Chap. If. of M arc 
The City of Cambula in the Province of Cathay , feated 
on a great River was famous, and the Royal Seat in ancient 
Times; and this Name Cambalu fignifies the City of the 
Lord or Prince. This City the Great Khan removed to the 
other Side of the River where the Palaces are, for he under- 
Rood by the Aftrologers, that it would rebel againft.the 
Empire. This new-built City is called Taidu , and he com- . 
manded all the Cathay ans to go out of the Old City into the 
New ; which contains in Compafs four and twenty Miles, 
every Side of the Square containing fix Miles. It hath 
Walls of Earth ten Paces thick at the Bottom, and at the 
Top but three, as growing by little and little thinner. The 
Battlements are white, every Square of the Wail hath three 
principal .Gates which are twelve in all, Having fumptuous 
Palaces built over them. There are alfo certain Pavilions in 
the Angles of the Walls where the Arms of the Garrifon, 
which are one Thoufand at each Gate, are kept. The Build- 
ings are fquared, and the Streets laid very ftrait by Line 
throughout this City; fo that from one Gate a free Profpect ’ 
opens through the City to the oppofite Gate ; having very 
Lately Houfes built on both Sides like Palaces, with Gar- 
dens and Courts, divided according to the Heads of Fami- 
lies : In the midft of the City is a certain noble Building, 
wherein hangeth a very great. Bell ; after the tolling whereof 
in the Night, no Manmuft go out of hisHoufe until the 
Beginning of the Day following, except it be for lome ex- 
traordinary Caufe, as for a Woman in Travail, and then they 
are compelled to carry Lights with them. 
Without the City of Cambalu , are twelve large Suburbs 
three or four Miles long, adjoining to each of the twelve 
Gates, more inhabiting in the Suburbs than in the City ; 
here Merchants and Strangers live, each Nation having 
feveral Store-houfes, or Burfes, in which they lodge. No 
dead Corps of any Man is burned within this City, but the 
Bodies of Idolaters are burned without the Suburbs, where 
the dead Bodies of other Seeds are buried, and becaufe an 
huge Multitude of Saracens inhabit there ; they have 
above twenty-five thoufand Harlots in the Suburbs and in 
the City ; and thefe have a chief Captain appointed over 
every hundred and thoufand, and one General, whofe Of- 
fice is, that when Embafladors come, or fuch as have Bu- 
finefs with the Khan, whofe Charges he defrays, then this 
Captain giveth every Embaflador, and every Man of his 
Family, a Change of Women every Night at Free-coft, 
for this is their Tribute. The Guards, every Night, carry 
fuch to Prifon whom they find walking late ; and if they 
be found guilty, they are beaten with Cudgels, for the 
Bachfi tell them, that it is not good to fhed Man’s Blood ; 
but many die of thefe Beatings. The Great Khan hath in 
his Court twelve thoufand Horfe-men, which they call Ca- 
fitan, faithful Soldiers of their Lord, who guard his Perfon, 
more for State than Fear ; and four Captains have the 
Charge of thefe, whereof every one commandeth three 
thoufand. When one Captain, with three thoufand Sol- 
diers within the Palace, hath guarded the King for three 
Days and Nights, another Captain, with his Soldiers, fuc- 
ceeds ; and fo, throughout the Y ear, this Courfe of watch- 
ing by Turns is obferved °. 
When on account of any feftival Day, he keeps a 
folemn Court, his Table, which is higher than the 
reft of the Tables, is fet at the North Part of the 
Hall, his Face is to the South, having the firft Queen on 
his Left-hand, that is, his principal Wife ; and his Sons 
and Nephews, and thofe of the Royal Blood, on his Right; 
yet their Table is in a lower Place, fo that they fcarce 
touch the King’s Feet with their Heads, the Seat of the 
eldeft being higher than the reft ; the Princes fit in a 
lower Place than that ; their Wives alfo obferve the like 
Order : Firft, the Khan’s Sons Wives and his Kinfmen fit 
lower on the Left-hand, and after thofe, of the Lords, 
and of every Captain and Nobleman, each in their Degree 
o Pol o. 607 
1 
and Order; and the Emperor himfelf, while he fits at his 
Table, may cafe his Eves upon all that feaft with him in 
that Flail. There are not Tables for them all to fit ; but 
the greateft Part of the Soldiers and Barons eat on Carpets, 
At all the Doors ftand two gigantick Fellows with Cudgels,- 
to fee that none touch the Threlhold, which; if he does, 
they take his Garment away, which he rnuft redeem by re- 
ceiving fo many Blows as fhall be appointed, or elfe lofe 
them. They who ferve the King, and thofe fitting at the 
Table, all of them cover their Mouths with Silk, left their 
breathing, fhould by any means touch the King’s Meat or 
Drink : And when he hath a mind to drink, the Damfel 
who giveth it goes back three Paces and kneels down, 
and then the Barons and all the People kneel, and the 
Muficians found their Inftruments. There is no Caufe, 
fince I would avoid Prolixity, why I fhould write any 
thing concerning the Meats which are brought to the Ta- 
ble, how dainty and delicate they are, and with what 
Magnificence and .Pomp they are ferved in. 
All the Tartars obferve this Cuftom to celebrate the 
Birth-day of their Lord moft honourably. The Birth- . 
day of Cublai is kept the twenty-eighth of September , and 
this Day he accounteth more folemn than any in the whole 
Year, except the firft of February , on which they begin 
the Year. The King therefore, on his Birth-day, is clothed 
in a moft precious Garment of Gold, and about two 
thoufand Barons and Soldiers are clothed in the fame Co- 
lour of Gold, though of Silk Stuff, and a Girdle wrought 
in Gold and Silver, which is given them, with a Pair of 
Shoes. Some wear Pearls and Garments of great Price, 
who are next to the Khan ; and thefe Garments are not 
worn but on thirteen folemn Feafts, according to the thir- 
teen Moons of theYear, all are then clothed like Kings. This 
Cuftom is alfo obferved by the Tartars , that on the Birth- 
day of Great Khan, all the Kings, Princes, and Nobles, 
who are fubjedt to his Dominions, fhould fend Prefents 
unto him, as to their Emperor ; and they who defire to 
tain any Place of Dignity or Office of him, offer their 
Petitions unto twelve Barons appointed for that Purpofe ; 
and what they decree is all one as if the Emperor himfelf 
had anfwered them. All People alfo of what Faith or 
Sedt foever, whether Chriftians or Jews , Saracens , or Tar- 
tars, and Pagans , are bound folemnly to call upon their 
Gods, for the Life, Safety, and Profperity of the Great 
Khan p. 
On the Firft of February , which is the Beginning of the 
Tartar Year, the Great Khan, and all the Tartars , where- 
foever they are, celebrate a very folemn Feaft, and all, as 
well Men as Women, defire to be clothed in white Gar- 
ments as a Token of good Luck ; therefore, that Fortune 
may favour them all the Year, they wear white at the Be- 
ginning thereof. The Rulers of Cities, and Governors of 
Provinces, mindful of their Duty, fend unto their Em- 
peror this Day Prefents of Gold and Silver, Pearls and 
precious Stones, many white Cloths , and other white 
Things, and many Horfes of a white Colour. The reft of 
the Tartars , at the Beginning of the Year, fend white 
Prefents one to another. It is the Cuftom of thofe 
who bring Prefents, if they can, of each, to prefen t 
nine Times nine, as if they fend Horfes to prefent nine 
Nines, that is eighty one ; and fo of Gold, of Cloths, 
and other Things ; that fometimes he hath, by this Reck- 
oning, one hundred thoufand Horfes. Alfo, at this happy 
Seafon, all the Elephants which the Emperor hath, (five 
thoufand in Number) are brought unto the Court, covered 
with Tapiftry, in the Similitudes of divers Beafts and Fowls 
being portrayed therein, carrying upon their Shoulders two 
Chefts full of gold and filver Veffels ; many Carnes are 
alfo brought, covered with fine filken Cloths, which bring 
other Things necefiary for the Court. 
®This Method of polling Guards and relieving them, was extremely ancient in the Eaft, as appears from the Accounts given us by the Gm-f 
Writers of the Oeconomy in this refpeft of the Perfian Emperors ; and it is Hill pra&ifed by almoit all the Tartar Princes, and particularly by the 
Great, Mogul, as we fhall have Occafion to Ihew in the fecond Volume. 
? This Account agrees exactly with what is related from Authors of good Credit in Dr. Hyde's moft learned Treatife of the Religion of the ancient 
Perfians , with refpect to the Ceremonies obferved on the Birth-day of the Emperor, and at the Beginning of the new Year. Indeed the Conformity 
is fo great, that one might be tempted to believe there is a nearer Relation between the Tartars and the ancient Perji ans, than is commonly imagined 1 
and I muft confefs, that I cannot, for my own part, help thinking that the Religion of the Tartars is very nealy the fame with that of the old Per- 
fians s that is to fay, I apprehend the Lamas of the one correlpond with the Magi among the others. 
4 
Oa 
