, and August; preferring this residence because it is by no
means hot; in fact it is a very cool place. When the 28th day of [the Moon
of] August arrives he takes his departure, and the Cane Palace is taken to
pieces.[NOTE 5] But I must tell you what happens when he goes away from
this Palace every year on the 28th of the August [Moon].

You must know that the Kaan keeps an immense stud of white horses and
mares; in fact more than 10,000 of them, and all pure white without a
speck. The milk of these mares is drunk by himself and his family, and by
none else, except by those of one great tribe that have also the privilege
of drinking it. This privilege was granted them by Chinghis Kaan, on
account of a certain victory that they helped him to win long ago. The
name of the tribe is HORIAD.[NOTE 6]

Now when these mares are passing across the country, and any one falls in
with them, be he the greatest lord in the land, he must not presume to
pass until the mares have gone by; he must either tarry where he is, or go
a half-day's journey round if need so be, so as not to come nigh them; for
they are to be treated with the greatest respect. Well, when the Lord sets
out from the Park on the 28th of August, as I told you, the milk of all
those mares is taken and sprinkled on the ground. And this is done on the
injunction of the Idolaters and Idol-priests, who say that it is an
excellent thing to sprinkle that milk on the ground every 28th of August,
so that the Earth and the Air and the False Gods shall have their share of
it, and the Spirits likewise that inhabit the Air and the Earth. And thus
those beings will protect and bless the Kaan and his children and his
wives and his folk and his gear, and his cattle and his horses, his corn
and all that is his. After this is done, the Emperor is off and away.[NOTE
7]

But I must now tell you a strange thing that hitherto I have forgotten to
mention. During the three months of every year that the Lord resides at
that place, if it should happen to be bad weather, there are certain
crafty enchanters and astrologers in his train, who are such adepts in
necromancy and the diabolic arts, that they are able to prevent any cloud
or storm from passing over the spot on which the Emperor's Palace stands.
The sorcerers who do this are called TEBET and KESIMUR, which are the
names of two nations of Idolaters. Whatever they do in this way is by the
help of the Devil, but they make those people be