to Islam, and Baidu also, to please them, adopted Mahomedan practices.  But he would only employ Christians as Ministers of State.  His rival Ghazan, on the other hand, strengthened his own influence by adopting Islam, Baidu’s followers fell off from him, and delivered him into Ghazan’s power.  He was put to death 4th of October, 1295, about seven months after the death of his predecessor.  D’Ohsson’s authorities seem to mention no battle such as the text speaks of, but Mirkhond, as abridged by Teixeira, does so, and puts it at Nakshiwan on the Araxes (p. 341).

NOTE 2.—­Hayton testifies from his own knowledge to the remarkable personal beauty of Arghun, whilst he tells us that the son Ghazan was as notable for the reverse.  After recounting with great enthusiasm instances which he had witnessed of the daring and energy of Ghazan, the Armenian author goes on, “And the most remarkable thing of all was that within a frame so small, and ugly almost to monstrosity, there should be assembled nearly all those high qualities which nature is wont to associate with a form of symmetry and beauty.  In fact among all his host of 200,000 Tartars you should scarcely find one of smaller stature or of uglier and meaner aspect than this Prince.”

[Illustration:  Tomb of Oljaitu Khan, the brother of Polo’s “Casan” at Sultaniah. (From Fergusson.)]

Pachymeres says that Ghazan made Cyrus, Darius, and Alexander his patterns, and delighted to read of them.  He was very fond of the mechanical arts; “no one surpassed him in making saddles, bridles, spurs, greaves, and helmets; he could hammer, stitch, and polish, and in such occupations employed the hours of his leisure from war.”  The same author speaks of the purity and beauty of his coinage, and the excellence of his legislation.  Of the latter, so famous in the East, an account at length is given by D’Ohsson. (Hayton in Ramus. II. ch. xxvi., Pachym.  Andron.  Palaeol. VI. 1; D’Ohsson, vol iv.)

Before finally quitting the “Tartars of the Levant,” we give a representation of the finest work of architecture that they have left behind them, the tomb built for himself by Oljaitu (see on this page), or, as his Moslem name ran, Mahomed Khodabandah, in the city of Sultaniah, which he founded.  Oljaitu was the brother and successor of Marco Polo’s friend Ghazan, and died in 1316, eight years before our traveller.

CHAPTER XX.

CONCERNING KING CONCHI WHO RULES THE FAR NORTH.

You must know that in the far north there is a King called CONCHI.  He is a Tartar, and all his people are Tartars, and they keep up the regular Tartar religion.  A very brutish one it is, but they keep it up just the same as Chinghis Kaan and the proper Tartars did, so I will tell you something of it.

You must know then that they make them a god of felt, and call him NATIGAI; and they also make him a wife; and then they say that these two divinities are the gods of the Earth who protect their cattle and their corn and all their earthly goods.  They pray to these figures, and when they are eating a good dinner they rub the mouths of their gods with the meat, and do many other stupid things.