[Chao Ju-kua (transl. in German by Dr. F. Hirth, T’oung Pao, V. Supp. p. 40), a Chinese Official of the Sung Dynasty, says regarding Kish:  “The land of Ki-shih (Kish) lies upon a rocky island in the sea, in sight of the coast of Ta-shih, at half-a-day’s journey.  There are but four towns in its territories.  When the King shows himself out of doors, he rides a horse under a black canopy, with an escort of 100 servants.  The inhabitants are white and of a pure race and eight Chinese feet tall.  They wear under a Turban their hair loose partly hanging on their neck.  Their dress consists of a foreign jacket and a light silk or cotton overcoat, with red leather shoes.  They use gold and silver coins.  Their food consists of wheaten bread, mutton, fish and dates; they do not eat rice.  The country produces pearls and horses of a superior quality.”—­H.C.]

[Illustration:  A Persian Wind-Catcher.]

The Turkish Admiral Sidi ’Ali, who was sent in 1553 to command the Ottoman fleet in the Persian Gulf, and has written an interesting account of his disastrous command and travels back to Constantinople from India, calls the Island Kais, or “the old Hormuz.”  This shows that the traditions of the origin of the island of Hormuz had grown dim. Kish had preceded Hormuz as the most prominent port of Indian trade, but old Hormuz, as we have seen (Bk.  I. ch. xix.), was quite another place. (J.  As. ser. i, tom. ix. 67.)

BOOK FOURTH

WARS AMONG THE TARTAR PRINCES AND SOME ACCOUNT OF THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES

Note.—­A considerable number of the quasi-historical chapters in this section (which I have followed M. Pauthier in making into a Fourth Book) are the merest verbiage and repetition of narrative formulae without the slightest value.  I have therefore thought it undesirable to print all at length, and have given merely the gist (marked thus <+>), or an extract, of such chapters.  They will be found entire in English in H. Murray’s and Wright’s editions, and in the original French in the edition of the Societe de Geographie, in Bartoli, and in Pauthier.

BOOK IV.

CHAPTER I.

CONCERNING GREAT TURKEY.

In GREAT TURKEY there is a king called CAIDU, who is the Great Kaan’s nephew, for he was the grandson of CHAGATAI, the Great Kaan’s own brother.  He hath many cities and castles, and is a great Prince.  He and his people are Tartars alike; and they are good soldiers, for they are constantly engaged in war.[NOTE 1]