nage, but the persistent demand produced a
supply, and the honour of identification with Prester John, after hovering
over one head and another, settled finally upon that of the King of the
Keraits, whom we find to play the part in our text.

Thus in Plano Carpini's single mention of Prester John as the King of the
Christians of India the Greater, who defeats the Tartars by an elaborate
stratagem, Oppert recognizes Sultan Jalaluddin of Khwarizm and his
temporary success over the Mongols in Afghanistan. In the Armenian Prince
Sempad's account, on the other hand, this Christian King of India is
_aided_ by the Tartars to defeat and harass the neighbouring Saracens, his
enemies, and becomes the Mongol's vassal. In the statement of Rubruquis,
though distinct reference is made to the conquering Gurkhan (under the
name of Coir Cham of Caracatay), the title of _King John_ is assigned to
the Naiman Prince (_Kushluk_), who had married the daughter of the last
lineal sovereign of Karakhitai, and usurped his power, whilst, with a
strange complication of confusion, UNC, Prince of the Crit and Merkit
(Kerait and Merkit, two great tribes of Mongolia)[10] and Lord of
Karakorum, is made the brother and successor of this Naiman Prince. His
version of the story, as it proceeds, has so much resemblance to Polo's,
that we shall quote the words. The Crit and Merkit, he says, were
Nestorian Christians. "But their Lord had abandoned the worship of Christ
to follow idols, and kept by him those priests of the idols who are all
devil-raisers and sorcerers. Beyond his pastures, at the distance of ten
or fifteen days' journey, were the pastures of the MOAL (Mongol), who were
a very poor people, without a leader and without any religion except
sorceries and divinations, such as all the people of those parts put so
much faith in. Next to Moal was another poor tribe called TARTAR. King
John having died without an heir, his brother Unc got his wealth, and
caused himself to be proclaimed Cham, and sent out his flocks and herds
even to the borders of Moal. At that time there was a certain blacksmith
called Chinghis among the tribe of Moal, and he used to lift the cattle of
Unc Chan as often as he had a chance, insomuch that the herdsmen of Unc
Chan made complaint to their master. The latter assembled an army, and
invaded the land of the Moal in search of Chinghis, but he fled and hid
himself among the Tartars. So Unc, having plundered the Moal and Tartars,