WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS ad. 



1253. 

 place five dayes journey for oxen to travell. They 

 gave unto us also a goate for victuals, and a great 

 many bladders of cowes milke, & but a little Cosmos, 

 because it is of so great estimation among them. And 

 so taking our journey directly toward the North, me 

 thought that wee had passed through one of hell gates. 

 The servants which conducted us began to play the 

 bold theeves with us, seeing us take so little heed unto 

 our selves. At length having lost much by their 

 theevery, harme taught us wisdome. And then we 

 came unto the extremity of that province, which is 

 fortified with a ditch from one sea unto another : 

 without the bounds wherof their lodging was situate. 

 Into the which, so soone as we had entred, al the 

 inhabitants there seemed unto us to be infected with 

 leprosie: for certain base fellowes were placed there to 

 receive tribute of al such as tooke salt out of the salt Salt pits. 

 pits aforesaid. From that place they told us that we [I. 103.] 

 must travel fifteen daies journey, before we shuld find 

 any other people. With them wee dranke Cosmos, and 

 gave unto them a basket full of fruites and of bisket. 

 And they gave unto us eight oxen and one goate, to 

 sustaine us in so great a journey, and I knowe not how 

 many bladders of milke. And so changing our oxen, "^^^ ^a^^s 

 we tooke our journey which we finished in tenne J'^^^'^^y- 

 dayes, arriving at another lodging: neither found we 

 any water all that way, but onely in certaine ditches made 

 in the valleys, except two small rivers. And from the 

 time wherein wee departed out of the foresaid province 

 of Gasaria, we travailed directly Eastward, having a 

 Sea on the South side of us, and a waste desert on 

 the North, which desert, in some places, reacheth 

 twenty dayes journey in breadth, and there is neither 

 tree, mountaine, nor stone therein. And it is most 

 excellent pasture. Here the Comanians, which were 

 called Capthac, were wont to feede their cattell. How- 

 beit by the Dutch men they are called Valani, and the 

 province it selfe Valania. But Isidore calleth all that 



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