the lord of the same citie hath in yeerely reuenues for salt onely, fiftie thuman of balis, and one balis is worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne: insomuch that one thuman of balis amounteth vnto the value of fifteene thousand florens. howbeit the sayd lord fauoureth his people in one respect, for sometimes he forgiueth them freely two hundred thuman, least there should be any scarcity or dearth among them. there is a custome in this citie, that when any man is determined to banquet his friends, going about vnto certaine tauernes or cookes houses appointed for the same purpose, he sayth vnto euery particular hoste, you shall haue such, and such of my friendes, whom you must intertaine in my name, and so much i will bestowe vpon the banquet. and by that means his friendes are better feasted at diuerse places, then they should haue beene at one. tenne miles from the sayde citie, about the head of the foresayd riuer of thalay, there is a certaine other citie called montu, which hath the greatest nauy that i saw in the whole world. all their ships are as white as snow, and they haue banqueting houses in them, and many other rare things also, which no man would beleeue, vnlesse he had seene them with his owne eyes. of the citie of cambaleth. [sidenote: karamoron.] traueiling eight dayes iourney further by diuers territories and cities, at length i came by fresh water vnto a certaine citie named lencyn, standing vpon the riuer of karauoran, which runneth through the midst of cataie, and doeth great harme in the countrey when it ouerfloweth the bankes, or breaketh foorth of the chanell. [sidenote: sumacoto.] from thence passing along the riuer eastward, after many dayes trauell, and the sight of the diuers cities, i arriued at a citie called sumakoto, which aboundeth more with silke then any other citie in the world: for when there is great scarcitie of silke, fortie pound is sold for lesse then eight groates. in this citie there is abundance of all merchandize, and all kindes of victuals also, as of bread, wine, flesh, fish, with all choise and delicate spices. then traueiling on still towards the east by many cities, i came vnto the noble and renowmed citie of cambaleth, which is of great antiquitie being situate in the prouince of cataie. this citie the tartars tooke, and neare vnto it within the space of halfe a mile, they built another citie called caido. the citie of caido hath twelue gates, being each of them two miles distant from another. also the space lying in the midst betweene the two foresayd cities is very well and throughly inhabited, so that they make as it were but one citie betweene them both. the whole compasse or circuit of both cities together, is 40. miles. in this citie the great emperour can hath his principall seat, and his imperiall palace, the wals of which palace containe foure miles in circuit: and neere vnto this his palace are many other palaces and houses, of his nobles which belong vnto his court. within the precincts of the sayd palace imperiall, there is a most beautiful mount, set and replenished with trees, for which cause it is called the greene mount, hauing a most royall and sumptuous palace standing thereupon, in which, for the most part, the great can is resident. vpon the one side of the sayd mount there is a great lake, whereupon a most stately bridge is built, in which lake is great abundance of geese, ducks, and all kindes of water foules: and in the wood growing vpon the mount there is great store of all birds, and wilde beasts. and therefore when the great can will solace himselfe with hunting or hauking, he needs not so much as once to step forth of his palace. moreouer, the principall palace, wherein he maketh his abode, is very large, hauing within it 14 pillers of golde, and all the walles thereof are hanged with red skinnes, which are sayd to be the most costly skinnes in all the world. in the midst of the palace standes a cisterne of two yards high, which consisteth of a precious stone called merdochas, and is wreathed about with golde, and at ech corner thereof is the golden image of a serpent, as it were, furiously shaking and casting forth his head. this cisterne also hath a kind of networke of pearle wrought about it. likewise by the sayd cisterne there is drinke conueyed thorow certeine pipes and conducts, such as vseth to be drunke in the emperors court, vpon the which also there hang many vessels of golde, wherein, whosoeuer will may drinke of the sayd licour. in the foresayd palace there are many peacocks of golde: and when any tartar maketh a banquet vnto his lord, if the guests chance to clap their hands for ioy and mirth, the sayd golden peacocks also will spread abroad their wings, and lift vp their traines, seeming as if they danced: and this i suppose to be done by arte magike or by some secret engine vnder the ground. of the glory and magnificence of the great can. moreouer, when the great emperor can sitteth in his imperiall throne of estate, on his left hand sitteth his queene or empresse, and vpon another inferior seate there sit two other women, which are to accompany the emperor, when his spouse is absent, but in the lowest place of all, there sit all the ladies of his kindred. all the maried women weare vpon their heads a kind of ornament in shape like vnto a mans foote, of a cubite and a halfe in length, and the lower part of the sayd foote is adorned with cranes feathers, and is all ouer thicke set with great and orient pearles. vpon the right hand of the great can sitteth his first begotten sonne and heire apparent vnto his empire, and vnder him sit all the nobles of the blood royall. there bee also foure secretaries, which put all things in writing that the emperor speaketh. in whose presence likewise stand his barons and diuers others of his nobilitie, with great traines of folowers after them, of whom none dare speake so much as one word, vnlease they haue obtained licence of the emperor so to doe, except his iesters and stage-players, who are appointed of purpose to solace their lord. neither yet dare they attempt to doe ought, but onely according to the pleasure of their emperor, and as hee inioineth them by lawe. about the palace gate stand certaine barons to keepe all men from treading vpon the threshold of the sayd gate. when it pleassth the great can to solemnize a feast, he hath about him 14000. barons, carying wreathes and litle crownes vpon their heads, and giuing attendance vpon their lord, and euery one of them weareth a garment of gold and precious stones, which is woorth ten thousand florens. his court is kept in very good order, by gouernours of tens, gouernours of hundreds, and gouernours of thousands, insomuch that euery one in his place performeth his duetie committed vnto him, neither is there any defect to bee found. i frier odoricus was there present in person for the space of three yeeres, and was often at the sayd banquets; for we friers minorites haue a place of aboad appointed out for vs in the emperors court, and are enioined to goe and to bestow our blessing vpon him. and i enquired of certaine courtiers concerning the number of persons pertaining to the emperors court? and they answered mee that of stage-players, musicians, and such like, there were eighteene thuman at the least, and that the keepers of dogs, beasts and foules were fifteene thuman, and the physicians for the emperours body were foure hundred; the christians also were eight in number, together with one saracen. at my being there, all the foresayd number of persons had all kind of necessaries both for apparell and victuals out of the emperors court. moreouer, when he will make his progresse from one countrey to another, hee hath foure troupes of horsemen, one being appointed to goe a dayes iourney before, and another to come a dayes iourney after him, the third to march on his right hand, and the fourth on his left, in the manner of a crosse, he himselfe being in the midst, and so euery particular troupe haue their daily iourneys limited vnto them, to the ende they may prouide sufficient victuals without defect. nowe the great can himselfe is caried in maner following; hee rideth in a chariot with two wheeles, vpon which a maiesticall throne is built of the wood of aloe, being adorned with gold and great pearles, and precious stones, and foure elephants brauely furnished doe drawe the sayd chariot, before which elephants, foure great horses richly trapped and couered doe lead the way. hard by the chariot on both sides thereof, are foure barons laying hold and attending thereupon, to keepe all persons from approaching neere vnto their emperour. vpon the chariot also two milke-white ier-falcons doe sit, and seeing any game which hee would take, hee letteth them flie, and so they take it, and after this maner doeth hee solace himselfe as hee rideth. moreover, no man dare come within a stones cast of the chariot, but such as are appointed. the number of his owne followers, of his wiues attendants, and of the traine of his first begotten sonne and heire apparent, would seeme incredible vnto any man, vnlesse hee had seene it with his owne eyes. the foresayd great can hath diuided his empire into twelue partes or prouinces, and one of the sayd prouinces hath two thousand great cities within the precincts thereof. whereupon his empire is of that length and breadth, that vnto whatsoeuer part thereof he intendeth his iourny, he hath space enough for six moneths continual progresse, except his islands which are at the least 5000. of certaine innes or hospitals appointed for trauailers throughout the whole empire