WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS a.d. 



1253. 



other rivers which fal therinto out of Persia. And we 



had to the South of us huge high mountains, upon the 



sides wherof, towards the said desert, doe the people 



called Cergis, and the Alani or Acas inhabit, who are Kergis or 



as yet Christians, & wage warre against the Tartars. ^'^■^• 



Beyond them, next unto the sea or lake of Etilia, 



there are certaine Saracens called Lesgi, who are in The Saracens 



subjection unto the Tartars. Beyond these is Porta ^^ ^ ^■*^' 



ferrea, or the yron gate, nowe called Derbent, which 



Alexander built to exclude the barbarous nations out 



of Persia. Concerning the situation whereof, your 



majestie shall understand more about the end of this 



Treatise : for I travailed in my returne by the very ^^ ^^^«^«^^>^ 



same place. Betweene the two foresaid rivers, in the ^ 



regions through the which we passed did the Comanians 



of olde time inhabite, before they were overrun by the 



Tartars. 



Of the Court of Sartach, and of the magnificence 

 thereof. Chap. 17. 



ANd we found Sartach lying within three daies journey 

 of the river Etilia : whose Court seemed unto us to 

 be very great. For he himselfe had sixe wives, and his 

 eldest Sonne also had three wives : every one of which 

 women hath a great house, & they have ech one of them 

 about 200. cartes. Our guide went unto a certaine 

 Nestorian named Coiat, who is a man of great authoritie Coiat the 

 in Sartachs Court. He made us to goe very farre unto ^^^^°^'^^^' 

 the Lordes gate. For so they call him, who hath the 

 office of enterteining Ambassadours. In the evening 

 Coiac commanded us to come unto him. Then our 

 guide began to enquire what we would present him 

 withal, & was exceedingly offended, when he saw that 

 we had nothing ready to present. We stoode before 

 him, and he sate majestically, having musicke and 

 dauncing in his presence. Then I spake unto him in 

 the wordes before recited, telling him, for what purpose 

 I was come unto his lorde, and requesting so much 



261 



