attention. They have silk in such abundance that it is used for clothing
even by poor monks and beggars. The people of China do not use gold
and silver coin in their commercial dealings. Their buying and selling
is carried on by means of pieces of paper about the size of the palm
of the hand, carrying the seal of the Emperor." The Arab traveller
has much to say about the superb painting of China. They study and
paint every stranger that visits their country, and the portrait thus
taken is exposed on the city wall. Thus, should a stranger do anything
to make flight necessary, his portrait would be sent out into every
province and he would soon be discovered.

"China is the safest as well as the pleasantest of all the regions
on the earth for a traveller. You may travel the whole nine months'
journey to which the Empire extends without the slightest cause to
fear, even if you have treasure in your charge. But it afforded me
no pleasure. On the contrary, my spirit was sorely troubled within
me to see how Paganism had the upper hand."

[Illustration: A CARAVAN IN CATHAY. From the Catalan map, 1375.]

Troubles now broke out among the Khan's family, which led to civil
wars and the death of the Great Khan. He was buried with great pomp.
A deep chamber was dug in the earth, into which a beautiful couch was
placed, on which was laid the dead Khan with his arms and all his rich
apparel, the earth over him being heaped to the height of a large hill.

Batuta now hurried from the country, took a junk to Sumatra, thence
to Calicut and by Ormuz home to Tangier, where he arrived in 1348.
He had done what he set forth to do. He had visited the three brothers
of Imam in Persia, India, and China. In addition he had travelled for
twenty-four years and accomplished in all about seventy-five thousand
miles.

With him the history of mediaeval exploration would seem to end, for
within eighty years of his death the modern epoch opens with the
energies and enthusiasm of Prince Henry of Portugal.

For the last few centuries we have found all travel undertaken more
or less as a religious crusade.

So far during the last centuries, travel had been for the most part
by land. Few discoveries had been made by sea. Voyages were too
difficult and dangerous. The Phoenicians had ventured far with
intrepid courage. The Vikings had tossed fearlessly over their stormy
northern seas to the yet unknown land of America, but this was long
ago. Througho