[Sidenote:  Cap.  XXXI.] From tho yles, that I have spoken of before, in the lond of Prestre John, that ben undre erthe as to us, that ben o this half, and of other yles, that ben more furthere bezonde; who so wil, pursuen hem, for to comen azen right to pursuen hem, for to comen azen right to the parties that he cam fro; and so environne alle erthe:  but what for the yles, what for the see, and what for strong rowynge, fewe folk assayen for to passen that passage; alle be it that men myghte don it wel, that myght ben of power to dresse him thereto; as I have seyd zou before.  And therfore men returnen from tho yles aboveseyd, be other yles costynge fro the lond of Prestre John.  And thanne comen men in returnynge to an yle, that is clept Casson:  and that yle hathe wel 60 jorrneyes in lengthe, and more than 50 in brede.  This is the beste yle, and the beste kyngdom, that is in alle tho partyes, out taken Cathay.  And zif the merchauntes useden als moche that contre an thei don Cathay, it wolde ben better than Cathay, in a schort while.  This contree is fulle well enhabyted, and so fulle of cytees, and of gode townes, and enhabyted with peple, that whan a man gothe out of o cytee, men seen another cytee, evene before hem:  and that is what partye that a man go, in alle that contree.  In that yle is gret plentee of alle godes for to lyve with, and of alle manere of spices.  And there ben grete forestes of chesteynes.  The kyng of that yle is fulle ryche and fulle myghty:  and natheles he holt his lond of the grete Chane, and is obeyssant to hym.  For it is on of the 12 provynces, that the grete Chane hathe undre him, with outen his propre lond, and with outen other lesse yles, that he hathe:  for he hathe fulle manye.

From that kyngdom comen men, in returnynge, to another yle, that is clept Rybothe:  and it is also under the grete Chane.  That is a fulle gode contree, and fulle plentefous of alle godes and of wynes and frut, and alle other ricchesse.  And the folk of that contree han none houses:  but thei dwellen and lyggen all under tentes, made of black ferne, by alle the contree.  And the princypalle cytee, and the most royalle, is alle walled with black ston and white.  And alle the stretes also ben pathed of the same stones.  In that cytee is no man so hardy, to schede Blode of no man, ne of no best, for the reverence of an ydole, that is worschipt there.  And in that yle dwellethe the pope of hire lawe, that they clepen Lobassy.  This Lobassy zevethe alle the benefices, and alle other dignytees, and all other thinges, that belongen to the ydole.  And alle tho that holden ony thing of hire chirches, religious and othere, obeyen to him; as men don here to the Pope of Rome.