They Inquired Also, Concerning The Great Pope, Whether He Was Of So Lasting An Age As They Had Heard?

For there had gone a report among them, that he was 500 yeeres olde.

They inquired likewise of our countreis, whether there were abundance of sheep, oxen, and horses or no? Concerning the Ocean sea, they could not conceiue of it, because it was without limits or banks. Vpon the euen of the feast of All Saints, we forsook the way leading towards the East, (because the people were now descended very much South) and we went on our iourney by certaine Alpes, or mountaines directly Southward, for the space of 8. dayes together. [Sidenote: Eight dayes iourney southward. Asses swift of foote.] In the foresaid desert I saw many asses (which they cal Colan) being rather like vnto mules: these did our guide and his companions chase very eagerly: howbeit, they did but lose their labour: for the beastes were too swift for them. [Sidenote: High mountaines. Manured grounds.] Vpon the 7. day there appeared to the South of vs huge high mountaines, and we entred into a place which was well watered, and fresh as a garden, and found land tilled and manured. [Sidenote: Kenchat a village of the Saracens.] The eight day after the feast of All Saints, we arriued at a certain towne of the Saracens, named Kenchat, the gouernour whereof met our guide at the townes end with ale and cups. For it is their maner at all townes and villages, subiect vnto them, to meet the messengers of Baatu and Mangu Can with meate and drinke. At the same time of the yere, they went vpon the yce in that countrey. And before the feast of S. Michael [Sidenote: The 7. day of Nouember.], we had frost in the desert. I enquired the name of that prouince but being now in a strange territorie, they could not tell mee the name thereof, but onely the name of a very smal citie in the same prouince. [Sidenote: A great riuer.] And there descended a great riuer [Footnote: The Terek is probably alluded to.] downe from the mountaines, which watered the whole region, according as the inhabitants would giue it passage, by making diuers chanels and sluces: neither did this riuer exonerate it selfe into any sea, but was swallowed vp by an hideous gulfe into the bowels of the earth: [Sidenote: Many lakes. Vines.] and it caused many fennes or lakes. Also I saw many vines, and dranke of the wine thereof.

De interfectione Ban et habitatione Teutonicorum. Cap. 25.

[Sidenote: Casale Montes Caucasi contiguantur mari Orientali Talas, vel Chincitalas ciuitas. Frater Andreas.] Sequenti die venimus ad aliud casale propinquius montibus. Et quasiui de montibus, de quibus intellexi, quod essent montes Caucasi: qui contiguantur ex vtraque parte maris ab Occidente vsque ad Orientem: et quod transiueramus mare supradictum, quod intrat Etilia. Quasiui etiam de Talas ciuitate, in qua erant Teutonici serui Buri, de quibus dixerat frater Andreas, de quibus etiam quasiueram multum in curia Sartach et Baatu. Sed nihil poteram intelligere, nisi quod Ban dominus eorum fuerat interfectus tali occasione. Ipse non erat in bonis pascuis. Et quadam die dum esset ebrius, loquebatur ita cum hominibus suis. Nonne sum de genere Chingis can sicut Baatus (Et ipse erat nepos Baatu vel frater) quare non vadam super ripam Etilia, sicut Baatu, vt pascam ibi? Qua verba relata fuerunt Baatu. Tunc ispse Baatu scripsit hominibus illius, vt adducerent ei dominum ipsorum vinctum quod et fecerunt. [Sidenote: Casale.] Tunc Baatu quasiuit ab eo si dixisset tale verbum: et ipse confessus est, tamen excusauit se, quia ebrius erat: (quia solent condonare ebrijs:) et Baatu respondit: Quomodo audebas me nominare in ebrietate tua? Et fecit ei amputari caput. De illis Teutonicis nihil potui cognoscere vsque ad curiam Mangu. Sed in supradicto casali intellexi, quod Talas erat post nos iuxta montes per sex dietas. [Sidenote: Bolac villa. Aurifodina.] Quando veni ad curiam Mangu cham, intellexi quod ipse Mangu transtulerat eos de licentia Baatu versus Orientem spacio itineris vnius mensis a Talas ad quandam villam qua dicitur Bolac: vbi fodiunt auram, et fabricant arma, Vnde non potui ire nec redire per eos. Transiui eundo satis prope, per tres dietas forte ciuitatem illam: sed ego ignoraui: nec potuissem etiam declinasse extra viam, si bene sciuissem. [Sidenote: Intrat ditionem Mangu cham.] A pradictos casali iuimus ad Orientem iuxta montes pradictos: et tunc intrauimus inter homines Mangu cham, qui vbique cantabant et plaudebant coram ductore nostro: quia ipse erat nuncius Baatu. Hunc enim honorem exhibent sibi mutuo, vt homines Mangu cham recipiant nuncios Baatu pradicto modo: Et similiter homines Baatu nuncios Mangu. Tamen homines Baatu superiores sunt, nec exequuntur ita diligenter. [Sidenote: Alpes in quibus habitabant Caracatay. Magnus fluuius.] Paucis diebus post hoc intrauimus Alpes, in quibus solebant habitare Caracatay: et inuenimus ibi magnum fluuium, [Footnote: The River Roup.] quem oportuit nos transire nauigio. Post hac intrauimus quandam vallem, vbi vidi castrum quoddam destructum, cuius muri non erant nisi de luto, et terra colebatur ibi. [Sidenote: Terra culta. Equius villa boua, longissime a Perside.] Et post inuenimus quandam bonam villam qua dicitur Equius, in qua erant Saraceni loquentes Persicum: longissime tamen erant a Perside. [Sidenote: Lacus quindecem dietarum circuitu.] Sequenti die transgressis illis Alpibus qua descendebant a magnis montibus ad meridiem, ingressi sumus pulcherrimam planiciem habentem montes altos a dextris, et quoddam mare a sinistris, siue quendam lacum qui durat quindecem dietas in circuitu. Et illa planicies, tota irrigabatur ad libitum aquis descendentibus de montibus, qua omnes recipiuntur in illud mare. In astate rediuimus ad latus Aquilonare illius maris, vbi similiter erant magni montes. In planicie pradicta solebant esse multa villa: sed pro maiori parte omnes erant destructa, vt pascerent ibi Tartari: quia optima pascua erant ibi. [Sidenote: Cailac magna villa et plena mercatoribus.] Vnam magnam villam inuenimus ibi nomini Cailac, in qua erat forum, et frequentabant eam multi mercatores. In illa quieuimus quindecem diebus, expectantes quendam scriptorem Baatu, qui debebat esse socius ducis nostri in negotijs expediendis in curia Mangu.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 76 of 82
Words from 75783 to 76787 of 82784