oe liue that came
from thence, for their posteritie is so confused, that they haue nothing of
a Moore in them but abstinence from swines flesh, and yet many of them doe
eate thereof primly. [Sidenote: It should seeme by their voyage to be
Cardandan in Ortelius.] They tell mee that their natiue Countrey hath name
Camarian, a firme land wherein be many kings, and the Indish countrey well
knowen vnto them. It may so be: for as soone as they did see our seruants
(our seruants were Preuzaretes) they iudged them to be Indians: many of
their wordes sounded vpon the Persian tongue, but none of vs coulde
vnderstand them. I asked them whether they conuerted any of the Chinish
nation vnto their secte: they answered mee, that with much a doe they
conuerted the women with whom they doe marry, yeelding me no other cause
thereof, but the difficultie they finde in them to be brought from eating
swines flesh and drinking of wine. I am perswaded therefore, that if this
Countrey were in league with vs, forbidding them neither of both, it would
be an easie matter to draw them to our Religion, from their superstition,
whereat they themselues do laugh when they do then idolatry.

[Sidenote: A Northerne Sea.] I haue learned moreouer that the Sea, whereby
these Moores that came to China were wont to trauaile, is a very great
gulfe, that falleth into this Countrey out from Tartaria and Persia,
leauing on the other side all the Countrey of China, and land of the
Mogores, drawing alwayes toward the South: and of all likelyhood it is euen
so, because that these Moores, the which we haue seene, be rather browne
then white, whereby they shewe themselues to cone from some warmer Countrey
then China is neere to Pachin, where the riuers are frosen in the Winter
for colde, and many of them so vehemently that carts may passe ouer them.

We did see in this Citie many Tartars, Mogores, Brames, and Laoynes, both
men and women. The Tartars are men very white, good horsemen and archers,
confining with China on that side where Pachin standeth, separated from
thence by great mountaines that are bewixt these kingdomes. Ouer them be
certaine wayes to passe, and for both sides, Castles continually kept with
Souldiers: in time past the Tartars were wont alwayes to haue warres with
the Chineans, but these fourescore yeeres past they were quiet, vntill the
second yeere of our imprisonment. The Mogores be in like maner white, and
heathen, we are aduertised that of one