SECTION XXXIII.

The return of the Papal Envoys to Europe.

At length we took our departure, and travelled the whole winter through the desert, often sleeping all night on the snow, unless when we cleared a piece of ground with our feet, and frequently in the morning we found ourselves entirely covered by the snow, which had drifted over us during the night.  On Ascension day, we arrived at the court of Baatu, of whom we inquired what message we should deliver in his name to the Pope?  To this he answered, that he had no message to give us in charge, but only that we should carefully deliver what we had received from the emperor.  Having received additional passports from him, we continued our journey, and arrived at the station of Montij on the Sabbath after the Whitson week, where our companions and servants, who had been kept so long from us, were returned at our desire.  From thence we travelled to the station of Corrensa, who again required presents from us, but we now had none to give.  He however appointed two Comanians, of the lowest order of the Tartar subjects, to accompany us to Kiow in Russia; but our Tartar guide did not quit us till we were beyond the Tartar bounds; after which the Comanians, who had been ordered by Corrensa to attend us, brought us in six days from the last guard of the Tartars, to the city of Kiow, where we arrived fifteen days before the festival of John the Baptist, 9th June 1248.  On receiving notice of our approach, the whole inhabitants of Kiow came out joyfully to receive us, congratulating us as men returned from death to life; and we were received in a similar manner in our whole progress through Russia, Poland, and Bohemia.  Daniel, and his brother Wasilico, feasted us splendidly, and detained us, contrary to our desire, for eight days.  In the meantime, they and their bishops and nobles, having consulted on those matters, which we had propounded to them, when on our journey towards the Tartars, made an unanimous declaration, that they would henceforwards hold the Pope as their special lord and holy father, and would adhere to the Roman church as their lady and mistress, confirming all things which they had previously sent on this subject, by their own abbot, to the Pope before our return; and in ratification of all this, they sent envoys and letters along with us to the Pope[1].

[1] In Section XIX. of this journey, Wasilico, or Wasiley, is mentioned as
    duke of Russia; but who must only have been duke of some subordinate
    province.  This submission of Russia, or of his particular dukedom,
    produced no fruit to the Romish see, as the Russian empire still
    remains what are called Greek schismatics.—­E

CHAP.  IX.

Travels of William de Rubruquis into Tartary, about the year 1253_.[1]

INTRODUCTION.