Chapter XIV.

OF THE VAST COUNTRIES TO THE NORTHWARD OF TARTARY, AND MANY OTHER CURIOUS PARTICULARS.

After forty days’ journey you come to the ocean, near which is a mountain, where storks and fine falcons breed, which are carried thence unto the court of the Great Khan. Here we must return unto the city Campion; if therefore you proceed farther five days’ journey from the city Campion towards the east, you come to the kingdom of Erginul, in the province of Tangut, subject to the Great Khan. In this kingdom are many idolaters; there are some Nestorian Christians and Turks, as also many cities and castles, of which Erginul is chief. From hence, if you proceed farther to the south-east, you may go to the parts of Cathay. Going south-east towards Cathay, there is a certain famous city named Cinguy, the name also of the province tributary unto the Great Khan contained in Tangut. The people are some Christians, some Mohammedans, and others idolaters. There are also found wild oxen, very near as big as elephants, very fair, having white and black hair, short in other parts, and on the shoulder three palms long, fine, white, and in many respects beyond silk, of which hair our author brought some to Venice as a rare thing. Many also of these oxen are tamed, and made to couple with tame kine, and the breed of them are fitter for business than any other countries, bear great burthens, are yoked to the plough, and do twice as much service as others.

The best musk in the world is found in this province, and is taken from a beast of the bigness of a goat, having hair like a stag, feet and tail like a gazelle, but without horns. It hath four teeth, two above and two beneath, of the length of three fingers, as white as ivory, and is a very beautiful creature. When the moon is at full, near the navel, under the belly, there grows to this beast an imposthume or bladder, full of blood, and at the full moon they go to hunt them, and take away that swelling, which is dried in the sun, and is the best musk; the flesh is also good to eat. Master Marco brought to Venice the head and feet of this beast dried. The men live by merchandise and arts and have abundance of corn. They are idolaters, of a fat body and little nose, black hair, having no beard, but four hairs on their chin. The women are wonderfully fair, and when the men desire to marry wives, they rather make choice of the beautiful than the noble or rich. It often happens from hence that a great nobleman marries a poor wife, if beautiful, assigning a dowry to her mother. This province extends itself five-and-twenty days’ journey in length, and is very fertile; in it are exceeding large pheasants, having trains eight or ten handfuls long; many other kinds of birds are also found there, which have very beautiful feathers of various excellent colours.

After eight days’ journey further east, you meet with the province Egrigaia, in the which are many cities and castles; all but this lies still in Tangut. The principal city is called Callacia, the inhabitants thereof are idolaters; there are three churches of Nestorian Christians, who are subject to the Great Khan. In this city camblets are made, woven with white wool, and the hair of camels, than which there are scarce any better in the world. East from this province of Egrigaia lies that of Tandach, in which are many cities and castles, and here Presbyter John resides, who now pays tribute to the Great Khan. The king of that nation is called George, and is a priest and a Christian, and most of the people are Christians. All the Great Khans after his death (who was slain in battle by Zingis) give their daughters to those kings to wife. This King George holds not all that the priest John before held, and is the fourth of that family. There is a nation there called Argons, more sightly men, and fitter for merchandise than the rest, descended of idolaters and Mohammedans. There are also two regions where they dwell, which in those parts are called Og and Magog; but they which dwell there call them Ung and Mongul; in Ung are Gog, and in Mongul the Tartars. Riding east seven days towards Cathay are many cities peopled with idolaters, Mohammedans, and Nestorians. There is one city called Sindicin, where very excellent arms are made of divers sorts fit for armies. In the mountains of this province are great mines of silver, and much game, and the country of the mountains is called Idifa.

Three days’ journey from the city last mentioned stands another city Jangamur, that is, the White Lake, where there is a palace, in which the Great Khan delights, because there are many lakes and rivers, many swans, and in the plains, cranes, pheasants, partridges, and other fowls. There are five sorts of cranes there; some have black wings like crows, others are white and bright, having their feathers full of eyes like peacocks, but of a golden colour, the neck black and white; very beautiful. A third sort for bigness not unlike ours; a fourth little, and very fair, intermingled with red and blue colours; the fifth of a grizzle, or grey colour, having red and black heads, and these are very large; and near to this city lies a valley, where are many cottages, in which a great number of partridges are maintained, which are kept against the king’s coming to lodge there for some time. Three days’ journey north-eastward is the city Ciandu, which the Great Khan Kublay now reigning built, erecting therein a marvellous palace of marble and other stones, which extends to the wall on the one side, and the middle of the city on the other. He included sixteen miles within the circuit of the wall on that side where the palace joins the city wall, into which none can enter but by the palace. In this inclosure or park are pleasant meadows, springs, rivers, red and fallow deer, fawns, carried thither for the hawks, of which are mewed there about two hundred ger-falcons, which he goes once a week to see; and he often useth one leopard or more, sitting on horses, with which he hunts the stag and deer, and having taken the best, gives it to the ger-falcons, and in beholding this spectacle he takes much delight. In the midst of a fair wood he hath built a royal house on pillars gilded and varnished, on every one of which is a dragon all gilt, which winds his tail about the pillar, with his head bearing up the roof, as also with his wings displayed on both sides; the cover also is of reeds gilt and varnished so that the rain can do it no injury, the reeds being three handfuls thick and ten yards long, split from knot to knot; the house itself also may be pulled in pieces, and taken down like a tent, and erected again, for it is sustained when it is set up with two hundred silken cords. The Great Khan useth to dwell there three months in the year, viz., June, July, and August. On the 28th day of August he departeth to make a solemn sacrifice. He hath an herd of white horses and white mares, about ten thousand, of the milk whereof none may drink, except he be of the imperial race of Zingis-Khan, and except one family called Boriat who had this granted by Zingis for their valour; and these beasts, as they go up and down feeding, are much reverenced, nor dare any go before them, or hinder them in their way.

The astrologers or sorcerers tell the Khan, that on the twentieth of the moon of August, he shall disperse that milk here and there for the honour of all spirits, and his idols, that they may be careful preservers of all things which he possesses. There are two sorts of idolaters called Chebeth and Chesinu, which in the midst of storms ascend the palace, and suffer no rain to fall thereon, which they make the people believe comes to pass by their sanctity, and therefore they go slovenly and negligent of their persons, never washing nor combing themselves. They also have a horrible custom to dress and eat such as are condemned to death, but not those which die naturally. They are called also Bachsi, which is the name of their order, as friars, predicants, or minors with us; they seem by magic to do what they list. When the Great Khan in his hall sits at his table, it is raised eight yards high; and in the midst of the hall, a good distance from the table, is a great cupboard of plate, from whence these sorcerers cause wine or milk to fill the goblets, without any hand touching them; this they do in the presence of any man, whenever their lord commands it. These Bachsi also, when they have a mind to make feasts to their idols, go to the Khan, and address him thus: “Sir, you are to know that if our idols be not honoured with sacrifices, they will bring plagues on corn and beasts, and therefore we entreat you to give us the flesh of so many sheep, with black heads, and so many pounds of incense, and lignum aloes, that we may make them due sacrifice and honour.” This they spake not to him themselves, but by certain lords deputed to that office, who speak to the Khan, and obtain it. On the feast day, they sacrifice these beasts, and sprinkle the broth before the idols.

They have great monasteries, some of the bigness of a city, in several of which are about two thousand monks, who serve an idol sequestered from the laity, as appears by their shaving and garments; for they shave their heads and beards, and wear a religious garment. These, in the solemnities of their idols, sing with solemn songs, and lights; some of them may marry. There are some who observe strict abstinence, called Sensim, leading an austere life; for they eat nothing but meal mingled with water, till all the flour be gone, and eat the bran without any savour. These worship the fire; and the men of other rules say, that these, which are so austere, are heretics against their law, because they worship not idols as they do; and there are great differences between them, and these marry not at all. They shave their head and beard, wear black hempen garments, or of a bright yellow. They sleep on thick mats, and live the severest life in the world.