(J. As. ser. i,
tom. ix. 67.)
BOOK FOURTH
WARS AMONG THE TARTAR PRINCES AND SOME ACCOUNT OF THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES
Note. - A considerable number of the quasi-historical chapters in
this section (which I have followed M. Pauthier in making into a Fourth
Book) are the merest verbiage and repetition of narrative formulae without
the slightest value. I have therefore thought it undesirable to print all
at length, and have given merely the gist (marked thus <+>), or an
extract, of such chapters. They will be found entire in English in H.
Murray's and Wright's editions, and in the original French in the edition
of the Societe de Geographie, in Bartoli, and in Pauthier.
BOOK IV.
CHAPTER I.
CONCERNING GREAT TURKEY.
In GREAT TURKEY there is a king called CAIDU, who is the Great Kaan's
nephew, for he was the grandson of CHAGATAI, the Great Kaan's own brother.
He hath many cities and castles, and is a great Prince. He and his people
are Tartars alike; and they are good soldiers, for they are constantly
engaged in war.[NOTE 1]
Now this King Caidu is never at peace with his uncle the Great Kaan, but
ever at deadly war with him, and he hath fought great battles with the
Kaan's armies. The quarrel between them arose out of this, that Caidu
demanded from the Great Kaan the share of his father's conquests that of
right belonged to him; and in particular he demanded a share of the
Provinces of Cathay and Manzi.
