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0133 Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2
Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2 / Page 133 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000042
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BY JOHN DE' MARIGNOLLI.   373

Germany, France, Bohemia, Poland and England, and so to the world's end.

The next chapter is concerning Worship after the Flood, a large portion of which is worthy of translation :

Shem was anxious to maintain the worship of the true God, and his history we shall now follow. In the second year after the flood he begat Arfaxat, who in turn begat Elam, from whom the noble race of the Alans in the East is said to have sprung. They form at this day the greatest and noblest nation in the world, the fairest and bravest of men.' 'Tis by their aid that the Tartars have won the empire of the east, and without them they have never gained a single important victory. For Chinguis Caam, the first king of the Tartars, had seventy-two of their princes serving under him when he went forth under God's providence to scourge the world.... Arfaxat the son of Shem, at the age of thirty-five begat Sela or Sale, by whom India was peopled and divided into three kingdoms. The first of these is called MANZI, the greatest and noblest province in the world, having no paragon in beauty, pleasantness, and extent. In it is that noble city of CAMPSAY, besides ZAYTON, CYNKALAN, JANCI,2 and many other cities. Manzi was formerly called CYN, and it has to this day the noble port and city called Cynkalan, i.e. "Great India" [Great China], for kalan signifies great. And in the Second India, which is called MYNIBAR there is CYNBALI, which signifieth " Little India" [Little China] , for kali is Little.3

1 "Major et nobilior natio mundi et homines pulchriores et fortiores." Compare with the description by Ammianus Marcellinus of the Alans in his time : " Proceri autem Alani poene sunt omnes et pulchri, crinibus mediocriter flavis, oculorum temperatâ torvitate terribile, et armorum levitate veloces" (xxxi, 2).

2 Janci is doubtless Yangcheu, see note to Odoric, p. 123.

3 On Cynkalan or Canton and Cynkali or Cranganore, see notes to Odoric, pp. 105 and 75. As regards Cranganore it may be added that it seems to have been one of the most ancient capitals of Malabar, and in some of the ancient copper deeds appears to be called MVfuyiri-Kodu,