This Province Extends
Twenty-Five Days Journey In Length, And Is Very Fertile.
In it there are
exceedingly large pheasants, with tails eight or ten handbreadths long, and
many other kinds of birds, some of which have very beautiful and finely
variegated plumage.
After eight days farther travel to the east, we come to the district of
Egrigaia[4], which is still in the kingdom of Tangut, and subject to the
great khan; it contains many cities and castles, Calacia being the
principal city, which is inhabited by idolaters, though the Nestorian
Christians have three churches. In this city, excellent camblets are
manufactured from, white wool, and the hair of camels[5] which are exported
by the merchants to all parts of the world, and particularly to Kathay.
East from this province of Egrigaia is that of Tandach[6], in which there
are many cities and castles. The king of this nation is called George, who
is a Christian and a priest[7], and most of the people also are Christians;
he is descended of Prester John, formerly mentioned under the name of
Umcan, from whom he is the fourth in descent, and he pays tribute to the
great khan; and ever since the battle in which Umcan was slain by Zingis,
the great khans have given their daughters in marriage to the kings of this
country, who do not possess all the dominions which were formerly subject
to Prester John. There is a mixed race in this country, called Argons,
descended of idolaters and Mahometans, who are the handsomest people in
these parts, and are most ingenious manufacturers and cunning merchants.
This province was the chief residence of Prester John, and there are two
neighbouring districts, called Ung and Mongol by the natives, which the
people of Europe call Gog and Magog.
Travelling eastwards for seven days towards Kathay, there are many cities,
inhabited by idolaters, Mahometans, and Nestorians, who live by commerce
and manufactures, and who make stuffs wrought with gold and flowers, and
other silken stuffs of all kinds, and colours like those made among us, and
also woollen cloths of various kinds. One of these towns is Sindicin, or
Sindacui, where very excellent arms of all kinds fit for war are
manufactured. In the mountains of this province, called Idifa, or Ydifu,
there are great mines of silver.
Three days journey from Sindicin stands another city, named Iangamur[8],
which signifies the White Lake. Near this place, the khan has a palace, in
which he takes great delight, as he has fine gardens, with many lakes and
rivers, and multitudes of swans, and the adjacent plains abound in cranes,
pheasants, partridges, and other game. There are five sorts of cranes here,
some of which have black wings, others are white and bright; their feathers
being ornamented with eyes like those of a peacock, but of a golden colour,
with beautiful black and white necks; a third kind is not unlike our own,
in size and appearance; the fourth kind is very small and beautiful,
variegated with red and blue; the fifth is very large, and of a grey
colour, with black and red heads. In a valley near this city, there are
astonishing numbers of quails and partridges, for the maintenance of which
the khan causes millet and other seeds to be sown, that they may have
plenty of food; and a number of people are appointed to take care that no
person may catch any of these birds, which are so tame, that they will
flock around their keepers at a whistle, to receive food from their hands.
There are also a great number of small huts built, in different parts of
the valley, for shelter to these birds, during the severity of winter,
where they are regularly fed by the keepers. By these means, when the
emperor chooses to come to this part of the country, he is certain to find
abundance of game; and during winter, he has great quantities sent to him
on camels, or other beasts of burden.
Three days journey south-west from Iangamur is the city of Ciandu[9], which
was built by the great emperor Kublai-khan, and in which he had a palace
erected, of marvellous art and beauty, ornamented with marble and other
rare stones. One side of this palace extends to the middle of the city, and
the other reaches to the city wall. On this side there is a great inclosed
park, extending sixteen miles in circuit, into which none can enter but by
the palace. In this inclosure there are pleasant meadows, groves, and
rivers, and it is well stocked with red and fallow deer, and other animals.
The khan has here a mew of about two hundred ger-falcons, which he goes to
see once a-week, and he causes them to be fed with the flesh of fawns. When
he rides out into this park, he often causes some leopards to be carried on
horseback, by people appointed for this purpose, and when he gives command,
a leopard is let loose, which immediately seizes a stag or deer; and he
takes great delight in this sport.
In the middle of a fine wood, the khan has a very elegant house built all
of wood, on pillars, richly gilt and varnished; on every one of the pillars
there is a dragon gilt all over, the tail being wound around the pillar,
while the head supports the roof, and the wings are expanded on each side.
The roof is composed of large canes, three hand breadths in diameter, and
ten yards long, split down the middle, all gilt and varnished, and so
artificially laid on that no rain can penetrate. The whole of this house
can be easily pulled down and taken to pieces, like a tent, and readily set
up again, as it is all built of cane, and very light; and when it is
erected, it is fastened by two hundred silken ropes, after the manner of
tent cords, to prevent it from being thrown down by the winds.
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