The Khan Sat Upon A Couch Covered With A Bright And
Shining Spotted Fur, Like Seal's Skin.
He was a flat-nosed man, of middle
stature, about forty-five years of age, and one of his
Wives, a pretty
little young woman, sat beside him; likewise one of his daughters, named
Cerina, a hard-favoured young woman, with some younger children, sat on
another couch next to them. The house had belonged to the mother of Cerina,
who was a Christian, and the daughter was mistress of this court, which had
belonged to her deceased mother, We were asked whether we would drink wine
of caracina, which is a drink made of rice, or caracosmos, or ball,
which is mead made of honey; for they use these four kinds of liquor in
winter. I answered, that we had no pleasure in drink, and would be
contented with what he pleased to order; on which we were served with
caracina, which was clear and well flavoured like white wine, of which I
tasted a little out of respect. After a long interval, during which the
khan amused himself with some falcons and other birds, we were commended to
speak, and had to bow the knee. The khan had his interpreter, a Nestorian;
but our interpreter had received so much liquor from the butlers at the
sideboard, that he was quite drunk; I addressed the khan in the following
terms:
"We give thanks and praise to God, who hath brought us from such remote
parts of the world, to the presence of Mangu-khan, on whom he hath bestowed
such great power; and we beseech our God to grant him a long and prosperous
reign.
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