ndant variety of
other names has been assigned to them. Hyde quotes a Syriac writer who
calls them Aruphon, Hurmon, and Tachshesh, but says that some call them
Gudphorbus, Artachshasht, and Labudo; whilst in Persian they were termed
Amad, Zad-Amad, Drust-Amad, i.e. _Venit, Cito Venit, Sincerus Venit_. Some
called them in Greek, Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus, and in Hebrew,
Magaloth, Galgalath, and Saracia, but otherwise Ator, Sator, and
Petatoros! The Armenian Church used the same names as the Roman, but in
Chaldee they were Kaghba, Badadilma, Badada Kharida. (_Hyde, Rel. Vet.
Pers._ 382-383; _Inchofer, ut supra; J. As._ ser. VI. IX. 160.)

[Just before going to press we have read Major Sykes' new book on
_Persia_. Major Sykes (ch. xxiii.) does not believe that Marco visited
Baghdad, and he thinks that the Venetians entered Persia near Tabriz, and
travelled to Sultania, Kashan, and Yezd. Thence they proceeded to Kerman
and Hormuz. We shall discuss this question in the Introduction.--H. C.]

CHAPTER XV.

OF THE EIGHT KINGDOMS OF PERSIA, AND HOW THEY ARE NAMED.

Now you must know that Persia is a very great country, and contains eight
kingdoms. I will tell you the names of them all.

The first kingdom is that at the beginning of Persia, and it is called
CASVIN; the second is further to the south, and is called CURDISTAN; the
third is LOR; the fourth [SUOLSTAN]; the fifth ISTANIT; the sixth SERAZY;
the seventh SONCARA; the eighth TUNOCAIN, which is at the further
extremity of Persia. All these kingdoms lie in a southerly direction
except one, to wit, Tunocain; that lies towards the east, and borders on
the (country of the) Arbre Sol.[NOTE 1]

In this country of Persia there is a great supply of fine horses; and
people take them to India for sale, for they are horses of great price, a
single one being worth as much of their money as is equal to 200 livres
Tournois; some will be more, some less, according to the quality.[NOTE 2]
Here also are the finest asses in the world, one of them being worth full
30 marks of silver, for they are very large and fast, and acquire a
capital amble. Dealers carry their horses to Kisi and Curmosa, two cities
on the shores of the Sea of India, and there they meet with merchants who
take the horses on to India for sale.

In this country there are many cruel and murderous people, so that no day
passes but there is some homicide among them. Were it not for the
Government, which is