[Sidenote: Marchandise Of Cathay.] From The Countreis Of Cathay Are Brought Thither In Time Of Peace, And When The Way Is Open, Musk, Rubarbe, Satten, Damaske, With Diuers Other Things. At My Being At Boghar, There Came Carauans Out Of All These Foresaid Countries, Except From Cathay:

And the cause why there came none from thence was the great warres that had dured 3 yeeres before

My comming thither, and yet dured betwixt 2 great Countries and cities of Tartars, that are directly in the way betwixt the said Boghar and the said Cathay, and certaine barbarous field people, as well Gentiles as Mahometists bordering to the said Cities. [Sidenote: Taskent and Caskar.] The cities are called Taskent and Caskar, and the people that warre against Taskent are called Cassaks of the law of Mahomet: and they which warre with the sayd countrey of Caskar are called Kings, Gentiles and idolaters. These 2 barbarous nations are of great force liuing in the fields without house or towne, and haue almost subdued the foresaid cities, and so stopped vp the way, that it is impossible for any Carauan to passe vnspoiled: so that 3 yeeres before our being there, no Carauan had gone, or vsed trade betwixt the countries of Cathay and Boghar, and when the way is cleare, it is 9 moneths iourney.

To speake of the said countrey of Cathay, and of such newes as I haue heard thereof, I haue thought it best to reserue it to our meeting.

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