By This Procedure He Was Esteemed A Tyrant, And Greatly Dreaded By
All Around; And He Had Two Vicars Or Deputies, One In The Neighbourhood Of
Damascus, And Another In Curdistan, Who Had Similarly Instructed Young Men
Under Their Orders.
Besides this, he used to rob all passengers who went
past his borders.
At length, in the year 1262, Ulau, or Houlagu-khan, sent
an armed force against him, which besieged his castle for three years, and
at length made themselves masters of it, partly by famine, and partly by
undermining the walls[2].
Departing from thence[3], you come to a pleasant enough country,
diversified by hills and plains with excellent pasture, and abundance of
fruits, the soil being very fertile[4]. This continues for six days
journey, and then you enter a desert of forty or fifty miles without water;
after which you come to the city of Sassurgan[5], where there are plenty of
provisions, and particularly the best melons in the world, which are as
sweet as honey. Passing from thence, we come to a certain city named
Batach, Balach, or Balk, which was formerly large and famous, having
sumptuous marble palaces, but is now overthrown by the Tartars. In this
city it is reported that Alexander married the daughter of Darius. The
eastern and north-eastern frontiers of Persia reach to this city; but in
proceeding between the east and north-east from this place, We found no
habitations for two days journey, the inhabitants having endured so many
grievances from thieves, that they were compelled to fly to the mountains
for safety.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 461 of 810
Words from 126035 to 126302
of 222093
