i 'Chap II. of W i LLIAM DE RUBRUQtJlS* §6$ 
I was corpulent and heavy *, but whether he went a gentle 
Pace or no I durft not make any Queftion, neither durft I 
complain, although he trotted very hard *, for every Man 
muft here be contented with his Lot as it falls. We were 
often exceedingly troubled, becaufe our Horfes tired before 
we could come at any People, and then we were condrained 
to whip our Horfes, and to lay our Garments on other 
Horfes, and fometimes two of us to ride upon one Horfe. 
29. Of Hunger and Third:, Cold and Wearinefs, there 
was no End, for they gave us no Fledi-meat, but in the 
Evening. In the Morning they ufed to give us a little Drink, 
or fome boiled Millet 5 in the Evening they bellowed Flelh 
upon us, as a Shoulder and Bread: of Ram’s Mutton, and 
every Man a Quantity of Broth to drink. When we had 
fufficient of the Flelh Broth we were well refrelhed, and it 
feemed to me mod pleafant, and mod: nourilhing Drink. 
Every Saturday I remained fading until Night, without 
eating or drinking, and when Night came I was condrained, 
to my great Grief and Sorrow, to eat Flelh : Sometimes 
we were compelled to eat Flelh half fodden, or almod raw, 
for want of Fuel to boil it, efpecially when we lay in the 
Fields, or were benighted before we came to our Journey’s 
End, becaufe we then could not conveniently gather toge- 
ther the Dung of Horfes and Oxen, for other Fuel we 
found but feldom, except, perhaps, a few Thorns in fome 
Places. Upon the Banks of fome Rivers there are Woods 
growing here and there, but they are very rare : In the 
Beginning our Guide highly dildained us, and it was tedi- 
ous unto him to conduct fuch bafe Fellows. Afterwards, 
when he began to know us fomewhat better, he directed us 
on our Way by the Courts of rich Mo als, and we were re- 
queded to pray for them : Wherefore had I carried a good 
Interpreter with me, I Ihould have had Opportunities to 
have done much good. • 
The beforementioned Zingis , who was the fird great Khan 
or Emperor of the far tars, had four Sons, of whom proceeded 
by natural Defcent many Children, every one of which doth 
at this Day enjoy great PolTeflions, and they are daily mul- 
tiplied and difperfed over that huge and vad Defart, which 
is in Dimenlions like the Ocean. Our Guide therefore di- 
rected us, as we were going on our Journey, to many of 
their Habitations, and they marvelled exceedingly, that 
we would not receive either Gold or Silver, or precious and 
codly Garments at their Hands. They enquired alfo con- 
cerning the Great Pope, whether he was of fo lading an 
Age as they had heard ; for there had gone a Report among 
them, that he was five hundred Years old. They enquired alfo 
after our Countries, whether there was abundance of Sheep, 
Oxen, and Horfes, or no ? Concerning the Ocean they could 
not conceive of it, becaufe it was without Limits or Banks. 
Upon the Eve of the Fead of All Saints we altered our 
Courfe, which hitherto pointed Ead, becaufe the People 
were now defeended very much South, and we went on our 
Journey by certain Mountains diredly Southward for the 
Space of eight Days together. In the Defart I faw many 
Affes, which they call Colan , being rather Mules ; thefe 
did our Guides and his Companions chafe very eagerly, 
though they did but lofe their Labour, for the Beads were 
too fwift for them. 
Upon the feventh Day there appeared to the South of us 
very high Mountains, and we entered into a Place, which 
was well watered, and frefli as a Garden, and found Land 
tilled and manured. The eighth Day after the Fead of All 
Saints we arrived at a Town of the Saracens named Kenchat , 
the Governor whereof met our Guide at the Town’s End, 
with Ale and Cups ; for it is their Cudom at all Towns 
and Villages fubjeft to them to meet the Meffengers of 
Baatu, and Mangu-Khan , with Meat and Drink ; at this 
Time of the Year they went upon the Ice in that Country, 
and before the Fead of Saint Michael they had Frod in the 
Delart. I enquired the Name of this Province, but being 
now in a drange Territory, they could not tell me the 
Name thereof, but only the Name of a fmall City in the 
fame Province and that there defeended a great River 
down from the Mountains, which watered the whole Re- 
gion, according as the Inhabitants would give it Paffage, 
by making divers Chanels and Sluices, neither did the River 
difeharge itfelf into any Sea, but was fwallowed up by a 
Gulph into the Bowels of the Earth, and it caufed many 
Nu'Mt. 39. 
Fens or Lakes 1 Alfo I faw many Vines, and drank of the 
Wine made from them. 
30. The Day following we came unto another Cottage 
near the Mountains, and I enquired what Mountains they 
were, which I underdood to be the Mountains of Caucasus $ 
which are dretched forth and continued on both Sides to 
the Sea from the Weil unto the Ead ; and on the Weftr 
they are bordering to the Cafpian Sea, into which the River 
Volga difeharges its Streams. I enquired alfo of the City 
of T alas, wherein were certain Germans, Servants unto 
one Buri, of whom Friar Andrew makes mention, concern- 
ing whom alfo I enquired very diligently in the Courts of 
Sartach and Baatu . I could get no Intelligence of them* 
but only that their Lords and Mader Ban was put to Death 
upon the Occaiion following. This -Ban was not fettled in v - 
good and fertile Padures -, and upon a certain Day being 
drunk, he fpoke thus to his Men, Am not I of the. Stock 
and Kindred of Zingis Khan as well as Baatu ? (for indeed 
he was very nearly related to Baatu) Why then do I not 
pafs and repafs upon the Bank of Etiiia, to feed my Cattle 
there as freely as Baatu himfelf doth ? which Speech of his 
was reported unto Baatu whereupon Baatu wrote to his 
Servants to bring their Lord bound unto him, and they 
did fo. 
Then Baatu demanded of him whether he had fpoken 
any fuch Words ? and he confeffed that he had. But be- 
caufe it is the Manner of the Tartars to pardon drunken 
Men, he excufed himfelf by faying, that he was drunk at the 
Time. How durd you, laid Baatu , once name me in thy 
Drunkennefs ? and having faid this, he caufed his Head to 
be chopped off. 
Concerning the aforefaid Germans , I could not learn any 
thing till I was come to the Court of Mangu-Khan, and 
there I was informed that Mangu-Khan had removed them 
out of the Jurifdiction of Baatu for the Space of a Month’s 
Journey from Talas Eadward to a certain Village called 
Bolac, where they are fet to dig Gold, and to make Ar- 
mour, fo that I could neither go nor come by them. I 
paffed very near the faid City in going, that is, within 
three Days Journey •, but I was ignorant that I did fo, 
neither could 1 have turned out of my way, if I had known 
fo much. From the aforefaid Cottage, we went direftly 
Eadward by the Mountains, and from that time we travel- 
led among the People of Mangu-Khan , who in all Places 
fang and danced before our Guide, becaufe he was the 
Meffenger of Baatu for this Courtefy they do to each 
other, namely, the People of Mangu-Khan receiving the 
Meffengers of Baatu, and fo likewife the People of Baatu 
entertaining the People of Mangu-Khan, notwithdanding 
the People of Baatu are more furly, and fhew not fo much 
Courtefy to the Subjects of Mangu-Khan , as in their Turn 
they do to them. 
A few Days after we entered upon thofe Mountains, 
where the Cara-Cathayans were wont to inhabit, and there 
we found a mighty River, infomuch that we were con- 
drained to embark ourfelves, and to fail over it. After- 
wards we came into a Valley, where I faw a Cadle de- 
droyed, the Walls whereof were only of Mud, and in that 
Place the Ground was tilled alfo ; and there we found a cer- 
tain Village named Equius, wherein were Mohammedans 
fpeaking the P erf an Language ; but they dwelt a great 
way off Perfia. The Day following, having paffed over 
the great Mountains Southward, we entered into a mod 
beautiful Plain, having high Mountains on our right Hand, 
and on the left Hand of us a certain Sea or Lake, fifteen 
Days Journey in Circuit. All the Plain is mod commodi- 
oufly watered by Trenches diddling from the faid Moun- 
tains ; all which tall into the Lake in Summer Time. We 
returned by the North Side of the Lake, and there were 
great Mountains on that Side alfo. Upon this Plain there 
ufed to be formerly many Villages ', but for the mod Parc 
they were all waded in regard of the fertile Padures, that the 
Tartars might feed their Cattle there. 
We found one great City there named Cailac , which was 
a Market, and great Numbers of Merchants frequented it„ 
In this City we remained fifteen Days, daying for a cer- 
tain Scribe or Secretary of Baatu, who ought to have ac- 
companied our Guide for the difpatching of certain Affairs 
in the Court of Manga, All this Country was wont to be 
7 F 
6 
