There Are Many Cities, Towns, And Castles, On The
Banks Of This River, Which Carry On Great Trade.
The country abounds in
ginger and silk; and fowls of all kinds, particularly pheasants, are so
plentiful, that three of them may be purchased for a Venetian groat.
Along
the banks of this river, there grow vast quantities of great reeds or
hollow canes[5], some of which, are a foot or eighteen inches round, and
are applied to many useful purposes. Two days journey beyond this river is
the famous city of Carianfu, in which great quantities of silks and cloth
of gold are made. This country produces ginger, galuigal, spike, and many
spices; and the inhabitants are idolaters. Proceeding seven days journey
westwards, we pass through many cities, and towns, and fine fields, and
gardens, and everywhere there are plantations of mulberries for feeding
silk-worms, and abundance of wild beasts and fowls. The inhabitants are
mostly idolaters, with some Christians, or Nestorians, and Saracens or
Mahometans. Continuing the journey for seven days, we come to a great city
called Quenzanfu, which is the capital of the kingdom of that name, in
which many famous kings have reigned. At the present time Mangalu, one of
the sons of the great khan, has the supreme command of this kingdom. This
country yields great plenty of silk, and cloth of gold, and all things
necessary for the subsistence of an army, and the maintenance of its
numerous inhabitants. The people are mostly idolaters, but there are some
Christians and Mahometans among them. Five miles from the city stands the
palace of Mangalu, in a fine plain, watered by numerous springs and
rivulets, and abounding in game. This fine palace, all painted with gold
and azure, and adorned with numberless statues, stands in the middle of a
fine park of five miles square, surrounded by a high wall, in which all
kinds of beasts and fowls are to be found in abundance; and in this place
Mangalu and his courtiers take great delight to hunt. He follows his
fathers excellent example, in conducting his government with great equity
and justice, and is much beloved and respected by the people.
Proceeding three days to the westward, from the palace of Mangalu, through
a very beautiful plain, adorned with many cities and castles, which have
great abundance of silk and other manufactures, we come to a mountainous
district of the province of Chunchian, in the vallies of which there are
many villages and hamlets; the inhabitants being idolaters and husbandmen.
In these mountains they hunt lions, bears, stags, roebucks, deer, and
wolves. The plain is two days over, and for twenty days journey to the
west, the country is well inhabited, and finely diversified with mountains,
vallies, and woods. At the end of these twenty days, there lies, towards
the west, a populous province called Achbaluch Mangi, or the white city
on the borders of Mangi. On entering this province, we find a plain of two
days journey in extent, and containing a prodigious number of villages;
beyond which the country is diversified with mountains, vallies, and woods,
yet all well inhabited. In these mountains there are plenty of wild beasts,
among which are the animals that produce musk. This province produces rice
and other grain, and abundance of ginger. After twenty days journey through
these hills, we come to a plain and a province on the confines of Mangi,
called Sindinfu. The city of the same name is very large, and exceedingly
rich, being twenty miles in circumference; of old, this city and province
was governed by a race of rich and powerful kings. On the death of an old
king, he left the succession among three sons, who divided the city into
three parts, each surrounded by its own wall, yet all contained within the
former wall of the city; but the great khan subjected the city and province
to his dominion. Through this city and its environs there run many rivers,
some half a mile over, and some an hundred paces, all very deep; and on
these there are many handsome stone bridges, eight paces broad, having
marble pillars on each side, supporting wooden roofs, and on every bridge
there are houses and shops. After passing this city, all these rivers unite
into one great river called the Quian, or Kian, which runs from hence one
hundred days journey before it reaches the ocean; having many cities and
castles on its banks, with innumerable trading vessels. Proceeding four
days journey farther, we pass through a fine plain, containing many cities,
castles, and villages, and several beautiful green lawns or pastures, in
which there are many wild beasts.
Beyond this last mentioned plain is the wide country of Thebet, or Thibet,
which the great khan vanquished and laid waste; and in it there are many
ruined cities and castles, for the space of twenty days journey, which has
become an uninhabited wilderness, full of lions and other wild beasts.
Those who have to travel through this country must carry victuals along
with them, and must use precautions to defend themselves against the
ferocious animals of the desert. Very large canes grow all over this
country, some of which are ten paces long and three palms thick, and as
much between the knots or joints. When travellers take up their quarters
for the night, they take large bundles of the greener reeds or canes, which
they put upon the top of a large fire, and they make such a crackling noise
in burning as to be heard for two miles off by which the wild beasts are
terrified and fly from the place; but it has sometimes happened that the
horses, and other beasts belonging to the merchants or travellers, have
been frightened by this noise, and have run away from their masters: for
which reason prudent travellers use the precaution of fettering or binding
their feet together, to prevent them from running off.
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