A.D. 

 1246. 



Occoday suc- 

 ceedeth his 

 father. 



The 



expedition of 

 Bathy. 



The citie of 

 Barchln. 



[L 6: 

 Ornii. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Of the election of Emperour Occoday, and of 

 the expedition of duke Bathy. Chap. 15. 



AFter the death of Chingis Cham aforesayd, the dukes 

 assembled themselves and chose Occoday his sonne 

 to be their Emperour. And he, entering into consulta- 

 tion with his nobles, divided his armies, and sent duke 

 Bathy his nephew against the countrie of Altisoldan, and 

 against the people called Bisermini, who were Saracens, 

 but spake the language of Comania. The Tartars in- 

 vading their countrey, fought with them and subdued 

 them in battel. But a certeine citie called Barchin resisted 

 them a long time. For the citizens had cast up many 

 ditches and trenches about their citie, in regard whereof 

 the Tartars could not take it, till they had filled the said 

 ditches. But the citizens of Sarguit hearing this, came 

 foorth to meete them, yeelding themselves unto them of 

 their owne accord. Whereupon their citie was not 

 destroyed, but they slue manie of them and others they 

 carried away captive, and taking spoyles, they filled the 

 citie with other inhabitants, and so marched foorth against 

 the citie of Orna. This towne was very populous and 

 exceeding rich. For there were many Christians therein, 

 as namely Gasarians, Russians, and Alanians, with others, 

 and Saracens also. The government of the citie was in 

 the Saracens hande. It standeth upon a mighty river, 

 and is a kinde of porte towne, having a great marte 

 exercised therein. And when the Tartars could not 

 otherwise overcome it, they turned the said river, running 

 through the citie, out of his chanell, and so drowned the 

 citie with the inhabitantes and their goods. Which being 

 done, they set forward against Russia, and made foule 

 havocke there, destroying cities and castles and murther- 

 ing the people. They layd siege a long while unto Kiow 

 the chiefe citie of Russia, and at length they tooke it and 

 slue the citizens. Whereupon, traveiling through that 

 countrey, wee found an innumerable multitude of dead 

 mens skulles and bones lying upon the earth. For it was 



152 



