the roads being guarded in such a manner that no
persons who attempted to pass could escape being made prisoners. Upon
arriving at a certain range of hills, on the other side of which was
the plain where Nayan's army lay encamped, Kublai halted his troops
and allowed them two days of rest. During this interval he called upon
his astrologers to ascertain, by virtue of their art, and to declare
in presence of the whole army, to which side the victory would
incline. They pronounced that it would fall to the lot of Kublai. It
has ever been the practice of the grand khans to have recourse to
divination for the purpose of inspiriting their men.

Confident, therefore, of success, they ascended the hill with alacrity
the next morning, and presented themselves before the army of Nayan,
which they found negligently posted, without advanced parties or
scouts, while the chief himself was asleep in his tent, accompanied by
one of his wives. Upon awaking, he hastened to form his troops in the
best manner that circumstances would allow, lamenting that his
junction with Kaidu had not been sooner effected. Kublai took his
station in a large wooden castle, borne on the backs of four
elephants, whose bodies were protected with coverings of thick leather
hardened by fire, over which were housings of cloth of gold. The
castle contained many cross-bowmen and archers, and on the top of it
was hoisted the imperial standard, adorned with representations of the
sun and moon. His army, which consisted of thirty battalions of horse,
each battalion containing ten thousand men, armed with bows, he
disposed in three grand divisions; and those which formed the left and
right wings he extended in such a manner as to outflank the army of
Nayan. In front of each battalion of horse were placed five hundred
infantry, armed with short lances and swords, who, whenever the
cavalry made a show of fight, were practised to mount behind the
riders and accompany them, alighting again when they returned to the
charge, and killing, with their lances, the horses of the enemy. As
soon as the order of battle was arranged, an infinite number of wind
instruments of various kinds were sounded, and these were succeeded by
songs, according to the custom of the Tartars before they engage in
fight, which commences upon the signal given by the cymbals and drums,
and there was such a beating of the cymbals and drums, and such
singing, that it was wonderful to hear. This signal,