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
And when the Mongals with their emperour Chingis Cham had a while rested
themselues after the foresayd victorie, they diuided their armies.
[Sidenote: Thossut Can son of Chingis.] For the Emperour sent one of his
sonnes named Thossut (whom also they called Can, that is to say, Emperour)
with an armie against the people of Comania, whom he vanquished with much
warre, and afterward returned into his owne country. [Sidenote: India minor
subdued.] But he sent his other sonne with an armie against the Indians,
who also subdued India minor. These Indians are the blacke Saracens, which
are also called Æthiopians. But here the armie marched forward to fight
against Christians dwelling in India maior. Which the King of that countrey
hearing (who is commonly called Presbiter Iohn) gathered his souldiers
together, and came foorth against them. And making mens images of copper,
he set each of them vpon a saddle on horsebacke, and put fire within them,
and placed a man with a paire of bellowes on the horse backe behinde euery
image. [Sidenote: The stratagem of the king of India.] And so with many
horses and images in such sorte furnished, they marched on to fight against
the Mongals or Tartars. And comming neare vnto the place of the battell,
they first of all sent those horses in order one after another. But the men
that sate behind laide I wote not what vpon the fire within the images, and
blew strongly with their bellowes. Whereupon it came to passe, that the men
and the horses were burnt with wilde fire, and the ayre was darkened with
smoake. Then the Indians cast dartes vpon the Tartars, of whom many were
wounded and slain. And so they expelled them out of their dominions with
great confusion, neither did we heare, that euer they returned thither
againe.
Qualiter ab hominibus caninis repulsi, Burithabethinos vicerunt. Cap. 11.
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