He Confessed His Intentions,
And He And His Eldest Son, With 300 Noble Tartars Of Their Party, Were Put
To Death.
The ladies were also sent for who were concerned in the plot, and
being beaten with burning fire-brands till they confessed, were slain
likewise.
Kon, the youngest son of Siremon, who was incapable of entering
into the conspiracy, from his youth, was permitted to enjoy the inheritance
of his father; but our guide durst not enter the house either in going or
returning.
SECTION XXXI.
Arrival at the Court of Mangu-khan.
We still travelled in the high countries, trending towards the north; and
on St Stephen's day, 26th December, we came to a great plain, on which not
the smallest inequality was to be seen, and the next day we arrived at the
court of the great Khan. While at the distance of five days, our host
wanted us to have gone so far about as would have taken us fifteen day's
journey, and our guide had much difficulty in being allowed to take the
direct road. My opinion of this procedure in our host, was, that we might
have gone by Onam and Cherule, the original residence of Zingis[1]. On the
way, the secretary told me that Baatu, in his letters to Mangu, said that
we wanted the assistance of a Tartar army against the Saracens; by which I
was much astonished, as I knew the letters from your majesty required no
army, and only advised the khan to be a friend to all Christians, to exalt
the cross, and to be an enemy to all the enemies of the cross of Christ.
And as all the interpreters were from the Greater Armenia, who greatly
hated the Saracens, I feared they might have interpreted falsely to serve
their own purposes.
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