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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| Southern Tibet : vol.7 |
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Citation Information
ANCIENT TRAVELLERS.
Io
than a hundred years after the great Venetian, the Bavarian adventurer, JOHANN SCHILTBERGER, had some extraordinary experiences in the interior of Asia, and in his narrative he at least mentions some mountains which are not very far from the system now occupying our attention. He was probably born in 1381, left his home in 1394, served in the army of Sultan Bayazed in 1396-1402; from i 402 to 1405 he accompanied Timur on his campaigns.
Amongst other things he relates in his narrative, is Timur's campaign against
» c lein india», I of which he says:
»Das ligt von siner hoptstat (Samarkand)
zoch er hinyn in das clein India mit vier hundert tusent mannen und zoch durch ein wüst, die ist zweintzig tag weid lang. Da ist grosser mangel an wasser vnd kam dornach an ein gepirg. Da zoch er acht tag ee er doruss kam. Und in dem gepirg ist ein weg da must man die kamel vnd die ross vif Bretter binden vnd musts abhin laussen. Dornach kam er in ein tal, da ist es als finster das ainer den andern nit wol gesehen mocht by liechtem tag, das weret vif ain halbe tagweid. Dornach kam er in ein hochs gepirg. Da zoch er dry tag und dry nächt Inn. Und kam dornach vif ein schönen eben; die ligt vor der hoptstat des landes .... 2
The passage of half a day's journey is the famous Iron Gate , passed by
Alexander in 328 B. C. As all other early travellers, he has no sense for mountains, he only mentions their existence. But his veracity is beyond doubt. VIVIEN DE SAINT-MARTIN says of Schiltberger : C'était un homme simple et peu lettré, mais ses récits ont un cachet de véracité qui inspire la confiance. 3
Another traveller who, in 1404, made the personal acquaintance of Timur, was CLAVIJO, the ambassador of Henry III of Castile. His narrative is valuable and contains a good deal of reliable and correct geographical information. He mentions the countries with which Samarkand is in commercial connection, and has heard of India, Tartary, Cambalu, Cathay and other countries, but has not much to say of them. To Khorassan he gives a very great, but rather vague, extension: »This land of Khorassan is a great territory, which extends from Tartary to India.» He
mentions the Gates of Iron in the following words —August 2 5th, 1404, he has arrived at a mountain:
vier monet tag weid. Und nach der zit
I »India the Lesser extends from the Province of Champa to Mutfild, and contains eight great
kingdoms.» Marco Polo, Yule. Vol II, p. 424. — CLAVIJo also mentions »India the Less ». Markham, p. 119.
2 K. F. Neumann: Reisen des Johannes Schiltberger aus München in Europa, Asia und Afrika
von 1394 bis 1427. München 1859, There is an English Edition of this work: The Bondage
and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa 13 y6 bis 1427. Translated from the Heidelberg M. S. edited in 1859 by Professor Karl Friedrich Neumann, by Corn. J. Buchan Telfer. With Notes by Prof. P. Bruun. London, Hakluyt Soc., MDCCCLXXIX.
3 Histoire des découvertes géographiques, Tome II Paris 18 6 I. RICHTHOFEN makes a curious
slip of the pen in calling the Bavarian traveller Hans and in 4 making him serve Timur until 142 7, though the conqueror died in 1405. Vide China, I, p. 619.
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