[Sidenote: Altisoldanus.] Huius Dominus Dicebatur Altisoldanus, Qui Cum Tota Sua Progenie A Tartaris Est Destructus.

[Sidenote:

Montes maximi.] Habet autem hac terra montes maximos. Et a meridie quidem habet Hierosalem et Baldach, totamque Sarracenorum terram. Atque in finibus illis propinquis morantur duo fratres carnales, [Sidenote: Burin. Cadan. Oceanus ab Aquilone. Syban, frater Bathy.] Tartarorum Duces, scilicet Burin et Cadan, filij Thiaday, qui fuit filius Chingischam. Ab Aquilone vero terram habet nigrorum Kythaorum and Oceanum. In illa vero moratur Syban, frater Bathy. Per hanc iuimus a festo Ascensionis dominica fere vsque ad viij. dies ante festum sanct. Iohan. Baptista. [Sidenote: Nigri Cathayni.] Deinde ingressi sumus terram nigrorum Kythaorum, in qua Imperator adificauit domum, vbi etiam vocati fuimus ad bibendum. Et ille, qui erat ibidem ex parte imperatoris, fecit maiores ciuitatis, et etiam duos filios eius, plaudere eoram nobis. [Sidenote: Mare paruum.] Hinc exeuntes, quoddam mare paruum inuenimus, in cuius littore quidam existit mons paruus. In quo scilicet monte quoddam foramen esse dicitur, vnde in hyeme tam maxima tempestates ventorum exeunt, quod homines inde vix et cum magno periculo transire possunt. In astate vero semper quidem ibi ventorum sonitus auditur, sed de foramine tenuiter egreditur. Per huius maris littora plurimis diebus perreximus, quod quidem licet non multum sit magnum, plures insulas habet, et illud in sinistris dimisimus. [Sidenote: Plurimus diebus. Plures insula. Ordu. cap. 13.] In terra vero illa habitat Ordu, quem omnium Ducum Tartarorum antiquiorem diximus, et est orda, siue curia patris ipsius, quam inhabitat, et regis vna de vxoribus eius. Consuetudo enim est apud Tartaros, quod principum et maiorum curia non delentur, sed semper ordinantur aliqua mulieres, qua illas regant, eisque donariorum partes, sicut Dominis earum dari solebant, dantur. [Sidenote: Prima curia Imperatoris.] Sic tandem ad primam Imperatoris curiam venimus, in qua erat vna de vxoribus ipsius.

The same in English,

How they came vnto the first court of the new Emperour. Chap. 24.

[Sidenote: The land of the Bisermini.] Moreouer, out of the land of the Kangitta, we entered into the countrey of the Bisermini, who speake the language of Comania, but obserue the law of the Saracens. In this countrey we found innumerable cities with castles ruined, and many towns left desolate. [Sidenote: Alti Soldanus. Huge mountaines.] The lord of this country was called Soldan Alti, who with al his progenie, was destroyed by the Tartars. This countrey hath most huge mountains. On the South side it hath Ierusalem and Baldach, and all the whole countrey of the Saracens. [Sidenote: Burin and Cadan.] In the next territories adioyning doe inhabite two carnall brothers dukes of the Tartars, namely, Burin and Cadan, the sonnes of Thyaday, who was the sonne of Chingis Can. [Sidenote: The North ocean.] On the North side thereof it hath the land of the blacke Kythayans, and the Ocean. [Sidenote: Syban brother vnto Bathy.] In the same countrie Syban the brother of Bathy remaineth. Through this countrie we were traueiling from the feast of Ascension, vntil eight daies before the feast of S. Iohn Baptist. [Sidenote: The blacke Kythayans.] And then we entred into the land of the blacke Kythayans, in which the Emperour built an house, where we were called in to drinke. Also the Emperours deputy in that place caused the chiefe men of the citie and his two sonnes to daunce before vs. [Sidenote: A small sea.] Departing from hence, wee found a certaine small sea, vpon the shore whereof stands a little mountaine. In which mountaine is reported to be a hole, from whence, in winter time such vehement tempests of winds doe issue, that traueilers can scarcely, and with great danger passe by the same way. In summer time, the noise in deede of the winde is heard there, but it proceedeth gently out of the hole. [Sidenote: Many dayes.] Along the shores of the aforesaid sea we traueiled for the space of many dayes, which although it bee not very great, yet hath it many islandes, and wee passed by leauiug it on our left hande. [Sidenote: Ordu cap. 13.] In this lande dwelleth Ordu, whom wee sayde to bee auncient vnto all the Tartarian dukes. And it is the Orda or court of his father which hee inhabiteth, and one of his wiues beareth rule there. For it is a custome among the Tartars, that the Courts of Princes or of noble men are not dissolued, but alwayes some women are appointed to keepe and gouerne them, vpon whom certain gifts are bestowed, in like sort as they are giuen vnto their Lords. [Sidenote: The first court of the Emperour.] And so at length we arriued at the first court of the Emperour, wherein one of his wiues dwelt.

Qualiter ad ipsum Cuyne, Imperatorem futurum peruenerunt. Cap. 25.

At vero quia nondum Imperatorem videramus, noluerunt vocare nos, nec intromittere ad Ordam ipsius, sed nobis in tentorio nostro secundum morem Tartarorum valde bene seruiri fecerunt, et vt quiesceremus, nos ibidem per vnam diem tenuerunt. [Sidenote: Terra Nyamanorum] Inde procedentes in vigilia sanctorum Petri et Pauli, terram Naymanorum intrauimus, qui sunt Pagani. In ipsa vero die Apostolorum ibidem cecidit magna nix, et habuimus magnum frigus. Hac quidem terra montiosa et frigida est supra modum, ibique de planicie reperitur modicum. Ista quoque dua nationes pradicta non laborabant, sed sicut et Tartari in tentorijs habitabant, quas et ipsi deleuerant per hanc etiam multis diebus perreximus. Deinde terram Mongalorum intrauimus, quos Tartaros appellamus. [Sidenote: Tartaria. Iulij 22. Acceleratum legatorum iter.] Per has itaque terras, vt credimus, tribus septimanis equitando fortiter iuimus, et in die Beata Maria Magdalena ad Cuyne Imperatorem electum peruenimus. Ideo autem per omnem viam istam valde festinauimus, quia praceptum erat Tartaris nostris, vt cito nos deducerent ad curiam solennem, iam ex annis pluribus indictam, propter ipsius Imperatoris electionem. Idcirco de mane surgentes, ibamus vsque ad noctem sine comestione, et sapius tam tarde veniebamus, quod non comedebamus in sero, sed quod manducare debebamus in vespere, dabatur nobis in mane. Mutatisque frequentius equis, nullatenus parcebatur eis, sed equitabamus velociter ac sine intermissione, quantum poterant equi trotare.

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