CAP. LXXIX.
What countreys and kingdomes lye next to the land of Cathay and the frontes thereof.
THIS lande of Cathay is in Asia the depe,1and this same lande marcheth toward the west upon the kingdome of Sercy,2the which was sometyme to one of the three kings that went to seke our Lord in Bethlem and all those that come of his kin are christen men. These men of Tartary drinke no wine. In yeland of Corosaym,3ytis at the north side of Cathay is right great plenty of goods, but no wine, the which hath at the east side a great wildernesse, that lasteth more than an hundred journeys, and the best citie of that land is called Corasaym, & after the name of that citie is the lande called after, and men of this lande are good warriors and hardy, and thereby is the Kingedome of Comayne, this is the most & the greatest kingedome of the world, but it is not all inhabited, for in one place of thelande is so great cold, that no man may dwel ther for colde, and in an other place is so great heat, that no man may dwell there, & there are so many faithes4that a man wot not on what side hee may turne him, & in this lande are fewe trees bering fruite. In thys lande men ly in tentes, and they burne donge5of beastes for defaut of wood. This lande descendeth toward Pruse & Rossy & through this land runneth the river Echell,6that is one of the greatest rivers in yeworld & it is frosen so hard euery yeare that men fight thereupon in great battayles on horse and footemen more than a C.M7at once. And a lyttle from yeriver is the great sea of Occyan, that they cal Maure8and betwene this Maure & Caspy9is a full straight passage to go towarde Inde and therefore King Alexander did make there a citie ytmen call Alexander, for to kepe that passage, so that no man may passe but if he haue leave, & now is that citie called Port de fear,10and the principall citie of Comayne is called Sarachis,11this is one of the thre ways to go to Inde, but through this way may not many men go but if it be in winter, & this passage is called Berbent.12And another way is to go from yeland of Turkescon13throughPercy, & in this way are many journeys in wildernesse. And yethird way is that cometh from Cosmane & goeth through yegreat citie & through yeKingedome of Abachare.14And ye shall understand ytall these kingedomes & lords unto Percy are holden of yegreat Caan & many other & therefore he is a great lorde of men & of lande.
1:Lower Asia.2:Others write it Tharse.3:? Khorassan.4:A misprint for flies.5:The usual fuel in an unwooded Asiatic country.6:Volga.7:Others say 200,000.8:The Black Sea.9:The Caspian Sea.10:Port de Fer, or Iron Gate. Other editions have it "Gate of Hell."11:Sarai, or Sara, on the Volga. Chaucer, in "Cambuscan," speaks of it thus:—"AtSarrain the Londe of TartarieThere dwelt a King that werriëd Russie."12:The Pass of Derbend, still called in TurkishDemir Kapi, or the Iron Gate.13:Turkestan.14:Variously written Abcaz or Abkhas.
1:Lower Asia.
2:Others write it Tharse.
3:? Khorassan.
4:A misprint for flies.
5:The usual fuel in an unwooded Asiatic country.
6:Volga.
7:Others say 200,000.
8:The Black Sea.
9:The Caspian Sea.
10:Port de Fer, or Iron Gate. Other editions have it "Gate of Hell."
11:Sarai, or Sara, on the Volga. Chaucer, in "Cambuscan," speaks of it thus:—
"AtSarrain the Londe of TartarieThere dwelt a King that werriëd Russie."
"AtSarrain the Londe of TartarieThere dwelt a King that werriëd Russie."
"AtSarrain the Londe of Tartarie
There dwelt a King that werriëd Russie."
12:The Pass of Derbend, still called in TurkishDemir Kapi, or the Iron Gate.
13:Turkestan.
14:Variously written Abcaz or Abkhas.