Passing From Thence, We Come To A Certain City Named
Batach, Balach, Or Balk, Which Was Formerly Large And Famous, Having
Sumptuous Marble Palaces, But Is Now Overthrown By The Tartars.
In this
city it is reported that Alexander married the daughter of Darius.
The
eastern and north-eastern frontiers of Persia reach to this city; but in
proceeding between the east and north-east from this place, We found no
habitations for two days journey, the inhabitants having endured so many
grievances from thieves, that they were compelled to fly to the mountains
for safety. There are many rivers in this country, and much game, and lions
are also to be met with. As travellers can find no food in this part of
their journey, they must carry enough with them for two days. At the end of
two days journey, we came to a castle called Thaican, Thalkan, or Thakan,
where we saw pleasant fields and abundance of corn. The mountains to the
south of this place are high, some of which contain white salt, so
extremely hard that it has to be dug out and broken with iron tools; and
the inhabitants, from thirty days journey all around, come here to procure
salt, which is of most excellent quality, and is in such amazing
quantities, that the whole world might be supplied from these mines. The
other mountains produce abundance of almonds and pistachio nuts.
Going between the east and north-east from hence, the country is fruitful,
but the inhabitants are perfidious Mahometans, murderers, thieves, and
drunkards. Their wine is boiled, and truly excellent. They go bareheaded,
except that the men bind a string or fillet, ten handbreadths long, about
their heads. They make breeches and shoes of the skins of wild beasts, and
use no other garments. After three days journey is the town of Scasom[6],
seated in a plain, through the middle of which there flows a great river;
and there are many castles in the surrounding mountains[7]. There are many
porcupines in this country, which are hunted by dogs; and these animals,
contracting themselves with great fury, cast their sharp quills at the men
and dogs, and often wound them. The nation has a peculiar language, and the
shepherds dwell in caves in the mountains. We went three days journey from
thence, without meeting any inhabitants, to the province of Balaxiam,
Balascia or Balasagan, which is inhabited by Mahometans, who have a
peculiar language. Their kings, who succeed each other hereditarily,
pretend to derive their lineage from Alexander and the daughter of Darius,
and are called Dulcarlen, which signifies Alexandrians. In this country the
famous Ballas rubies are found, and other precious stones of great value,
particularly in the mountains of Sicinam. No person dares either to dig for
these stones, or to send them out of the country, without the consent and
licence of the king, on pain of death; and he only sends them to such as he
thinks fit, either as presents, or in payment of tribute; he likewise
exchanges many of them for gold and silver, lest they should become too
cheap and common. In other mountains of the same province, the best lapis
lazuli in the world is found, from which azure or ultramarine is made.
There are mines also of silver, copper, and lead. The climate is very cold,
yet it produces abundance of large, strong, and swift horses, which have
such hard and tough hoofs, that they do not require iron shoes, although
they have to run among rocks. It is said, that not many years ago, the
king's uncle was in the exclusive possession of a breed of horses descended
from the famous Bucephalus, and marked on the forehead exactly as he was;
and refusing to let the king have any of his stud, he was put to death, on
which his widow, in revenge, destroyed the whole race. The mountains of
this country produce the sacre falcon, the lanner, the goshawk, and the
sparrowhawk, all excellent in their kind, and much used by the inhabitants
in the chase, as they are all much addicted to hunting. The soil of this
country produces excellent wheat, and barley without husks, and oil made of
nuts and mustard, which resembles the oil from lintseed, but is more
savoury than other oil. The men of the country are excellent archers and
keen hunters, and are mostly clothed in the skins of beasts; while the
women contrive to put sixty or eighty yards of cotton cloth into the skirts
of their garments, as the bulkier they look they are esteemed the
handsomer. The plains of this country are large, and well watered with fine
rivers, but the hills are high and steep, and the passes very difficult of
access, by which the inhabitants are secured against invasions; and in
these mountains there are flocks of from four hundred to six hundred wild
sheep, which are very difficult to catch. If any one contracts an ague by
living in the moist plains, he is sure to recover his health by a few days
residence in the mountains, which I Marco experienced in my own person
after a whole years sickness.
The province Bascia, or Vash, on a river of that name which falls into the
Gihon, is ten days journey to the south of Balaxiam, and the country is
very hot, on which account the people are of a brown colour. They have a
language of their own, and wear gold and silver ear-rings, artificially
ornamented with pearls and other precious stones; they eat flesh and rice,
and are crafty and cruel idolaters.
The province of Chesmur, Khesimus, Khaschimir, or Cashmere, is seven days
journey from Bascia. The inhabitants have also a peculiar language of their
own, and are given to idolatry beyond all others, and addicted to
enchantment, forcing their idols to speak, and darkening the day. The
people of this country are not wholly black, but of a brown complexion, the
air being temperate.
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