Chap. II. of William de Rubruquis. 5 6 ? 
Sea therefore is encompaffed on three Sides, with 
Mountains ; but on the North Side hath a fine- flat Coun- 
try. Friar Andrew , in his Journey, travelled round about 
two Sides thereof, namely the South and the Eaft Sides, 
and I myfelf about the other two •, that is to fay, the North 
Side, in going from Baatu to Mangn-Khan , and in return- 
ing ’likewife ; and on the Weft Side, in coming home 
from Baatu into Syria. A Man may travel round about it 
in four Months ; and it is not true which Jfidore reports, 
that this Sea is a Bay or Gulph coming out of the Ocean, 
for in no Part it communicates the Ocean, but is invironed 
on all Sides with the Land. 
2 6. All the Regions extending from the Weft Shore 
of this Sea, where Alexander's Iron-gate, otherwise called 
the City of Derbent, is fituate, and from the Mountains Alan, 
all along by the Fences of Musotis , unto which the River of 
fanais falls, and fo to the North Ocean was of old called 
Albania , of which Country lfidore reporteth, that there 
are in it Dogs of fuch huge Stature, and fo fierce, that they 
are able, in Fight, to match Bulls, and to matter Lions, 
which is true, as I was affured by feveral, who told me, 
that towards the North Ocean they make their Dogs draw 
in Carts like Oxen, on account of their Bignefs and 
Strength. On that Part of Etilia where we arrived, there 
is a new Station built, wherein they have placed Tartars 
and Ruffians together to ferry over and tranfport Meffen- 
gers going and coming to and from the Court of Baatu , 
for Baatu keeps his Court upon the farther Side towards 
the Eaft; neither afcendeth he in Summer-time more 
northward than the Place where we arrived, but was even 
then defcending to the South. From January to Auguft , 
he, and all other T artars attend by the Banks of Rivers 
towards cold and northerly Regions, and in Auguft they 
begin to return back again. 
We paffed down the Stream therefore in a Bark from 
the above-mentioned Station unto his Court, from the fame 
Place unto a Village of Bidgaria the Greater , ftanding to- 
wards the North 5 ; it is five Days Journey. I wonder how the 
Devil carried the Religion of Mohammed thither ; for, from 
Derbent , which is upon the extreme Borders of Perfia^ it is 
above thirty Days Journey to pafs over the Defart, and fo 
attend to the Bank of Etilia into the Country of Bulgaria , 
in all which Way there is no City, only certain Cottages 
near unto that Place where Etilia falleth into the Sea^ 
Thefe Bulgarians are more wicked Mohammedans than 
any other Nations whatever. When I beheld the Court 
of Baatu , I was aftonifhed at the firft Sight thereof, for 
his Houfes or Tents are as though they had been fome 
mighty City ftretching out a great Way in Length, the 
People ranging up and down about it for the Space of 
fome three or four Leagues ; and even as the People of 
Ifrael knew every Man on what Side the Tabernacle to 
pitch his Tent, fo every one of them knoweth very well 
toward which Side of the Court he ought to place his 
Houfe when he takes it from off the Cart. The Court is 
called therefore in their Language Horda , which fignifies 
the Midft, becaufe the Governor, or chief Captain among 
them, dwells always in the Midft of his People, except 
only that direCtly towards the South no inferior Perfon 
places himfelf, becaufe, towards thatRegion the Court-gates 
are fet open ; but to the Right-hand and the Left-hand 
they place themfelves as far as they will, according to the 
Conveniency of Places, fo that they ereCt not their 
Houfes dire&ly oppofite againft the Court. At our Ar- 
rival we were conduced to a Mohammedan , who provided 
no Victuals for us at all. The Day following, we were 
brought to the Court, and Baatu caufed a large Tent to 
be erected, becaufe his Houfe or Tent could not contain 
fo many Men and Women as wereaffembled. Our Guide 
admoniftied us not to {peak till Baatu had given us Com- 
mandment fo to do, and that then we fhould fpeak our 
Minds briefly. 
Then Baatu demanded whether your Majefty had 
fent Embaffadors unto him or no ? I anfwered, that your 
Majefty had fent Meffengers to Ken-Khan , and that you 
would not have fent Meffengers or Letters to Sartach , had 
not your Highnefs been perfuaded that they were become 
Chriftians, becaufe you fent not unto them out of any 
Pear, but only for Congratulation and Courtefy-fake, in 
regard that you heard they were converted to Chriftianityi 
Then led he us unto his Pavilion , and we were charged 
not to touch the Cords of the Tent, about which they are 
as fufpicious as about the Threfhold of the Houfe. There 
we flood in our Habits bare-footed, and bare-headed, and 
were a great and ftrange SpeCtacle in their Eyes. Indeed 
Friar John Du Plano Carpini had been there before my 
Coming ; but becaufe he was the Pope’s Embaffador,’ 
he changed his Habit, that he might 'not be contemned. 
Then we were brought into the Midft of the Tent, nei- 
ther required they of us to do any Reverence, by bowing 
our Knees as they ufed to do of other Meffengers ; we 
flood therefore before him for the Space wherein a Man 
might have rehearfed the Pfalm Miferere met Deus, and 
there was a great Silence kept by all. 
Baatu himfelf fat upon a Seat long and broad, like & 
Bed gilt all over, v/ith three Stairs to attend, and one 
of his Ladies fat befide him. The Men there al- 
fembled fat down ttattering, fome on the Right-hand of 
the faid Lady, and fome on the Left. Thefe Places on 
the one Side, which the Women filled not up (for there 
were only the Wives of Baatu ) were fupplied by the Men. 
Alfo at the very Entrance of the Tent flood a Bench fur- 
nifhed with Cofmos, and with ftately Cups of Silver and 
Gold, richly fet with precious Stones, Baatu beheld us 
earneftly, and we him, and he feemed to refemble in Per- 
fonage Monfieur John de Beaumont , whole Soul refteth in 
Peace ; for like him, he had a frefh ruddy Countenance. 
At length, he commanded us to fpeak. Then our 
Guide gave us Direction that we fhould bow our Knees 
and fpeak ; on which I bowed one Knee, then he figni- 
fied that I fhould kneel upon both my Knees; I did fo, 
being loth to contend about fuch Circumftances ; and 
again he commanded me to fpeak. Then I thinking of a 
Prayer unto GOD, becaufe I kneeled on both my Knees, 
began to pray in thefe Words ; “ Sir, we befeech the 
“ Lord, from whom all good Things do proceed, and 
ce who hath given you thefe earthly Benefits, that it 
“ would pleafe him hereafter to make you Partaker of his 
“ heavenly Bleftings, becaufe the former, without thefe, 
ct are but vain and unprofitable : And, indeed, farther be 
“ it known unto you of a certain, that you fhall not ob- 
“ tain the Joys of Heaven, uniefs you become a Chrif- 
ct tian ; for God faith, Whofoever believeth and is bap - 
“ tized, fhall be faved ; but he that believeth not fhall bs 
<c condemned S' 
At this he modeftly frniled, but the other Meals began 
to clap their Hands and to deride us, and my filly Inter- 
preter, of whom efpecially I fhould have received Com- 
fort in Time of Need, was himfelf abafhed, and utterly 
out of Countenance. Then after Silence made, I faid to 
him ; cc I came to your Son, becaufe we heard that he 
“ was become a Chriftian, and I brought to him Letters 
<e on the Behalf of my Sovereign Lord the King of 
(C France , and your Son fent me hither unto you ; the 
“ Caufe of my coming therefore is beft known unto your- 
u felf.” Then he caufed me to rife up, and he enquired 
your Majefty’s Name, my Name, and the Name of my 
Affociate and Interpreter, and caufed them all to be put 
down in Writing. He demanded alfo (becaufe he had 
been informed that you was departed out of your own 
Countries with an Army) againft whom you waged War? 
I anfwered againft the Saracens , who had defiled the Houfe 
of G O D at Jerufalem. He afked alfo whether your 
Highnefs had ever before that Time fent any Embaffador 
unto him or no ? To you, Sir, faid I, never. 
Then he caufed us to fit down, and gave us of his 
Milk to drink, which they account to be a great Favour, 
efpecially when any Man is admitted to drink Cofmos with 
him in his own Houfe ; and as I fat looking down on the 
Ground, he commanded me to lift up my Countenance, 
being defirous yet to take a more diligent View of us, or' 
elfe perhaps for a kind of fuperftitious Obfervation ; for 
they efteem it a Sign of ill Luck, or a Prognoftication of 
Evil unto them, when any Man fits in their Prefence hold- 
ing down his Head as if he were fad, efpecially when he 
leans his Cheek or Chin upon his Hand, Then we de- 
parted, and immediately after came our Guide to us, and 
conducting us to our Lodging, faid unto me ; “ Your Ma- 
4 fter 
