Neverthelesse, being constrayned through the requeste of them that may com̄ande me, and considering that things which seeme more incredible than these are writen in PLINIO SOLINO, POMPONIO MELA, STRABONE, HERODOTO, DIODORO, DIONISIO HALICARNASSEO, and others of late as MARCO PAULO, NICOLO CONTE, our Venetians, and John Mandevile thenglisheman: and by other last of all as PIETRO QUIRINI, ALUISE DA MOSTO, and AMBROGIO CONTARINI, me thought I coulde no lesse do than write the things that I have seene to the honor of God that hath preserved me from infinite dangers and to his contentac̃on that hath required me; the rather for their proffitt that in tyme to com̄e shall happen to travaile into the ꝑties wheare I have beene, and also for the com̄oditie of oʳ noble citie in case the same shulde hereaftre have occasion to sende those waies. Wherfore I shall divide my woʳke into twoo partes. In the first wherof I shall declare my voiage vnto Tana, and in the seconde myne other voiage into Persia, and speake little of the perills and trowbles that I endured, myself. * * * * * The yere of oʳ Lorde mccccxxxvi I beganne my voiage towardes Tana, wheare for the most parte I contynewed the space of xvi yeres, and have compassed all those cuntreys as well by sea as by lande not only wᵗʰ diligence, but in maner curiousely. The plaine cuntrey of Tartarie to one that were in the middest thereof hath on theast the ryver of Ledil, on the west and northwest parte POLONIA, on the northe Russia, and on the sowthe partes towards the sea called Mare Maggiore, the regions of Alania, Cumania, and Gazaria. All which places do confyne upon the sea called Tabacche; and to thentent I be the better vnderstanded, I shall declare it partely by the costes of the Sea Maggiore, and partely by Lande to the ryver called Elice, which is within xl miles of CAPHA: and passing that ryver it goeth towards MONCASTRO, wheare the notable ryver of DANUBE renneth. From which place forwardes I woll speake of nothing because those places are familiar and knowen well enough. The cuntrey of ALANIA is so called of the people Alani, which in their tonge they call As. These have been Christen men, and were chased awaie and destroied by the Tartares. In that region are hills, ryvers, and plaines: wheare are to be seene an infinite nombre of little hills forced in signe or steede of sepultures, and on the toppe of everie of them a great stone wᵗʰ an hole: wherein standeth a crosse of one peece made of an other stone. [Sidenote: Cairo is the greatest citie in Egipt.] [Sidenote: Zena is a sleade.]