Eastern Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 2 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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One Of Their
Companions Was Called Yeka Mongal, That Is The Great Mongals.
The second
company was called Sumongal, that is, the Water-Mongals, who called
themselues Tartars of a certaine riuer running through their countrey named
Tartar.
The third was called Merkat, and the fourth Metrit. All these
people had one and the same person, attire of body and language, albeit
they were diuided by princes and prouinces. [Sidenote: The original and the
exploits of Chingis.] In the prouince of Yeka Mongol, there was a certaine
man called Chingis. This man became a mighty hunter. For he learned to
steale men, and take them for a pray. He ranged into other countries taking
as many captiues as he could, and ioining them vnto himselfe. Also hee
allured the men of his owne countrey vnto him, who followed him as their
captaine and ringleader to doe mischiefe. Then began he to make warre vpon
the Sumongals or Tartars, and slewe their captaine, and after many
conflicts, subdued them vnto himselfe, and brought them all into bondage.
Afterwards he vsed their helpe to fight against the Merkats, dwelling by
the Tartars, whom also hee vanquished in battell. Proceeding from thence,
he fought against the Metrites, and conquered them also. [Sidenote: The
Naimani.] The Naimani hearing that Chingis was thus exalted, greatly
disdeined thereat. For they had a mighty and puissant Emperour, vnto whom
all the foresaid nations payed tribute. Whose sonnes, when he was dead,
succeeded him in his Empire. [Sidenote: The discord of brethren.] Howbeit,
being young and foolish, they knew not howe to gouerne the people, but were
diuided, and fell at variance among themselues. Now Chingis being exalted,
as is aforesaid, they neuerthelesse inuaded the forenamed countries, put
the inhabitants to the sword, and carried away their goods for a pray.
Which Chingis hauing intelligence of, gathered all his subiects together.
The Naimani also, and the people called Karakitay assembled and banded
themselues at a certaine straight valley, where, after a battell foughten
they were vanquished by the Mongals. And being thus vanquished, they were,
the greater part of them, slaine; and others, which could not escape, were
carried into captiuitie. [Sidenote: Occoday Cham.] In the land of the
foresayd Karakytayans, Occoday Cham, the sonne of Chingis Cham, after he
was created Emperour, built a certaine citie, which he called Chanyl. Neare
vnto which citie, on the South side, there is an huge desert, wherein wilde
men are certainely reported to inhabite, which cannot speake at all, and
are destitute of ioynts in their legges, so that if they fall, they cannot
rise alone by themselues. Howbeit, they are of discretion to make feltes of
Camels haire, wherewith they clothe themselues, and which they holde
against the winde. And if at any time, the Tartars pursuing them, chance to
wound them with their arrowes, they put herbes into their wounds and flye
strongly before them.
De mutua victoria ipsorum et Kythaorum. Cap. 9.
Mongali autem in terram suam reuertentes, se contra [Marginal note:
Haythono et Paulo Veneto sunt Cathay.] Kythaos ad pralium parauerunt, et
castra mouentes, eorum terram intrauerunt. [Sidenote: Tartarorum Cathayna
clades.] Quod audiens eorum Imperator, vnit cum exercitu suo contra illos,
et commissum est pralium durum, in quo Mongali sunt deuicti, omnesque
nobiles eorum, qui erant in exercitu, prater septem occisi sunt. Vnde cum
illis volentibus aliquam impugnare regionem, minatur aliquis stragem, adhuc
respondent: Olim etiam occisi non nisi septem remansimus, et tamen modo
creuimus in multitudinem magnam, ideoque non terremur de talibus. Chingis
autem et alij, qui remanserunt, in terram suam fugerunt. Cumque quieuisset
aliquantulum, praparauit se rursus ad pralium, et processit contra terram
Huyrorum. Isti sunt homines Christiani de secta Nestorianorum. [Sidenote:
Noua victoria. Litera.] Et hos etiam Mongali deuicerunt, eorumque literam
acceperunt; prius enim scripturam non habebant, nunc autem eandem
Mongalorem literam appellant. Inde contra terram Saruyur, et contra terram
Karanitarum, et contra terram Hudirat processit, quos omnes bello deuicit.
Inde in terram suam redijt, et aliquantulum quieuit. Deinde conuocatis
omnibus hominibus suis, contra Kythaos pariter processerunt, diuque contra
illos pugnantes, magnam partem terra illorum vicerunt, eorumque Imperatorem
in ciuitatem suam maiorem concluserunt. Quam et tam longo tempore
obsederunt, quod exercitus expensa omnino, defecerunt. Cumque iam quod
manducarent, penitus non haberent, pracipit Chingischam suis, vt de decem
hominibus vnum ad manducandum darent. [Sidenote: Argentum loco lapidum in
hostem proiectum.] Illi vero de ciuitate machinis et sagittis viriliter
contra istos pugnabant et cum deficerent lapides, argentum et maxime
liquefactum proijciebant. Ciuitas siquidem illa multis erat diuitijs plena.
Cumque diu Mongali pugnassent, et eam bello vincere non possent, vnam
magnam sub terra viam ab exercitu vsque ad medium ciuitatis fecerunt, et
prosilientes in medium eius, contra ciues pugnauerunt. Illi quoque qui
extra remanserant, eodem modo contra illos pugnabant. Denique concidentes
portas ciuitatis intrauerunt, et imperatorem cum pluribus occidentes vrbem
possederunt, aurumque et argentum, et omnes eius diuitias abstulerunt.
[Sidenote: Chingis salutatur Imperator.] Et cum aliquos terra suos homines
nuntios praficissent, in terram propriam reuersi sunt. Tunc primum
Imperatore Kythaorum deuncto, factus est Chingischam imperator Quandam
tamen partem illius terra, quia posita erat in mari nullatenus deuicerunt
vsque hodie. [Sidenote: Cathaynorum litera et religio.] Sunt autem Kitai
homines pagani, habentes literam specialem, et etiam vt dicitur, veteris et
noui Testamenti scripturam. Habent etiam vitas patrum et eremitas et domes,
in quibus orant temporibus suis, ad modum Ecclesiarum facias. Quosdam etiam
sanctos habere se dicunt, et vnum Deum colunt. Christum IESVM Dominum
venerantur, et credunt vitam aternam, sed non baptizantur. Scripturam
nostram honorant ac reuerentur. Christianos diligunt, et eleemosynas plures
faciunt, homines benigni satis et humani videntur. Barbam non habent, et in
dispositione faciei cum Mongalis in parte concordant. [Sidenote:
Opificiorum [Greek: exochae].] Meliores artifices in mundo non inueniuntur
in omnibus operibus, in quibus homines exercentur. Terra eonira est
opulenta numis in frumento et vino, auro et serico ac rebus cateris.
The same in English
Of the mutuall victories betweene them, and the pepole of Kythay. Chap. 9.
But the Mongals returning home into their owne countrey prepared themselues
to battell against the Kythayans:
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