A.D. 



1246. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Haython ^ 



Pau/us 



Venetm call 



them 



* Cathayans. 



discretion to make feltes of Camels haire, wherewith they 

 clothe themselves, and which they holde against the 

 winde. And if at any time, the Tartars pursuing them, 

 chance to wound them with their arrowes, they put herbes 

 into their wounds, and flye strongly before them. 



Of the mutuall victories betweene them, and the 

 people of Kythay. Chap. 9. 



BUt the Mongals returning home into their owne 

 countrey, prepared themselves to battell against the 

 *Kythayans : Which their Emperour hearing, set forward 

 against them with his armie, and they fought a cruell 

 battell, wherein the Mongals were overcome, and all their 

 nobles in the armie, except seven, were slaine. And for 

 this cause, when they, purposing to invade anie region, 

 are threatned by the inhabitants thereof to be slaine, they 

 doe, to this day, answere : in old time also our whole 

 number besides being slaine, we remayned but seven of us 

 alive, and yet notwithstanding we are now growen unto 

 a great multitude, thinke not therefore to daunt us with 

 such brags. But Chingis and the residue that remained 

 alive, fled home into their countrey : And having breathed 



Netv victories, him a little, he prepared himselfe to warre, and went forth 

 against the people called Huyri : These men were Chris- 



Letters. tians of the sect of Nestorius. And these also the 



Mongals overcame, and received letters or learning from 

 them : for before that time they had not the arte of 

 writing, and nowe they call it the hand or letters of the 

 Mongals. Immediately after, hee marched against the 

 countrey of Saruyur, and of the Karanites, and against 

 the land of Hudirat ; all which he vanquished. Then 

 returned he home into his owne countrey, and breathed 

 himselfe. Afterward, assembling his warlike troupes, they 

 marched with one accord against the Kythayans, and 

 waging warre with them a long time, they conquered a 

 great part of their land, and shut up their Emperour into 

 his greatest citie : which citie they had so long time be- 

 sieged, that they began to want necessary provision for their 



144 



