Curved like a cock's, but broad and carried in a train like a
peacock's; the feathers are partly golden, and partly azure or
emerald-coloured." (Wood's Birds, 610, from which I have copied the
illustration; Williams, M. K. I. 261; Ael. De Nat. An. XVI. 2.) A
species of Crossoptilon has recently been found by Captain Prjevalsky in
Alashan, the Egrigaia (as I believe) of next chapter, and one also by Abbe
Armand David at the Koko Nor.
[See on the Phasianidae family in Central and Western Asia, David et
Oustalet, Oiseaux de la Chine, 401-421; the Phasianus Reevesii or
veneratus is called by the Chinese of Tung-lin, near Peking, Djeu-ky
(hen-arrow); the Crossoptilon auritum is named Ma-ky. - H. C.]
CHAPTER LVIII.
OF THE KINGDOM OF EGRIGAIA.
Starting again from Erguiul you ride eastward for eight days, and then
come to a province called EGRIGAIA, containing numerous cities and
villages, and belonging to Tangut.[NOTE 1] The capital city is called
CALACHAN.[NOTE 2] The people are chiefly Idolaters, but there are fine
churches belonging to the Nestorian Christians. They are all subjects of
the Great Kaan. They make in this city great quantities of camlets of
camel's wool, the finest in the world; and some of the camlets that they
make are white, for they have white camels, and these are the best of all.
Merchants purchase these stuffs here, and carry them over the world for
sale.[NOTE 3]
We shall now proceed eastward from this place and enter the territory that
was formerly Prester John's.
NOTE 1. - Chinghiz invaded Tangut in all five times, viz. in 1205, 1207,
1209 (or according to Erdmann, 1210-1211), 1218, and 1226-1227, on which
last expedition he died.
A. In the third invasion, according to D'Ohsson's Chinese guide (Father
Hyacinth), he took the town of Uiraca, and the fortress of Imen, and
laid siege to the capital, then called Chung-sing or Chung-hing, now
Ning-hsia.
Rashid, in a short notice of this campaign, calls the first city Erica,
Erlaca, or, as Erdmann has it, Artacki. In De Mailla it is Ulahai.
B. On the last invasion (1226), D'Ohsson's Chinese authority says that
Chinghiz took Kanchau and Suhchau, Cholo and Khola in the province of
Liangcheu, and then proceeded to the Yellow River, and invested Lingchau,
south of Ning-hsia.
Erdmann, following his reading of Rashiduddin, says Chinghiz took the
cities of Tangut, called Arucki, Kachu, Sichu, and Kamichu, and
besieged Deresgai (D'Ohsson, Derssekai), whilst Shidergu, the King of
Tangut, betook himself to his capital Artackin.
D'Ohsson, also professing to follow Rashid, calls this "his capital
Irghai, which the Mongols call Ircaya." Klaproth, illustrating Polo,
reads "Eyircai, which the Mongols call Eyircaya."
Petis de la Croix, relating the same campaign and professing to follow
Fadlallah, i.e. Rashiduddin, says the king "retired to his fortress of
Arbaca."
C. Sanang Setzen several times mentions a city called Irghai,
apparently in Tangut; but all we can gather as to his position is that
it seems to have lain east of Kanchau.
