Be it known, therefore, to your sacred majesty, that in the year 1253, on
the 7th of May, we entered into the sea of Pontus, which the Bulgarians
call the Great Sea[1]; which I was informed, by certain merchants, is 1008
miles in length, and is in a manner divided, about its middle, into two
parts, by means of two provinces which project into it, one on the north,
and the other on the south. That which is on the south is called Synope,
and contains the castle and port of the Sultan of the Turks. The northern
province is called Gasaria by the Latins[2], and Cassaria by the Greek
inhabitants of its coast, which is the same with Caesaria; and from thence
certain headlands extend southwards into the sea, towards Synope, from the
nearest part of which they are 300 miles distant; so that the distance from
these points to Constantinople is 700 miles in length and breadth, and 700
miles to Hiberia in the east, which is a province of Georgia.
We arrived in the province of Gasaria, or Casaria, which is of a triangular
form, having a city named Kersova on its western extremity, in which St
Clement suffered martyrdom. While sailing past that city, we saw an island
containing a church, which is said to have been built by the angels. In the
middle of this province, and on a cape to the south, stands the city of
Soldaia, directly facing Synope. And here all merchants land who come from
Turkey, in their way to the north, and embark here again on their return
from Russia and the north for Turkey; these latter bring ermines and
martins, and other valuable furs, and the former carry cloths made of
cotton, or bombasins, and silk webs, and aromatic spices. On the east of
this province is the city of Matriga[3], where the Tanais flows into the
Pontus, by a mouth of twelve miles wide[4]. Before this river enters the
Euxine, it forms itself into a sea towards the north, of seven hundred
miles in length and breadth, but in no place above six paces deep, so that
it is not navigable for large vessels: For which reason, the merchants of
Constantinople, when they arrive at the city of Matriga, send their barks
to the Tanais, where they purchase dried fish, sturgeons, thosas, barbels,
and many other sorts of fish.
This province of Casaria has the sea on three sides; on the west, where
stands Kersova, or the city of St Clement; on the south, where is the city
of Soldaia, at which we landed; and on the east, where Matriga is situated
at the mouth of the Tanais. To the east of that mouth is the city of Zikia,
and the countries of the Suevi and Hiberi still further east, all of which
are not under the dominion of the Tartars. To the south is Trebisond, which
has its own prince, named Guido, who, although of the imperial race of
Constantinople, is under the Tartar dominion; and next to it is Synope,
which belongs to the sultan of the Turks, who is likewise subjected to the
Tartars. Beyond this is the country of Vastacius, whose son is named Astar,
after his maternal grandfather, and this country is not under the dominion
of the Tartars. From the mouth of the Tanais to the Danube, and even beyond
the Danube towards Constantinople, including Walachia, which is the country
of Assanus, and the lesser Bulgaria as far as Solonia, pay tribute to the
Tartars, who of late years have exacted an axe from each family, and all
the corn which they find in heaps, in addition to the regular tribute.
We landed at Soldaia[5] on the 21st of May, where certain merchants of
Constantinople had previously arrived, who reported that ambassadors from
the Holy Land were coming thither, on their way to Sartach; although I had
publickly declared on palm Sunday, in the church of St Sophia, that I was
no ambassador from you or any one, and only travelled to these infidels, in
conformity with the rule of our order. On our arrival, these merchants
advised me to be cautious of what I said; for, as they had already reported
that I was an ambassador, if I should now say the contrary, I should be
refused a free passage. Upon this, I addressed myself to the lieutenants of
the city, because the captains had gone with the tribute to Baatu, and were
not yet returned: saying, "We have heard in the Holy Land, that your lord
Sartach[6] had become a Christian, which hath greatly rejoiced all the
Christians, and especially the most Christian King of the French, who is
there in pilgrimage, fighting against the Saracens, that he may redeem the
Holy Land out of their hands: Wherefore, I desire to go to Sartach, that I
may carry him letters from the king my master, in which he gives him
intelligence of importance to all Christendom." They received us
graciously, and entertained us hospitably in the cathedral church; The
bishop had been at the court of Sartach, and told me many good things
concerning him, which I did not find afterwards to be true. They then gave
us our choice, either to have carts drawn by oxen, for carrying our
baggage, or sumpter horses; and the Constantinopolitan merchants advised me
to purchase covered carts, like those in which the Russians carry their
peltry, in which I should put every thing which was wanted for daily use;
because, if I were to take packhorses, I should be constrained to pack and
unpack at every baiting place, and that besides, I should ride more easily
in the carts than on horseback. By following their evil advice, I was two
months in travelling to Sartach, which I might have accomplished in one on
horseback. I had brought with me from Constantinople fruits of various
kinds, muscadel wine, and delicate biscuits, to present to the captains,
that I might obtain free passage, having been advised by the merchants,
that these persons gave a very cold reception to such as applied to them
empty handed.
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