The City of Kerman

CHAPTER 17. The Kingdom of Kerman

Kerman is a kingdom which is also properly in Persia, and formerly it had a hereditary prince.

Since the Tartars conquered the country the rule is no longer hereditary, but the Tartar sends to administer whatever lord he pleases.

In this kingdom are produced the stones called turquoises in great abundance; they are found in the mountains, where they are extracted from the rocks.

There are also plenty of veins of steel and Ondanique.{3} The people are very skilful in making harness of war; their saddles, bridles, spurs, swords, bows, quivers, and arms of every kind, are very well made indeed according to the fashion of those parts.

The ladies of the country and their daughters also produce exquisite needlework in the embroidery of silk stuffs in different colours, with figures of beasts and birds, trees and flowers, and a variety of other patterns.

They work hangings for the use of noblemen so deftly that they are marvels to see, as well as cushions, pillows quilts, and all sorts of things.

In the mountains of Kerman are found the best falcons in the world. They are inferior in size to the Peregrine, red on the breast, under the neck, and between the thighs; their flight so swift that no bird can escape them.{5}

On quitting the city you ride on for seven days, always finding towns, villages, and handsome dwelling-houses, so that it is very pleasant travelling.

There is excellent sport also to be had by the way in hunting and hawking. When you have ridden those seven days over a plain country, you come to a great mountain; and when you have got to the top of the pass you find a great descent which occupies some two days to go down.

All along you find a variety and abundance of fruits; and in former days there were plenty of inhabited places on the road, but now there are none; and you meet with only a few people looking after their cattle at pasture. From the city of Kerman to this descent the cold in winter is so great that you can scarcely abide it, even with a great quantity of clothing.

CHAPTER 18. The City of Camadi and its Ruins; also touching the Carauna Robbers.

After you have ridden down hill those two days, you find yourself in a vast plain, and at the beginning thereof there is a city called Camadi, which formerly was a great and noble place, but now is of little consequence, for the Tartars in their incursions have several times ravaged it.

The plain whereof I speak is a very hot region; and the province that we now enter is called Reobarles.

The fruits of the country are dates, pistachioes, and apples of Paradise, with others of the like not found in our cold climate.

There are vast numbers of turtledoves, attracted by the abundance of fruits, but the Saracens never take them, for they hold them in abomination.

On this plain there is a kind of bird called francolin, but different from the francolin of other countries, for their colour is a mixture of black and white, and the feet and beak are vermilion colour.

The beasts also are peculiar; and first I will tell you of their oxen. These are very large, and all over white as snow; the hair is very short and smooth, which is owing to the heat of the country.

The horns are short and thick, not sharp in the point; and between the shoulders they have a round hump some two palms high. There are no handsomer creatures in the world. And when they have to be loaded, they kneel like the camel; once the load is adjusted, they rise.

Their load is a heavy one, for they are very strong animals. Then there are sheep here as big as asses; and their tails are so large and fat, that one tail shall weigh some 30 lbs. They are fine fat beasts, and afford capital mutton.

In this plain there are a number of villages and towns which have lofty walls of mud, made as a defence against the banditti, who are very numerous, and are called Caraonas. This name is given them because they are the sons of Indian mothers by Tartar fathers.

When these Caraonas wish to make a plundering incursion, they have certain devilish enchantments whereby they do bring darkness over the face of day, insomuch that you can scarcely discern your comrade riding beside you; and this darkness they will cause to extend over a space of seven days’ journey.

They know the country thoroughly, and ride abreast, keeping near one another, sometimes to the number of 10,000, at other times more or fewer.

In this way they extend across the whole plain that they are going to harry, and catch every living thing that is found outside of the towns and villages; man, woman, or beast, nothing can escape them!

The old men whom they take in this way they butcher; the young men and the women they sell for slaves in other countries; thus the whole land is ruined, and has become well-nigh a desert.

The King of these scoundrels is called Nogodar.

This Nogodar had gone to the Court of Chagatai, who was own brother to the Great Kaan, with some 10,000 horsemen of his, and abode with him; for Chagatai was his uncle.

While there, this Nogodar devised a most audacious enterprise.

He left his uncle who was then in Greater Armenia, and fled with many horsemen, cruel unscrupulous fellows, first through Badashan, and then through another province called Pashai-Dir, and then through another called Ariora-Keshemur.

There he lost many of his people and horses, for the roads were very narrow and perilous.

When he had conquered all those provinces, he entered India at the extremity of a province called Dalivar.

He established himself in that city and government, which he took from the King of the country, Asedin Soldan by name, a man of great power and wealth.

There abideth Nogodar with his army, afraid of nobody, and waging war with all the Tartars in his neighbourhood.

Marco himself was all but caught by their bands in such a darkness.

But, as it pleased God, he got off and threw himself into a village that was hard by, called Conosalmi.

Howbeit he lost his whole company except 7 persons who escaped along with him. The rest were caught, and some of them sold, some put to death.