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