The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 02Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 02
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Howe durst thou (quoth Baatu) once name mee in thy drunkennesse? And
with that hee caused his head to be chopt off. Concerning the foresaid
Dutchmen, I could not vnderstand ought, till I was come vnto the court of
Mangu-Can. [Sidenote: The village of Bolac.] And there I was informed that
Mangu-Can had remoued them out of the iurisdiction of Baatu, for the space
of a moneths iourney from Talas Eastward, vnto a certaine village, called
Bolac: where they are set to dig gold, and to make armour. Whereupon I
could neither goe nor come by them. I passed very neere the saide citie in
going forth, as namely, within three dayes iourney thereof: but I was
ignorant that I did so: neither could I haue turned out of my way, albeit I
had knowen so much. From the foresaide cottage we went directly Eastward,
by the mountaines aforesaid. [Sidenote: He entreth into the territories of
Mangu Can.] And from that time we trauailed among the people of Mangu-Can,
who in all places sang and daunced before our guide, because hee was the
messenger of Baatu. For this curtesie they doe affoord eche to other:
namely the people of Mangu-Can receiuing the messengers of Baatu, in maner
aforesaide: and so likewise the people of Baatu intertaining the messengers
of Mangu-Can. Notwithstanding the people of Baatu are more surlie and
stoute, and shewe not so much curtesie vnto the subiectes of Mangu-Can, as
they doe vnto them. [Sidenote: Certain Alpes wherein the Cara Catayans
inhabited. A mighty riuer.] A fewe dayes after, wee entered vpon those
Alpes where the Cara Catayans were woont to inhabite. And there wee found a
mightie riuer: insomuch that we were constrained to embarke our selues, and
to saile ouer it. Afterward we came into a certaine valley, where I saw a
castle destroyed, the walles whereof were onely of mudde: and in that place
the ground was tilled also. [Sidenote: Ground tilled. Equius.] And there
wee founde a certaine village, named Equius, wherein were Saracens,
speaking the Persian language: howbeit they dwelt an huge distance from
Persia. [Sidenote: A lake of fifteene dayes iourney in compasse.] The day
following, hauing passed ouer the foresaide Alpes which descended from the
great mountains Southward, we entered into a most beautiful plaine, hauing
high mountaines on our right hande, and on the left hande of vs a certaine
Sea or lake, [Footnote: Lake Erivan.] which containeth fifteene dayes
iourney in circuite. All the foresayde plaine is most commodiously watered
with certaine freshets distilling from the said mountaines, all which do
fall into the lake. In Sommer time wee returned by the North shore of the
saide lake, and there were great mountaines on that side also. Vpon the
forenamed plaine there were wont to be great store of villages: but for the
most part they were all wasted, in regarde of the fertile pastures, that
the Tartars might feede their cattel there. [Sidenote: Cailac a great city,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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