pardon hym and wyll make hym Sacrifice with hys owne bloud And if hée that is in thys trance doe beléeue that the disease is mortall hée aunswereth thys sicke man hathe so displeased the Idoll that I knowe not whether he will pardon hym or not for that hée hathe determined that hée shoulde dye and if he thynketh that hée shall escape hée sayeth if hée wyll lyue it behoueth hym to gyue vnto the Idoll so manye Shéepe that haue blacke neckes and to dresse so many sortes of meates dressed with spices sufficient to make the sacrifices vnto the Idoll that is angry with him and for the ministers that serue him and for the women that serue in his temple whiche is all fraude and guile of the inchanters for to
gette victuals by this meanes all are damned vnto Hell. To this banket there is conuited the maisters and ministers of the Idols the inchanters and women that serue in the temple of that Idoll And before they sitte downe to the Table they doe sprincle the broath aboute the house singing and daunsing in the honor of that Idoll And they doe aske the Idoll if he haue forgiuen the sicke man And sometimes the Féende aunswereth that there lacketh such or suche a thing whiche immediately they do prouide and when he answereth that he is pardoned then they do sitte downe to eate and to drinke that sacrifice which is drest with spices and this done they go vnto his house with great ioy If the paciente heale it is good for him but if he dye it is an euerlasting payne for him and if he recouer they do beléeue that the diuelishe Idol hath healed him and if he die they say that the cause of his deathe was for the greate offence that he had done vnto him and so they be lost as brute beasts in all that Countrey Of another Prouince named Machay where there be Vnicornes Elephants and wilde Beastes with many other strange things CHAP. 83. GOing from the Prouince of Charian you go downe a greate penet or hill whiche endureth two dayes iourney without any habitation sauing one towne where they doe kéepe holyday three dayes in the wéeke There they doe take a Sazo of golde for fyue of siluer And past these two dayes iourney you doe comâ— vnto the prouince named Machay whyche lyeth towardes the midde daye or South adioyning vnto the Indias and through this prouince you trauell fiftéene dayes iourney through deserte mountaines where there be many Elephants and other wilde beastes for that the countrey is not inhabited Also there is found Vnicornes When they wil take any Elephant the do compasse him with dogges and so they do hunt him that they make him wearie and so he is faine to rest for wearinesse and his resting is leaning vnto a great trée for that he hath no ioyntes in hys knées so that he can not lye downe nor rise vp The Masties dare not come neare him but barke at him aloofe the Elephante hath neuer his eye off those Masties and then those that be expert and hunt him hurle Dartes and to kil him In this countrey is much gold and silke Of a prouince named Cinguy and of the Citie named Cancasu CHAP. 84. BEyond this prouince Machay there is another prouince named Cinguy and trauelling foure dayes iourney in it you passe manye Cities and townes and at these four daies iournyes ende standeth a greate Citie named Cancasu being verye noble situated towards the mydday or South and this is of the streight of Cataya In thys Citie there is wroughte cloth of Golde and silke greate plentie Of the Citie named Cianglu CHAP. 85. FRom this Citie trauelling fiue dayes iourney you come vnto another Citie named Cianglu which is very noble and great situated towards the midday or south and it is of the streight of Cataya here is made greate plentie of salte and there runneth through this countrey a very great riuer that vp and down this riuer there trauell many ships with merchaundise Of the Citie named Candrafra and of the Citie named Singuymata CHAP. 86. SIxe dayes iourney beyonde the Citie named Cianglu towards the midday of south you come vnto a Citie named Candrafra the which had vnder it before the greate Cane did conquere it twelue Cities In the couÌ„tries aboute this Citie there be faire Gardens and good grounde for corne and silke and beyonde this Citie thrée dayes iourney towards the midday or south there standeth a fayre Citie named Singuymata which hath a great riuer that the Citizens made in two parts the one way runneth towards the east and the other towardes the Occident or Weast through Cataya and vppon this riuer there sayle shippes with Merchaundises in number incredible Of the Riuer Coromoran and of the Citie Choygamum and of another Citie named Cayni CHAP. 87. GOing from Singuymata seuentéen dayes iourney towards the midday or south you passe throughe manye Cities and townes in the whiche there is greate traffique of Merchaundise The people of this countrey are subiectes vnder the greate Cane Their language is Persian and they do honour Idols At the seauentéen dayes iourneys ende there is a greate riuer that commeth from the Countrey of Prester Iohn which is named Coromoran hauing a myle in bredth and it is so déepe that there may sayle any great vessel laden with Merchandise Vpon this riuer the great Cane hath fiftéene great ships for to passe his people vnto his Idols that are in the Occean seas euery shippe of these hath fiftéene horses and fiftéene mariners and al victuals necessarie Vpon this riuer there straÌ„deth two Cities one on the one side and the other one the other The biggest of them in named Choyganguy and the other Caycu and they be both a dayes iourney from the sea Of the noble prouince named Mangi and of many maruellous things that were there and how it was brought vnder the great Canes gouernaunce CHAP. 80. PAssing the saide riuer you enter into the prouince of Mangi where raigneth a king named Fucusur of more power and riches than any King in the worlde sauing the great Cane In this realme there be no men of warre nor horses for the wars for it is situated strongly in a place compassed rounde about with many waters And rounde about his Cities and townes there be verye déepe ditches and caues being brode and full of water The people of this countrey are giuen to féeblenâ—sse they do liue delicately if they were giuen to warres and feats of armes all the worlde could not conquere the prouince of Mangi This king of Mangi was very leacherous but hée had in himselfe two good properties the one was that he maintayned his realme in great iustice and peace that euery one remayned in his place and both day and nighte you myght traffique and trauell surely the other propertie was that he was verye pitifull and did greate almes vnto the poore and euerie yeare he brought vppe twentye poore striplings and he gaue them as sonnes and heires vnto his Barrons and knightes In his Courte he hadde alwayes tenne thousande Squires that serued hym It fortuned that in the yeare of our Lord .1267 Cublay Cane got perforce the countrey of Mangi and the sayde king of this prouince fledde with .1000 shippes vnto his Ilandes that were in the Occean Sea â–ª He lefte the principall Citie of his prouince Mangi named Gaissay vnder the guiding of his Quéene and when she knew that there was entred into hir land Baylayncon Can a Tartarous name which is as much to say in Englishe as a hundreth eyes a Captaine belonging to the greate Cane with a greate hoste and so without any resistance she submitted hir selfe with all hir
country and al the cities sauing one named Sinphu whiche kepte it selfe thrée yearâ—s before it yéelded Thys Quéene was carryed vnto the greate Canes Courte and kepte like a Quéene and the King Fucusur came not out of those Ilandes vntill he died being out of his seigniorie Of the Citie named Coygangui and many other thyngs CHAP. 91. HEre I will tell you of the fashion and condition of this saide prouince Mangi The first Citie at the entring is named Coygangui whiche is a great and a noble Citie scituated towards the wind Syroco or East southeast The people of this Citie doe worship the Idolles and haue the Persian tongue They haue many shippes and burne their dead bodies This citie standeth vppon the riuer Coromoran In this Citie they make so muche salte as woulde suffice for fortie great cities and of the abundaunce of thys salte there groweth greate profites vnto the greate Cane Of the noble Citie named Panguy and of another Citie named Cayn CHAP. 92. PAssyng from Coygangui towardes the winde Siroco which bloweth betwéene Leuant and the midday which we call Easte Southeaste you trauaile vpon a fayre stonye Cawsey well made It beginneth at the entring of Mangi and there be very déepe waters on ech side of the cawsey In this country of Mangi there is a citie named Pangui very faire and of greate magnificence In this prouince they doe vse that money that the greate Cane doeth vse in his countrie and here is greate scarcitie of corne and of al things else that susteineth the body And at another iorneys end towards Siroco there standeth another noble and greate citie named Cayn and all the inhabitants are Idolators and there is abundaunce of fishe and beasts and wildfoule so that there is boughte thrée good Fesants for the value of sixe pence Of the Citie named Tinguy CHAP. 93. A Dayes iorney beyond Cayn you shal find fayre villages and eared grounde and so you come vnto the grounde of Tinguy plentiful of Wheate and of al things necessary for shipping The people of thys countrey doe honour the Idolles and thrée dayes iourney from this Citie you come vnto the Occean Sea and at the sea side there is greate plentie of salte Of the Citie named Mangui vvhiche haue vnder their Lordship seuenteene Cities and of an other Citie named Saimphu which hath vnder it twelue Cities CHAP. 94. BEyond Tinguy a dayes iorney towards the winde Siroco you come vnto a faire Countrie and at the ende of it standeth a Citie named Manguy very fayre and greate and there they honour the Idolles and speake the Persian tong This Citie hathe vnder it seauentéene Cities and I Marcus Paulus did gouerne this vnder the great Cane thrée yeares Toward the Occident or West standeth a prouince or Citie named Manguy where they doe make greate plentie of cloth of Golde and silke Also there is greate plentie of corne and of all manner of victualles And beyonde this Citie standeth the Citie of Saimphu whiche hathe vnder it twelue Cities whiche is the Citie that resisted it selfe agaynâ—te the power of the greate Cane the space of thrée yeares Hovve this prouince vvas vvonne by the great Cane CHAP. 93. AFter that the great Cane had wonne the prouince of Mangi conquested by industry and councell of Nicholao and Mathio and Marcus Paulus as nowe you shall perceiue in this present chapter From the hoste of the greate Cane I write vnto the greate Cane that that prouince by no manner of way coulde be wonne or taken of the whiche newes the greate Cane was sore abashed and we perceyuing his heauinesse wée went vnto hym and sayde Potentissimo and mightie Lord receiue you no conceite nor heauinesse for wée wil haue suche means that this prouince shall come into youre hands who béeing comforted with oure promise gaue vs full power and libertie to doe all those things that vnto vs should séeme beste and that we shoulde be obeyed as to his owne proper person And then I Marcus Paulus tooke vppon mée this charge and gathered togither certaine Venetians that I founde in those Countries being discréete menne and exercised in feates of armes and I caused to be made thrée greate Trabuco or greate péeces of ordinaunce whiche shotte a pellet of a thousande pounde waighte and hadde them vnto the campe and planted them where they should be shotte off and this done by the meanes of these péeces I shotte into the Citie greate pellettes and when those of the Citie saw their houses fall about their eares by suche meanes as they neuer saw nor hearde of before they receyued great feare and immediately they yéelded themselues vnto the great Cane Of the Citie named Singuy and of many other things CHAP. 94. GOyng from Siamphu and trauelling fiftéene dayes iourney towardes Syroco or to the Easte southeast you come vnto the Citie named Singuy wherevnto belongeth a greate number of ships and this Citie is scituated vpon the greatest riuer of the world named Tuognrou which is .17 miles in breadth and one hundred dayes iorney in length and there is neuer a riuer in the worlde where there sayleth so manye shippes with Merchaundizes as there And I Marcus Paulus was in this Citie and did tell standing vpon a bridge at one time fiue thousande shippes or barkes that sailed vppon this riuer and vppon this riuer there standeth two hundred Cities being greater than this that we haue spoken of Thys riuer passeth throughe sixetéene prouinces Of the Citie named Cianguy CHAP. 95. CIanguy is a small Citie standing vpon the saide riuer it hath nothing vnder it but good ground where they do gather plentie of corne and rice which is caried vnto Cambalu that the great Cane may haue greate plentie of victualles in his Courte This Citie standeth towardes the Siroco and they doe carry this prouision vnto Cambalu vpon this riuer and not by sea Therefore there commeth through this riuer greate profite vnto Cambalu for it is better prouided with barkes than with cartes or horses Of the Citie named Pingramphu and of many other things that be in that Countrey CHAP. 98. PIngramphu is a Citie of the prouince Mangi in the which there is two churches of Christians Nestorians edified by Marsar Conostor which was Lord of that Citie vnder the greate Cane â—nd it was in the yeare of oure Lord .1288 WheÌ„ you do go from Pingramphu you goe three dayes iorney againste Solano whiche is Easte and by South throughe many Cities and Towns where there is traffiqued muche merchandizes and many artes At these thrée dayes iourneys ende standeth the citie of Tigningui greate riche and abundant of all things to liue vpon and also of Wine On a time certaine Christian men named Alanos tooke this citie and that nighte they drunke so much wine that they were all drunke and slepte like dogges al that nighte and the Citizens perceyuing that they were all asléepe killed them and Barayn King of these Alanos assoone as he
knewe this gathered a great hoste and went against thys citie and tooke it perforce and caused to be killed all those that he founâ— in the citie men women and children small and gret in the reuenging of his Christians Of the Citie named Singuy and of mano other things there CHAP. 99. SInguy is a very great and a noble citie whiche is .40 miles in compasse There is in this citie people innumerable where you may beléeue that if the people of Mangi were exercised in the feate of warre all the worlde coulde not winne it but they be all Philosophers Phisitions Merchaunts and Artificers very cunning in all artes There be in this Citie .7000 bridges of stone very faire wroughte and vnder any of these bridges there may rowe a Galley and vnder some twoo Galleys maye rowe togither In the mountaines of this Citie groweth Rewbarbe greate plentie and so muche Ginger that for sixe pence they doe giue more than fiue pound of Ginger Vnder this Citie there be .17 Cities greate and fayre In this Citie they do worke greate plentie of cloth of golde silke for that the Citizens there delighte muche to weare suche cloth and of many coloures Of the Citie named Quinsay that is to say the Citie of Heauen which is a hundred miles in compasse hauing twelue thousand Bridges and fourteene Bathes and many other thinges of wonder CHAP. 97. GOing from Singuy and traueling fiue dayes iorney you come vnto a noble and famous Citie named Quinsay that is to say the citie of Heauen This is the noblest Citie of the worlde and the heade Citie of the prouince of Mangi And I Marcus Paulus was in this citie and did learne the customes of it and it was declared vnto me that it was one hundred miles in compasse and 12000. bridges of stone with vaultes and arches so highe that a greate shippe mighte passe vnder and this Citie standeth vppon the water as Veâ—iâ—e doth and the people of this citie euery one of them must vse the science of his fathers and of his predecessors In this Cittie there standeth a lake whiche is in compasse thyrtie myles and in this lake there is builte the fairest Pallaces that euer I saw And in the mids of this lake standeth two Pallacâ—s wherein they do celebrate all the weddings of that Citie and euer there remayneth within them all the things necessary whiche belong vnto the weddings Also there is rounde aboute this Citie other Cities but they be small ones In this Citie they doe vse money of Tartaria to wit of a Mulbery trée as it is vsed in the great Canes Court and as it is afore mentioned Vppon euerye one of these 12000. bridges of stone continually there standeth watch and warde bycause there shall be no euill done and that the Citie doe not rebell In this citie there is an highe mountaine and vppon it there standeth a very highe Tower and vppon it there is a thing to sounde vppon and it is sounded when there is anye fyre or anye rumour in the Countrey There is be this citie fourtéene Bathes and the great Cane hath great watch and ward in this Citie Of the Citie named Gansu CHAP. 99. BEyâ—nde Quinsay fiftéene myles bordereth the Occean sea betwéene east and North and there standâ—th a Citie named Gansu which hath a fayre porte or hauen and thyther come many ships out of the Indias betwéen the Citie and the Sea runneth a great riuer that passeth through many countries and out that way there go many ships vnto the sea Of the diuision vvhich the great Cane made of the prouince Mangi CHAP. 100. THe prouince Mangi was diuided into 8. kingdomes by the greate Cane and of euery kingdome there is aboute .140 Cities vnder a king There is in all the prouince of Mangi .1202 Cities al subiect vnto the great Cane and al those whiche be borne in this prouince of Mangi are written by dayes and houres that the prouince may knowe the number of that people and that they may not rebel When they do goe on any iourney they consult with the Astrologers and when any dieth the parents do cloth the deade in Canuas and burne the bodies with papers wherevpon is paynted mony horses slaues beastes for their houses apparell wyth all other things for they doe saye that the deade vseth all this in the other worlde and that with the smoke of the deade bodie and of those papers whereon there is paynted all those things rehearsed beléeuing that it goeth all with him into the other world and whâ—n they burne those bodies they sing and playe vpon al kinde of instrumentes and musicke that they can finde and saye that in that order and pleasure theyr Gods doe receyue them in the other worlde In this Citie standeth the greate Pallace of Estnâ—fogi which was Lorde and King of that prouince of Mangi This Pallace is made after this wise it is square and strongly walled tenne myles in compasse It is high and fayre with faire chambers Hals Gardens fruites fountainâ—s and a lake with many fishes In this Pallace there is twentie Halles wherin there may sitte downe at meales twentie thousand persons by this it may be comprehended how bigge this Citie is In this Citie there is a famous Churche or Temple of Christians Nestorians and euerye one that dwelleth in this Citie hath written his name and of his wife Children menne seruauntes and women seruauntes and horses that he hath in hys house ouer the Porth of his doore Also when there is anye that goeth to another Citie it behoueth that the Inholders that lodge straungers doe bryng a Register vnto the officers appoynted giuyng relation howe long they doe remayne and when they goe away Of the rent vvhich the great Cane hath of the prouince of Quynsay CHAP. 101. SEing I haue declared vnto you of the City and prouince of Quinsay now I wil declare you what rent the greate Cane hath yearely out of this prouince only of the salt euery yere 4500. Hanegs or bushels of Gold and to euery measure goeth 18000. Sazos and euery Sazo of Gold is worth seauen Duckets and of the other rentes ouer and aboue the salte he hath euerye yeare 10000. hanegs of gold Of the Citie named Thampinguy and of many other maruellous things CHAP. 102. GOing from Quinsay trauelling towardes Solano a dayes iourney you do goe by Cities and townes and manye Gardens and at the ende you come vnto the Citie named Thampinguy which is faire and gret hauing abundaunce of all things and it is vnder the Seigniorie of the greate Cane the people are Idolaters and passing other 3. days iourney you come vnto an other citie named Vguy going two days iourney beyond towards Salano or east and by South there is so many Cities townes that he that trauelleth thinketh that he neuer goeth out of townes there is great plentie of all prouision there is Canes great and thicke of foure
spannes in compasse and fiftéene in length At two iourneys ende strandeth the Citie named Greguy verye noble and greate hauing aboundance of all things néedeful The people are Idolatours and vnder the greate Cane And going from this Citie thrée dayes iourney towarde Solano you shall finde many Cities and townes and many Lyons The people do kill them in this manner the man doth put of his hosen and apparell and putteth on a wéede of Canuas carriyng a certaine thing pitched vpon his shoulders and carrieth a sharpe knife in his handes with a pointe and in this manner he goeth vnto the Lions denne and as the Lion séeth him come he maketh towards him and the man when he is neare casteth vnto him the pitched thyng whyche hée hath vpon his shoulders The Lyon taketh it in hys mouthe thinking that he hath the manne and then the man doth wounde him with the sharpe poynted knife and as soone as the Lyon féeleth hymselfe hurt he runneth away and as soone as the colde entereth into the wounde he dyeth In this maner they do kill many Lyons in that countrey whych is of the prouince of Mangi Of the Citie named Cinaugnary and of many other noble Cities and of the cruelty of the people that inhabit there and of other things CHAP. 101. TRauelling forward foure dayes iourney you come vnto a citie named Cinaugnary a great and a famous Citie standing vppon a Mountayne which parteth a riuer into two partes and trauelling foure dayes iourney forwarde you come vnto a Citie named Signy whiche is vnder the segniorie of Quinsay And after you enter into the Realme of Fuguy and trauelling forward sixe dayes iourney towardes Solano or East and by South through mountaynes and valleys you shall finde many Cities and Townes hauing plenty of all victuals and singular for Hunting and Hawking and plenty of spices and suger so plenty that you may buy forty pound of Suger for a Venice groate There groweth a certayne swéete fruite like vnto Saffron and they vse it instead of Saffron The people of this Countrey eate mans flesh so that he dye not of naturall death When the people of this Countrey go vnto the warres they doe make certayne signes in their forheads to be the better knowen and they go all on foote except their Lorde who rideth on Horsebacke They are very cruell people and vse the speare and sword They do eate the fleshe of those men that they kill and drinke their bloud In the middes of these sixe dayes iourney standeth the Citie named Belimpha whiche hath foure bridges of marble with very fayre pillers of marble Euery bridge of these is a mile in length nine paces in breadth Vnto this Citie there commeth great plenty of Spices Also there is in thys Citie very faire men and more fayre women and there be blacke Hennes and fatte without feathers and verye perfect to eate In this countrey there be Lions and other wilde perillous beasts so that they trauel in this cuntrey in great feare At these sixe dayes iourneys ende standeth the Citie named Vguca where there is made great plentye of suger which is all carried vnto the great Canes court Of the Citie named Friguy and of manie other maruellous things which be there CHAP. 104. PAssing out of the Citie of Vgucu and trauelling fiftéene miles you come vnto the Citie named Friguy which is the head of the Realme of Tonca which is one of the nyne Kingdomes of Mangi Through the middest of this Citie runneth a Riuer of seauen miles in breadth And in this Citie there be made manye Ships and is laden greate plentie of Spices and diuers other Merchandizes that is gathered néere to that Riuer and Precious stones whiche be broughte out of India maior This Citie standeth very néere vnto the Occean Seas and hath abundance of all kind of victuals or any thyng else néedefull Of the Citie named Iaython and of many other things CHAP. 105. GOing from Quinsay and passing the sayd Riuer trauelling fyue dayes iourney towardes Solano or East and by South you find many Cities and Townes hauing abundance of all victuals And at the ende of these fyue dayes iourney standeth a great and a faire City named Iaython whiche hath a good Hauen and thither come many Shippes from the Indyes with many Merchandises and this is one of the best Hauens that is in the world and there commeth Shippes vnto it in such quantitie that for one Shippe that commeth vnto Alexandria there commeth .100 vnto it The great Cane hathe great custome for Merchandises in and out of that Hauen for the Ship that commeth thither payeth tenne in the hundred for custome and of Precious stones and spices and of any other kind of fine wares they pay thirtie in the hundred and of Pepper .44 of the hundred so that the Merchants in freight tribute and customes pay the one halfe of their goodes In this Countrey and Citie there is great abundance of victuals Of the Ilande named Ciampagu and of things which be found there and how the great Cane would conquer it CHAP. 106. I Will passe from hence vnto the Countreys of India where I Marcus Paulus dwelte a â—ong time and although the things which I will declare séeme not to be beléeued of them that shall heare it but haue it in a certaynetie and of a truth for that I sawe it all with mine owne eyes And now I will beginne of the Iland named Ciampagu whiche standeth in the high Sea towardes the Orient and it is separated from the mayne land .1500 miles The people of this Countrey are fayre and of good maners although they be all Idolaters There is in thys Iland a King franke and frée for he payeth no tribute at all to any Prince The people of this Countrey speake the Persian tong And there is found in this Iland great plenty of golde and they neuer haue it forthe vnto anye place out of the Ilande for that there commeth thyther fewe Shyppes and little Merchandise The Kyng of thys Ilande hathe a maruellous fayre and great Pallace all couered with golde in pasâ—e of the thicknesse of a péece of two Ryals of plate And the windowes and pillers of this Pallace bée all of golde Also there is greate plenty of precious stones And the great Cane knowing of the greate fame and riches of this Iland determined to conquere it and caused to be made great prouision of munition and vittayles and a greate number of Shippes and in them he put many Horsemen and footemen and sent them vnder the gouernance of two of his Captaynes the one was named Abatan and the other Vonsaucin and these two went with this great armie from the Hauen of Iaython and of Glunsay and they went vnto the Iland Ciampagu where they went alande and hauing done great hurt in Mountaynes and valleys there entred suche enuie and hatred betwéene these two Captaynes and so
long Also there be strong Serpents and great very venemous séeming that they were serte there to kéepe the Adamantes that they might not be taken away and in no parte of the world there is found fine Adamants but there Thâ—re be in this Countrey the biggest Shéepe in the worlde And in the Prouince of Moabar aforenamed lyeth the body of the Apostle Sainct Thomas buryed in a small Citie whither there goeth but few Merchants for that it standeth farre from the Sea. There dwell manye Christians and Moores hauing great reuerence vnto the body of Sâ—inct Thomas for they doe beléeue and say that he was a Moore and a great Prophet and they do call him Thomas Dauana which is to say a holy man The Christians that go on Pilgrimage to visit the body of Saincte Thomas take of that earth where he was martired and when any falleth sicke they doe giue him of it to drinke with wine and water In the yeare of our Lorde .1297 it chanced there to be a miracle in this wise A Knight gathered so much Rice that he had no place to put it in but put it into a house of Sainct Thomas and the Christian men desired him not to pester the holy Apostles house with his Rice where the Pilgrims did lodge yet the Knighte would not heare them and the same night the spirite of Sainct Thomas appeared with a Gallowes of iron in his hande putting it aboute the Knightes necke and sayde If thou cause not thy Rice to be taken out of the house of Sainct Thomas I will hang thée This miracle the Knight told with his owne mouth vnto all the people of that Countrey and forthwith the Christians rendred hartie thankes to the holy Apostle who dothe many miracles on the Christians that committe themselues deuoutely vnto him All the people of this Countrey be blacke not bycause they be so borne but for that they woulde be blacke they annoynt themselues with a kind of oyle called oyle of Aiâ—niolly for the blackest are estéemed most fayre Also the people of this Countrey cause their Idols to be paynted blacke and the Diuels to be painted white saying that God and his Sainctes are blacke and the Diuels white When they of this Countrey go on warfare they weare hattes vpon their heads made of the hides of wild Oxen and vpon their shieldes And to the féete of their Horses they fasten the heares of an Oxe saying that Oxen heares be holy and haue thys vertue that whosoeuer carieth of them aboute him can receyue no hurt nor danger Of the Prouince Lahe and of the vertue that is in the people CHAP. 118. GOing from that Towne of Sainct Thomas towardes the Occidente you come vnto a Prouince named Lahe and there dwell the men named Bragmanos which are the truest men in the world They will not lye for all the worlde nor yet consent vnto any falsehoode for all the world They are very chast people being contented only with one woman or wife They neuer drinke wine and by no manner of meanes they will take another mans goodes nor will eate fleshe nor kill any kinde of beast for all the world They do honour the Idols and haue much vnderstanding in the arte of Fortunes Before they doe conclude anye greate bargayne and before they doe anye thing of importance firste they doe consider theyr shadowe agaynste the Sunne whereby they iudge the thyng that they muste doe by certayne rules which they haue deputed for it They doe eate and drinke temperately They are neuer let bloud therefore they be very wise In this Countrey there be many religious men which are named Cingnos and liue a hundred and fiftie yeares for their greate abstinence and good liuing In this Countrey there be also certayne religious men Idolaters who goe altogither naked couering no part of their body saying that of themselues they be pure and cleane from all sinne These doe worship the Oxe These religious men weare eache of them vppon his forhead an Oxe made in mettall They do oynt all their bodie with an oyntment which they make with great reuerence of the marou of an Oxe They do neyther eate in dishes nor vppon trenchers but vppon the leaues of the Apple trée of Paradise and other drye leaues and not gréene by no manner of meanes for they saye that the gréene leafe hath life and soule They do sléepe naked vppon the ground Of the Kingdome named Orbay and of many things and strange beastes found there and of their beastly liuing CHAP. 119. ORbay is a Kingdome that standeth towards the Orient or the East beyond Marbar fiue miles In this Kingdome there be Christians Iewes and Moores The King of Orbay payeth no tribute Héere groweth more Pepper than in any place of the world There is a thyng in couloure redde which they do call Indyaco there is pleÌ„tie and it is good to dye withall and is made of hearbes A man can scarce kéepe himselfe in health for the greate heate that is there whiche is so vehemente that if you should put an Egge in the water of the riuer at such time as the Sunne hathe his strength it woulde séeth it as though it were put in séething or scalding water There is greate trade of merchandise in this Countrey by reason of the greate gaynes There is very muche Pepper and very good cheape In thys Countrey there be manye and strange Beastes to beholde There groweth no other kynde of grayne for sustenance but Rice There bée many Phisitions and Astrologers The men and women are blacke and go naked sauing that they do couer theyr priuities Héere they do marrie the Cousen with the cousen and the sonne in lawe with the mother in lawe and throughout all India they do kéepe this manner of wedding Of the Prouince named Comate and of the people and strange Beastes that be there CHAP. 120. COmate is a Countrey of India from whence you can not sée the North Starre nor yet it can not be séene from the Ilande named Iaua to this place But going from hence sayling vppon the Sea thirtie miles you shall discouer the North Starre streight In this Countrey there are verye strange people and verye strange Beastes but specially Apes that are like men Of the Kingdome named Hely and of the strange beastes found there CHAP. 121. GOing from Comate agaynste the Occident or the Weast thirtie miles you shall playnely sée the North Starre and come to the Region of Hely where they are all Idolaters The King of this place is very rich of treasure but he is weake of people Thys Countrey is so strong that no man can enter into it perforce And when any Shippe commeth thither by force of weather or otherwise those of the Countrey robbe hym saying that those Shyps come not thither but to robbe them and therefore they do earnestly beléeue that it is no sinne to robbe them Héere be Lyons and other wylde beastes a great number Of
Maugy Maugy Heere is found plenty of golde Their money is made of Corrall Here is cloth of gold cloth of silke and Chamlets made Heere groweth spices Masties as bigge as Asses Plenty of Pearles and precious stones Heere they haue an ill custome Heere is moneâ— of golde Here is great plenty of Spices Heere is found greate plentye of gold A Riuer into the Seas Heere be many Horses bredde A Sazo of gold is worth eyght of siluer which is an ounce Heere is great plentâ— of golde The men of this countrey haue theyr teeth couered with gold Heere is a custome that the good man is much made of after hys wife is broughte a bed A Sazo of gold is an ounce and is worth fyue of Siâ—â—er A strange kind of Phisicke Vnicornes Great plenâ—â— of cloth of Gold and Silke Mangi Mangi Mangi The riuer Tnoguron the greatest riuer in the world Fiue thousanÌ„d vessels on this riuer Seauen thousand bridges of stone Plentie of Rewbarbe Fiue pounde of Ginger for sixe pence Quinsay The noblesâ— Citie of the worlde it is an hundred miles coÌ„passe Twelue thousand bridges of stone The manner how they do kil the Lions Good cheape Suger Faire men and women heere Blacke Henâ— and fatie without feathers A Riuer of seauen mile broad There be many Ships made This Citie hath the best Hauen in the world For one Shippe that commeth to Alâ—xanâ—ria there commeth in ther a hundreth Great custome is payd heere The Iland of Ciampagu is fifteene hundred miles from the mayne lande In this Iland is great plentâ— of golde The Kings Pallace is couered wyth cleane golde The windowes and pillers thereof is golde Great â—lenty of Precious stones Men hauing stones that were inchanted could not be slaine with weapons of iron but with clubbes The Citie taken by a prettie meanes In this Sea is .7448 Ilands whiche be verye frutefull and pleasant Heere groweth whyte Pepper This King had .325 children A very riche Iland of spices and golde in great plentye Heere is found plentie of golde Great trade for Pepper by reason of the quantity Melibar Plenty of Pepper and Ginger and Turbit A darke land The Introduction FOr that this treatise which I found in the secoÌ„d Booke towards the end that Maister Pogio FloreÌ„tine Secretary vnto Pope Eugenius the fourth wryteth of the varietie or chaunge of fortune it maketh muche vnto the confirmation and proofe of the things that Maister Marcus Paulus writeth in hâ—s Booke for that by the mouth of two or three as our Redeemer sayth there is proued the truth I thoughte good to translate it out of Eloquent Latine whiche hee did write it in and to communicate it into my rude Castilian and naturall tongue for that ioyntly suche twoo witnesses in thys present worke may make a full or almoste a sure proofe of some things for that it hath not bin seene in our Europa or that in any auntient writing appeareth it may be thoughte harde or difficile credence And the saide Pogio followeth in this manner in the ende of his seconde Booke IT séemeth not vnto me a thing straunge from reason if I decline from the stile that hitherto I haue vsed in this Booke declaring of the harde fortune making an ende counting the diuersities of thinges wherein the heartes of the Readers finde more taste and amiable gladnesse than in those that already I haue written Notwithstanding that also in the cause I will declare appeareth plainelye the force of Fortune in retourning a man vnto Italy oute of the extreame partes of the worlde of the Orient after that he had suffered and passed fiue and twentie yeres such greate fortunes aswell by sea as by lande The olde Authors do write many things of the Indians with the common fame of the whiche the certaine knowlege that since we haue hadde sheweth them to be rather fables than of truth as it appeareth by the referring of one Nicholas a Venetian that after he had trauailed the intrailes of the Indias he came vnto Eugenius the fourth Pope of that name who then was in Florence to reconcile himselfe and to haue pardon for that comming oute of India and neâ—re vnto Egipt towards the redde Sea hée was constrayned to renounce and forsake the faith for feare of death more of his wife and children than of hymselfe And for that I hearde by manye that he declared of manye singular things I desired muche to heare hym and not onelye to demaunde of him concerning the things whiche hée hadde séene in the presence of wise Barons and of greate authoritie but also to enforme my selfe wyth hym in myne owne house and to take a note of his relation for that there mighte remaine a remembraunce of it vnto those that hereafter shoulde come after mée And of a trueth hée tolde so certaynelye so wisely and so attentiuely all hys trauaile made amongest people of so farre Countries the vse manners and custome of the Indians the diuersitie of wilde beastes trées the lynages of Spices and in what place it groweth that it appeared well hée dydde not declare a fained tale but the trueth of that whiche hée hadde séene And as it séemeth this man went so farre as none of the olde tyme hadde béene for he passed the riuer Gangy and wente beyonde the Ilande Taprobana where we reade there came none excepte one Captaine of Alexanders fléete named Onesycrito and a Citizen of Rome that by fortune of teÌ„pest arriued in those parties in the time of Tiberius Cesar. This Nicholas Venetian being yong was as a Merchaunt in the Citie of Damasco in Syria and hauing learned the Arabian tongue he departed from the sayde Citie in the company of .600 Merchantes the whiche company they do call Carouana or Carauana trauailing with his merchaundize through the deserts of Arabia otherwise named Petrea and from thence thoroughe Chaldie he came vnto the greate riuer Euphrates Hée saide that at the going out of the Deserte hée sawe a meruailous thing that aboute midnighte being all at reste he heard a great noise and sound that they thoughte it hadde bin companies of Alarabes wild naked menne or robbers and that they were comming to doe them some hurte and all the whole company arose and were al ready with the feare and they sawe manye battels of horsemen whiche passed harde by their tents much like an hoste dooing vnto them no hurte at all and those that hadde vsed that way said it was certaine companies of fiends which did ouer run in that sorte the Deserts There standeth aboue Euphrates a noble Citie that the walles of it be of fouretéene thousande paces And this Citie was a parte of the olde Babilon and those of that Countrie name it by a newe name Baldachia and Euphrates runneth in the middes of it and they doe passe ouer a bridge that hath fourtéene arches of ech side where appeareth many remembraunces of the olde Babilon and manye edifications throwne downe It hath a strong and
a greate Pallaice royall standing vpon a mountaine The King of this prouince is of a mightie power From hence vp the riuer twentie dayes sayling he sawe manye noble and populous and earable groundes of Ilandes and so he trauailed eight dayes iourney by lande vnto the Cittie Balsera and from thence in foure dayes he came vnto the Sea of Persia whiche ebbeth and floweth as ours doeth and so there saylyng fyue dayes he arryued at a Hauen called Chalcou and from thence hée wente vnto an Iland named Omersia whych is a small Iland distant from the firme laÌ„d about .12000 paces froÌ„ theÌ„ce he passed toward India a hundred myles and came vnto a Citie named Calabatia which is a noble Citie of the Persians where merchaunts vse to traffique and here he was a certaine time and learned the Persian tongue and made him apparell as the Persians had and so he passed from thence forward al his time and trauell And here he tooke shipping in a shippe with company of the Persians and of the Moores among them they kéepe muche their promise lawes and othes made in company and so sayling a moneth he came vnto a noble Citie named Cambayta situated at the second entraunce that the riuer of India maketh in the lande In this Countrie there is founde the pretious stones whiche are called Sardins or Sardonicas and here when the husband dieth they do burne his wife or wiues that he hath with his body and she that he most loued layeth hir neck vppon hir husbandes arme and in this wise being in hir husbandes armes they burne them and the other wiues they burne in an other fire whiche is made for that purpose and of this vse it shall be rehearsed hereafter And passing on twentie dayes iourney he founde two Cities the one named Pacamunria and the other Hely In this Countrey there groweth Ginger whiche is called in that countrie Bellyedy Gebelly and Belly and it is the roote of trées of two cubites in height the leaues are great and after the fashion of a kettle the bark is hard like the barke of Canes it couereth his fruit out of it procéedeth the ginger which mingled with ashes layd against the Sun it drieth in thrée dayes From hence he went trauailing froÌ„ the sea coaste thrée hundreth myles and he came vnto the greate Citie named Berengalia whych is in compasse thrée score myles being enuironed on the one side with harde and highe rockes and on the other side towards the valleys and playne grounde with strong adarnes and boughes They saye héere is .900000 menne that may weare armoure The men of that country take as manye wiues as they lifte and are burnte with them when they dye In this their King hath ouer them greate vantage for he taketh twelue thousaÌ„d wiues and of these there goeth on foote after him wheresoeuer he goeth foure thousande whych do only prepare and dresse his victuals and there rideth foure thousand on horsebacke well apparelled and of more estimation than the firste The other foure thousand ryde in carts and wagons and of these at the leaste there be two thousand or thrée thousand of them that he taketh with condition that when the king is dead they of their owne frée willes muste be burnte wyth him vnto these they do great seruice and obedience This king hath another very noble Citie which hath ten thousande paces in compasse being eight dayes iourney from Berengalia from whence in twentie dayes iourney by lande hée came vnto a Citie vppon the sea coste with a good hauen called Pedifetaman and in these twentie dayes iourney hée went through two Cities the one named Odes Chyria and the other Conteri Chyrian where there groweth the redde Sandolos or Saunders From hence he passed vnto a Citie named Malpurya whiche standeth beyonde the seconde entring that the riuer India maketh in the end wher the body of Saint Thomas the Apostle lyeth honourably in a fayre and famous Church where he is greatlye honoured and worshipped by the Heretickes Nestorians and there liue almost a thousande men of them in this Citie These doe liue throughout all India scattered as the Iewes doe among vs All this prouince is named Mahabaria beyonde there standeth a Citie named Cayla where there be plenty of peares and many trées that beare no fruite of sixe Cubits high and as muche in compasse the leaues of these trées are so thinne that being playted or foulded vp you may put one of them in the palme of your hand They doe vse these leaues in steade of Paper to write vpon and for to couer their heades with when it rayneth for one leafe will couer thrée or foure men when they doe trauell In the middest of this sea there standeth a noble Ilande named Zaylan whyche is thrée thousande myles in compasse where there be many precious stones as Rubies Saphires Granates and those that are named Cattes eyes whyche are muche estéemed there Also there is plentye of Synamon whiche is a trée muche like vnto oures of the greatest Hawthoâ—â—es sauing that the braunches runne not vpwarde but open and streight slopewise the leaues be muche like vnto our Bay leaues sauing that those of the Synamon are bigger the rine or barke of the braunches is best and thinnest and the rine of the bodye and roote is thickest and of lesse taste the fruite is like vnto the Baye berries out of whych there commeth a very swéete Oyle and the people vse to make oyntment of it wherewith the Indians do annoint themselues they burne the wood of the trée when the rine is taken away There is in this countrey a lake and in the middest of it standeth a royall Citie of thrée myles compasse The Lords of this Iland are of the lynage of the Bragmanos and are taken to be of more witte than the others The Bragmanos Studie Phylosophy all their life and also Astrologie and liue honestly From hence he passed vnto the famous Ilande named Taprobana which the Indians call Scyamucera where is a noble Citie and there he was a twelue month it is sixe myles in compasse and is a famous Citie hauing greate trade of Merchaundise there and in al that Iland From hence be sayled with a prosperous winde leauing on the right hand the Iland Adamania which is as much to say as the Ilande of Colde whyche is 800. myles compasse wherein the Euitrofagitas doe liue and no straungers goe thyther except it be for necessity of weather and immediately those barbarous people hewe them in péeces and eate them He sayde that Taprobana is 1600000. paces in compasse the men are verye cruell and of stubberne conditions and the men and women haue very bigge eares laden with Hoopes of golde and with precious stones They do weare linnen and cloth of silke or cruell downe vnto their knées they take many wiues their houses are lowe by reason of the greate heate that the sunne hath there They are Idolatours
and haue muche Pepper named the greatest and of the long Pepper and greate plentie of Camphore and golde The trée that maketh the pepper is like the Yedra or Iuie trée the berries are gréen lyke vnto the Iuniper berries and redde and being mingled wyth ashes they harden with the sunne there is a gréene fruite named Durians of the bignesse of Cucumbers And there be some of them lyke Orengies or Lemans of diuerse sauours and taste as like butter lyke milke and like curdes In that part of this lande whiche is named Bateth the Antropophagos dwel and haue continuall warre with their neyghbours and eate the fleshe of their enimies that they doe take and kéepe their heades for treasure and vse them in steade of money when they do buy anye thing in giuing moste heades for the thing that is most worth and he that hath moste heades of the deade men in his kéeping is estéemed to be most rich Hauing the Iland Taprobana and sayling fiftéene days he arriued by tempest of weather vnto the entring of a riuer called Tenaserim and in this region there be manye Elephants and there groweth much Brasill And goyng from thence trauelling many dayes iourney by land and by sea he entred at the mouth of the Ryuer Gangey and sayled fiftéene dayes vp the riuer and came vnto a Citie named Cernomen very noble and plentiful Thys Riuer Gangey is of suche breadth that Saylyng in the middest you shall sée no lande on neyther side and hée affyrmeth that it is in some places fiftéene myles in breadth In the armes and braunches of this ryuer there be Canes of suche a maruellous leÌ„gth and so bigge that scarce a manne maye compasse one of them wyth both his armes and of the hollownesse or pith of them they do make things to fishe with and of the wood which is more than a spanne thick they do make boates to trauell with vpon the riuer and from knot to knotte of these Canes it hath of hollownesse the length of a man There be in this riuer certaine beasts hauing four féete named Crocodiles which liue in the day time vpon the laÌ„d and in the night in water and there be many kindes of fishe whiche are not founde among vs and vppon the braunches of this riuer be manye fayre Gardens habitations and delectable grounde On eche side there groweth a kinde of fruite muche like vnto a figge whych is named Musa and it is verye pleasaunte and more swéete than honnye Also there is another fruite whyche we call Nuttes of India and manye other diuerse fruites Going from hence vppe the ryuer thrée moneths leauing behinde him foure famous Cities he came to a goodlye famous Citie named Maarazia where there is great plenty of the trées called Alloes and plentie of golde and siluer Pearles and precious stones And going from hence he directed hys waye vnto the mountaines of the Orient for to haue Carbuncles and trauelling thirtéene dayes he returned firste to Cermon and afterwardes vnto Buffetanya And after that sayling a whole moneth by sea he came vnto the entring of the riuer Nican and sayling vppon it sixe dayes he came vnto the Citie also named Nican and he went from thence seauentéene dayes iourney throughe deserte mountaynes and plaine countrey the fiftéene days of plaine countrey vntil he came to a riuer greater than the riuer Gange which the people of that countrey cal Claua and sayling vp this riuer a month he came vnto a famous great Citie called Aua being 15. miles in compaâ—â—e This prouince is named of the inhabitauntes Marcinâ— They haue greate plenty of Elephantes for their Kyng dothe kéepe tenne thousande of them for the warres â–ª and setteth vpon euery Elephantes backe a Castell whyche maye carrie eyghte or tenne men with Speares and Shields or Bowes or Crossebowes He rehearsed that they toke the Elephantes in this manner Plinie agreeth vnto the like They let the tame Elephants females goe vnto the mountaynes vntill suche time as the wilde bee acquainted with them for the male commonly doth content himselfe with one female and when they haue once acquaintance the female bringeth the wild by little and little grasing vnto a small yard strongly walled hauyng two dores one to come in at and another to goe out at The female when she is in at the first gate she goeth out at the seconde and the male following hir the two dores be locked againste him and then hauing him within by certayne loupe holes made for the purpose there commeth in to the number of a thousand men euery one with his snare in his hande and one of those men presenteth himselfe before the Elephant which runneth thinking to kill the man and then all those men runne vnto the Elephant fastning those snares on his féete and wheÌ„ they be fastned with great diligence they do tye the snares vnto a great post which is set there for that purpose and they let him alone so thrée or four dayes till he be more feeble and after the space of fiftéene dayes they giue him a little grasse in the whiche time he wareth tame and then they do tye him among other tame Elephants and carrie him aboute the Citie and in tenne dayes he becommeth as gentle as one of the others Also he sayde they did tame them in this other wise that they had and draâ—e them vnto a valley compassed round about where they did put vnto them the females that were tame and being somewhat féeble with hunger they draue them into strayter places made for the nonce where they be made tame and these the Kings do buy for their owne vse Some are fedde with Rice and Butter and some with grasse The wilde Elephantes féede vpon grasse and vpon the trées of the fields He that hathe charge of them rulâ—th them with a rodde of yron or a ring whiche he putteth round about his head The Elephants haue so much prouidence that manye with their féete pull away the Speares from their enimies for that they shoulde not hurt those that be vpon their backes The King rideth vpon a white Elephant which hath a chayne of golde about his necke being long vnto his féete set full of many precious stones The men of this Countrey haue but one wife a péece Both men and women of this Countrey pricke themselues making diuers markes and of diuers couloures on theyr bodyes They be all Idolaters and assoone as they do rise in the morning they looke into the Orient holding their haÌ„ds togither and worship There is in that Countrey a certayne kinde of fruite like vnto the Orenge whiche they doe call Cyeno full of iuice and swéetenesse Also there is a trée whiche they doe call Tall whereon they do write for in all India except it bée in the Citie of Combahita they doe vse no paper and it beareth a fruite like vnto the Turnep but they are greate and tender like vnto Gelly It is pleasant in eating but the ryne is
They do delight muche to sée children and for to sée them they come where men be Their heads when they be layde séeme like to Celes heads and when he lifteth vp his head it séemeth bigger It hath at the hinder partes a face like to a man and as though it were paynted of diuers couloures They doe take them by inchantments which the people vse muche there and carrie them to be séene and doe no hurt to anye body Also there is in this Prouince and in the nexte adioyning named Susynaria another kind of SerpeÌ„ts which hath foure féete and a long tayle lyke mastyes They doe take them hunting and eate them for they doe no hurte and are to eate as amongst vs the Hinde or wilde Goate The people say they are good meate Their Skinnes be of diuers couloures and those people vse them for diuers couerings for it is very fayre to behold Also there be other Serpentes of a maruellous figure in that Countrey of the length of one cubite with wings like vnto Battes They haue seauen heads ordinarily sette of the length of his bodye They dwell among the trées and are of a swifte flighte The yare more venomous than the other that onely with their breath they kill a man Also there be Cattes of the Mountayne that flye for they haue a small skinne from the backe vnto the bellie ouer all theyr body and féete whyche is gathered vp when they are still and when they will flye they spredde it and moue it lyke wings leaping from one trée vnto another The Hunters do follow them till they be wéerie with flying that they fall downe and so are taken Also there is in this Countrey a trée named Cachy that of the troncheon there groweth a fruite lyke vnto a Pyne but it is so great that a man can scarce beare it The hull is gréene and harde but it is of suche a sorte that if you thrust it with your finger it gyueth place It hath within it two hundred and fiftie or thrée hundred Apples like vnto Figges They are of a pleasante tast and are separated with a very thinne rine The hull within is like vnto the Chestnut in hardnesse and sauoure and in like maner they are rosted They are windie so that if they be putte into the fire except they be cut they will start out They do giue the vtter rine vnto the Oxen to eate Sometimes they fynde this fruite vnder grounde in the rootes of the trées and those be of a pleasanter tast therefore they doe vse to presente them vnto the Kings and Nobles The fruite within hath no rine This trée is muche like vnto a great Figge trée the leaues are like vnto the leaues of Platanos or ragged The wodde is like vnto Bore therefore it is hadde in estimation and is vsed aboute manye things Also there is another fruite named Amba verye gréene like vnto a Walnut but bigger than a Peache The rine is bitter and within it hath the sauour of hony They lay them in water before they ripe and dresse them as we doe the gréene Olyues for to eate From Coloen he wente thrée dayes iourney vnto a Citie named Cochin it is fiue myles in compasse scituated at the entring of a Riuer of the whiche it hath the name and sayling a certayne time vpon the Riuer he saw manye fiers and nettes fast by the Riuer and thought there had bin fishermen and he demaunded what those fishermen did with those fires euery nighte and those of that CouÌ„trey gaue him answere yeepe yeepe that is to say they were fishes or monsters hauing humane forme that on the daye time liued in the water and in the night they doe come out of the water and gather wodde togither and make a fyre striking one stone agaynste another whiche Monsters did take and eate fishe for there woulde come manye vnto the lighte of the fire and sometimes there is taken some of them and there is found no difference in them from other men and women In this Region the frutes are like vnto those of Colâ—en Beyond this there standeth another Citie named Calonguria standing at the entring of another Riuer into the Sea and beyond there standeth Paluria and Malyancora and this name among them signifyeth a great Citie it is nine miles in compasse He wente through all those and came vnto Colychachia a City standing vpon the Sea coaste it is eyght miles in compasse it is the most noble in trade of Merchandise that is in all India There is héere very much Pepper Laccar Ginger grosse Sinamon and other spices Aromatike and of a swéete sauoure Only in this region the woman taketh as many husbands as she listeth and the husbands agrée among themselues what eache shall giue towardes the mayntenance of the wife Euery husband is in his owne house and when he goeth vnto his wife he setteth a signe at the dore and when another of them commeth and séeth the signe he goeth another way The children are the husbands that the wife listeth to giue them vnto The sonne dothe not inherit his fathers lande but hys sonnes sonne From hence he trauelled â—iftéene dayes tyll hée came to a Citie called Cambayta standing néere the Sea. It is twelue miles in compasse towardes the Occidente There is plentye of Espico Nardo or Lacca Indico or Gome Laka Myrabolanos Crewill There is héere a certayne kind of Priestes whiche are named Bachales hauing but one wife a péece and she by their law is burnt with hir husband This kind of people eateth no flesh but onely fruites of the grounde and Rice milke and hearbes Here be many wilde Oxen they haue manes like vnto Horses but longer and his hornes are so long that when he turneth his heade they reache vnto his tayle and for that they be so bigge they doe vse them in steade of bottels to drinke in by the waye Returning to Colicuchia hée passed vnto an Iland named Secutera whiche standeth towards the Occident distant from the mayne lande a hundreth myles It is sixe hundreth myles in compasse and it is replenished for the most parte with Christians Nestorians Heretickes Right against this Iland no more thaÌ„ fiue myles there standeth two Ilands a thousande myles distant the one from the other the one is of men the other of women sometimes the men passe vnto the women and sometimes the women go ouer vnto the men and they returne backe vnto their Ilande before sixe moneths for if they shoulde tarrie any longer they thinke shoulde dye From hence he passed by sea vnto a Citie named Adena in fiue days which hath many edifications and from thence in seauen dayes he wente vnto Ethiopia vnto a hauen named Barbara and from thence in a monthes sayling he came vnto the redde sea vnto a hauen called Byonda and from thence he sayled two monthes with great difficultie and landed in a countrey neare vnto mounte Sinay from thence trauelling through the deserts he came
vnto Carras a Citie in Egipt with his wife foure sonnes and as many seruaunts In this Citie his wife two sonnes and his seruauntes died of the plague and finallye after long perilous and daungerous pilgrimages he came vnto Venice his own countrey Pogio. I Demaunding him of the life and customes of the Indians he gaue me aunsweare that all India was diuided into thrée parts the one from Persia vnto the riuer Indo another from the riuer Indo vnto the riuer Gange and the other staÌ„deth beyond these and excéedeth the others in riches humanitie and pollicie and are equal vnto vs in customes life and pollicie for they haue sumptuous and neate houses â–ª and all their vessels and housholde stuffe very cleane they estéeme to liue as noble people auoyded of all villanie and crueltie being courteous people riche Merchauntes in so muche that there is one merchaunte hauing fortie shippes for his owne trade and euery one of them is estéemed in 50000. Duckets These only vse as we do tables couered with table clothes and haue theyr Cupboardes of plate for the other Indians eate vppon a thing layde vppon the grounde The Indians haue neyther vines nor Wine they doe make their drinke of grounde Rice mingled with water putting vnto it a certaine redde coloure all tempered with the iuyce of a certayne trée Also they make their pottage like vnto their Wine In the Ilande named Taprobana they doe cutte the braunches of a certaine trée whiche is named Tall and leaue them hanging and out of them there runneth a swéete licour whiche they vse to drinke Also there is a lake betwéene the riuers Indo and Gange of a maruellous sauerie and pleasaunt water to drinke and al those that dwell there about drink of it and also farre off for they haue set horse from place to place â—or the purpose so that they haue it brought fresh euery daye they haue all want of breade they liue vppon Farre or Rice fleshe milke and chéese They haue gret plentie of Hennes Capons Partridges Feysauntes and manye other wildefoules They doe vse much fowling and hunting They shaue their beardes and nourishe a Heare tayle and some tye their haire wyth a silken lace behinde their shoulders like a tayle and so they weare them vnto the warres They haue Barbars as we haue they are tall of bodye as we be and also in their time of life they doe lye in sumptuous beddes and couered with quilles of Cotten Their apparell is diuerse according vnto the diuersitie of the countrey They haue all scante of woollen cloth they do vse cloth of lyne and of cruell and make apparell of it As well the men as the women couer their secréetes vnto their hammes with a péece of linnen vpon it they put a vesture of linnen or of silke for the greate heate will not suffer them to weare more apparell and therefore they doe goe so single tyed with Crimson lace and of gold tyed as we do sée the painters make on the auntient pictures The women vse certaine thinne shoes of leather trimmed wyth Golde and cruell Also they doe weare for gallauntnesse Hoopes of golde on their armes and about their neckes about their breastes and on their legges the waight of thrée pounde set with precious stones the common women kepe theyr houses as baudes there be manye and easie to finde for they are almost in euery stréet the which with perfumes and soft oyntmentes with their tender age and beautie prouoke muche the menne for in that countrey they are muche inclyned vnto those women and for thys cause the Indians knowe not what thyng is that abhominable sinne Of manye wayes they doe dresse theyr heades but commonlye moste of them vse to couer their heades with fine lawnes wreaâ—hed and their haire laced with a silken lace in some other pâ—aces they binde theyr haire vp to their heades in manner like vnto a peare and on the knot aboue on their haire they set a pinnâ— of golde whereby they do hang certaine cordes of golde being of diuerse colours hanging betwéene the haires Some women vse commonly blacke haire and among them it is most estéemed Some women couer theyr heades wyth certaine painted leaues of trées and they doe not paynte their faces but those inhabiting the prouince named Cataya doe In the India within they do not consent to a man to haue but one wife In the others they haue as manye as their carnall lust wil sauing the Christian Hereticke Nâ—storians which dwel scattered throughout all the Indias for they take but one woman The maner of their tombes is not as one in all the Indias for the moste India excéedeth other in diligence and sumptuousnesse for they doe make caues vnder grounde in trimming it with a fine wal and laye in the deade body in a precious bedde trimmed wyth Ornaments of Golde setting certaine baskettes round about wyth his moste precious apparell and put on rings as though the deade bodye shoulde enioye those things in Hell. They close the mouth of the caue very strongly that none may enter and vpon it they do make a sumptuous and rich tombe strong to abide rayne and to be the more durable but in the middle India they doe burne the deade bodies and most commonly they do burne their wiues alyue with the deade body one or manye according as hée had They doe by law burn the first wife with him although it be but one Also they doe take other wiues on this condition for to honoure him in death burning hir selfe with him and this among them is no little honour They do laye the deade bodie in a bedde trimmed with the beste apparell that he hath They do make a fyre rounde about with swéete wood and when it burneth his wife is trunly drest with hir beste aray and comming with Trumpets and Shawmes and songs merily as thoughe she did sing she goeth rounde about the fire At this there is presente the Prieste whiche they name Bachale in a Pulpit preaching vnto hir howe she muste not estéeme the life nor death saying that she shall haue in the other worlde with hir husband muche pleasure and shall possesse greate riches honour and apparell she inflamed with those words that he telleth hir after that she hath gone a certaine time rounde about the fire shée standeth nigher the Priestes Chayre or Pulpit and putteth off all hir apparell putteth on a white linnen shéete and leapeth into the fyre If some of them be fearefull for they haue séene the lyke of some that lamenteth and striueth with death after that she hath leapte in then the standers by doe throwe hir in wheather shée will or no. After they be burnte they gather the ashes and putte them into pottes and some into the graue ¶ They doe wéepe for the deade after diuers manners The inner Indians couer theyr heades with a sacke and some putte boughes of trées in the highe wayes and doe hang from the
more pleasant There be in that Countrey daungerous Serpents of sixe cubites in length and as thicke as a man hauing no féete The people of that Country haue great delight in eating of those Serpēts rosted Also they do eate a certayne redde Ante as bigge as a crabbe estéeming it much drest with Pepper Also there is a certaine Beast hauing a head like vnto a Hogge the tayle lyke vnto an Oxe and a horne in his forehead like vnto a Vnicorne but smaller by a cubite He is couloure and bignesse like vnto the Elephante He is an enimie to the Elephant The vtter part of his hornes is good for medicines against poyson and for this cause he is had in great price and estimation At the end of this Region towards Catay there be Oren both blacke and white had in great estimation They haue a mane and a tayle lyke vnto a Horse but more hearie and reacheth vnto their féete The heares of their tailes be very fine and like vnto feathers and they be sold by weight and therof they do make Moscaderos or Table clothes for the Altares of their Gods or for to couer the Table of their King or for to trimme them with gold and siluer to couer the buttocks or breasts of their Horses for beautyfulnesse they estéeme thē for principall ornaments Also the Knightes hang of these heares fast by the yron of their Speares in token among them of singular nobilite Beyond the sayde Marcino there is another Prouince more principall than the others which is named Cataya Cataya and he is Lord of it that is named the great Cane whych is as muche to saye in their tong as Emperoure The great Cane and the City royall which is .28 miles in compasse four square is named Cymbalechya There standeth in the middest thereof a very faire and strong Pallace that serueth for the king At euery corner standeth a round fortresse of .4 miles compasse whiche serue for houses of all manner of armoure and necessarie engines for the warre and combat against any Citie And from the Pallace royall there runneth a wall with arches vnto euery one of these fortresses whereon the King may go vnto any of them if in case they would rise against him in the Citie From thys Citie fiftéene dayes iourney there standeth another Citie newly edifyed by the great Cane and is named Nentay It is in compasse thirtie miles and is most populous of all the rest And this Nicholas affirmeth that the houses and Pallaces and all other policies of these two Cities séemed much like vnto those of Italy the men béeing modest and curteous and of more riches thā the other be Going from Aua vpon a small riuer seauentene dayes iourney he came vnto a Hauen Citie being very greate named Zeitano and from thence he entred into another Riuer and in tenne dayes he came vnto another greate and populous Citie whiche is in comapasse .12000 paces whiche is called Paconya where he remayned foure monethes In this Citie he founde Vines though they were few for all India lacketh Vines and Wine nor they make no wine of the Grapes This Grape groweth among the trées and after the Grape is cut the first thing of all if they do not sacrifice with it vnto their Gods it is by and by auoyded out of their sight Also there be in this Countrey Pines Aberrycocks Chestnuttes and Mellons although they be small and gréene Héere is whyte Sandales or Saunders and Camphora or Camphire There is in India farre within almost at the furthest end of the world two Ilandes and both of them are named Laua the one is of two miles in length and the other of thrée towards the Orient and they are knowen in the name for the one is called the greate and the other the lesse And turning vnto the Sea he went vnto them béeing distant from the mayne land a monethes sayling and the one is a hundred miles distāt from the other He was in these with his wife and children nine moneths for in all his pilgrimage he had them euer with him The dwellers in these Ilands are the most cruell and vncharitable people in the world They eate Rattes Cattes Dogges and other viler beastes They estéeme it nothing to kill a man and he that doth any crime hathe no penaltie and the debters be giuen to be as slaues vnto the creditors and some debters will rather dye than serue and take a Sword and kill those that are weaker than they till they find one that is of more strength than themselfe who killeth them then they carrie the creditor of that murtherer before the Iudge and cause him to pay the debtes of the debler If any of them do buy a new Sword or knife he proueth it vpon the body of the firste that he méeteth and there is no penaltie for it Those that come by looke vpon the wound and prayse the hardinesse of him that did it if it be a great wound They take as many wiues as they list They do vse much the game of Cockfighting and they that bring them as well as the lokers on lay wagers whiche Cocke shall ouercome and winne the game In Laua the great there is a Fowle like vnto a Doue which hath no féete his feathers light and a long tayle he resteth alwayes on the trées hys flesh is not eaten the skinne and tayle are estéemed for they do vse to weare them on their heads Sayling fiftéene dayes beyond these two Ilandes towards the Orient you come vnto two other Ilands the one is named Sanday where there is Nutmegges and Almaxiga or Masticke The other is called Bandan where Cloues grow and from thence it is caryed vnto the Ilands named Clauas In Bandan there be thrée kinds of Popiniayes or Parrets with redde feathers and yellowe billes and others of diuers couloures whiche are called Noros that is to say cleare They are as bigge as doues There be other white ones as bigge as Hennes named Cachos that is to say better for they excéede the others and they speake like men in so muche that they doe aunswere vnto the things that they are asked of The people of these two Ilandes are blacke by reason of the greate heate Beyond these Ilands there is a mayne Sea but the contrary winds will not suffer men to trauell on it Leauing these sayde Ilands and hauing done his Merchandise he toke his waye towards the Occidente or Weste and came vnto a Citie named Cyampa hauing abundaunce of Aloes and of Camphora or Camphire and of golde and in so muche time as he came hither whiche was a moneth he came vnto a Citie named Coloen whiche is a noble Citie of thrée miles compasse where there is Ginger named Conbobo and Pepper and Vergino and Sinamon which is named Gruessa Thys Prouince is named Melibarya Also there be Serpents of sixe cubites in length and fearefull to behold but they do no hurt except they receyue hurt