A.D. 

 1246. 



A description 

 of Comania. 



The North 

 Ocean. 



The land of the 

 Kangittce. 



Jeroslaus duke 

 of Russia. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



then we were allowed better and stronger horses, which 

 could undergoe the whole labour. And thus farre had we 

 travailed from the beginning of Lent untill eight dayes 

 after Easter. The land of Comania on the North side 

 immediately after Russia, hath the people called Morduyni 

 Byleri, that is, Bulgaria magna, the Bastarci, that is, 

 Hungaria magna, next unto the Bastarci, the Parositae and 

 the Samogetas. Next unto the Samogetae are those people 

 which are sayd to have dogges faces, inhabiting upon the 

 desert shores of the Ocean. On the South side it hath the 

 Alani, the Circassi, the Gazari, Greece and Constantinople ; 

 also the land of Iberia, the Cathes, the Brutaches who are 

 said to be Jewes shaving their heads all over, the landes 

 also of Scythia, of Georgia, of Armenia, of Turkie. On 

 the West side it hath Hungaria, and Russia. Also 

 Comania is a most large and long countrey. The inhabi- 

 tantes whereof called Comani the Tartars slewe, some 

 notwithstanding fled from them, and the rest were sub- 

 dued under their bondage. But most of them that fled 

 are returned againe. Afterward wee entred the iande of 

 the Kangittae, which in many places hath great scarcetie of 

 waters, wherin there are but fewe inhabitants by reason 

 of the foresayd defect of water. For this cause divers 

 of the servants of Jeroslaus duke of Russia, as they were 

 traveiling towards him into the land of Tartaria, died for 

 thirst, in that desert. As before in Comania, so likewise 

 in this countrey, wee found many skulles and bones of 

 dead men lying upon the earth like a dunghill. Through 

 this countrey we were traveiling from the eight day after 

 Easter untill Ascension day. The inhabitants therof were 

 Pagans, and neither they nor the Comanians used to till 

 the ground, but lived onely upon cattell, neither built they 

 any houses but dwelled in tents. These men also have 

 the Tartars rooted out, and doe possesse and inhabite their 

 countrey, howbeit, those that remained are reduced into 

 their bondage. 



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