Dayes.
Note. At this Citie of Boghar is the marte or meeting place betweene the
Turkes and nations of those parts and the Cathayans.
Also the toll there is the 40. part to be payed of Merchandizes or goods.
From thence to Cascar is one moneths iourney, and from Cascar (being the
frontier of the great Can, hauing many townes and fortes by the way) is
also a moneths trauel for merchants by land to Cathay.
Further, as he hath heard (not hauing bene in those parts himselfe) ships
may saile from the dominions of Cathaia vnto India. But of other waies, or
how the seas lie by any coast hee knoweth not.
The instruction of another Tartarian merchant dwelling in the citie of
Boghar, as he hath learned by other his countreymen which haue bene
there.
First from Astracan by sea to Serachick is 15 dayes: affirming also that a
man may trauell the other way before written by Turkemen.
From Serachick to Vrgence is 15 dayes.
From Vrgence to Boghar also 15 dayes.
Note. These last 30 daies iourney is without habitation of houses:
therefore trauellers lodge in their own tents, carying with them to eate,
their seuerall prouisions: and for drinesse there bee many wels of faire
water at equall baiting places not farre distant dayly to be had.
From Boghar to Taskent easie travelling with goods, is 14 dayes by land.
From Taskent to Occient 7 dayes.
From Occient to Cascar 20 daies. This Cascar is the head towne or citie of
another prince, lying betweene Boghar and Cathaia, called Reshit can.
From Cascar to Sowchick 30 daies iourney, which Sowchick is the first
border of Kathay.
From Sowchick to Camchick 5 dayes iourney, and from Camchick to Cathay is 2
moneths iourney, all the way being inhabited, temperate, and wel
replenished with innumerable fruits, and the chiefe citie in that whole
land is called Cambalu, which is yet 10 dayes iourney from Cathay.
Beyond this land of Cathay, which they praise to be ciuill and vnspeakeably
rich, is the countrey named in the Tartarian tongue Cara-calmack inhabited
with blacke people: but in Cathay the most part thereof stretching to the
sunne rising, are people white and of faire complexion. Their religion
also, as the Tartars report, is christian, or after the maner of
Christians, and their language peculiar, differing from the Tartarian
tongue.
There are no great and furious Beares in trauelling through the waies
aforesaid, but wolues white and blacke. And because that woods are not of
such quantitie there, as in these parts of Russia, but in maner rather
scant then plentiful, as is reported, the Beares breed not that way, but
some other beasts (as namely one in Russe called Barse) are in those
coasts. This Barse appeareth by a skinne of one seene here to sell, to be
nere so great as a big lion, spotted very faire and therefore we here take
it to be a Leopard or Tiger.
