Of the Execution of Ban, and concerning the residence of certain Germans.
The next day we came to another village nearer to the mountains, which, I
understood, were called Caucasus, and that they reached from the eastern to
the western sea, even passing the Caspian to the west. I likewise inquired
concerning the town of Talas, in which, according to Friar Andrew [1],
there were certain Germans in the service of one Buri and I had formerly
made inquiries concerning them at the courts of Sartach and Baatu[2]. But I
could only learn, that their master, Ban, had been put to death on the
following occasion. This Ban happened to have his appointed residence in
inferior pastures, and one day when drunk, he said to his people, that
being of the race of Zingis as well as Baatu, whose brother or nephew he
was, he thought himself entitled to feed his flocks on the fine plains of
the Volga as freely as Baatu himself. These speeches were reported to
Baatu, who immediately wrote to the servants of Ban to bring their lord
bound before him. Then Baatu demanded whether he had spoken the words,
which were reported, and Ban acknowledged them, but pled that he was drunk
at the time, and it is usual among the Tartars to forgive the words and
actions of drunk men. But Baatu reproached him for daring to use his name
in his cups, and ordered his head to be immediately struck off.
On my arrival at the court of Mangu-khan, I learnt, that the before
mentioned Germans had been removed from the jurisdiction of Baatu to a
place named Bolac, a months journey to the east of Talus, where they were
employed to dig for gold, and to fabricate arms. In the before mentioned
town we learnt that Talas was near the mountains behind us, at the distance
of six days journey. From the before mentioned village near the
mountains[3], we went directly eastwards, coasting these mountains; and
from that time we travelled among the immediate subjects of Mangu-khan, who
in all places sang and danced in honour of our guide, because he was the
messenger of Baatu; it being the custom for the subjects of Mangu-khan to
receive the messengers of Baatu in this manner, and reciprocally, the
subjects of Baatu shew like honour to the messengers of Mnngu; yet the
subjects of Baatu are more independently spirited, and do not evince so
much courtesy. A few days afterwards, we entered upon the mountains where
the Cara-Catayans used to dwell, where we found a large river which we had
to pass in boats. We afterwards came to a cultivated valley, in which were
the ruins of a castle, which had been surrounded by walls of mud or earth.
After this we came to a large village called Equius, inhabited by
Mahometans, who spoke Persian, although so far removed from Persia. On the
day following, having passed those Alps which descend from the high
mountains towards the south, we entered a most beautiful plain, having high
mountains upon our right hand, and a sea or lake on our left, which is
fifteen days journey in circumference[4]. This plain is watered or
irrigated at will, by means of streams descending from these mountains, all
of which fall into the before mentioned lake.
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