WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS a.d. ] 



1253. ] 



kalends of June, with fower covered cartes of our owne 

 and with two other which wee borrowed of them, wherein \ 

 we carried our bedding to rest upon in the night, and | 

 they allowed us five horses to ride upon. For there were i 

 just five persons in our company : namely, I my selfe and \ 

 mine associate frier Bartholomew of Cremona, and Goset ^^'^^^' Bat-^ho- j 

 the bearer of these presents, the man of God Turgeman- ^^.^^^^^ ! 

 nus, and Nicolas my servant, whome I bought at Con- \ 

 stantinople with some part of the almes bestowed upon ; 

 me. Moreover, they allowed us two men, which drave ■ 

 our carts and gave attendance unto our oxen and horses. j 

 There be high promontories on the sea shore from ' 

 Kersova unto the mouth of Tanais. Also there are fortie ' ; 

 castles betweene Kersova and Soldaia, every one of which ; 

 almost have their proper languages : amongst whome j 

 there were many Gothes, who spake the Dutch tongue. 

 Beyond the said mountaines towards the North, there is a •: 

 most beautifuU wood growing on a plaine ful of fountaines > 

 & freshets. And beyond the wood there is a mightie ] 

 plaine champion, continuing five dayes journey unto the ■ 

 very extremitie and borders of the said province north- 

 ward, and there it is a narrow Isthmus or neck land, ^'^^ "f^^^ °f ' 

 having sea on the East & West sides therof, insomuch qI^^^^^^^^ : 

 that there is a ditch made from one sea unto the other. i 

 In the same plaine (before the Tartars sprang up) were ., 

 the Comanians wont to inhabite, who compelled the | 

 foresayd cities and castles to pay tribute unto them. But d 

 when the Tartars came upon them, the multitude of the • 

 Comanians entred into the foresaid province, and fled all ; 

 of them, even unto the sea shore, being in such extreame '\ 

 famine, that they which were alive, were constrained to \ 

 eate up those which were dead : and (as a marchant re- 1 

 ported unto me who sawe it with his owne eyes) that the 

 living men devoured and tore with their teeth, the raw ] 

 flesh of the dead, as dogges would gnawe upon carrion. I 

 Towards the borders of the sayd province there be many j 

 great lakes : upon the bankes whereof are salt pits or j 

 fountaines, the water of which so soone as it entereth into j 



233 , 



