OF THE VAST COUNTRIES TO THE NORTHWARD OF TARTARY,
AND MANY OTHER CURIOUS PARTICULARS.
After forty days' journey you come to the ocean, near which is a
mountain, where storks and fine falcons breed, which are carried
thence unto the court of the Great Khan. Here we must return unto
the city Campion; if therefore you proceed farther five days' journey
from the city Campion towards the east, you come to the kingdom of
Erginul, in the province of Tangut, subject to the Great Khan. In
this kingdom are many idolaters; there are some Nestorian Christians
and Turks, as also many cities and castles, of which Erginul is
chief. From hence, if you proceed farther to the south-east, you may
go to the parts of Cathay. Going south-east towards Cathay, there is
a certain famous city named Cinguy, the name also of the province
tributary unto the Great Khan contained in Tangut. The people are
some Christians, some Mohammedans, and others idolaters. There are
also found wild oxen, very near as big as elephants, very fair,
having white and black hair, short in other parts, and on the
shoulder three palms long, fine, white, and in many respects beyond
silk, of which hair our author brought some to Venice as a rare
thing. Many also of these oxen are tamed, and made to couple with
tame kine, and the breed of them are fitter for business than any
other countries, bear great burthens, are yoked to the plough, and do
twice as much service as others.
The best musk in the world is found in this province, and is taken
from a beast of the bigness of a goat, having hair like a stag, feet
and tail like a gazelle, but without horns. It hath four teeth, two
above and two beneath, of the length of three fingers, as white as
ivory, and is a very beautiful creature. When the moon is at full,
near the navel, under the belly, there grows to this beast an
imposthume or bladder, full of blood, and at the full moon they go to
hunt them, and take away that swelling, which is dried in the sun,
and is the best musk; the flesh is also good to eat. Master Marco
brought to Venice the head and feet of this beast dried. The men
live by merchandise and arts and have abundance of corn. They are
idolaters, of a fat body and little nose, black hair, having no
beard, but four hairs on their chin. The women are wonderfully fair,
and when the men desire to marry wives, they rather make choice of
the beautiful than the noble or rich. It often happens from hence
that a great nobleman marries a poor wife, if beautiful, assigning a
dowry to her mother. This province extends itself five-and-twenty
days' journey in length, and is very fertile; in it are exceeding
large pheasants, having trains eight or ten handfuls long; many other
kinds of birds are also found there, which have very beautiful
feathers of various excellent colours.
After eight days' journey further east, you meet with the province
Egrigaia, in the which are many cities and castles; all but this lies
still in Tangut. The principal city is called Callacia, the
inhabitants thereof are idolaters; there are three churches of
Nestorian Christians, who are subject to the Great Khan. In this
city camblets are made, woven with white wool, and the hair of
camels, than which there are scarce any better in the world. East
from this province of Egrigaia lies that of Tandach, in which are
many cities and castles, and here Presbyter John resides, who now
pays tribute to the Great Khan. The king of that nation is called
George, and is a priest and a Christian, and most of the people are
Christians. All the Great Khans after his death (who was slain in
battle by Zingis) give their daughters to those kings to wife. This
King George holds not all that the priest John before held, and is
the fourth of that family. There is a nation there called Argons,
more sightly men, and fitter for merchandise than the rest, descended
of idolaters and Mohammedans. There are also two regions where they
dwell, which in those parts are called Og and Magog; but they which
dwell there call them Ung and Mongul; in Ung are Gog, and in Mongul
the Tartars. Riding east seven days towards Cathay are many cities
peopled with idolaters, Mohammedans, and Nestorians. There is one
city called Sindicin, where very excellent arms are made of divers
sorts fit for armies. In the mountains of this province are great
mines of silver, and much game, and the country of the mountains is
called Idifa.
Three days' journey from the city last mentioned stands another city
Jangamur, that is, the White Lake, where there is a palace, in which
the Great Khan delights, because there are many lakes and rivers,
many swans, and in the plains, cranes, pheasants, partridges, and
other fowls. There are five sorts of cranes there; some have black
wings like crows, others are white and bright, having their feathers
full of eyes like peacocks, but of a golden colour, the neck black
and white; very beautiful. A third sort for bigness not unlike ours;
a fourth little, and very fair, intermingled with red and blue
colours; the fifth of a grizzle, or grey colour, having red and black
heads, and these are very large; and near to this city lies a valley,
where are many cottages, in which a great number of partridges are
maintained, which are kept against the king's coming to lodge there
for some time. Three days' journey north-eastward is the city
Ciandu, which the Great Khan Kublay now reigning built, erecting
therein a marvellous palace of marble and other stones, which extends
to the wall on the one side, and the middle of the city on the other.
He included sixteen miles within the circuit of the wall on that side
where the palace joins the city wall, into which none can enter but
by the palace. In this inclosure or park are pleasant meadows,
springs, rivers, red and fallow deer, fawns, carried thither for the
hawks, of which are mewed there about two hundred ger-falcons, which
he goes once a week to see; and he often useth one leopard or more,
sitting on horses, with which he hunts the stag and deer, and having
taken the best, gives it to the ger-falcons, and in beholding this
spectacle he takes much delight. In the midst of a fair wood he hath
built a royal house on pillars gilded and varnished, on every one of
which is a dragon all gilt, which winds his tail about the pillar,
with his head bearing up the roof, as also with his wings displayed
on both sides; the cover also is of reeds gilt and varnished so that
the rain can do it no injury, the reeds being three handfuls thick
and ten yards long, split from knot to knot; the house itself also
may be pulled in pieces, and taken down like a tent, and erected
again, for it is sustained when it is set up with two hundred silken
cords. The Great Khan useth to dwell there three months in the year,
viz., June, July, and August. On the 28th day of August he departeth
to make a solemn sacrifice. He hath an herd of white horses and
white mares, about ten thousand, of the milk whereof none may drink,
except he be of the imperial race of Zingis-Khan, and except one
family called Boriat who had this granted by Zingis for their valour;
and these beasts, as they go up and down feeding, are much
reverenced, nor dare any go before them, or hinder them in their way.
The astrologers or sorcerers tell the Khan, that on the twentieth of
the moon of August, he shall disperse that milk here and there for
the honour of all spirits, and his idols, that they may be careful
preservers of all things which he possesses. There are two sorts of
idolaters called Chebeth and Chesinu, which in the midst of storms
ascend the palace, and suffer no rain to fall thereon, which they
make the people believe comes to pass by their sanctity, and
therefore they go slovenly and negligent of their persons, never
washing nor combing themselves. They also have a horrible custom to
dress and eat such as are condemned to death, but not those which die
naturally. They are called also Bachsi, which is the name of their
order, as friars, predicants, or minors with us; they seem by magic
to do what they list. When the Great Khan in his hall sits at his
table, it is raised eight yards high; and in the midst of the hall, a
good distance from the table, is a great cupboard of plate, from
whence these sorcerers cause wine or milk to fill the goblets,
without any hand touching them; this they do in the presence of any
man, whenever their lord commands it. These Bachsi also, when they
have a mind to make feasts to their idols, go to the Khan, and
address him thus: "Sir, you are to know that if our idols be not
honoured with sacrifices, they will bring plagues on corn and beasts,
and therefore we entreat you to give us the flesh of so many sheep,
with black heads, and so many pounds of incense, and lignum aloes,
that we may make them due sacrifice and honour." This they spake not
to him themselves, but by certain lords deputed to that office, who
speak to the Khan, and obtain it. On the feast day, they sacrifice
these beasts, and sprinkle the broth before the idols.
They have great monasteries, some of the bigness of a city, in
several of which are about two thousand monks, who serve an idol
sequestered from the laity, as appears by their shaving and garments;
for they shave their heads and beards, and wear a religious garment.
These, in the solemnities of their idols, sing with solemn songs, and
lights; some of them may marry. There are some who observe strict
abstinence, called Sensim, leading an austere life; for they eat
nothing but meal mingled with water, till all the flour be gone, and
eat the bran without any savour. These worship the fire; and the men
of other rules say, that these, which are so austere, are heretics
against their law, because they worship not idols as they do; and
there are great differences between them, and these marry not at all.
They shave their head and beard, wear black hempen garments, or of a
bright yellow. They sleep on thick mats, and live the severest life
in the world.