6oo 
The VOYAGES 
Caftles in the Mountains round about it : A certain great 
River alio flows through the Middle thereof. There are 
many Porcupines in that Country, which they hunt with 
Dogs, and they contracting themfelves with great Fury, 
eaft their prickly Quills at Men and Dogs, and wound 
them. That Nation hath a particular Language, and the 
Shepherds abide in the Mountains, having made Caves 
for their Habitations. You go hence three Days Journey 
without meeting any Habitants, to the Province of Ba- 
laxiatn , which is inhabited by Mohammedans , who have a 
peculiar Language. Their Kings, who fucceed each other 
hereditarily, are' reported to have derived their Defcent 
from Alexander the Great, and from the Daughter of Da- 
rius > and are called Dulcarlen , that is to fay, Alexandri- 
ans. There are found the Ballaffas, and other precious 
Stones, of great Value. 
No Man, on pain of Death, dare either dig fuch 
Stones, or carry them out of the Country, but with the Li- 
cence and Confent of the King *, for all thofe Stones are 
the King’s, and he only fends them to whom he pleafes, ei- 
ther as Prefents, or in Payment of Tribute: He exchanges 
alfo many for Gold and Silver 5 and this he doth left the 
Stone, whereof there is fo much Plenty, fhould become too 
common and cheap. Other Mountains alfo in this Pro- 
vince yield Stones, called La-pis Lazuli , whereof the beft 
Azure is made, the like is not found in the World. Thefe 
Mines alfo yield Silver, Brafs, and Lead. The Country 
itfelf is very cold : There are many Horfes, and thofe ex- 
cellent large, ftrong, and fwift, which have fo hard and 
tough Hoofs, that they need no Iron-fhoes, although they 
run through Rocks. It is laid, that not many Years ago, 
there were Horfes of the Race of Alexander’s Bucephalus 
which had the fame forehead Mark as he had, in the 
Poffeffion only of the King’s Uncle, who was killed for re- 
fufing the King to have of them ; whereupon his Widow, 
in fpite, cleftroyed the whole Race. There are alfo excel- 
lent Falcons. The Soil of this Country bears excellent 
Wheat and Barley without Hulks, and Oil made of Nuts, 
and Muftard, which is like Flax-feed, but more favory 
than other Oil. There are ftraight Paffages and difficult 
Places. The Men are good Archers and Huntftnen, 
cloathed in Beafts Skins. The Hills are fteep and high, 
large Plains, fine Rivers 5 and if any have an Ague, by 
living two or three Days on the Hills he recovers, which 
Marco experienced himfelf after a Year’s Sicknefs. The 
Women, in the Skirts of their Garments put fixty or 
eighty Yards of Cotton ; the burlier a Woman looks Hie 
is in their Eyes the handfomer. 
The Province of Bafcia is ten' Days Journey towards the 
South from the Country of Balexiam , and the Country it- 
felf is very hot, which is the Realon the People are brown. 
They have a Language of their own, and wear gold and 
filver Ear-rings, with Pearls and other Stones, artificially 
wrought in them ; they eat Fiffi and Rice, and are Ido- 
laters, crafty and cruel. The Province of Chefmur is feven 
Days Journey diftant from Bafcia , the Inhabitants whereof 
have alfo their own Language, and are Idolaters, beyond 
all others, cunning Inchanters, forcing their Idols to fpeak 
and darkening the Day. From hence you may go to the 
Indian-S ea. The Men and Women are brown, not wholly 
black, the Heat fomewhat tempered. Their Food is 
Fleffi and Rice, yet are they exceeding lean : There are 
many Cities and Towns in' this Country •, their King is tri- 
butary to none. There are certain Hermits in this Pro- 
vince who in Monafteries and Cells worffiip Idols, honouring 
their Gods with great Abftinence of Meat and Drink, and 
obferve great Chaftity, are very cautious not to offend 
their Idols, and live long •, of thefe are many reputed 
Saints, and the People fliew them great Reverence. The 
Men of this Province kill no living Creature, and fhed no 
Blood ; and if they eat Fleffi it is neceffary that the Sara- 
cens , who live amongft them,|kill the Creature. Coral is 
here fold dearer than any where. We will leave the Way 
to India now, and return to Balaxiam, and direCt our 
Way towards Cathay , betwixt the Eaft and North-Eaft. 
Beyond Balaxiam is a certain River whereon ftand many 
Caftles and Villages belonging to the King of Balaxiam’ s 
Brother ; and after three Days Journey is the Province 
Vac'han , having in Length and Breadth three Days Jour* 
and! RAVELS Book I. 
ney, the inhabitants whereof have a peculiar Language, 
and worffiip Mohammed . They are however ftout Warri- 
ors and, good Hunters, for the Country abounds with 
wild Beafts. 
If you depart thence betwixt the North-Eaft and the 
Eaft, you muft afcend for three whole Days together, un- 
til you come to an exceeding high Mountain, than which 
there is faid to be none higher in the World. There alfo 
between two Mountains is a great Lake, and through a 
Plain runs a very fine River, near which are excellent Fa- 
ilures, fo that in them a lean Horfe or an Ox may be fat 
in ten Days. There is alfo Plenty of wild Beafts, efpeci- 
ally exceeding great wild Sheep, having Horns fome of 
them fix Spans long, of which they make divers kinds 
of Veffels. The Plain contains twelve Days Journey in 
Length, and is called Pamer \ nor is there any Habitation 
there, and Travellers muft carry Victuals with them : No 
Bird alfo appears there, by reafon of the Cold ; and it is 
reported, that if Fire be kindled there it is not fo bright 
nor fo effectual to boil any thing as in other Places. From 
hence the Way leadeth forty Days Journey further between 
the Eaft and the North-Eaft, through the Mountains, 
Flills, and Valleys, in which many Rivers are found, but 
no Village or Herbs, and the Country itfelf is called Pa- 
low, and fome Huts and Cottages of Men are feen on the 
Top of thofe high Mountains ; but fuch as are fa- 
vage and wicked Idolaters, who live by hunting, and are 
clothed by the Skins of the Beafts they kill. After [this 
you come to the Province of Cafchar , which is 'tributary 
to the Great Khan, and the People are Mohammedans. In 
it are Vines, pleafant Gardens, fruitful Trees, Cotton, 
Flax, and Hemp, and a fertile Soil. The Inhabitants 
have a particular Language, and are Merchants and Arti- 
ficers, fo covetous that they eat that which is bad, and 
drink worfe. Some Nejlorian Chriftians are found there, 
who alfo have their Churches. The Country extends it- 
felf five Days Journey. 
1 1 . Samar cand is a great and famous City in that Coun- 
try, where are lovely Gardens, and a fertile Plain. It is 
fubjeff to the Nephew of the Great Khan ; in it the Chri- 
ftians dwell with the Saracens , whence little Agreement is 
betwixt them. It is reported, that on this Account a Mi- 
racle happened *, the Brother of Great Khan, named Za- 
gat ai, who governed that Country about an hundred Years 
ago, being perfuaded to become a Chriftian, the Chriftians, 
through his Favour, built a Church in Honour of St. John 
Baptift, with fuch Cunning that the whole Roof thereof 
was fupported by one Pillar in the mkift, under which 
was fet a fquare Stone, which, by favour of their Lord, 
was taken from a Building of the Saracens. Zagatai’s Son 
fucceeded after his Death in the Kingdom, but not in the 
Faith, from whom the Saracens obtained that the Chrifti- 
ans fhould be compelled to reftore that Stone, and when 
they offered a fufficient Price, the Saracens refufed to re- 
ceive any other Compofition than the Stone ; whereupon 
the Pillar lifted up itfelf, that the Saracens might take 
away their Stone, and fo continued. 
Departing again from this City, you come into the 
Province Charahan , about five Days Journey in Length. 
This Province hath Plenty of Prcvifions, being fubject 
to the Dominion of the Nephew of the Great Khan. The 
Inhabitants worffiip Mohammed , yet among them certain 
Nejlorian Chriftians dwell They are great Artificers, and 
have moft of them fwelled Legs, and a great Wen or 
Bunch in their Throat, by reafon of the Waters which 
they drink. The Province Cotatn follows between the 
Eaft and the North-Eaft. It is fubject to the Dominion 
of the Nephew of the Great Khan, and hath many Cities 
and Towns. The chief City thereof is called Cotam. 
The Province extends eight Days Journey in Length, 
There is no Want there of any Thing needful to the 
Maintenance of Life. It h at h Plenty of Cotton, Flax, 
Hemp, Corn and Wine but the People are not war- 
like, yet good Artificers in various Manufactures and Mer- 
chandize. They acknowledge Mohammed for their Pro- 
phet. 
Proceeding farther through the fame Country, you 
come to the Province Peim , extending four Days Jour- 
ney in Length 5 it is fubjeCt tp the Great Khan, and hath 
1 many 
