They Prouided Mee Alwaies Of A Strong Horse, Because I Was Very Corpulent And Heauy:

But whether he ambled a gentle pase or no, I durst not make any question.

Neither yet durst I complaine, although he trotted full sore. But euery man must be contented with his lot as it fell. Whereupon wee were exceedingly troubled: for oftentimes our horses were tired before we could come at any people. And then wee were constrained to beate and whip on our horses, and to lay our garments vpon other emptie horses: yea and sometimes two of vs to ride vpon one horse.

De fame et siti, et alijs miserijs quas sustinuerant in itinere. Cap. 24.

De fame et siti, frigore et fatigatione non est numerus. Non enim dant cibum nisi in sero. In mane dant aliquid bibere, vel sorbere milium. In sero dabant nobis carnes, scapulam arietis cum costis et de brodio ad mensuram bibere. Quando habebamus de brodio carnium ad satietatem optime reficiebamur. Et videbatur mihi suauissimus potus et maxime nutriens. Feria sexta permanebam ieiunus vsque ad noctem, nihil auriens. Tunc oportebat me in tristitia et dolore comedere carnes. [Sidenote: Defectus materia ignis.] Aliquando oportebat nos comedere carnes semicoctas vel fere crudas propter defectum materia ignis quando iacebamus in campis et de nocte descendebamus: quia tunc non poteramus bene colligere stercora equorum vel boum: aliam materiam ignis raro inueniebamus; nisi forte alicubi aliquas spinas. In ripis etiam aliquorum fluminum sunt alicubi sylua. Sed hoc raro. [Sidenote: Aliqua flumina.] In principio despiciebat nos multum Ductor noster, et fastidiebat eum ducere tam viles homines. Postea tamen quando incepit nos melius cognoscere, ducebat nos per curias diuitum Moallorum: et oportebat nos orare pro ipsis. Vnde si habuissem bonum interpretem, habebam oportunitatem seminandi multa bona. [Sidenote: Vasta solitudo.] Ille Chirigis primus Cham habuit quatuor filios, de quibus egressi sunt multi, qui omnes habent modo magnas curias: et quotidie multiplicantur et diffunduntur per illam Vastam solitudinem, qua est sicut mare. Per multos ergo illorum ducebat nos Ductor noster. Et mirabantur supra modum, quia nolebamus recipere aurum, vel argentum, vel vestes praciosas. Quarebant etiam de magno Papa, si esset ita senex sicut audierant: audierant enim quod esset quingentorum annorum. Quarebant de terris nostris si ibi essent multa oues, et boues, et equi. De Oceano mari non potuerunt intelligere, quod esset sine termnino vel sine ripa. In vigilia omnium Sanctorum dimisimus viam in Orientem, [Marginal note: Nota diligenter. Iter versus mieridiem octo dierum.] quia iam populus descenderat multum versus meridiem: Et direximus iter per quasdam Alpes recte in meridiem continue per octo dies. In illa solitudine vidi multos asinos, quos vocant Colan, qui magis assimilantur mulis: quos multum prosequuti [Footnote: sic.] sunt Dux noster et socij eius, sed nihil profecerunt propter nimiam velocitatem eorum. Septima die inceperunt nobis apparere ad meridiem montes altissimi: et intrauimus planiciem, qua irrigabatur sicut hortus, et inuenimus terras cultas. [Sidenote: Asuni velocissimi. Montes Altissimi. Terra culta. Kenchat villa Saracenorum.] In octauis omnium Sanctorum intrauimus villam quandam Saracenorum nomine Kenchat: cuius capitaneus occurrebat extra villam duci nostro cum ceruisia et ciphis. Hic est enim mos eorum; quod de omnibus villis subditis eis, occurratur nuncijs Baatu, et Mangu cham cum cibo et potu. Tunc temporis ibant ibi super glaciem. [Sidenote: Septimo die Nouembris ibant super glaciem.] Et prius a festo Sancti Michaelis habueramus gelu in solitudine. Quasiui de nomine Prouincia illius: sed quia iam eramus in alio territorio nescierunt mihi dicere, nisi a nomine ciuitatis, qua erat valde parua. [Sidenote: Ciuitas valde parua. Magnus Fluuius. Multa Paludes. Vites.] Et descendebat magnus fluuius de montibus qui irrigabat totam regionem, secundum quod volebant aquam ducere: nec descendebat in aliquod mare, sed absorbebatur a terra: et faciebat etiam multas paludes. Ibi vidi vites, et bibi bis de vino.

The same in English.

Of the hunger, and thirst, and other miseries, which wee sustained in our iourney. Chap. 24.

Of hunger and thirst, colde and wearinesse, there was no end. For they gaue vs no victuals, but onely in the euening. In the morning they vsed to giue vs a little drinke, or some sodden Millet to sup off. In the euening they bestowed flesh vpon vs, as namely, a shoulder and breast of rams mutton, and euery man a measured quantitie of broath to drinke. When we had sufficient of the flesh-broath, we were maruellously wel refreshed. And it seemed to me most pleasant, and most nourishing drinke. Euery Saterday [Footnote: Friday (?).], I remained fasting vntil night, without eating or drinking of ought. And when night came, I was constrained, to my great grief and sorow, to eat flesh. Sometimes we were faine to eate flesh halfe sodden, or almost rawe, and all for want of fewel to seethe it withal: especially when we lay in the fields, or were benighted before we came at our iourneis end: because we could not then conueniently gather together the doung of horses or oxen: for other fewel we found but seldome, except perhaps a few thornes in some places. [Sidenote: Certaine riuers.] Likewise vpon the bankes of some riuers, there are woods growing here and there. Howbeit they are very rare. In the beginning our guide highly disdained vs, and it was tedious vnto him to conduct such base fellowes. Afterward, when he began to know vs somewhat better, he directed vs on our way by the courts of rich Moals, and we were requested to pray for them. Wherefore, had I caried a good interpreter with me, I should haue had opportunities to haue done much good. The foresaid Chingis, who was the first great Can or Emperour of the Tartars, had foure sonnes, of whome proceeded by natural descent many children, euery one of which doeth at this day enioy great possessions: and they are daily multiplied and dispersed ouer that huge and waste desert, which is, in dimensions, like vnto the Ocean Sea. Our guide therefore directed vs, as we were going on our iourney, vnto many of their habitations. And they marueiled exceedingly, that we would receiue neither gold, nor siluer, nor precious and costly garments at their hands.

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