All my ioʳney hitherto hath been sowtheast, but nowe I shall retoʳne eastwardes, wheare the first towne in my waie was the city of SYRAS, being very great, of xxᵗⁱᵉ myles compasse, rekenyng the subvrbes wᵗhall. It conteigneth innumerable people, and is full of merchaunts; for all they that come from the vpper parties, that is to saie, frome ERE, SAMARCAHANTH, and NISU,[105] taking the waie throwgh Persia, do passe by SYRAS. Hither arr brought many jewelles, sylkes, both great and small, spices, rewbarbe, and semenzina, and is of the King Assambey, his domynion, closed wᵗʰ high mudde walles and deepe dyches, wᵗʰ gates according. It hath a nombre of excellent faire churches and good howses trym̄ed wᵗʰ MUSAICO and other goodly ornaments: and may conteigne ccᵐˡ houses, or ꝑadventure more. In which citie is very sure dwelling wᵗhout any disturbance. Going hense, they departe out of Persia, and take the waie vnto Ere,[106] a towne situate in the region of ZUGATAI, which towne apꝑteigneth to the sonne of the late Soldan Bosaith, and is very great, though not so bigge by the iijᵈᵉ parte as Syras, wheare they make sylkes and other like woʳkes as they do in Syras. I forbeare to speake of many castells, townes, and villaiges that arr in this waie, bicause there is nothing in them notable. But from thense, somewhat northeastwardes, they travaile xl daies ioʳney through desertes and barayn places, wheare no water is to be had but in such welles only as arr made for the purpose, and whereas is litle grasse and lesse woodde. And than come they in the self same region of Zagatai, to a verie great and well enhabited citie called Sammarcahanth, through the which all the merchaunts and travailers that come out of Cim Macim, and Catay do passe to and fro. The towne is well replenisshed of artificers and merchaunts both. The lordes whereof arr sonnes to Giarda.[107] I went no further this waie, but by that I learned there of others, this Cim and Macinn that I haue before named arr ij verie great provinces, thinhabitants whereof arr idolaters, and there make they vessells and disshes of PORCELLANA. In these ꝓties is verie great trafficque of merchaundize, specially jewells and clothes, as well of sylke as of other sortes, and from thense they go into the province of Catay. Of the which I shall rehearse as much as I knowe, by the reaporte of an ambassadoʳ of Tartarie that came thense. I, being at Tana, happened one tyme to talke wᵗʰ the saied ambassador tooching the cuntry of Catay, who telled me that in passeng throwgh the places hereafter menc̃oned, aftre he was ones entred into that cuntrey, his charges were borne from place to place, vntill he came to a towne called Cambale,[108] wheare he was honorably receaued, and lodging appoincted vnto him. And (as he said) even so the costes arr borne of all the merchaunts that passe that waie. Than was he brought to the princes presence, wheare, at his comyng to the gate, he was made to kneele wᵗhoutfooʳthe.