on the firm continent, which may be called the greater India. In it there
are four kings, the principal one of whom is Sinder Candi, in whose kingdom
they fish for pearls, between Ceylon and Moabar, in a bay where the sea
does not exceed ten or twelve fathoms deep. Here the divers descend to the
bottom, and in bags or nets which are tied about their bodies, bring up the
oysters which contain the pearls. On account of certain great fish which
kill the divers, they hire bramins to charm them from doing harm, and these
have the twentieth part of the pearls, the king getting the tenth part[2];
These oysters are only found from the beginning of April to the end of May
in this place; but from the beginning of September to the middle of
October, they are got in another place, about three hundred miles distant.
The king of this country goes naked, like the rest of his subjects, except
that he wears some honourable marks of distinction, as a collar of precious
stones about his neck, and a thread of silk hanging down to his breast, on
which are strung 104 large fine pearls, by which he counts his prayers as
with a rosary. These prayers are merely the word _Pacaupa_, repeated 104
times over. He wears a sort of bracelets on three places of his arms and on
his legs, and rings on all his fingers and toes. This king has a thousand
concubines, and if any woman pleases his fancy, he takes her away from
whoever she may happen to belong to. He once did this unjust deed to his
own brother, in consequence of which a civil war had nearly ensued; but as
their mother threatened to cut off her own breasts if they continued their
enmity, they were reconciled. He has a numerous guard of horsemen, who are
under a vow, when he dies, to throw themselves into the fire in which his
body is consumed, that they may serve him in the next world.
This prince, and the other kings of Moabar, buy their horses from Ormus and
other parts, as their country produces none, or if any happen to be bred
there, they are ugly and useless[3]. Condemned persons often offer
themselves to die in honour of a particular idol; on which the devotee puts
himself to death with twelve knives, giving himself twelve deep wounds in
various parts of his body, calling out aloud on the infliction of each,
that he does this in honour of such or such an idol; and the last of all is
through his own heart, after which his body is burned by his kindred. The
women of this country voluntarily burn themselves along with the bodies of
their deceased husbands, and those who neglect to do this are held in
disrepute. They worship idols, and most of them hold cows in such high
veneration, that they would not eat their holy flesh for any consideration
on earth. A certain tribe is called Gaui, who feed upon such oxen as die of
themselves, but never kill any. These Gaui are descended from the people
who slew St Thomas, and dare not enter the shrine in which his body is
preserved. The people of this country sit on carpets on the ground, using
no chairs or stools. Their only grain is rice. They are not a martial
people, and kill no animals; but when they are inclined for animal food,
they get the Saracens or some other people to kill for them. Both men and
women wash themselves twice a-day, and always before eating; and those who
neglect this ceremony are reputed heretics. They never touch their meat
with their left hands, which they only employ for wiping themselves, or
other unclean purposes. Each drinks from his own pot, neither do they allow
it to touch their mouths, but hold it above, and pour in the drink; and to
strangers who have no pot, they pour liquor into their hands, from which
they must drink, as they will not allow their pots to be touched by any
other person.
Justice is severely administered for crimes; and in some cases, a creditor
has a singular manner of compelling payment, by drawing a circle round his
debtor, out of which he must not stir till he has satisfied his creditor,
or given security for the debt, under the pain of death. I, Marco, once saw
the king on horseback thus encircled, by a merchant whom he had long put
off with delays; and the king would not come out of the circle, which the
merchant had drawn; till he had sent for the means of paying the merchant,
all the people who were present highly applauding the kings justice. They
are very scrupulous of drinking wine, and those who are addicted to that
practice, are held disreputable and unworthy of being admitted as
witnesses; which is the case likewise with those who go to sea, as they
reckon them desperate persons. They look on letchery as no sin. In the
months of June, July, and August, they have no rains, and it is excessively
hot, insomuch, that they could not live if it were not for the refreshing
winds which blow from the sea. They have many physiognomists and
soothsayers, who observe omens from birds and beasts, and other signs.
These people consider one hour in every day of the week as unlucky, which
they name Choiach, and which is different on all the days, all of which are
carefully recorded in their books, and they are curious observers of
nativities. At thirteen years of age, their boys are put out to gain their
living, who go about buying and selling, by means of a small stock given
them to begin with. In the pearl season, these boys will buy a few pearls,
and sell them again for a small profit to the merchants, who are unable to
endure the sun. What gain they get they bring to their mothers, to lay out
for them, as it is not lawful for them to live at their fathers cost. Their
daughters are dedicated to the service of the idols, and appointed by the
priests to sing and dance in presence of the idols; and they frequently set
victuals before the idols for some time, as if they would eat, singing all
the while, when they fall to eat themselves, and then return home. The
great men have a kind of litters, made of large canes artificially wrought,
which are fixed in some high situation, to avoid being bitten by
tarantulas[4], and other vermin, and for the benefit of fresh air.
The sepulchre of St Thomas is in a small city, not much frequented by
merchants, but very much by Christians and Saracens, on account of
devotion. The Saracens hold him as a great prophet or holy man, and call
him Ananias. The Christians take of a red earth which is found in the place
where he was slain, which they mix with water, and administer to the sick
with great reverence. It happened in the year 1288, that a great prince,
who had more rice than he had room to keep it in, chose to make bold with
that room in St Thomas's church in which pilgrims are received, and
converted it into a granary: But he was so terrified by a vision of St
Thomas in the night following, that he was glad to remove it with great
speed. The inhabitants are black, although not born so, but by constantly
anointing themselves with the oil of jasmine they become quite black, which
they esteem a great beauty, insomuch, that they paint their idols black,
and represent the devil as white. The cow worshippers carry with them to
battle some of the hairs of an ox, as a preservative against dangers.
[1] This Pinkerton calls Moabar on the margin, and Nachabar in the text, of
his dissertation on the Trevigi edition of Marco Polo, very justly
observing that it refers to Coromandel, or the Carnatic below the
gauts. Harris erroneously substitutes Malabar. Moabar and Madura may
have a similar origin, as may Nachabar and Nega-patnam.--E.
[2] The fish here alluded to are sharks; and the same custom of employing
bramins to defend the fishermen, by conjuration, against this
formidable enemy, is continued to the present day.--E.
[3] Mr Pinkerton, from the Trevigi edition, has this passage as follows:
"The king of Vor, one of the princes of Nacbabar, purchases about
10,000 horses yearly from the country of Cormos, formerly mentioned,
each horse costing five _sazi_ of gold."--E.
[4] Tarantulas is assuredly, a mistake here for centipedes and scorpions,
which are common all over India.--E.
SECTION XX.
_Of the Kingdom of Murfili, and the Diamond Mines, and some other Countries
of India_.
Murfili or Monsul[1], is five hundred miles northwards from Moabar, and is
inhabited by idolaters. In the mountains of this country there are
diamonds, which the people search for after the great rains. They
afterwards ascend these mountains in the summer, though with great labour,
on account of the excessive heat, and find abundance of these precious
stones among the gravel; and are on these occasions much exposed to danger
from the vast numbers of serpents which shelter themselves in the holes and
caverns of the rocks, in which the diamonds are found in greatest
abundance. Among other methods of obtaining the diamonds, they make, use of
the following artifice: There are great numbers of white eagles, which rest
in the upper parts of these rocks for the sake of feeding on the serpents,
which are found at the bottom of the deep vallies and precipices where the
men dare not go. They therefore throw pieces of raw meat down into these
deep places, which the eagles seeing, stoop for, and seize with all the
little stones and gravel which adhere to them. The people afterwards search
the eagles nests when they leave them, and carefully pick out all the
little stones they can find, and even carefully examine the eagles dung in
quest of diamonds[2]. The kings and great men of the country keep all the
largest and finest diamonds that are procured from these mines, and allow
the merchants to sell the rest.
Lac is westwards from the shrine of St Thomas, from whence the Bramins have
their original, who are the honestest merchants in the world, and will not
lie on any account. They faithfully keep any thing committed to their
charge, or as brokers, they will sell or barter merchandize for others,
with great fidelity. They are known by a cotton thread, which they wear
over their shoulders, and tied under their arms across their breast. They
have but one wife, are great astrologers, of great abstinence, and live to
great ages. They constantly chew a certain herb, which keeps their teeth
good and helps digestion. There are certain religious persons among them
called _Tangui_, who live with great austerity, going altogether naked;
their principal worship is addressed to cows, of which they wear a small
brass image on their foreheads, and they make an ointment of ox bones, with
which they anoint themselves very devoutly. They neither kill nor eat any
living creature, and even abstain from green herbs, or fresh roots till
dried, esteeming every thing that lives to have a soul. They use no dishes,
but lay their victuals on dry leaves. They ease themselves in the sands,
and they disperse it, lest it should breed worms, which might die for want
of food. Some of these people are said to live to 150 years of age, and
when they die their bodies are burned.
Cael is a great city governed by Aster, one of the four brethren[3], who is
very rich and kind to merchants. He is said to have three hundred
concubines. All the people this country are continually chewing a leaf
called Tembul[4], with lime and spices. Coulam[5] is 500 miles south-west
from Moabar, being chiefly inhabited by idolaters, who are very much
addicted to venery, and marry their near kindred, and even their own
sisters. It also contains Jews and Christians, who have a peculiar
language. They have pepper, Brazil, indigo, black lions, parrots of many
kinds, some white as snow, some azure, and others red, peacocks very
different from ours, and much larger, and their fruits are very large. In
this country there are many astrologers and physicians. In Camari, there
are apes so large, that they seem like men, and here we again came in sight
of the north star. Delai has a king, and its inhabitants have a peculiar
language[6] and are idolaters. Ships from Mangi come here for trade.
Malabar is a kingdom in the west, in which, and in Guzerat[7], there are
many pirates, who sometimes put to sea with an hundred sail of vessels, and
rob merchants. In these expeditions they take their wives and children to
sea along with them, where they remain all summer. In Guzerat there is
great abundance of cotton, which grows on trees six fathoms high, that last
for twenty years; but after twelve years old, the cotton of these trees is
not good for spinning; and is only fit for making quilts.
Canhau is a great city, having plenty of frankincense, and carrying on a
great trade in horses. In Cambaia is much indigo, buckram, and cotton.
Semenath or Sebeleth, is a kingdom of idolaters, who are very good people,
and greatly occupied in trade. Resmacoran is a great kingdom of idolaters
and Saracens, and is the last province towards the north in the Greater
India. Near this there are said to be two islands, one inhabited by men and
the other by women; the men visiting their wives only during the months of
March, April, and May, and then returning to their own island; and it is
reported, that the air of that country, admits of no other procedure. The
women keep their sons till twelve years old, and then send them to their
fathers. These people are Christians, having a bishop, who is subject to
the archbishop of Socotora; they are good fishermen, and have great store
of amber. The archbishop of Socotora[8] is not subject to the Pope, but to
a prelate called Zatulia, who resides at Bagdat. The people of Socotora are
said to be great enchanters, though excommunicated for the practice by
their prelate, and are reported to raise contrary winds to bring back the
ships of those who have wronged them, that they may obtain satisfaction.
[1] Muis in the Trevigi edition, according to Pinkerton, and which, he
says, is 10OO miles, instead of the 500 in the text. This certainly
refers to Golconda. The districts of India have been continually
changing their names with changes of dominion; and one or other of
these names given by Marco to the diamond country, may at one time
have been the designation of some town or district at the mines--E.
[2] One would suppose we were here reading a fragment of the adventures of
Sinbad the sailor, from the Arabian Nights. But on this and a few
other similar occasions in the narrative of Marco, it is always proper
to notice carefully what he says on his own knowledge, and what he
only gives on the report of others.--E.
[3] This obscure expression seems to imply, that Aster was one of the four
kings in Moabar, or the Carnatic.--E.
[4] Now called Betel, and still universally used in India in the same
manner.--E
[5] Coulam may possibly be Cochin or Calicut, on the Malabar coast as being
south-west from Moabar or Coromandel, and having Jews and Christians;
as the original trade from the Red Sea to India was on this coast.--E.
[6] Camari or Comati, and Delai or Orbai, are obviously the names of towns
and districts on the Malabar coast going north from Coulain. Yet
Comari may refer to the country about Cape Comorin.--E.
[7] According to Pinkerton, these are called Melibar and Gesurach in the
Trevigi edition, and he is disposed to consider the last as indicating
Geriach, because of the pirates. But there seems no necessity for that
nicety, as all the north-western coast of India has always been
addicted to maritime plunder or piracy.--E.
[8] Socotora is called Scorsia or Scoria in the Trevigi edition.--E.
SECTION XXI.
_Of Madagascar, Ethiopia, Abyssinia, and several other Countries[1]_.
A thousand miles south from Socotora is Magaster[2] or Madagascar, one of
the largest and richest islands in the world[3], 3000 miles in
circumference, which is inhabited by Saracens, and governed by four old
men. The currents of the sea in those parts are of prodigious force. The
people live by merchandize, and sell vast quantifies of elephants teeth
[4]. Mariners report strange stories of a prodigiously large bird like an
eagle, called _Ruch_, said to be found in this country.
Zensibar or Zanguebar, is also said to be of great extent, and inhabited by
a very deformed people; and the country abounds in elephants and antelopes,
and a species of sheep very unlike to ours.
I have heard from mariners and skilful pilots, much versant in the Indian
seas, and have seen in their writings, that these seas contain 12,700
islands, inhabited or desert.
In the Greater India, which is between Moabar or the Coromandel coast on
the east, round to Chesmacoran on the north-west, there are thirteen
kingdoms. India Minor is from Ziambo to Murfili[5], in which are eight
kingdoms and many islands.
The second or Middle India is called Abascia[6], of which the chief king is
a Christian, who has six other kings subject to his authority, three of
whom are Christians and three of them Mahometans; there are also Jews in
his dominions. St Thomas, after preaching in Nubia, came to Abascia, where
he preached for some time, and then went to Moabar or Coromandel. The
Abyssinians are valiant soldiers, always at war with the sultan of Aden and
the people of Nubia. I was told, that in 1288, the great emperor of the
Abyssinians was extremely desirous to have visited Jerusalem; but being
dissuaded from the attempt, on account of the Saracen kingdoms which were
in the way, he sent a pious bishop to perform his devotions for him at the
holy sepulchre. On his return, the bishop was made prisoner by the sultan
of Aden, and circumcised by force. On this affront, the Abyssinian monarch
raised an army, with which he defeated the sultan and two other Saracen
kings, and took and destroyed the city of Aden. Abyssinia is, rich in gold.
Escier, subject to Aden, is forty miles distant to the south-east, and
produces abundance of fine white frankincense, which is procured by making
incisions in the bark of certain small trees, and is a valuable
merchandize. Some of the people on that coast, from want of corn, use fish,
which they have in great abundance, instead of bread, and also feed their
beasts on fish. They are most abundantly taken in the months of March,
April, and May.
I now return to some provinces more to the north, where many Tartars dwell,
who have a king called Caidu, of the race of Zingis, but who is entirely
independent. These Tartars, observant of the customs of their ancestors,
dwell not in cities, castles, or fortresses, but continually roam about,
along with their king, in the plains and forests, and are esteemed true
Tartars. They have no corn of any kind, but have multitudes of horses,
cattle, sheep, and other beasts, and live on flesh and milk, in great
peace. In their country there are white bears of large size, twenty palms
in length; very large wild asses, little beasts called _rondes_, from which
we have the valuable fur called sables, and various other animals producing
fine furs, which the Tartars are very skilful in taking. This country
abounds in great lakes, which are frozen over, except for a few months in
every year, and in summer it is hardly possible to travel, on account of
marshes and waters; for which reason, the merchants who go to buy furs, and
who have to travel for fourteen days through the desert, have wooden houses
at the end of each days journey, where they barter with the inhabitants,
and in winter they travel in sledges without wheels, quite flat at the
bottom, and rising semicircularly at the top, and these are drawn by great
dogs, yoked in couples, the sledgeman only with his merchant and furs,
sitting within[7].
Beyond these Tartars is a country reaching to the extremest north, called
the _Obscure land_, because the sun never appears during the greatest part
of the winter months, and the air is perpetually thick and darkish, as is
the case with us sometimes in hazy mornings. The inhabitants are pale and
squat, and live like beasts, without law, religion, or king. The Tartars
often rob them of their cattle during the dark months; and lest they might
lose their way in these expeditions they ride on mares which have sucking
foals, leaving these at the entrance of the country, under a guard; and
when they have got possession of any booty, they give the reins to the
mares, which make the best of their way to rejoin their foals. In their,
long-continued summer[8], these northern people take many of the finest
furs, some of which are carried into Russia, which is a great country near
that northern land of darkness. The people in Russia have fair complexions,
and are Greek Christians, paying tribute to the king of the Tartars in the
west, on whom they border. In the eastern parts of Russia there is
abundance of fine furs, wax, and mines of silver; and I am told the country
reaches to the northern ocean, in which there are islands which abound in
falcons and ger-falcons.
[1] This concluding section may be considered as a kind of appendix, in
which Marco has placed several unconnected hearsay notices of
countries where he never had been personally.--E.
[2] Mandeigascar in the Trevigi edition, and certainly meant for
Madagascar.--E.
[3] Madagascar has no pretensions to riches or trade, and never had; so
that Marco must have been imposed upon by some Saracen or Arab
mariner. Its size, climate, and soil certainly fit it for becoming a
place of vast riches and population; but it is one almost continued
forest, inhabited by numerous independent and hostile tribes of
barbarians. Of this island, a minute account will appear in an after
part of this work.--E.
[4] There are no elephants in Madagascar, yet these teeth might have been
procured from southern Africa.--E.
[5] By India Minor he obviously means what is usually called farther India,
or India beyond the Ganges, from the frontiers of China to Moabar, or
the north part of the Coromandel coast, including the islands.--E.
[6] Abyssinia, here taken in the most extended sense, including all the
western coast of the Red Sea, and Eastern Africa.--E.
[7] This paragraph obviously alludes to the Tartar kingdom of Siberia.--E.
[8] The summer in this northern country of the Samojeds is extremely short;
but the expression here used, must allude to the long-continued summer
day, when, for several months, the sun never sets.--E.
CHAP. XII.
_Travels of Oderic of Portenau, into China and the East, in_ 1318[1].
INTRODUCTION.
Oderic of Portenau, a minorite friar, travelled into the eastern countries
in the year 1318, accompanied by several other monks, and penetrated as far
as China. After his return, he dictated, in 1330, the account of what he
had seen during his journey to friar William de Solona, or Solangna, at
Padua, but without order or arrangement, just as it occurred to his memory.
This traveller has been named by different editors, Oderic, Oderisius, and
Oldericus de Foro Julii, de Udina, Utinensis, or de Porto Vahonis, or
rather Nahonis. Porto-Nahonis, or Portenau, is the _Mutatio ad nonum_, a
station or stage which is mentioned in the Itinerarium Hierosolymitanum, or
description of the various routes to Jerusalem, a work compiled for the use
of pilgrims; and its name is apparently derived from the Kymerian language,
apparently a Celtic dialect, in which _port_ signifies a stage, station, or
resting-place, and _nav_ or _naou_ signifies nine; _Port-nav_, Latinized
into Portus naonis, and Frenchified into Portenau, implies, therefore, the
ninth station, and is at present named Pordanone in the Friul. The account
of his travels, together with his life, are to be found: in _Bolandi Actis
Sanctorum, 14to Januarii_; in which he is honoured with the title of Saint.
Oderic died at Udina in 1331. In 1737, Basilio Asquini, an Italian
Barnabite of Udina, published _La Vita e Viaggi del Beato Qderico da
Udihe_, probably an Italian translation from the Latin of Bolandi. The
account of these travels in the collection of Hakluyt, is called "The
Journal of Friar Odericus, concerning the strange things which he sawe
among the Tartars of the East;" and was probably transcribed and translated
from Bolandi, in which these travels are entitled _De mirabilibus Mundi_,
or the Wonders of the World. They have very much the air of an ignorant
compilation, fabricated in the name of Oderic, perhaps upon some slight
foundation, and stuffed with ill-assorted stories and descriptions from
Marco Polo, and other, writers, interspersed with a few ridiculous
miracles, for the honour or disgrace of the minorite order. Mr Pinkerton
asserts, that Oderic was not canonized until 1753. But the Acts of the
Saints is a publication of considerable antiquity, and he is called
_Beatus_ in the work of Asquini, already mentioned as having been published
in 1787.
[1] Hakluyt, II. 142, for the Latin; II. 158, for the old English
translation.--Forst. Voy. and Disc. 147.
SECTION I.
_The Commencement of the Travels of Oderic_.
Many things are related by various authors, concerning the customs,
fashions, and conditions of this world: Yet, as I, friar Oderic of Portenau
in the Friul, have travelled among the remote nations of the unbelievers,
where I saw and heard many great and wonderful things, I have thought fit
to relate all these things truly. Having crossed over the great sea[1] from
Pera, close by Constantinople, I came to Trebizond, in the country called
Pontus by the ancients. This land is commodiously situated as a medium of
intercourse for the Persians and Medes, and other nations beyond the Great
Sea, with Constantinople, and the countries of the west. In this island I
beheld a strange spectacle with great delight; a man, who led about with
him more than 4000 partridges. This person walked on the ground, while his
partridges flew about him in the air, and they followed him wherever he
went; and they were so tame, that when he lay down to rest, they all came
flocking about him, like so many chickens. From a certain castle called
Zauena, three days journey from Trebizond, he led his partridges in this
manner to the palace of the emperor in that city. And when the servants of
the emperor had taken such a number of the partridges as they thought
proper, he led back the rest in the same manner, to the place from whence
he came.
From this city of Trebizond, where the body of St Athanasius is preserved
over one of the gates, I journeyed into the Greater Armenia, to a city
named Azaron, which was rich and flourishing in former times, but the
Tartars have nearly laid it entirely waste; yet it still has abundance of
bread and flesh, and victuals of all sorts, excepting wine and fruits. This
city is remarkably cold, and is said to be situated on a higher elevation
that any other city of the world. It has abundance of excellent water,
which seems to originate from the great river Euphrates[2], which is only
at the distance of a days journey. Azaron stands in the direct road between
Trebizond and Tauris. In journeying farther on, I came to a mountain named
Sobissacalo; and we passed by the very mountain of Ararat, on which the ark
of Noah is said to have rested. I was very desirous to have gone to the top
of that mountain, but the company with which I travelled would not wait for
me; and the people of the country allege that no one was ever able to
ascend to its top, because, say they, it is contrary to the will of God.
Continuing our journey, we came to Tauris[3], a great and royal city
anciently called Susa, which is reckoned the chief city in the world for
trade and merchandize; for every article whatever, both of merchandize and
provision, is to be had there, in the greatest abundance, Tauris is most
conveniently situated, and to it may all the nations of the earth, almost,
resort for trade. The Christians in those parts report, that the emperor of
Persia derives more tribute from this city alone than the king of France
receives from the whole of his dominions. Near this city there is a hill of
salt, from whence every one may take as much as he pleases, without paying
any thing whatever to any person. Many Christians from all parts of the
world are to be found in this place, over whom the Saracens have the
supreme authority.
From Tauris I travelled to the city called Soldania[4], where the Persian
emperor resides during the summer; but in winter he changes his residence
to another city upon the sea of Baku[5]. Soldania is a large city, but very
cold, from its situation in the mountains, and has considerable trade, and
abundance of good water. From thence I set out with a caravan of merchants,
for the Upper India, and in our way, after many days journey, we came to
Cassan or Casbin[6], the noble and renowned city of the three wise men,
which abounds in bread and wine, and many other good things, but the
Tartars have nearly destroyed it. From this city to Jerusalem, to which the
three wise men we're led by miracle, the distance is fifty days journey.
For the sake of brevity I omit many wonderful things which I saw in this
city. Going from thence, we came to the city of Geste[7], whence the sea of
sand, a most wonderful and dangerous track, is distant only one days
journey. In the city of Yezd there is abundance of all kinds of victuals,
especially of figs, grapes, and raisins, which are there more plentiful, in
my opinion, than in any other part of the world. It is one of the principal
cities in all Persia, and its Saracen inhabitants allege that no Christian
can live there above a year. Continuing our journey forwards for many days,
I came to a city named Comum[8], which was a great city in old times, near
fifty miles in circumference, and often did much damage to the Romans. In
this place there are stately palaces, now destitute of inhabitants, yet it
hath abundance of provisions. Travelling from thence through many
countries, I came at length into the land of Job, named Us[9], which
borders on the north of Chaldea. This land is full of all kinds of
provisions, and manna is here found in great abundance. Four partridges are
sold here for less than an Italian groat; and the mountains have excellent
pastures for cattle. In this country the men card and spin, and not the
women; and the old men are very comely.
[1] Perhaps the sea of Marmora; or it may indicate the Euxine or Black
Sea.--E.
[2] The holy traveller ought rather to have said, that the springs or
rivulet near Azaron flowed into the Euphrates. Azaron is obviously
Erzerum, on or near one of the higher branches of the Frat or
Euphrates.--E.
[3] Tebriz in Persia.--E.
[4] Sultania or Sultanie.--E.
[5] The Caspian; so called in this place, from Baku or Baccou, a city on
its banks, in the province of Shirvan.--E.
[6] Oderic must have made a mistake here, as Casbin is not above seventy or
eighty miles from Sultanie, and the journey of the caravans between
these cities, could not have exceeded four or five days.--E.
[7] Yezd, about 500 miles east from Ispahan.--E.
[8] This is obviously the city of Kom or Koom, above 400 miles to the
north-west of Yezd, and much nearer Sultanie. Our traveller,
therefore, must either have strangely forgotten his route or he came
back again from Yezd, instead of journeying forwards.--E.
[9] Khus or Khosistan, the south-western province of Persia.--E.
SECTION II
_Of the Manners of the Chaldeans, and concerning India_.
From thence I travelled into Chaldea, which is a great kingdom, having a
language peculiar to itself, and I passed beside the Tower of Babel. The
men of this country have their hair nicely braided and trimmed, like the
women of Italy, wearing turbans richly ornamented with gold and pearls, and
are a fine looking people: but the women are ugly and deformed, and are
clad in coarse shifts, only reaching to their knees, with long sleeves
hanging down to the ground, and breeches or trowsers which likewise reach
the ground, but their feet are bare. They wear no head-dresses, and their
hair hangs neglected and dishevelled about their ears. There are many other
strange things to be seen in this country.
From thence I travelled into the lower India, which was overrun and laid
waste by the Tartars[1]. In this country the people subsist chiefly on
dates, forty-two pound weight of which may be purchased for less than a
Venetian groat. Travelling on for many days, I arrived at Ormus on the main
ocean, which is a well fortified city, having great store of merchandize
and treasure. The heat of this country is excessive, and constrains the
people to make use of extraordinary expedients to preserve their lives[2].
In this place, their ships or barks are called _jase_, the planks of which
are sewed together with hemp. Embarking in one of these vessels, in which I
could find no iron whatever, I arrived in twenty-eight days sail at
Thana[3], in which place four of our friars suffered martyrdom for the
Christian faith. This country is well situated for trade, and has abundance
of bread and wine, and of all other articles necessary for the food of man.
The kingdom in ancient times was very large and populous, and was under the
dominion of King Porus, who fought a great battle with Alexander the
Macedonian conqueror. The inhabitants are idolaters, worshipping the fire,
and likewise paying divine honours to serpents, and even to trees. The
Saracens have conquered the whole of this land, and are themselves under
subjection to king Daldili[4]. In this country there are great numbers of
black lions; apes and monkies are also very numerous, and their bats are as
large as our pigeons. They have rats also, as large as the dogs in Italy,
which are hunted by means of dogs, as cats are unable to cope with them. In
this country every one has a bundle of great boughs of trees, as large as a
pillar, standing in a pot of water before the door; and there are many
other strange and wonderful novelties, a relation of which would be
exceedingly delightful.
[1] By lower India, our author seems here to indicate the southern
provinces of Persia.--E.
[2] Tantus est calor, quod virilia hominum exeunt corpus, et descendant
usque at mediam tibiarum: ideo faciunt unctionum, et ungunt illa, et
in, quibusdam sacculis ponunt circa se cingentes, et aliter
morerentur.
[3] This place seems to have been Tatta, in the Delta of the Indus.--E.
[4] This unknown king, rex Daldili, is probably an error in translating
from the Venetian or Friul dialect of Oderic into Monkish Latin, and
may have been originally _Il Re dal Deli_, or the King of Delhi.--E.
SECTION III.
_Of the Martyrdom of the Friars_[l].
Four of our friars, Tolentinus de Marchia, James of Padua, Demetrius, a lay
brother, and Peter de Senis, suffered martyrdom in the city of Thana. These
friars had engaged for their passage at Ormus to Polumbrum, but were
forcibly carried to Thana, where there are fifteen houses of Christians,
schismatics of the Nestorian communion, and on their arrival they were
hospitably entertained in one of these houses. A strife happened to take
place between the man of that house and his wife, in which the man beat his
wife severely. She complained to the kadi, who interrogated her how she
could prove her assertion. On which she answered that there were four
priests of the Franks who were present, and could attest the bad usage she
had received. On this a person of Alexandria, who was present, requested of
the kadi that these men might be sent for, since they were learned men,
versant in the scriptures, and it would be right to dispute with them
concerning the faith. Our friars were accordingly sent for, and, leaving
Peter to take charge of their goods, the other three went to the kadi; who
began to dispute with them concerning our faith, saying, "That Christ was a
mere man, and not God." But friar Thomas[2] shewed evidently, both from
reason and by examples drawn from Scripture, that Christ was really God and
man, and so confounded the kadi and the other infidels, that they were
unable to produce any rational arguments in contradiction to him. On this
some one exclaimed, "And what do you say concerning Mahomet?" To this friar
Thomas replied; "Since I have proved to you that Christ is really God and
man, who hath given the law to mankind, and since Mahomet set himself
contrary thereto, and taught an opposite law, if ye are wise, you may well
know what ought to be concluded respecting him." But the kadi and the other
Saracens insisted that he should declare his own opinion concerning
Mahomet. "You may all see," said he, "what must be my opinion; and as you
insist that I should speak out plainly, I must declare that your Mahomet is
the son of perdition, and is in hell with his father the devil. And not him
only, but all who have held his law, which is entirely abominable and
false, contrary to GOD, and adverse to the salvation of souls." On hearing
this, the Saracens cried out, "Let him die! let him die! who hath thus
blasphemed against the prophet."
Then they seized upon the friars, and exposed them to the burning sun, that
they might suffer a severe death by the adust heat of the suns rays: For
such is the excessive heat of the sun in that place, that any person who
remains exposed to its direct influence, during the time necessary to say
the mass, is sure to die. But the friars remained hale and joyful, from the
third to the ninth hour of the day, praising and glorifying the Lord. The
Saracens, astonished at this, came to the friars, saying, "We intend to
make a large fire, and to throw you therein; and if your faith is true, as
you say, the fire will not be able to burn you; but if you are burnt, it
will plainly appear that your faith is false." To this the friars answered,
that they were ready to endure chains and imprisonment, and even the fire,
and all other torments for the faith; but should the fire consume them it
was not to be inferred that it did so on account of their faith, but as a
punishment for their sins: declaring that their faith was most true and
perfect, and the only one by which the souls of men could possibly be
saved. While they thus determined upon burning the friars, the report of
this affair spread over the whole city, and all the people of both sexes,
young and old, flocked to behold the spectacle. The friars were accordingly
led to the most public square of the city, where a great fire was lighted
up, into which friar Thomas endeavoured to throw himself; but a Saracen
held him back, saying: "You shall not do so, old man, as you may have some
spell or contrivance about you, for preventing the fire from hurting you,
and you must allow another of your people to go into the fire." Then four
of the Saracens seized upon friar James, intending to have thrown him into
the fire, but he requested permission to walk in of his own accord, to shew
his devotion to the faith. This, however, they refused, and threw him in
headlong. The fire was so large and fierce that he could not be seen; yet
his voice was heard from the midst of the flames, calling upon the name of
the Glorious Virgin. When the fire was totally consumed, friar James was
seen standing on the embers, unhurt and joyful, with his hands raised to
heaven in form of the cross, and himself praising and glorifying GOD, who
had thus manifested the greatness of his faith; and nothing whatever about
his person, not even his clothes or his hair, was found in the slightest
degree injured by the fire. Upon this, all the people began to cry aloud,
"They are holy! they are holy! it is sinful to do them any injury, for we
see now that their faith is good and holy." To this the kadi objected,
saying that he was not holy, notwithstanding he remained unhurt amid the
fire; but that his tunic, being fabricated from the wool of the land of
Habraa, had protected him: That he ought therefore to be thrown naked into
the fire, and they should then see whether or not he would be consumed.
After this, the wicked Saracens, by direction of the kadi, made a fire
twice as large as the former; and, having stripped James quite naked, they
washed his body, and anointed him abundantly with oil, besides pouring a
great quantity of oil upon the faggots which composed the fire; and when
the fire was fully kindled, they threw friar James into the midst. Friars
Thomas and Demetrius, retiring from among the people, remained on their
knees praying to GOD, with many tears. Friar James, however, came a second
time unhurt from the fire, and the people again cried out that it was
sinful to injure these holy men. Upon this the Melich, or governor of the
city, called friar James to his presence, and causing him to put on his
garments, said to the friars, "We see, brothers, that by the Grace of God
ye have suffered no harm from us: wherefore we are convinced that ye are
holy men, and that your faith is good and true; we advise you to take
yourselves away out of this land as quickly as possible, as the kadi will
do his utmost to destroy you, because you have confounded his arguments".
At this time, likewise, the people were full of astonishment and
admiration of what they had seen, and were so filled with wonder at the
miracle, that they knew not what to believe, or how to conduct themselves.
The melich ordered the three friars to be carried across a small arm of
the sea, into a village at a moderate distance from the city, where he
ordered them to be lodged in the house of an idolater.
Afterwards the kadi went to the melich, and represented to him that the law
of Mahomet would be overthrown if these people were allowed to live. He
observed farther, that, by the precepts of Mahomet in the alcoran, it was
declared, that any one who slew a Christian, acquired as much merit by that
action as by the pilgrimage to Mecca. Then said the melich unto him, "Go
thy way, and do what thou wilt." Whereupon the kadi took four armed men,
whom he directed to go and slay the friars. These men crossed over the
water while it was night, but were then unable to find the friars. In the
meantime, the melich caused all the Christians in the city to be taken up
and thrown into prison. In the middle of the night, the three friars rose
up to say matins, and being then discovered by the four armed Saracens,
they were dragged out of the village to a place beneath a certain tree,
where they thus addressed our friars: "Know ye that we are ordered by the
kadi and the melich to slay you, which we are very unwilling to do, as you
are good and holy men; but we dare not refuse, as we and our wives and
children would be put to death." Then answered the friars, "Do ye even as
you have been commanded, that by a temporal death we may gain eternal life;
since, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified and died
for us, and in honour of our faith in his holy gospel, we are prepared
willingly to suffer every kind of torment, and even death itself." A
Christian man, who had joined company with the friars, reasoned much with
the four armed Saracens, declaring, if he had a sword, he would either
defend these holy men from death, or would die along with them. Then the
armed men caused the friars to take off their garments, and friar Thomas,
on his knees, and with his arms folded in form of the cross, had his head
smitten off. Friar James had his head divided to the eyes by the first
blow, and by a second, his head was severed from his body. They wounded
friar Demetrius at first in the breast, and then cut off his head. In the
moment of the martyrdom of these holy men, the moon shone out with unusual
splendour, and the night became so exceedingly light, that all admired
greatly: After which, it suddenly became excessively dark, with great
thunder and lightning, and violent coruscations, so that all expected to be
destroyed; and the ship, which ought to have carried away the friars, was
sunk, with all on board, so that no tidings of it were ever heard
afterwards.
In the morning, the kadi sent to take possession of the goods belonging to
the friars, and then friar Peter de Senlis, who had been left in charge of
the goods, was found, and carried before the kadi; who, together with the
other Saracens, promised him great things, if he would renounce the
Christian faith, and conform to the law of Mahomet. But friar Peter scorned
all their offers, and derided them: Whereupon they inflicted every species
of torment upon him, from morning until mid-day, which he bore with
patience and constancy in the faith, continually praising God and holding
out the belief in Mahomet to scorn and contempt. The Saracens then hung him
up on a tree; and, seeing that he bore this unhurt from the ninth hour till
evening, they cut him in two. In the morning after, when they came to look
for his body, no part of it was to be found. It was afterwards revealed to
a person worthy of credit, that God had hidden his body for a season, until
he should be pleased to manifest the bodies of his saints, and should shew
the souls of the saints, rejoicing together with GOD and his angels and the
saints, in bliss.
On the night following the martyrdom of these holy friars, they appeared to
the melich in a vision, glorious and resplendent like the noon-day sun,
each holding a sword on high, in a menacing posture, as if about to stab or
cut him in pieces. In horror at the sight, he cried out aloud, to the great
terror of his family, to whom he said, that these rabbis of the Franks,
whom he had ordered to be slain, had come upon him with swords to slay him.
The melich likewise sent for the kadi, to whom he communicated his vision,
seeking advice and consolation, as he feared to be slain by the martyrs.
And the kadi advised him to give large alms to their brethren, if he would
escape from the hands of those whom he had slain. Then the melich sent for
the Christians, whom he had thrown into prison, from whom he begged
forgiveness for what he had done, promising henceforwards to be their
companion and brother; and he ordained, that if any person in future should
injure a Christian, he should suffer death; and sending away the Christians
unhurt, each man to his home, the melich caused four mosques or chapels to
be built in honour of the four martyrs, and appointed Saracen priests to
officiate in them. When the Emperor Dodsi[3] heard of the slaughter of the
four friars, he ordered the melich to be brought bound before him, and
questioned him why he had cruelly ordered these men to be slain. The melich
endeavoured to justify himself, by representing that they had exerted
themselves to subvert the laws of Mahomet, against whom they had spoken
blasphemously. The emperor thus addressed him; "O! most cruel dog! when you
had seen how the Almighty God had twice delivered them from the flames, how
dared you thus cruelly to put them to death?" And the emperor ordered the
melich, and all his family, to be cut in two; sentencing him to the same
death which he had inflicted on the holy friars. On these things coming to
the knowledge of the kadi, he fled out of the land, and even quitted the
dominions of the emperor, and so escaped the punishment he had so justly
merited.
[1] The whole of this and the following section is omitted in the old
English of Hakluyt, and is here translated from the Latin.--E.
[2] Probably he who is named above Tolentinus.--E.
[3] Probably the same called, at the close of the former sections, Daldili,
and there conjecturally explained as the King of Delhi.--E.
SECTION IV.
_Of the Miracles performed by the four Martyrs_.
It is not the custom in that country to commit the bodies of their dead to
the grave, but they are exposed in the fields, that they may be consumed by
the heat of the sun. But after the bodies of these martyrs had remained
fourteen days exposed to the sun, they remained as fresh and uncorrupted as
on the day of their martyrdom. On this being seen by the Christians who
inhabited the land, they buried the bodies with great reverence. When I,
Oderic, heard of the circumstances attending the death of these martyrs, I
went to the place and dug up their bodies; and having collected all their
bodies into beautiful _towallias_, I carried them with me into upper India
to a certain place, assisted by a companion and a servant. While we were on
our way, we rested in the house of a hospitable person, and placing the
bones at my head, I went to sleep. And while I was asleep, the house was
suddenly set on fire by the Saracens, that I might be burnt therein. My
companion and servant made their escape, leaving me and the bones in the
burning house. Seeing the fire above and all around me, I took up the
bones, and withdrew, with them into one of the angles of the house; whence
I saw all the other three corners on fire, while I remained safe along with
the bones. So long as I remained there with the bones, the fire kept itself
above my head, like lucid air; but the moment that I went out with the
bones, the whole of that place where I had stood was enveloped in the
flames, and many other surrounding buildings were likewise burnt to the
ground.
Another miracle happened as I was going by sea with the bones to the city
of Polumbrum, where, pepper grows in great abundance, when the wind totally
failed us. On this occasion, the idolaters began to pray to their gods for
a favourable wind; but which they were unable to attain. Then the Saracens
industriously made their invocations and adorations, to as little purpose.
After this, I and my companion were ordered to pray to our God, and the
commander of the ship said to me in the Armenian language, which the rest
of the people on board did not understand, that unless we could procure a
favourable wind from our God, he would throw both us and the bones into the
sea. Then I and my companion went to our prayers, and we vowed to celebrate
many masses in honour of the Holy Virgin, if she would vouchsafe us a wind.
But as the time passed on, and no wind came, I gave one of the bones to our
servant, whom I ordered to go to the head of the ship, and cast the bone
into the sea; which he had no sooner done, than a favourable gale sprung
up, which, never again failed us till we had arrived at our destined port
in safety, owing entirely to the merit of these holy martyrs. We then
embarked in another ship, on purpose to sail to the higher India; and we
arrived at a certain city named Carchan, in which there are two houses of
the brethren of our order, and we intended to have deposited these holy
relics in that place. There were in that ship above 700 merchants and
others; and the idolaters have a custom, that always before they go into
port, they search the whole ship carefully for, the bones of dead animals,
which they throw into the sea, thinking by that means the more readily to
reach the harbour, and to escape the danger of death. But though they
searched frequently and carefully, and even often touched the bones, of the
martyrs, their, eyes were always deluded, so that they could not perceive
them: And thus we brought them reverently to the dwelling of our brethren,
where they rest in peace, and where God continually works miracles by their
means among the idolaters. When any one labours under heavy sickness, they
go to the place where the bodies of the martyrs are deposited, and taking
some of the earth, it is mixed among water, which is drank by the diseased
persons, who are thus freed from their infirmities.
SECTION V.
_Of the places where Pepper grows, and in what Manner it is procured_.
Pepper grows in the kingdom of Minibar (Malabar), where it is more
plentiful than in any other part of the world, being found abundantly in
that country, in a forest which extends for eighteen days journey in
circuit. In the wood, or forest, there are two cities, named Flandrina and
Cynci lim[1]. Flandrina is inhabited both by Jews and Christians, who are
often engaged in quarrels, and even in war, in which the Christians are
always victorious. In this forest which we have mentioned, the plant which
produces the pepper is planted near the large trees, as we plant vines in
Italy. It grows with numerous leaves, like our pot herbs, and climbs up the
trees, producing the pepper in clusters like our grapes. When these are
ripe, they are of a green colour, and, being gathered, are laid in the sun
to dry, after which they are put into earthen vessels for sale. In this
forest there are many rivers, having great numbers of crocodiles and
serpents; and the natives make large fires of straw and other dry fuel, at
the proper season for gathering the pepper, that they may do so without
danger from these noxious animals. At one end of this forest the city of
Polumbrum is situated, which abounds in all kinds of merchandize.
The inhabitants of that country worship a living ox as their god, which is
made to labour in husbandry for six years, and in his seventh year, he is
consecrated as holy, and is no more allowed to work. With this strange
animal god, they use the following strange ceremony: Every morning they
take two basons of silver or gold, in one of which they collect the urine
of the holy ox, and his dung in the other; and the devotees wash their
faces, eyes, and all their five senses in the urine; and anoint their eyes,
cheeks, and breasts with the dung; after which, they consider themselves
sanctified for the whole of that day; and even the king and queen of the
country use this absurd superstition. They worship an idol also, which
resembles a man from the navel upwards, all below being in the likeness of
an ox; and this idol delivers oracles, as they believe, and sometimes
requires the sacrifice of forty virgins. On this account, the people
consecrate their sons and daughters to the idols, even as we Christians
dedicate our sons and daughters to some particular order of religion, or to
some of the saints in Heaven. They even sacrifice their sons and daughters,
so that many are put to death in honour of this accursed idol; and they
commit many other abominable and beastly actions; and I saw many other
strange things among them which I refrain from relating[2].
This nation has another most abominable custom; that when a man dies, his
body is burned to ashes, and his living wife is burned along with him, that
she may assist her husband in his trade or husbandry in the next world.
Yet, if she have children by her husband, she may remain alive with them,
if so inclined, without shame or reproach; yet most of them prefer to be
burnt with the bodies of their husbands. But husbands are not influenced by
any similar law, as when they lose their wives they may marry again. There
are some other strange customs among the people of this country; insomuch,
that the women drink wine, which the men do not; and the women shave their
eyebrows, and eyelids, and their beards, besides many other filthy customs,
contrary to the true decorum of the sex. From that country I travelled ten
days journey to another kingdom called Moabar[3], in which there are many
cities; and in a certain church of that country, the body of St Thomas the
apostle lies buried; which church is full of idols, and round about it
there are fifteen houses inhabited by Nestorian priests, who are bad
Christians, and false schismatics.
[1] The names of these cities or towns, in the pepper country of
Malabar, which is called Minibar in the text, are so thoroughly
corrupted, that no conjectural criticism can discover them in our
modern maps. Hakluyt on the margin, corrects Flandrina, by an equally
unknown, Alandrina. They may possibly refer to places now fallen into
ruin, in the kingdom or province of Travancore, which has always been
a great mart of pepper.--E.
[2] Friar Oderic appears only to have observed the superstitions
in the southern part of India very superficially, if at all; and as
many opportunities will occur in the course of this collection, for
explaining the strange beliefs, customs, and ceremonies of the
braminical worship, it has not been thought necessary to discuss these
in notes on the present occasion.--E.
[3] Hakluyt has explained Moabar on the margin by Maliassour or
Meliassour. The country here indicated is obviously the Carnatic, or
kingdom of Arcot of modern times, from the circumstance of containing
the shrine of St Thomas. The idols mentioned by Oderic, as filling the
church of St Thomas, were probably Nestorian images; not sanctioned by
the Roman ritual.--E.
SECTION VI.
_Of a Strange Idol, and of certain Customs and Ceremonies_.
In the kingdom of Moabar there is a wonderful idol in the shape of a man,
all of pure and polished gold, as large as our image of St Christopher; and
there hangs about its neck a string of most rich and precious stones, some
of which are singly more valuable than the riches of an entire kingdom. The
whole house, in which this idol is preserved, is all of beaten gold, even
the roof, the pavement, and the lining of the walls, both within and
without[1]. The Indians go on pilgrimages to this idol, just as we do to
the image of St Peter; some having halters round their necks, some with
their hands bound behind their backs, and others with knives sticking in
various parts of their legs and arms; and if the flesh of their wounded
limbs should corrupt, owing to these wounds, they believe that their god is
well pleased with them, and ever after esteem the diseased limbs as sacred.
Near this great idol temple, there is an artificial lake of water in an
open place, into which the pilgrims and devotees cast gold and silver, and
precious stones, in honour of the idol, and as a fund for repairing the
temple; and when any new ornament is to be made, or any repairs are
required, the priests take what is wanted from the oblations that are
thrown into this lake.
At each annual festival of this idol, the king and queen of the country,
with all the pilgrims, and the whole multitude of the people assemble at
the temple; and placing the idol on a rich and splendid chariot, they carry
it from the temple with songs and all kinds of musical instruments, having
a great company of young women, who walk in procession, two and two,
singing before the idol. Many of the pilgrims throw themselves under the
chariot wheels, that they may be crushed to death in honour of their god,
and the bodies of these devotees are afterwards burned, and their ashes
collected as of holy martyrs. In this manner, above 500 persons annually
devote themselves to death. Sometimes a man devotes himself to die in
honour of this abominable idol. On which occasion, accompanied by his
relations and friends, and by a great company of musicians, he makes a
solemn feast; after which, he hangs five sharp knives around his neck, and
goes in solemn procession before the idol; where he takes four of the
knives successively, with each of which he cuts off a piece of his own
flesh, which he throws to the idol, saying, that for the worship of his god
he thus cuts himself. Then taking the last of the knives, he declares aloud
that he is going to put himself to death in honour of the god; on uttering
which, he executes his vile purpose. His body is then burned with great
solemnity, and he is ever after esteemed as a holy person.
The king of this country has vast treasures in gold and silver, and
precious stones, and possesses the largest and fairest pearls that are to
be seen in the whole world. Leaving this country, I travelled fifty days
journey to the southward, along the shore of the ocean, when I came to a
country called Lamouri[2], in which, owing to the extreme heat, the whole
inhabitants go stark naked, both men and women, and they derided me for
wearing clothes, saying, that Adam and Eve were created naked. In this
country the women are all common, so that no one has a wife; and when a
child is born, the mother gives it to any of the men she pleases, who may
have been connected with her. The whole of the land, likewise, is possessed
in common, but everyone has his own house. Human flesh, if fat, is used as
commonly in that country as beef with us; and though the manners and
customs of the people are most abominable, the country is excellent, and
abounds in flesh and corn, gold and silver, aloes-wood, and camphor, and
many other precious commodities. Merchants who trade to this country,
usually bring with them fat men, among their other commodities, which they
sell to the natives as we do hogs, and these are immediately slain and
devoured.
In this region, toward the south, there is an island or kingdom called
Symolora[3], where both the men and women mark themselves with a hot iron
in twelve different parts of their faces[4]; and this nation is continually
at war with a certain naked people in another region. I then went to
another island named Java, the coast of which is 3000 miles in circuit; and
the king of Java has seven other kings under his supreme dominion. This is
thought to be one of the largest islands in the world, and is thoroughly
inhabited; having great plenty of cloves, cubebs, and nutmegs, and all
other kinds of spices, and great abundance of provisions of all kinds,
except wine. The king of Java has a large and sumptuous palace, the most
lofty of any that I have seen, with broad and lofty stairs to ascend to the
upper apartments, all the steps being alternately of gold and silver.
The whole interior walls are lined with plates of beaten gold, on which the
images of warriors are placed sculptured in gold, having each a golden
coronet richly ornamented with precious stones. The roof of this palace is
of pure gold, and all the lower rooms are paved with alternate square
plates of gold and silver. The great khan, or emperor of Cathay, has had
many wars with the king of Java, but has always been vanquished and beaten
back.
[1] More recent and more accurate travellers have informed us, that this
profusion of gold, on the idols and temples of the Buddists,
especially, is only rich gilding.--E.
[2] This seems properly enough corrected on the margin by Hakluyt, by the
word Comori, or the country about Cape Comorin.--E.
[3] Simoltra or Sumatra.--Hakluyt.
[4] Probably alluding to tatooing, which will be explained in the voyages
to the islands of the Pacific ocean.--E.
SECTION VII.
_Of certain Trees which produce Meal, Honey, Wine, and Poison_.
Near to Java is another country called Panten, or Tathalmasin[1], the king
of which has many islands under his dominion. In this country there are
trees which produce meal, honey, and wine, and likewise the most deadly
poison in the world; the only remedy for which is human ordure dissolved in
water, which, drank in considerable quantify, acts as a cathartic, and
expels the poison. These trees are very large; and, when cut down, a
quantity of liquor exudes from the trunk, which is received into bags made
of leaves, and after exposure for fifteen days to the sun, it hardens into
meal. This is first steeped in sea water, and is afterwards washed in fresh
water, when it becomes a savoury paste, which may either be eaten as bread,
or cooked in various ways[2]. I have eaten of this bread, which is fair on
the outside, and somewhat brown within. Beyond this country, the _Mare
Mortuum_, or Dead Sea[3], stretches with a continual current far to the
south, and whatever falls into it is seen no more. In this country there
grow canes of an incredible length, as large as trees, even sixty paces or
more in height. There are other canes, called _cassan_, which spread over
the earth like grass, even to the extent of a mile, sending up branches
from every knot; and in these canes they find certain stones of wonderful
virtue, insomuch, that whoever carries one of these about him, cannot be
wounded by an iron weapon; on which account, most of the men in that
country carry such stones always about them. Many of the people of this
country cause one of the arms of their children to be cut open when young,
putting one of these stones into the wound, which they heal up by means of
the powder of a certain fish, with the name of which I am unacquainted. And
through the virtue of these wonderful stones, the natives are generally
victorious in their wars, both by sea and land. There is a stratagem,
however, which their enemies often successfully use against them, to
counteract the power of these stones. Providing themselves with iron or
steel armour, to defend them from the arrows of these people, they use
wooden stakes, pointed like weapons of iron, and arrows not having iron
heads, but infused with poison which they extract from certain trees, and
they thus slay some of their foes, who, trusting to the virtue of these
stones, wear no defensive armour. From the canes formerly mentioned, named
cassan, they build themselves small houses, and manufacture sails for their
ships, and many other things are made from them. From thence, after many
days travel, I came to another kingdom, called Campa[4], which is a very
rich and beautiful kingdom, abounding in all kinds of provisions. The king
who reigned at the time of my being there, had so many wives and
concubines, that he had three hundred sons and daughters. He had likewise
10,004[5] tame elephants, which were pastured in droves as we feed flocks
and herds.
[1] Hakluyt endeavours to explain this on the margin by Malasmi. It is
possible the river Banjar, and the port of Masseen, otherwise called
Bendermassin, or Banjar-massin, in the great island of Borneo, may be
here indicated. Panten, Petan, or perhaps Bentam, is perhaps a small
woody island mentioned by Marco Polo, near great Java or Borneo. The
names of places, however, in these early travellers, have been so
confounded by ignorant transcribers as often to defy all criticism.
--E.
[2] This seems an ill-collected account of Sago.--E.
[3] The Pacific Ocean, the navigation of which was then so much unknown,
that those who ventured to navigate it never returned.--E
[4] Probably Siampa, called likewise Ciampa, and Tsiompa.--E.
[5] In the Latin, this number is decies millesies et quatuor, which may
even be read 14,000; certainly a vast exaggeration either way.--E.
SECTION VIII.
_Of vast multitudes of Fish, which throw themselves on the dry Land_.
The following most wonderful circumstance is to be observed in this country
of Siampa. All the kinds of fishes which frequent those seas, swim towards
the shore at certain times in such abundance, that nothing can be seen for
a great way but the backs of fishes. The fish throw themselves upon the
shore, and for the space of three days allow the people to take up as many
of them as they please. At the end of these three days this shoal returns
again to sea, and a different kind comes to the shore in the same manner,
and remains for a similar period. And in the same way, all other kinds of
fish in these seas come to the shore in succession, each kind by itself.
This strange phenomenon happens once every year, and the natives pretend
that the fishes are taught by nature to do this, in token of homage to
their emperor. I saw many other strange things in this country, which would
be incredible to any one who had not seen them; and among these, I may
mention that they have tortoises as large as ovens. In this country, the
bodies of their dead are burned, and the living wives are burned along with
their dead husbands, as has been already mentioned when describing the
customs of the city of Polumbrum; and they are believed by this means to
accompany their husbands into the other world.
Travelling from this country to the southward, along the coast of the
ocean, I passed through many countries and islands, one of which is called
Moumoran[1], and is 2000 miles in circumference. The people of this
country, both men and women, go naked, except a small cloth before the
middle of their bodies. They have dogs faces, and worship an ox as their
god, and all of them wear the image of an ox in gold or silver on their
foreheads. The men are very tall and strong, and when they go to battle,
they carry targets of iron or steel, large enough to cover and protect
their whole bodies. All the prisoners whom they take in war, unless they
can ransom themselves with money, are eaten; but those who are able to pay
ransom are set free. The king of this country wears a string of 300 large
and fair pearls about his neck, which he employs as a rosary for counting
his prayers; and says every day as many prayers to his god. He wears also
on his finger a marvellously large and brilliant stone, of a span long,
which resembles a flame of fire, so that no one dare approach him, and it
is said to be the most valuable precious stone in all the world. The great
Tartar emperor of Cathay, hath often used every endeavour to procure this
wonderful jewel, but has never been able to prevail, either by force,
policy, or money.
[1] It is impossible even to conjecture what island is here meant; but as
Ceylon follows next in succession, it may possibly refer to Sumatra,
though that island appears to have been mentioned already, under the
name of Symolora--E.
SECTION IX.
_Of the Island of Ceylon, and of the Mountain where Adam mourned the Death
of Abel_.
From thence I passed another island named Sylan, or Ceylon, which is 2000
miles in circuit, in which there are infinite multitudes of serpents, great
numbers of lions, bears, and all kinds of ravenous beasts, and a great many
of elephants. In this island there is a great mountain, on which the
inhabitants pretend that Adam mourned for the death of his son Abel, during
500 years. On the top of this mountain there is a most beautiful plain, in
which is a small lake always full of water, which the inhabitants allege to
have proceeded from the tears of Adam and Eve; but this I proved to be
false, as I saw the water to flow out of the lake. This lake is full of
horse-leeches, and numbers of precious stones are to be found on its
bottom, which the king of the island, instead of appropriating to his own
use, allows certain poor people to dive for once or twice a-year, for their
own profit, that they may pray for blessings upon his soul. On this
occasion they smear their bodies with lemon juice, which prevents the
leeches from hurting them while they are in the water. The water from this
lake runs into the sea, at which place the inhabitants dig on the shore, at
low water, for rubies, diamonds, pearls, and other precious stones, which
are found in such abundance, that the king of this island is believed to
possess more precious stones than any other monarch in the world. There are
wild beasts and birds of all kinds in this island in great numbers; and I
was informed by the natives, that these beasts never attack or do harm to
strangers, but only kill the indigenous inhabitants. I saw in this island
certain birds, as large as our geese, having two heads, and other wonderful
things I do not here write of.
Still farther to the south, I came to a certain island, called Bodin[1],
which name signifies _unclean_; and this island is inhabited by a most
wicked people, who devour raw flesh, and commit all manner of wickedness
and abominable uncleanness to an incredible extent; insomuch, that they
kill and eat each other, the father eating his son, the son his father, the
husband his wife, and the wife her husband. If any man be sick, the son
goes to the soothsayer, or prognosticating priest, requesting him to
inquire of his god, whether or not his father is to recover. Then both go
to an idol of gold or silver, which they thus address: "We adore thee as
our lord and god, and we beseech thee to inform us, whether such a man is
to die or to recover from his present infirmity." Then the devil returns an
answer from the idol, and if he says the man is to recover, the son returns
to the house of his father, and ministers to him in all things necessary,
until he regain his former health; but if the response is that the man is
to die, the priest then goes to him, and putting a cloth into his mouth,
immediately strangles him. After this the dead body is cut in pieces, and
all the friends and relations are invited to feast upon this horrible
banquet, which is accompanied with music and all manner of mirth; but the
bones are solemnly buried. On my blaming this abominable practice, they
alleged, as its reason and excuse, that it was done to prevent the worms
from devouring the flesh, which would occasion great torments to his soul;
and all I could say was quite insufficient to convince them of their error.
There are many other novel and strange things in this country, to which no
one would give credit, who had not seen them with his own eyes; yet, I
declare before God, that I assert nothing of which I am not as sure as a
man may be of any thing. I have been informed by several credible persons,
that this India contains 4400 islands, most of which are well inhabited,
among which there are sixty-four crowned kings.
[1] Explained on the margin by Hakluyt, _or Dadin_, which is equally
inexplicable.--E.
SECTION X.
_Of Upper India, and the Province of Mancy_[1].
After sailing for many days on the ocean towards the east, I arrived at the
great province of Mancy, or Mangi, which is called India by the Latins; and
I was informed by Christians, Saracens, and idolaters, and by many persons
in office under the great khan, that this country contains more than 2000
great cities, and that it abounds in all manner of provisions, as bread,
wine, rice, flesh, and fish. All the men of this country are artificers or
merchants, and so long as they are able to help themselves by the labour of
their hands, they never think to beg alms, however great may be their
poverty. The men of this country are fair and of a comely appearance, yet
somewhat pale, having a small part of their heads shaven; but their women
are the most beautiful of any under the sun. The first city that I came to
belonging to this country is called Ceuskalon[2], which is a days journey
from the sea, standing on a river, which at its mouth overflows the land,
to the extent of twelve days journey. This city has so prodigious a number
of ships and vessels, as would be quite incredible by any person who had
not been an eye-witness. In this city I saw 300 pounds of good and new
ginger sold for less than a groat. They have the largest and finest geese,
and the greatest plenty of them is to be sold, more than in any other part
of the world. They are as white as milk, having a bone the size of an egg
on the crown of the head, of a blood-red colour, and a skin or bag under
their throat, which hangs down half a foot or more[3]. These birds are
exceedingly fat, and are sold at reasonable rates. The ducks and hens of
this country are twice the size of ours. There are likewise large and
monstrous serpents, which are caught and eaten by the natives, and are held
in such estimation as to be produced at all their feasts. In short, this
city abounds in all kind of provisions.
Travelling from thence through many cities, I came at length to a city
called Caitan or Zaiton[4], in which the minorite friars have two places of
abode, unto which I transported the bones of the dead friars formerly
mentioned, who suffered martyrdom for the faith of Christ. In this city,
which is twice as long as Bologna, there are abundance of provisions, and
it contains many monasteries of religious persons, who are devoted to the
worship of idols. I was in one of these monasteries, which was said to
contain 3000 religious men, and 11,000 idols, one of the smallest of which
was as large as our St Christopher. These religious men feed their idols
daily, serving up a banquet of good things before them, smoking hot, and
they affirm that their gods are refreshed and fed by the steam of the
victuals, which are afterwards carried away, and eaten up by the priests.
[1] Otherwise Mangi, or Southern China.--E.
[2] This place, which on the margin is corrected by the equally unknown
name of Ceuskala, was probably Canton; but having endeavoured to
explain the distorted names of places in China, in the travels of
Marco Polo, it is unnecessary to resume the almost impossible task in
these much less interesting, and perhaps fabricated travels of
Oderic.--E.
[3] Oderic here means pelicans, called alca-trarzi by the Spaniards.
--Hakluyt.
[4] Called in p. 404. Carchan.--E.
SECTION XI.
_Of the City of Fuko, or Foquien_.
Continuing my journey still farther to the east, I came to the city of
Foquien, which is thirty miles in circuit. The poultry here are very large,
and as white as snow, but have wool like sheep instead of feathers. This is
a stately and most beautiful city, and standeth on the sea. Travelling
onwards for eighteen days, I passed through many provinces and cities; and
in my way, I passed over a certain great mountain, on one side of which all
living creatures were quite black, whereas, on the other side, all were as
white as snow; and the inhabitants of the two sides of the mountain
differed exceedingly from each other, in their manners and customs. In
these parts, all the married women wear a large tire or cap of horn, like a
small barrel, on their heads, as a mark that they have husbands.
Journeying onwards for other eighteen days, I came to a city on a large
river, over which there is a prodigiously great bridge. The host with whom
I lodged in that city, willing to amuse me, carried me along with him to
this bridge, taking with him in his arms certain diving birds bound to
poles, and he tied a thread about every one of their necks, lest they might
swallow the fish they were to catch. He carried likewise three large
baskets to the river side. He then loosed his divers from the poles, on
which they went into the water, and in less than an hour, they caught as
many fish as filled the three baskets. Mine host then untied the threads
from their necks, and sent them again into the water, where they fed
themselves with fish. And, when satisfied, they returned to their master,
allowing themselves to be fastened to the poles as before. I eat of these
fish, and found them very good.
Travelling thence many days, I came to another city named Canasia[1], which
signifies in their language the city of Heaven. I never saw so great a
city, for it is an hundred miles in circumference, and every part of it is
thoroughly inhabited, yea, many of its houses are ten or even twelve
stories high. It has many large suburbs, which contain more inhabitants
than even the city itself. There are twelve principal gates; and at the
distance of about eight miles from every one of these there is a large
city, each of them larger, in my opinion, than Venice or Padua. The city of
Canasia is situated among waters or lakes, which are always stagnant,
without flux or reflux, and it is defended against the violence of the wind
in the same manner as Venice. In this city there are more than 10,002
bridges[2], many of which I counted and passed over; and on every one of
these, there stand certain watchmen, constantly keeping guard for the great
khan, or emperor of Cathay. The people of the country informed me that they
have to pay, as tribute to their lord, one _balis_ for every fire. Now one
balis consists of five pieces of silken paper, which are worth one florin
and a half of our coin. Ten or twelve households are counted as one fire,
and only pay accordingly. All these tributary fires amount to eighty-five
tomans, besides four tomans of the Saracens, making in all eighty-nine
tomans; and one toman contains 10,000 fires[3]. The residue of the people
consist of some Christians, some merchants, and some who travel through the
country. I marvelled how it were possible for such an infinite number of
people to live together, and get food; yet there is great abundance of
provisions, such as bread and wine, and other necessaries, especially hogs
flesh.
[1] Cansai, Quinzay, or Quinsay.--Hakluyt.
[2] In the Italian copy, published by Ramusio, the number of bridges is
extended to 11,000.--Hakluyt.
[3] This enumeration would give 890,000 fires, or almost ten millions of
households; which at four persons to each, would produce an aggregate
population of 39 millions of people for Quinsay alone. The tribute, as
stated by Oderic, amounts to 6,675,000 florins.--E.
SECTION XII.
_Of a Monastery, having many different kinds of Animals on a certain Hill_.
In this city of Quinsay, four of our friars had converted a powerful man to
the Christian faith, in whose house I abode all the time I remained in that
place. This man once addressed me, by the name of _Ara_ or father, asking
me to visit the city. Embarking in a boat, he carried me to a certain
monastery, where he spoke to one of the priests of his acquaintance,
saying, "this Raban, or religious man of the Francs, coming from the
western parts of the earth, is on his way to Cambalu to pray for the life
of the great khan, and you must shew him some rare thing, that he may be
able to say on his return to his own country, what strange and novel sights
he has beheld in our city of Quinsay." Then the priest took two great
baskets full of broken victuals, and led me to a small walled inclosure, of
which he had the key, the door of which he unlocked, and we went into a
pleasant green plot, in which stood a small hillock like a steeple, all
adorned with fragrant herbs and trees. He then beat upon a cymbal, at the
sound of which many animals of various kinds came down, from the mount,
some like apes, some like cats, others like monkeys, and some having human
faces, which gathered around him to the number of four thousand, and placed
themselves in seemly order. He set down the broken victuals for them to
eat; and when they had eaten, he rung again upon his cymbal, and they all
returned to their places of abode. Wondering greatly at this strange sight,
this man informed me that these creatures were animated by the souls of
departed persons of rank, and that they were fed by him and his brethren
out of love for the God that governs the world. He added, that, when a man
was noble in this life, his soul entered, after death, into the body of
some excellent beast, while the souls of the deceased common rude people,
possess the bodies of vile animals. I then endeavoured to refute that gross
error, but my arguments were all in vain, as he could not believe that any
soul could exist without a body.
From Quinsay I went to the city of Chilenso, which is forty miles round,
and contains 360 stone bridges, the fairest I ever saw. This place is well
inhabited, has a vast number of ships, and abundance of provisions and
commodities. From thence I went to a great river called Thalay, which is
seven miles broad where narrowest, and it runs through the midst of the
land of the Pigmies, whose chief city is Kakam, one of the finest of the
world. These Pigmies are only three spans in height, yet they manufacture
larger and better cloths of cotton and silk, than any other people. Passing
that river, I came to the city of Janzu, in which there is a house for the
friars of our order, and there are also three churches belonging to the
Nestorians. This Janzu is a great and noble city, having forty-eight tomans
of tributary fires, and abounds in all manner of victuals, flesh, fish, and
fowl. The lord of this city has fifty tomans of _balis_ in yearly revenue
from salt alone; and as every bali is worth a florin and a half of our
money, one toman is worth 15,000 florins, and the salt revenue of this city
is 750,000 florins. This lord has been known to forgive 200 tomans of
arrears at one time to his people, or three millions of florins, lest they
should be reduced to distress. There is a strange fashion in this city,
when any one inclines to give a banquet to his friends: He goes about to
certain taverns or cooks shops, informing each of the landlords, that such
and such of his friends are to come there for entertainment in his name,
and that he will allow a certain sum for the banquet. By this means his
friends are better entertained in divers places, than if all had been
collected into one. Ten miles from the city of Janzu, and at the mouth of
the river Thalay, there is another city named Montu, which has a greater
number of ships than I ever saw in any part of the world. All the ships are
white as snow, and have banquetting houses in them; and there are many
other rare and wonderful things, that no one would give credit to, unless
he were to see them with his own eyes.
SECTION XIII.
_Of the city of Cambalu_.
Travelling eight days farther, through divers provinces and cities, I came
by fresh water to a city called Lencyn, on the river Karamoran, which
pervades the middle of Cathay, and does much injury when it breaks its
banks and overflows the land. Passing from thence many days journey to the
eastwards, and within sight of many different cities, I came to the city of
Sumakoto, which abounds more in silk than any city of the earth; insomuch
that silk is reckoned scarce and dear, when the price of forty pounds
weight amounts to four groats. It likewise abounds in all kinds of
merchandize and provisions. Journeying still towards the east past many
cities, I arrived at length at the great and renowned city of Cambalu, or
Cambaleth, which is of great antiquity, and is the capital of Cathay. Being
taken by the Tartars, they built a new city at the distance of half a mile,
which they named Caido, which has twelve gates, each two miles distant from
the other. The space also between the two cities is thoroughly built upon,
and inhabited; so that the whole is as one city, and is forty miles in
circuit. In this city the great khan or emperor has his palace, the walls
of which are four miles in circuit; and near to the imperial palace there
are many other houses and palaces of the nobles who belong to the court.
Within the precincts of the imperial palace, there is a most beautiful
mount, all set over with trees, called the Green Mount, having a sumptuous
palace on the top, in which the khan mostly resides. On one side of the
mount is a great lake, abounding in geese and ducks, and all manner of
water fowl, and having a most magnificent bridge; and the wood upon the
mount is stored with all kinds of beasts and land birds. Hence when the
khan is inclined to take the diversion of hunting or hawking, he needs not
to quit his palace.
The principal palace in which the khan resides is very large, and contains
fourteen pillars of gold, and all the walls are hung with red skins, which
are reckoned the most costly in the world[1]. In the midst of this palace,
there is a cistern two yards high, all of a precious stone called
_merdochas_, which is wreathed round with gold, having the golden image of
a serpent at each corner, as it were furiously menacing with their heads.
This cistern is farther ornamented by a rich net-work of pearls; and, by
means of certain pipes and conduits, it continually supplies certain kinds
of drink that are used at the court of the emperor[2]. Around this there
stand many golden vessels, so that all who choose may drink abundantly.
There are likewise many golden peacocks; and when any of the Tartars drink
to the prosperity of their lord, and the guests clap their hands from mirth
and joy, the golden peacocks spread their wings and expand their trains,
and appear to dance. This, I presume, is occasioned by magic art, or
perhaps by means of some secret machinery below ground.
[1] These red skins, in the Latin of Hakluyt, _pelles rubes_, are probably
the zaphilines pelles, or sables, of other travellers; converted into
_red_ skins by some strange blunder.--E.
[2] This fountain of _four_ drinks, seems copied from honest Rubruquis; but
with corrections and amendments.--E.
SECTION XIV.
_Of the Magnificence of the Great Khan_.
When the great khan sits upon his imperial throne of state, his queen or
empress sits upon his left hand; and on another and lower seat two women
are seated, who accompany the emperor in the absence of his spouse; and
underneath them all the other ladies of the imperial family are placed. All
the married ladies wear ornaments on their heads, shaped like a mans foot,
a cubit and a half long[1], ornamented with cranes feathers, and richly set
with large oriental pearls. The eldest son and heir apparent of the
emperor, is seated on the right hand of the throne, and below him sit all
the nobles of the imperial race. There are likewise four secretaries, who
write down every word spoken by the emperor. The barons and others of the
nobility stand all around, with numerous trains of their followers, and all
preserve the most profound silence, unless permitted to speak by the
emperor; except his jesters and stage-players, nor even they but as they
are ordered. Certain barons are appointed to keep the palace gate, to
prevent all who pass from treading on the threshold.
When the khan holds a solemn feast, he is attended upon by about 14,000
barons, who have their heads ornamented by circlets or coronets of gold,
and who minister to him in all things; and they are all richly dressed in
cloth of gold, ornamented with precious stones, the dress and ornaments of
each being worth 10,000 florins[2]. His court is kept in the most perfect
order, the immense multitude of attendants being regularly arranged under
officers of tens, hundreds, and thousands, so that every one perfectly
knows his own place and performs his duty. I, friar Oderic, was personally
at Cambalu for three years, and was often present at the royal banquets;
for we of the minorite order have a habitation appointed for us in the
emperors court, and are enjoined to go frequently into the presence, that
we may bestow our blessing on the emperor. I inquired from some of the
attendants at court concerning the numbers in the imperial establishment,
who assured me that, of stage-players, musicians, and such like, there were
at least eighteen tomans, and that the keepers of dogs, beasts, and fowls,
were fifteen tomans[3]. There are four hundred physicians of the body to
the emperor, eight of whom are Christians, and one Saracen. The whole of
these attendants are supplied with all manner of apparel, victuals, and
necessaries, from the palace.
When the khan makes a progress from one country to another, there are four
troops of horsemen appointed, having orders to keep each at the distance of
a days journey from the presence; one in advance, one in the rear, and one
on either hand, like a cross, the emperor being in the middle; and each
troop has its regular days journey appointed for it, that all may keep in
due order, and be regularly supplied with provisions. The great khan is
carried in a chariot, having two wheels, on which a splendid throne is
built of aloes wood, magnificently adorned with gold, precious stones, and
pearls; and this moving throne is drawn by four elephants, richly
caparisoned; before which, four war horses, in magnificent housings, are
led for his particular use. Close to the chariot, and keeping hold of it,
eight barons attend on either side, to prevent all persons from approaching
too near, or from incommoding the emperor. Two milk-white ger-falcons are
carried in the chariot along with the emperor, that he may fly them at any
game that comes in the way. No one dare come within a stones throw of the
chariot in which the emperor rides, except those who are expressly
appointed. The number of his own followers, and of those who attend the
empress, and on his eldest son, would appear quite incredible to any person
who had not seen the same, and is therefore omitted. The whole empire is
divided into twelve great provinces, one only of which has 2000 great
cities within its bounds; and the whole is so extensive, that one may
travel continually for six months in any one direction, besides the islands
under his dominion, which are at least 5000 in number.
[1] In the plates of La Monarchie Francaise, by Pere Montfaucon, the French
ladies of the fourteenth century are represented as wearing conical
caps on their heads, at least one third of their own height.--E.
[2] One hundred and forty millions of florins, as the value of the dresses
of the nobles of the imperial court! It seems that most writers
concerning China are apt entirely to forget the power of numbers, in
the fervour of their admiration.--E.
[3] Odericus, or his Bolandist biographer, seems to have forgot that
thirty-three tomans make 330,000 useless ministers of luxury and
folly. I strongly suspect the Minorites, for the honour of Oderic,
have ignorantly borrowed and exaggerated from Marco Polo, to decorate
the legend of the favourite Saint of Udina.--E.
SECTION XV.
_Of the Inns established over the whole Empire, for the use of Travellers_.
That travellers may have all things necessary throughout the whole empire,
the emperor has caused certain inns to be provided in sundry places upon
the highways, where all kinds of provisions are in continual readiness.
When any intelligence is to be communicated to him, his messengers ride
post on horses or dromedaries; and when themselves and their beasts are
weary, they blow their horns, and the people at the next inn provide a man
and horse in readiness to carry forward the dispatch. By this means,
intelligence, which would take thirty days in the ordinary way of
travelling, is transmitted in one day, and he is consequently immediately
informed of any important matter which may occur in the most distant parts
of his dominions.
About twenty days journey from Cambalu, there is a forest of six days
journey in circuit, containing an incredible number of different kinds of
beasts and birds, to which the khan usually goes for hunting, once in three
or four years, attended by his whole train. The attendants environ the
whole forest, and, with the assistance of dogs, drive all the lions, stags,
and other beasts before them, into a beautiful open plain in the midst of
the forest. Then the khan, mounted on a throne, carried by three elephants,
rides forwards to the throng of animals, and shoots five arrows among the
herd; and after him, all his barons in succession, and the rest of his
courtiers and family attendants, discharge their arrows in like manner.
Then all the surviving beasts are allowed to go away into the forest, and
all the people go among those beasts which are slain, and each person knows
by the particular marks on their own arrows, which of the beasts he has
right to.
SECTION XVI.
_Of the four Solemn Feasts held yearly by the Great Khan_.
The great khan celebrates four great feasts every year; on the
anniversaries of his birth, his circumcision, his coronation, and his
marriage. Sitting upon his throne of state, all his kindred, barons, and
stage-players, attend in great ceremony and in rich attire; the highest
order being dressed in green, the second in red, and the third in yellow,
all girt with golden girdles, half a foot broad, and every one holding a
small ivory tablet in his hand, they all stand in regular order, keeping
the most profound silence. On the outside, all the stage-players, and the
musicians, with their musical instruments, are arranged. In one of the
corners of a certain great gallery, all the philosophers or magicians
attend, waiting for certain hours and moments, and when the fortunate
moment is arrived, a crier calleth out in a loud voice, "Prostrate
yourselves before the emperor," and then all fall upon their faces. After a
certain interval, the crier again orders the whole assembly to rise up, and
they do so. At another particular moment, fixed by the philosophers, orders
are given in a loud voice, for every one to stop their ears with their
fingers; afterwards they are called upon to take out their fingers. Many
similar things are performed in this manner, which they pretend to be
significant, but which, being vain and ridiculous, I gave no attention to,
and am not inclined to write. When the hour of music comes, the
philosophers give the word, and they all sound their instruments, making a
great and melodious noise; after which, orders are given to cease from the
music. Then come the women musicians, who sing sweetly before the emperor,
which I thought delightful. After them, the lions are led in, and are made
to pay their obeisance to the emperor. Then the jugglers cause golden cups,
full of wine, to fly up and down in the air, and to apply themselves to
mens mouths, that they may drink. And many other strange things are
performed, which I omit to mention, as no one would believe me.
I was informed by certain credible persons, that in the mountains of
Kapsei, in the kingdom of Kalor, which is in the dominions of the great
khan, there grow certain gourds, or pompions, which open when ripe, and a
little beast is found within them, resembling a young lamb. I have likewise
heard, that there grow certain trees upon the shore of the Irish sea, which
carry a fruit like gourds, and that these fall into the sea at certain
times, and are changed into birds called Bernacles.
SECTION XVII.
_Of various Provinces and Cities of the East_.
After a residence of three years in Cambalu, I departed from the empire of
Kathay, and travelled fifty days to the west, when I arrived in the
dominions of Pretegoani[1], whose principal city is Cosan. Continuing my
journey for many days, I came to the province of Casan, which is well
inhabited, and one of the first countries in the world, for abundance of
provisions, and commodities of all kinds, especially of chesnuts; and, is
so extremely populous, that, on leaving the gates of any one city, we may
always have the gates of another within sight. This country is fifty days
journey in breadth, and it is above sixty days journey in length. This is
one of the twelve great provinces belonging to the great khan.
Farther on, I came into another kingdom belonging to the khan, called Tebek
or Thibet, which is, in my opinion, more abundant in bread and wine than
any other country in the world. The inhabitants mostly dwell in tents of
black felt, The principal city is surrounded by beautiful walls, built of
large white and black stones, disposed chequerwise; and all the highways of
the country are well paved. In this country, from certain religious
notions, no one dares shed the blood of a man, or of any beast. The Abassi,
who is their Pope, dwells in the city already mentioned, being the head or
prince of all the idolaters, on whom he bestows gifts; just as our Pope of
Rome considers himself to be the head of all the Christians. The women of
this country wear a prodigious number of ornaments, and they have two long
teeth like the tusks of a boar. When any man dies in this country, his son
assembles all the priests and musicians that he can procure, to do honour
to his father, whose body he causes to be carried out into the fields,
accompanied by all the kindred, friends, and neighbours of the family. Then
the priests, with great solemnity, cut off the head of the deceased, which
they give to his son; after which, they divide the whole body into small
pieces, which they leave strewed about the place; and then the whole
company return home in solemn procession, accompanied with prayers, the son
bearing his fathers head. On their departure from the field, the vultures
of the country, accustomed to similar banquets, come down from the
mountains, and carry off all the remains of the deceased person; who is
thereupon pronounced holy, because the angels of God, as they say, have
carried him to paradise. When the procession returns to the dwelling of the
deceased, the son boils the head of his father, and eats the flesh,
converting the skull into a drinking cup, out of which he, and all his
family, and kindred, carouse with much, mirth and solemnity, in remembrance
of his father. This nation has many other vile and abominable customs,
which I refrain from describing, because no one would believe them unseen.
[1] This strange word, both in the Latin and English of Hakluyt, is
obviously the Italian for Prester John, information concerning whom
will be found in the travels of Marco Polo.--E.
SECTION XVIII.
_Of a certain Rich Man, who was Fed by fifty Virgins_.
While in the province of Mangi, or Southern China, I passed by the palace
of a rich man, who is continually attended upon by fifty young virgins, who
feed him at every meal as a bird feeds her young; and all the time they are
so employed, they sing to him most sweetly. The revenues of this man are
thirty toman of tagars of rice, each toman being 10,000 tagars, and one
tagar is the burthen of an ass. His palace is two miles in circuit, and is
paved with alternate plates of gold and silver. Near the wall of his
palace, there is an artificial mound of gold and silver, having turrets and
steeples, and other magnificent ornaments, contrived for the solace and
recreation of this great man.[l] I was further informed, that there are
four such great men in the kingdom of Mangi. It is reckoned a great mark of
dignity, among the great men of this country, to have their nails of great
length; more especially their thumb nails, which are sometimes of
sufficient length to be wrapped round the hand. The beauty, and even the
rank of their women is supposed to consist in the smallness of their feet;
for which reason, mothers bind up the feet of their daughters when young,
to prevent them from growing large.
[1] This seems an ill-digested account of a pagoda, or idol temple, of
great extent and magnificence, richly gilt, similar to those of which
we have splendid views in the relation of the embassy to Ava, by
Colonel Symes.--E.
SECTION XIX.
_Of the Old Man of the Mountain_.
Proceeding on my travels towards the south, I arrived at a certain pleasant
and fertile country, called Melistorte[1], in which dwells a certain aged
person called the Old Man of the Mountain. This person had surrounded two
mountains by a high wall, within which he had the fairest gardens, and
finest fountains in the world, inhabited by great numbers of most beautiful
virgins. It was likewise supplied with fine horses, and every article that
could contribute to luxury and delightful solace; on which account it was
called by the people of the country the terrestrial paradise. Into this
delightful residence, the old man used to entice all the young and valiant
men he could procure, where they were initiated into all the delights of
the earthly paradise, in which milk and wine flowed in abundance, through
certain hidden conduits. When desirous of assassinating any prince or
nobleman, who had offended him, the old man would order the governor of his
paradise to entice into that place, some acquaintance or servant of the
prince or baron whom he wished to slay. Allowing this person to take a full
taste of the delights of the place, he was cast into a deep sleep by means
of a strong potion, in which state he was removed from paradise. On
recovering from his sleep, and finding himself excluded from the pleasures
of paradise, he was brought before the old man, whom he entreated to
restore him to the place from whence he had been taken. He was then told,
that, if he would slay such or such a person, he should not only be
permitted to return into paradise, but should remain there forever. By
these means the old man used to get all those murdered, against whom he had
conceived any displeasure; on which account all the kings and princes of
the east stood in awe of him, and paid him tribute.