Afghanistan

32. Ghazni (Kitzini)

Ghazni is reached from Malopa in 120 stages.

It is in the northwest of Guanzhou and is exceptionally cold. The winter’s snow does not melt until the spring.

It is surrounded by high mountains. The city wall is cut out of the mountains, around 200 li square surrounded by water.

It has 200 mosques.

The people are well-off. They live in houses 5-6 storeys high.

There is a lot of camel and horse breeding.

The people eat cakes, meat, and julo but little fish and rice.

They drink cow’s milk mixed with water.

until the spring. This country is mountains, and the city wall It has little fish and rice. They also use of a mixture of cow’s milk and water as an habitual beverage'.

The king’s arms reach down to below his knees. He has 100 chargers, every one 6 feet tall, also some dozen head of mules, 3 feet tall. On excursions, he rides alternately with the horses.

His bow pulls several piculs, so that 5-7 ordinary men cannot string it.

When he is on horseback, he carries an iron mace weighing 50 catties.

The Arabs and the West fear him.

Their products are:

• gold, silver
• yue-no cloth
• gold brocade
• camel hair stuffs in all colors
• engraved opaque glass
• liquid storax
• wu ming i
• mo so stones

33. Mosul (Wussili)

Mosul has many rocky mountains. In autumn, there falls a heavy dew, which, under the action of the sun’s rays, hardens into a substance like powdered sugar.

This is gathered and is a a sweet, pleasant tasting food with purifying and cooling properties. It is real kanlu.

The mountains of Mosul has a tree which bears chestnuts in the first year called pulu. The next year, moshi grow on it.

Asbestos cloth and coral are native products.