A.D. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1330- 

 [II. i. 64.] 



Pretegoani, whose principall citie is Kosan, which hath 

 many other cities under it. From thence passing many 



Casan, dayes travell, I came unto a province called Casan, which 



is for good commodities, one of the onely provinces 

 under the Sunne, and is very well inhabited, insomuch 

 that when we depart out of the gates of one city we 

 may beholde the gates of another city, as 1 my selfe saw 

 in divers of them. The breadth of the sayd province 

 is fifty dayes journey, & the length above sixty. In it 

 there is great plenty of all victuals, and especially of 

 chesnuts, and it is one of the twelve provinces of the 

 great Can. Going on further, I came unto a certaine 



11 Or, Thebet. kingdome called II Tebek, which is in subjection unto 

 the great Can also, wherein I thinke there is more plenty 

 of bread & wine then in any other part of the world 

 besides. The people of the sayd countrey do, for the 

 most part, inhabit in tents made of blacke felt. Their 

 principall city is invironed with faire and beautiful! 

 walles, being built of most white and blacke stones, 

 which are disposed checkerwise one by another, and 

 curiously compiled together : likewise all the high wayes 

 in this countrey are exceedingly well paved. In the 

 sayd countrey none dare shed the bloud of a man, or of 

 any beast, for the reverence of a certaine idole. In the 

 foresayd city their Abassi, that is to say, their Pope is 

 resident, being the head and prince of all idolaters (upon 

 whom he bestoweth and distributeth gifts after his 

 maner) even as our pope of Rome accounts himselfe to 

 be the head of all Christians. The women of this 

 countrey weare above an hundreth tricks and trifles 

 about them, and they have two teeth in their mouthes 

 as long as the tushes of a boare. When any mans 

 father deceaseth among them, his sonne assembleth 

 together all the priests and musicians that he can get, 

 saying that he is determined to honour his father : then 

 causeth he him to be caried into the field (all his kins- 

 folks, friends, and neighbours, accompanying him in the 

 sayd action) where the priests with great solemnity cut 



436 



