The City of Sapurgan

CHAPTER 33. The Kingdom of Cascar

Cascar is a region lying between north-east and east, and constituted a kingdom in former days, but now it is subject to the Great Kaan. The people worship Mahommet.

There are a good number of towns and 181villages, but the greatest and finest is Cascar itself.

The inhabitants live by trade and handicrafts; they have beautiful gardens and vineyards, and fine estates, and grow a great deal of cotton.

From this country many merchants go forth about the world on trading journeys.

The natives are a wretched, niggardly set of people. They eat and drink in miserable fashion.

There are in the country many Nestorian Christians, who have churches of their own. The people of the country have a peculiar language, and the territory extends for five days’ journey.

CHAPTER 34. The Great City of Samarcan

Samarcan is a great and noble city towards the north-west, inhabited by both Christians and Saracens, who are subject to the Great Kaan’s nephew, Caidou.

He however has bitter enmity with the Kaan.

It is not a great while ago that Sigatay, own brother to the Great Kaan, who was Lord of this country and of many an one besides, became a Christian.

The Christians rejoiced greatly at this. They built a great church in the city, in honour of John the Baptist.

By his name the church was called.

They took a very fine stone which belonged to the Saracens, and placed it as the pedestal of a column in the middle of the church, supporting the roof.

But Sigatay died.

The Saracens were full of rancour about that stone that had been theirs, and which had been set up in the church of the Christians.

They said to one to another that now was the time to get back their stone since they were ten times as many as the Christians.

So they gat together and went to the church and said that the stone they must and would have. The Christians acknowledged that it was theirs, but offered to pay a large sum of money and so be quit.

Howbeit, the others replied that they never would give up the stone for anything in the world.

And words ran so high that the Prince heard thereof, and ordered the Christians either to arrange to satisfy the Saracens, if it might be, with money, or to give up the stone. And he allowed them three days to do either the one thing or the other.

The Saracens would not agree to leave the stone where it was, and this out of pure despite to the Christians, for they knew well enough that if the stone were stirred the church would come down by the run.

So the Christians were in great trouble and wist not what to do.

But they did do the best thing possible.

They besought Jesus Christ that he would consider their case, so that the holy church should not come to destruction, nor the name of its Patron Saint, John the Baptist, be tarnished by its ruin.

And so when the day fixed by the Prince 186came round, they went to the church betimes in the morning, and lo, they found the stone removed from under the column; the foot of the column was without support, and yet it bore the load as stoutly as before!

Between the foot of the column and the ground there was a space of three palms. So the Saracens had away their stone, and mighty little joy withal. It was a glorious miracle, nay, it is so, for the column still so standeth, and will stand as long as God pleaseth.

CHAPTER 35. The Province of Yarcan.

Yarcan is a province five days’ journey in extent. The people follow the Law of Mahommet, but there are also Nestorian and Jacobite Christians.

They are subject to the same Prince that I mentioned, the Great Kaan’s nephew.

They have plenty of everything, particularly of cotton.

The inhabitants are also great craftsmen, but a large proportion of them have swoln legs, and great crops at the throat, which arises from some quality in their drinking-water.

As there is nothing else worth telling we may pass on.

CHAPTER 36. A Province called Cotan.

Cotan is a province lying between north-east and east, and is 8 days’ journey in length.

The people are subject to the Great Kaan, and are all worshippers of Mahommet.

There are numerous towns and villages in the country, but Cotan, the capital, is the most noble of all, and gives its name to the kingdom.

Everything is to be had there in plenty, including abundance of cotton, with flax, hemp, wheat, wine, and the like.

The people have vineyards and gardens and estates. They live by commerce and manufactures, and are no soldiers.