Exclusive of the palace of the khan, Caracarum is not so good as the town
of St Denis, and the monastery of St Dennis is worth more than ten times
the value of the palace itself. It contains two principal streets: that of
the Saracens in which the fairs are held, and to which many merchants
resort, as the court is always near; the other is the street of the
Kathayans, which is full of artificers. Besides these streets, there are
many palaces, in which are the courts of the secretaries of the khan. There
are twelve idol temples belonging to different nations, two Mahometan
mosques, and one Nestorian church at the end of the town. The town itself
is inclosed with a mud wall, and has four gates. On the east side, there is
a market for millet and other grain, but which is ill supplied; on the
west, sheep and goats are sold; on the north side, oxen and waggons; and on
the south side, horses.
Mangu-khan has eight brothers, three by the mother and five by the father.
One of these on the mothers side he sent into the country of the
Assassines, called Mulibet by the Tartars, with orders to kill them all.
Another was sent into Persia, who is supposed to have orders to send armies
into Turkey, and from thence against Bagdat and Vestacius. One of his other
brothers has been sent into Kathay, to reduce certain rebels. His youngest
maternal brother, named Arabucha, lives with him, and keeps up his mothers
court, who was a Christian.
About this time, on account of a violent quarrel between the monk and
certain Mahometans, and because a rumour was propagated of four hundred
assassins having gone forth in divers habits, with an intention to murder
the khan, we were ordered to depart from our accustomed place before the
court, and to remove to the place where other messengers dwelt. Hitherto I
had always hoped for the arrival of the king of Armenia[8], and had not
therefore made any application for leave to depart; but hearing no news of
the king, or a certain German priest who was likewise expected, and fearing
lest we should return in the winter, the severity of which I had already
experienced, I sent to demand the pleasure of the khan, whether we were to
remain with him or to return, and representing that it would be easier for
us to return in summer than in winter. The khan sent to desire that I
should not go far off, as he meant to speak with me next day; to which I
answered, requesting him to send for the son of the goldsmith to interpret
between us, as my interpreter was very incompetent.
[1] So for as was travelled by Rubruquis, and in the route which he pursued
on the north of the Alak mountains, this observation is quite correct
to longitude 100 deg. E. But what he here adds respecting Kathay, is
directly contradictory to the fact; as all the rivers beyond Caracarum
run in an easterly direction. The great central plain of Tangut, then
traversed by the imperial horde of the Mongals, and now by the Eluts
and Kalkas, must be prodigiously elevated above the level of the
ocean. - E.
[2] The information here seems corrupted, or at least is quite incorrect.
Kathay or northern China is due east, or east south-east from the
great plain to the south of Karakum. Daouria, the original residence
of the Mongols of Zingis, between the rivers Onon and Kerlon, is to
the north-east. - E.
[3] The Kerkis must fee the Kirguses, a tribe of whom once dwelt to the
south-west of lake Baikal. The Orangin or Orangey, inhabited on the
east side of that lake. Pascatir is the country of the Bashkirs,
Baschkirians, or Pascatirians in Great Bulgaria, called Great Hungary
in the text, between the Volga and the Ural. - E.
[4] Rubruquis properly rejects the stories of monstrous men, related by the
ancients, yet seems to swallow the absurd story of the purple dye,
engrafted by the Kathayan priest on a very natural invention for
catching apes. He disbelieves the last information of the priest,
which must have been an enigmatical representation of the province of
death, or of the tombs. - E.
[5] It is difficult to guess as to these people and their islands; which
may possibly refer to Japan, or even Corea, which is no island. Such
tribute could not have been offered by the rude inhabitants of
Saghalien or Yesso. - E.
[6] This evidently but obscurely describes the Chinese characters; the most
ingenious device ever contrived for the monopoly of knowledge and
office to the learned class, and for arresting the progress of
knowledge and science at a fixed boundary. - E.
[7] From this circumstance, it would appear that Rubruquis had found the
court of the khan in the country of the Eluts, to the south of the
Changai mountains, perhaps about latitude 44 deg. N. and longitude 103 deg.
E, the meridian of the supposed site of Karakum on the Orchon. And it
may be presumed, that the imperial suite was now crossing the Changai
chain towards the north. - E.
[8] Haitho, of whom some account will be found in the succeeding chapter of
this work. - E.
SECTION XXXVII.
Of certain disputes between Rubruquis and the Saracens and Idolaters, at
the Court of Mangu-khan, respecting Religion.
Next day I was brought to the court, and some of the chief secretaries of
the khan came to me, one of whom was a Moal, who is cup-bearer to the khan,
and the rest were Saracens.
