the foresayd emperor (to the end that trauailers may haue all things necessary throughout his whole empire) hath caused certaine innes to be prouided in sundry places vpon the high wayes, where all things pertaining vnto victuals are in a continuall readinesse. and when any alteration or newes happen in any part of his empire, if he chance to be farre absent from that part, his ambassadors vpon horses or dromedaries ride post vnto him, and when themselues and their beasts are weary, they blow their horne, at the noise whereof, the next inne likewise prouideth a horse and a man, who takes the letter of him that is weary and runneth vnto another inne: and so by diuers innes, and diuers postes, the report, which ordinarily could skarce come in 30. dayes, is in one naturall day brought vnto the emperor: and therefore no matter of any moment can be done in his empire, but straightway he hath intelligence thereof. moreouer, when the great can himselfe will go on hunting, he vseth this custome. some twenty dayes iourney from the citie of kambaleth there is a forrest containing sixe dayes iourney in circuit, in which forrest there are so many kinds of beasts and birds, as it is incredible to report. vnto this forrest, at the ende of euery third or fourth yere, himselfe with his whole traine resorteth, and they all of them together enuiron the sayd forrest, sending dogs into the same, which by hunting do bring foorth the beasts: namely, lions and stags, and other creatures, vnto a most beautifull plaine in the midst of the forrest, because all the beasts of the forrest doe tremble, especially at the cry of hounds. then commeth the great can himselfe, being caried vpon three elephants, and shooteth fine arrowes into the whole herd of beasts, and after him all his barons, and after them the rest of his courtiers and family doe all in like maner discharge their arrowes also, and euery mans arrow hath a sundry marke. then they all goe vnto the beasts which are slaine (suffering the liuing beasts to returne into the wood that they may haue more sport with them another time) and euery man enjoyeth that beast as his owne, wherein he findeth his arrow sticking. of the foure feasts which the great can solemnizeth euery yeere in his court. foure great feasts in a yeere doeth the emperor can celebrate: namely the feast of his birth, the feast of his circumcision, the feast of his coronation, and the feast of his mariage. and vnto these feasts he inuiteth all his barons, his stage-players, and all such as are of his kinred. then the great can sitting in his throne, all his barons present themselues before him, with wreaths and crownes vpon their heads, being diuersly attired, for some of them are in greene, namely the principall: the second are in red, and the third in yellow, and they hold each man in his hand a little iuorie table of elephants tooth, and they are girt with golden girdles of halfe a foote broad, and they stand vpon their feete keeping silence. about them stand the stage-players or musicians with their instruments. and in one of the corners of a certaine great pallace, all the philosophers or magicians remaine for certaine howers, and doe attend vpon points or characters: and when the point and hower which the sayd philosophers expected for, is come, a certaine crier crieth out with a loud voyce, saying, incline or bowe your selues before your emperour: with that all the barons fall flat vpon the earth. then hee crieth out againe; arise all, and immediately they all arise. likewise the philosophers attend vpon a point or character the second time, and when it is fulfilled, the crier crieth out amaine; put your fingers in your eares: and foorthwith againe he saieth; plucke them out. againe, at the third point he crieth, boult this meale. many other circumstances also doe they performe, all which they say haue some certaine signification: howbeit, neither would i write them, nor giue any heed vnto them, because they are vaine and ridiculous. and when the musicians hower is come, then the philosophers say, solemnize a feast vnto your lord: with that all of them sound their instruments, making a great and a melodious noyse. and immediately another crieth, peace, peace, and they are all whist. then come the women-musicians and sing sweetly before the emperour, which musike was more delightfull vnto me. after them come in the lions and doe their obeisance vnto the great can. then the iuglers cause golden cups full of wine to flie vp and downe in the ayre, and to apply themselues vnto mens mouthes that they may drinke of them. these and many other strange things i sawe in the court of the great can, which no man would beleeue vnlesse he had seen with his owne eies, and therefore i omit to speake of them. [sidenote: a lambe in a gourd.] i was informed also by certaine credible persons, of another miraculous thing, namely, that in a certaine kingdome of the sayd can, wherein stand the mountains called kapsei (the kingdomes name is kalor) there grewe great gourds or pompions, which being ripe, doe open at the tops, and within them is found a little beast like vnto a yong lambe, euen as i my selfe haue heard reported, that there stand certaine trees vpon the shore of the irish sea, bearing fruit like vnto a gourd, which, at a certaine time of the yeere doe fall into the water, and become birds called bernacles, and this is most true. [footnote: this report is first found in the writings of giraldus cambreusis, tutor to king john.] of diuers prouinces and cities. and after three yeeres i departed out of the empire of cataie, trauailing fiftie dayes iourney towards the west. [sidenote: his returne westward.] and at length i came vnto the empire of pretegoani, whose principall citie is kosan, which hath many other cities vnder it. [sidenote: casan] from thence passing many dayes trauell, i came vnto a prouince called casan, which is for good commodities, one of the onely prouinces vnder the sunne, and is very well inhabited, insomuch that when we depart out of the gates of one city we may beholde the gates of another city, as i my selfe saw in diuers of them. the breadth of the sayd prouince is fifty dayes iourney, and the length aboue sixty. in it there is great plenty of all victuals, and especially of chesnuts, and it is one of the twelue prouinces of the great can. going on further, i came vnto a certaine kingdome called tebek, [marginal note: or thebet.] which is in subiection vnto the great can also, wherein i thinke there is more plenty of bread and wine then in any other part of the whole world besides. the people of the sayd countrey do, for the most part, inhabit in tents made of blacke felt. their principall city is inuironed with faire and beautifull walles, being built of most white and blacke stones, which are disposed chekerwise one by another, and curiously compiled together: likewise all the high wayes in this countrey are exceedingly well paued. in the sayd countrey none dare shed the bloud of a man, or of any beast, for the reuerence of a certaine idole. in the foresayd city their abassi, that is to say, their pope is resident, being the head and prince of all idolaters (vpon whom he bestoweth and distributeth gifts after his maner) euen as our pope of rome accounts himselfe to be the head of all christians. the women of this countrey weare aboue an hundreth tricks and trifles about them, and they haue two teeth in their mouthes as long as the tushes of a boare. when any mans father deceaseth among them, his sonne assembleth together all the priests and musicians that he can get, saying that he is determined to honour his father: then causeth he him to be caried into the field (all his kinsfolks, friends, and neighbours, accompanying him in the sayd action) where the priests with great solemnity cut off the fathers head, giuing it vnto his sonne, which being done, they diuide the whole body into morsels, and so leaue it behinde them, returning home with prayers in the company of the sayd sonne. so soone as they are departed, certaine vultures, which are accustomed to such bankets, come flying from the mountaines, and cary away all the sayd morsels of flesh: and from thenceforth a fame is spread abroad, that the sayd party deceased was holy, because the angels of god carried him into paradise. and this is the greatest and highest honour, that the sonne can deuise to performe vnto his deceased father. [sidenote: the same story concerning the very same people is in william de rubricis.] then the sayd sonne taketh his fathers head, seething it and eating the flesh thereof, but of the skull he makes a drinking cup, wherein himselfe with all his family and kindred do drinke with great solemnity and mirth, in the remembrance of his dead and deuoured father. many other vile and abominable things doth the said nation commit, which i meane not to write, because men neither can nor will beleeue, except they should haue the sight of them. of a certaine rich man, who is fed and nourished by fiftie virgins. while i was in the prouince of mancy, i passed by the palace of a certaine famous man, which hath fifty virgin damosels continually attending vpon him, feeding him euery meale, as a bird feeds her yoong ones. also he hath sundry kindes of meat serued in at his table, and three dishes of ech kinde; and when the sayd virgins feed him, they sing most sweetly