[Sidenote: Benedictus Polonus.] For Both He And One Frier Benedict A Poloman Being Of The Same Order, And A Partaker Of All His Miserie And Tribulation, Receiued Straight Commaundement From The Pope That Both Of Them Shoulde Diligently Searche Out All Things That Concerned The State Of The Tartars.

And therefore this Frier Iohn hath written a litle Historie (which is come to our hands) of such things, as with his owne eyes hee sawe among the Tartars, or which he heard from diuers Christians worthy of credit, remaining there in captiuitie.

Out of which historie I thought good by way of conclusion, to insert somewhat for the supply of those things which are wanting in the said Frier Simon.

De situ et qualitate terra Tartarorum. Cap. 3.

Iohannes de Plano Carpini.

[Sidenote: Tartaria descriptio.] Est in partibus Orientis terra, qua Mongal siue Tartaria dicitur, in ea scilicet parte sita, in qua Oriens Aquiloni coniungi creditur. Ab Oriente quidem habet terram Kythaorum et etiam Salangorum, a meredie vero terram Sarracenorum. Inter Orientem [Marginal note: Vel Occidentem.] et meridiem terram Huynorum, et ab Occidente prouinciam Naymanorum, ab Aquilone vero circundatur Oceano. In parte aliqua nimium est montuosa, et in aliqua campestris, sed tota fere admixta glarea plurimum arenosa, nec est in centesima parte fructuosa. Nec enim potest fructum portare, nisi aquis fluuialibus irrigetur, qua ibi sunt rarissima. Vnde nec villa nec aliqua ciuitates ibidem reperiuntur, excepta vna, qua Cracurim appellatur, et satis bona esse dicitur. [Sidenote: Syra orda.] Nos quidem illam non vidimus, sed ad dimidiam dietam prope fuimus, cum apud Syram ordam, qua curia maior Imperatoris, eorum est, essemus. Licet autem alias infructifera sit illa terra, tamen alendis pecoribus est apta.

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