_Of the land named Cathay and of the great riches thereof._
AND from thence men go uppon a river that men call Ceremosan, and this
river goeth throughe Cathay[1] & doth many times harme when it
waxeth great. Cathay is a faire countrey & rich, ful of goods and
merchandises, thether come marchauntes everye yeare for to fetch
spices and other marchandises more commonly than they do in other
countreys. And ye shall understand that marchaunts that come from
Venice or from Gene or from other places of Lombardy, or of Italy,
they go by sea and land, xi monthes and more or they may come to
Cathay.
[Footnote 1: Northern China.]