Geographical Notices of the East in the Thirteenth Century, by Haitho.
Sec. 1. The empire of Kathay is one of the most extensive, most opulent, and
most populous in the world, and is entirely situated on the sea coast. The
inhabitants have a very high notion of their own superior intelligence,
which they express by saying, that they only of all the people on earth
have two eyes; to the Latins they allow one, and consider all other
nations as blind. The Kathayans have small eyes and no beards. Their money
consists of small square pieces of paper, impressed with the seal of their
emperor. To the west, this empire is bounded by that of the Tarsae; to the
north by the desert of Belgian; and to the south by the sea, in which there
are innumerable islands. The inhabitants of Kathay are exceedingly skilful
and ingenious in all works of art and in manufactures, but are of a very
timorous disposition. In the foregoing description, and in the traits of
character, the empire and inhabitants of northern China are distinctly
indicated. - Forst.
Sec. 2. The empire of Tarsa is divided into three provinces, each of which
has a sovereign who assumes the title of King. The inhabitants are called
Jogur, the Jugur or Uigur of other authors. They are divided into many
tribes, ten of whom are Christians, and the rest heathens. They abstain
from every article of food which has ever had life, and drink no wine, but
raise abundance of corn.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 416 of 810
Words from 113765 to 114020
of 222093
