(Noah) arrived when it escaped the universal 

 deluge. This mountain is of salt stone as white 

 as crystal. Know that it is one of the highest 

 mountains in the world. No man has been 

 able to ascend it, though attempts have been 

 made many times. These mountains are in the 

 Empire of Persia. All round the country is 

 inhabited by Armenian Christians, who are the 

 guards of the emperor, and he places much 

 trust in them. 



"I departed from Armenia and came to the 

 great city of Toris (Tabriz), which is the capi- 

 tal of the Empire of the Persians. It is one of 

 the grandest cities in the world, well supplied, 

 rich, and in a good climate. Eor this reason 

 the Persians are wise and very well versed in 

 all the sciences. They have learned men with 

 a profound knowledge of the stars. The Em- 

 peror of Persia has for his device a yellow 

 flag with a red square in the middle (1105). 



"I went over a great part of Persia, going 

 thence to the Kingdom of Saldania and its rich 

 and noble city (Sultanieh?). Its king has for 

 a device a yellow flag with a red square (sim- 

 ilar to Persia's — 1105). 



"I departed from Saldania and went with 

 some merchants a long distance until I came 

 to the city of Ayras (Shiraz), called by the 

 Tartars Sarax, where the Empire of Persia 

 ends. It is a well supplied city, rich and very 

 ancient. They say that in this city was first 

 discovered the astronomy or law of the stars, 

 for this city is in the line of the center of 

 Persia. The cities I have visited in Persia are 

 Casar (Kazan), Serrans, Thesi, Spaor (Ispa- 

 han), Jorjaman (Georgia), Spalonero (Raze- 

 lain), Saldania (Sultanieh), and Toris (Ta- 

 briz). 



"In this last town is where Besnacayt, the 

 Emperor of Persia, was crowned. His empire 

 extends from the Sea of Sara (Caspian) to 

 the Persian Gulf, where is the city of Hor- 

 mixio (Ormuz), and from the Mare Mayor 

 (Black Sea) to Aquisio, also on the Persian 

 Gulf. Its length is 125 days' journey and its 

 width from the river Cur to the city of Siras 

 (Sari?) 100 days' jor.rney. Benascayt, Em- 

 peror of Persia, assembled a very great host 

 and went to fight with Uxbeco, Emperor of 

 Sara (the Caspian). 



"There arrived more than a million and a 

 half of cavalry. Then Benascayt promised 

 some Armenian monks, whom he consulted, 

 that if he won the battle he would become a 

 Christian. The Armenian Christians who came 

 with him marched with a cross before them, 

 and, God helping, he conquered. Uxbeco was 

 defeated and his cavalry pillaged and their 

 women captured. The conqueror advanced far 

 into the enemy's country. 



"After this I left Persia with some mer- 

 chants who came from Catavo (China). 

 Thence we traveled for a great distance with- 

 out coming to any city, for all the inhabitants 

 lived in the country. 



"I came to a city called Tripul of Suria 

 (Syria), which is on the shore of the Medi- 

 terranean (not the Tripoli of North Africa, 

 previously mentioned). There I embarked in 

 a ship of Christians and went to Chipre (Cy- 

 prus"), thence to the Morea, and thence to 

 Creta, Negropont (Eubcea), and a kingdom of 



Greeks which they call Salonica, bordering on 

 Macedonia, where the great Alexander reigned. 

 The King of Salonica has for his device a red 

 flag with a yellow cross and four chain links 

 (1106). 



CAU.IP0U IN AN EARLY CAMPAIGN 



"Thence I went to a city called Galipoli, 

 which is on the shore of the gulf between the 

 Mediterranean and the greater sea. By this 

 way the French passed when they conquered 

 Suria. Thence I went along the seacoast to a 

 city they call Recrea (Heraclea), and thence to 

 the city of Constantinople, a rich city, the cap- 

 ital of the empire, where they crown the kings. 

 Here there is a church of God called Santa 

 Sofia, which is very wide, lofty, and beautiful. 



"Before it there is a tower of stone which 

 has not been ascended. On the summit of this 

 tower there is placed a knight with his horse 

 of metal. It is very large, and he has on his 

 head an episcopal cap (probably a nimbus or 

 crown). It is in honor of the Emperor Con- 

 stantine. His right hand is extended toward 

 Turquia, which was formerly called Asia 

 Minor, on the other side of this gulf of the 

 sea. The Emperor of Constantinople has for 

 his device a flag quarterly, first and fourth 

 argent a cross gules, second and third gules a 

 cross, or (gold) between four chain links or 

 (1107 and 1108). 



"I left Constantinople and entered the Mare 

 Mayor (Black Sea), proceeding along the 

 coast on the left hand to a great city called 

 Yecina (Vidin). Here nine rivers unite and 

 fall into the Mare Mayor. These nine rivers 

 make a great commotion before this city of 

 Vecina, which is the capital of the kingdom. 

 It has a white flag with four red squares 

 (1109). . . . 



"I proceeded along the shores of the eastern 

 side of the Mare Mayor (Black Sea) for a 

 very long distance and arrived in the Kingdom 

 of Sant Estropoli (Sebastopol), which is in- 

 habited by Comanes Christians. Here there 

 are many people who have Jewish descent, but 

 all perform the works of Christians in the sac- 

 rifices, more after the Greek than the Latin 

 Church. The king has for his flag — gules a 

 hand argent (1110). 



"I left Sant Estropoli and went to Gorgania 

 (Georgia), which is between the Mare Mayor 

 (Black Sea) and the Mar de Sara (Caspian), 

 a very extensive land of the Empire of Uxleto 

 (Uzbeg). I then went along the shore to the 

 city of Trapesonda (Trebizond), where I re- 

 mained for some time. This empire borders 

 on Turquia, but the people are Greek Chris- 

 tians. The Emperor of Trapesonda has for 

 his device a red flag with a golden two-headed 

 eagle. 



"I departed from Trapesonda and arrived at 

 the Kingdom of Semiso (Samsun), a large 

 and populous territory bordering on Turquia 

 and the Mare Mayor. The king has for his 

 device a white flag with a sign like this (1112). 



"I came to Feradelfia (Philadelphia) and 

 found a rich and well supplied city. It is in 

 Turquia, anciently called Asia Minor. The 

 king has for his device a flag parted per pale, 

 argent and azure and on a field argent a cross 

 gules (1113). 



398 



