Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

[ 20]

CHAP. IX. Reports of GHAGGI MEMET a Persian of Tabas in the Prouince of * 1.1 Chilan, touching his Trauels and Obseruations in the Countrey of the Great Can, vnto M. G. BAPTISTA RAMVSIO.

HE said that he had beene at Succuir and Campion, Cities of the Prouince of Tan∣guth,* 1.2 in the entrance of the State of Grand Can, who (said he) was called Daimi•• Can, and sent his Officers to the gouernment of the said Cities, which are the first toward the Muslemans, and are Idolaters. He went thither with a Cara∣uan, [ 30] which went with merchandises out of Persia, and from the places adioy∣ning to the Caspian Sea, for the Regions of Cataio; which Carauan they permit not to pierce further then Succuir and Campion, nor any other Merchant therein, except he goe Ambassadour to the great Can.* 1.3

This Citie of Succiur is great and populous, with faire houses of hewen stones after our man∣ner; and hath many great Temples with their Idols of stone. It is situate in a Playne where runne infinite Riuolets; is abundant in victuals of all sorts, and yeelds silke there made of the black Mulberies in great quantitie: hath no Wine growing, but they make a drinke with Hony as it were Ale. Of fruits, by reason the Countrey is cold, there grow none but Peares, Apples, Apricocks,* 1.4 Peaches, Melons and Cucumers. Hee said that Rhubard (of this commoditie Memet [ 40] had brought great store at that time to Venice) growes all ouer the Countrey; but the best, in certaine high stony Hills neere adjoyning, where are many Springs and Woods of diuers sorts of high Trees, and the Land is of a red colour, and by reason of many Raynes and Springs almost al∣way myrie. He shewed out of his bosome a picture of the Plant, brought out of the Countrey (which Ramusio in his Preface to M. Polo hath also presented with this discourse) the description of which is this. The leaues, he said, are ordinarily two spans long, more or lesse as the Plant is in bignesse; narrow below and broad aboue, downy with (as it were) small hayres in their cir∣cumference; the stalke or trunke is greene foure fingers high, and sometimes a span from the ground: the greene leaues with age grow yellow and spread on the ground. In the midst of the trunke growes a thin branch with flowres fastned within, like the Mamole violets in forme, but [ 50] of the colour of Milke and Azure, and greater then those violets, of a noysome sent. The roote within ground is a span or two long, of a tawny colour in the barke, some as bigge as a mans thigh or legge,* 1.5 out of which grow little Roots or Sprigs, which spread in the ground, and are cut away from the great Roote; which within is yellow with many veynes of faire red, full of red and yellow juyce, cleaning to the fingers and making the hand yellow: and being cut in peeces the viscous juyce issueth out and the roote becomes light; they lay them therefore on boords turning them vp and downe diuers times a day, that the juyce should incorporate there∣in, lest it lose the goodnesse; after foure or six dayes hanging them to drie in the winde, where the Sunne may not come at them, being in two moneths drie and perfect. They ordinarily take it out of the ground in the Winter,* 1.6 the vertue being then most vnited in the Roote (the Spring [ 60] there beginning at the end of May) which at other times is dispersed into the leaues and flowers, that juyce also being gone and the roote light and hollow.

* 1.7They sell one of their Cart lodes of Roots with leaues for sixteene siluer Saggi (not much vn∣like ours) for they haue no Coynes, but make their gold and siluer in small thin rods, and thence

cut peeces of a Saggio weight, which in siluer is twentie Soldi Venetian, and in gold a Ducket and halfe. He said that they would not gather it, if forren Merchants should not come to trade for it, themselues making no reckoning thereof: and that the Merchants of China and India car∣ry away the greatest part; who if they should cut and dresse it as before is expressed, after it is brought in Car••s, in foure or six dayes it would corrupt; and seuen burdens greene (hee said) would not yeeld aboue one drie. When it is greene it is intolerably bitter; and in Cataio they vse it not for medicine, but beate and mixe it with other odoriferous compositions for perfumes to their Idols. In some places there is such store that they burne it dryed in stead of wood; o∣thers giue it their crased horses, so little doe they esteeme it in Cataio. But there they much prize another small Roote, which growes in the Mountaines of Succuir, where the Rubard [ 10] growes, and call it Mambroni cini, very deare, vsed for diseases, those specially of the eyes;* 1.8 nor did he thinke any of it was brought into these parts. He said also, that in all Cataio they much vse the leaues of another herb, which they ••all Chiai Catai, which growes in a place of Catai, called Cacianfu. They boyle it, whether new or drie, and taking off a Beaker or two of that de∣coction fasting (as hot as can be borne) takes away the Feauer, payne of the Head or Stomack, Back, Ioynts, and other diseases, especially the Gowt, and it is good for digestion. They vse to carry it with them in their Voyages, and will giue a sack of Rubarb for an ounce of Chiai Catai. And the Cataians say, that if our Merchants, Persians and Frankes, knew the goodnesse thereof, they would buy no Rauend Cini, so they call Rubard.

I asked him of his Voyage from thence to Constantinople, and hee answered mee by Mambre [ 20] our Interpreter, that hee returned not that way he went with the Carauan, by reason that the Greene-head Tartars called Iescilbas, sent an Embassador at that time when hee was to come a∣way, with a great company, by the way of Tartaria Deserta, aboue the Caspian Sea to the great Turke at Constantinople, to make a league against the Persian their common enemie.* 1.9 Whereupon he thought good to come with them, and so did to Caffa. I asked of the way he went. He said he should haue returned from Campion to Gauta in six dayes (eight Farsen••s, each of which is three Italian miles, are a dayes iourney, but on the Hils and Desarts they goe not halfe so much) from Gauta to Succuir in fiue dayes, from Succuir to Camul in fifteene, here the Musulmans (or Mahumetans) begin: from Camul to Turfon is thirteene. From Turfon they passe three Ci∣ties, Chialis ten dayes iourney thence, after that Cuchia other ten, and after that Acsu in twen∣tie. [ 30] From Acsu to Cascar are other twentie dayes all rough Desart, all the former way being thorow places inhabited. From Cascar to Samarcand are fiue and twentie dayes. From Sa∣marcand to Bochara in Corassam, fiue; from Bochara to Eri, twentie; from thence to Veremi in fifteene; from Veremi to Casbin in six; thence to Soltania in foure, and thence to Tauris in six dayes.

Now for some particulars of those places, he related that Campion is subiect to Daimir Can,* 1.10 great Emperor of the Tartars; the Citie placed in a fertile Playne all cultiuated and abundant in prouisions. They are apparelled in black Cotton cloth,* 1.11 furred in Winter with skins of Wolues and Sheepe if they be poore; the richer with Sables and Marterns of great price. They weare black Bonets sharpe like a Sugar-loafe; the men rather small then great,* 1.12 wearing beards as we [ 40] doe, specially a certayne time of the yeere. Their houses are of stone like ours,* 1.13 with two or three lofts, slope-roofed, and diuersly painted, and they haue one street onely of painters. The great men for magnificence make a great Loft or Pageant,* 1.14 and thereon erect two Tents of silke embroydered with gold, siluer, pearles, and jewels, and there stand with their friends. This they cause to bee carried by fortie or fiftie Slaues, and so goe thorow the Citie in solace. The Gentlemen are carried on a simple Pageant, by foure or six men without other furniture. There Temples are made like our Churches,* 1.15 so great that they may contayne foure or fiue thousand persons; and haue in them two Statues, of a Man and a Woman, each fortie foot long, all of one peece, stretched on the ground, and all gilded. They haue excellent stone cutters. They bring quarry stones two or three moneths iourney on shod Carts of fortie wheeles very high,* 1.16 drawne [ 50] by fiue or six hundred Horses and Mules. There are also small Images with six or seuen heads and ten hands, all holding diuers things, one a Serpent, another a Bird, a third a Flower, &c. There are some Monasteries in which liue men of holy life,* 1.17 immured within their houses that they cannot goe out whiles they liue, and haue victuals euery day brought them. There are in∣numerable, like our Friars, which goe vp and downe the Citie. They haue a custome,* 1.18 when one of their kindred dyes, to clothe themselues in white many dayes made of Cotton; their gar∣ments are made long to the ground with wide sleeues. They vse Printing of their Books, which he thought somewhat like those I shewed him at M. Thomas Giuntos printing house.* 1.19 Their Ci∣tie is fortified with a thick wall, within filled with earth, able to carry f••ure Carts abrest,* 1.20 with [ 60] Towres and Artillery as thick as those of the great Turke. The Ditch is wide and drie, but they can make it runne with water at their pleasure. They haue a kind of very great Oxen with long, thin and with hayre.* 1.21 The Cataians and Idolaters are forbidden to goe out of their Coun∣tries, to goe on merchandise thorow the World.

Beyond the Desart aboue Corassam to Samarcand, and till the Idolatrous Cities▪ the 〈◊〉〈◊〉

rule,* 1.22 which are Tartars, Musulmans, wearing greene sharpe Turbants of felt, so making a diffe∣rence betwixt them and the Persians, which weare them red: and betwixt them two for diuer∣sitie of opinions in Religion are continual warres, and disagreement about their Confines. Bocara and Samarcand are two Cities of these Green-heads, each a Signorie of it selfe. They haue three particular sciences,* 1.23 Chimia (in the same sense as here) Limia, to make and cause loue, and Simia, to make men see that which is not. The moneys which they haue are not Coyned, but euery Gentleman and Merchant makes thin rods of gold and siluer, as is before said of Campion and Succuir.* 1.24 In the market place of Campion are euery day many Mountebankes which haue that science of Simia, which compassed with a great multitude present strange sights, as to cause a man to cut off his arme, or thrust himselfe thorow with a sword, and seeme to bee all [ 10] bloudy, with other like.

Notes

• * 1.1

  or Gilam.
• * 1.2

  Succuir and Campion men∣tioned by M. Polo.
• * 1.3

  No passing in∣to the Coun∣trey.

  Succuir descri∣bed.
• * 1.4

  Rhubarbe de∣scribed.
• * 1.5

  The Root and Iuyce and pre∣paring.
• * 1.6

  A cold climate.
• * 1.7

  Six Saggi make an ounce.
• * 1.8

  Mambroni Cini▪
• * 1.9

  The way of the Carauan betwixt Tauris and Campion in Catai.
• * 1.10

  Campion de∣scribed.
• * 1.11

  Apparell.
• * 1.12

  Bea••ded men
• * 1.13

  Houses.
• * 1.14

  Pageants.
• * 1.15

  Temples and Idols.
• * 1.16

  Huge carri∣ages.
• * 1.17

  Anchorets.
• * 1.18

  Friars. White mour∣ners.
• * 1.19

  Printing.
• * 1.20

  ••ortification.
• * 1.21

  〈…〉〈…〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Oxen.
• * 1.22

  The Ieselbas or Green-head Tartars.
• * 1.23

  Chimia, Simia, Limia.
• * 1.24

  Prating moun∣tebanks and Iuggling knaues.