Now have I told yow som of the wayes, by the land, and eke by water, how that men mowen goon unto Jerusalem: they that hyt be so, that there been many other wayes, that men goon by, aftur countrees, that thay comen fram, nevere the lasse they turne alle un tylle an ende. Yet is thare a way, alle by lande, un to Jerusalem, and pass noon see; that ys from Fraunce or Flaundres; but that way ys fulle lange and perylous, of grete travayle; and thare fore fewe goon that ylke way. And who so gooth that, he mote goon thorewe Almayn and Pruys; and so un to Tartarye. This Tartarye ys holden of the great Chan, of whom y schal speke more afterwarde. For thydur lasteth hys Lordschup. And the Lordes of Tartarye yeldeth unto the grete Chan trybute. Thys ys a ful ille lande, and a sondye, and wel lytel fruyt beryng. For thare groweth lytel goude of corne or wyn, ne benes ne pese: but beestes ben thare y nowe, and that ful grete plente. And thare ete thay nought but flesche with outen brede; and thay soupe the brothe there of: and also thay drynke the mylk. And alle manere of wylde beestes they eten, houndes, cattes, ratouns, and alle othere wylde bestes. And thei have no wode, or elle lytylle. And therfore thei warmen and sethen here mete with hors dong and cow dong, and of other bestes dryed azenst the sonne. And princes and othere eten not, but ones in the day; and that but lytille. And thei ben righte foule folk and of evyl kynde. And in somer, be alle the contrees, fallen many tempestes and many hydouse thondres and leytes, and slen meche peple and bestes also, fulle often tyme. And sodeynly is there passynge hete, and sodeynly also passynge cold. And it is the foulest contree, and the most cursed, and the porest, that men knowen. And here prince, that governethe that contree, that thei clepen Batho, duellethe at the cytee of Orda. And treuly no gode man scholde not duellen in that contre. For the lond and the contree is not worthi houndes to dwelle inne. It were a gode contree to sowen inne thristelle and breres and broom and thornes; and for no other thing is it not good. Natheless there is gode londe in sum place; but it is pure litille, as men seyn. I have not ben in that contree, ne be tho weyes: but I have ben at other londes, that marchen to tho contrees; and in the lond of Russye, and in the lond of Nyflan, and in the reme of Crako, and of Letto, and in the reme of Daresten, and in manye other places, that marchen to the costes: but I wente never be that weye to Jerusalem; wherfore I may not wel telle zou the manere. But zif this matiere plese to ony worthi man, that hathe gon be that weye, he may telle it, zif him lyke; to that entent, that tho that wole go by that weye, and maken here viage be tho costes, mowen knowen what weye is there. For no man may passe be that weye godely, but in time of wyntir, for the perilous watres, and wykkede mareyes that ben in tho contrees; that no man may passe, but zif it be strong frost, and snowe aboven.