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.  In the subsequent summer we returned by the north side of this lake, where likewise there are great mountains[5].  In this plain there used to be many towns; but most of these have been destroyed by the Tartars, that the excellent lands around them might be converted into pastures for their cattle.  We still found one large town named Cailac, in which was a market frequented by many merchants; and we remained fifteen