_What countreys and kingdomes lye next to the land of Cathay
and the frontes thereof._
THIS lande of Cathay is in Asia the depe,[1] and this same lande
marcheth toward the west upon the kingdome of Sercy,[2] the which
was sometyme to one of the three kings that went to seke our Lord in
Bethlem and all those that come of his kin are christen men. These men
of Tartary drinke no wine. In y^e land of Corosaym,[3] y^t is at the
north side of Cathay is right great plenty of goods, but no wine, the
which hath at the east side a great wildernesse, that lasteth more
than an hundred journeys, and the best citie of that land is called
Corasaym, & after the name of that citie is the lande called after,
and men of this lande are good warriors and hardy, and thereby is the
Kingedome of Comayne, this is the most & the greatest kingedome of the
world, but it is not all inhabited, for in one place of the lande is
so great cold, that no man may dwel ther for colde, and in an other
place is so great heat, that no man may dwell there, & there are so
many faithes[4] that a man wot not on what side hee may turne him, &
in this lande are fewe trees bering fruite. In thys lande men ly in
tentes, and they burne donge[5] of beastes for defaut of wood. This
lande descendeth toward Pruse & Rossy & through this land runneth the
river Echell,[6] that is one of the greatest rivers in y^e world &
it is frosen so hard euery yeare that men fight thereupon in great
battayles on horse and footemen more than a C.M[7] at once. And
a lyttle from y^e river is the great sea of Occyan, that they cal
Maure[8] and betwene this Maure & Caspy[9] is a full straight passage
to go towarde Inde and therefore King Alexander did make there a citie
y^t men call Alexander, for to kepe that passage, so that no man
may passe but if he haue leave, & now is that citie called Port de
fear,[10] and the principall citie of Comayne is called Sarachis,[11]
this is one of the thre ways to go to Inde, but through this way
may not many men go but if it be in winter, & this passage is called
Berbent.[12] And another way is to go from y^e land of Turkescon[13]
through Percy, & in this way are many journeys in wildernesse. And y^e
third way is that cometh from Cosmane & goeth through y^e great citie
& through y^e Kingedome of Abachare.[14] And ye shall understand y^t
all these kingedomes & lords unto Percy are holden of y^e great Caan &
many other & therefore he is a great lorde of men & of lande.
[Footnote 1: Lower Asia.]
[Footnote 2: Others write it Tharse.]
[Footnote 3: ? Khorassan.]
[Footnote 4: A misprint for flies.]
[Footnote 5: The usual fuel in an unwooded Asiatic country.]
[Footnote 6: Volga.]
[Footnote 7: Others say 200,000.]
[Footnote 8: The Black Sea.]
[Footnote 9: The Caspian Sea.]
[Footnote 10: Port de Fer, or Iron Gate. Other editions have
it "Gate of Hell."]
[Footnote 11: Sarai, or Sara, on the Volga. Chaucer, in
"Cambuscan," speaks of it thus:--
"At _Sarra_ in the Londe of Tartarie
There dwelt a King that werriëd Russie."
]
[Footnote 12: The Pass of Derbend, still called in Turkish
_Demir Kapi_, or the Iron Gate.]
[Footnote 13: Turkestan.]
[Footnote 14: Variously written Abcaz or Abkhas.]