the Pope was the head of the
Christians. "He was," says "Our Benjamin," "a very dignified personage,
friendly towards the Jews, a kind-hearted man, but never to be seen."
Pilgrims from distant lands, passing through Bagdad on their way to
Mecca, prayed to be allowed to see "the brightness of his face," but
they were only allowed to kiss one end of his garment. Now, although
Benjamin describes the journey from Bagdad to China, it is very
doubtful if he ever got to China himself, so we will leave him
delighting in the glories of Bagdad, with its palm trees, its gardens
and orchards, rejoicing in the statistics of Jews, and turn to the
adventures of one, Carpini, who really did reach Tartary.

This Carpini, or Friar John, was a Franciscan who was chosen by the
Pope to go to the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which was threatening
to overrun Christendom. On 16th April 1245, Friar John left the
cloister for the unknown tract of country by which he had to pass into
China. By way of Bohemia he passed into Russia, and, having annexed
Brother Benedict in Poland and Brother Stephen in Bohemia, together
with a guide, Carpini made his way eastwards. It was mid-winter; the
travellers had to ride on Tartar horses, "for they alone could find
grass under the snow, or live, as animals must in Tartary, without
hay or straw." Sometimes Friar John fell so ill that he had to be placed
in a cart and carried through the deep snow.

[Illustration: TWO EMPERORS OF TARTARY. From the Catalan map, 1375.]

It was Easter 1246, just a year after their start, that Friar John
and his companions began the last section of their journey beyond the
Volga, and "most tearfully we set out," not knowing whether it was
"for life or for death." So thin had they all become that not one of
them could ride. Still they toiled on, till one July day they entered
Mongolia and found the headquarters of the Great Khan about half a
day's journey from Karakorum. They arrived in time to witness the
enthronement of the new Khan in August. Here were crowds of ambassadors
from Russia and Persia as well as from outlying parts of the growing
Mongol Empire. These were laden with gifts--indeed, there were no less
than five hundred crates full of silks, satins, brocades, fur, gold
embroidery. Friar John and his companions had no gifts to offer save
the letter from the Pope.

Impressive, indeed, in the eyes of the once cloistered friar must have
been this first sight of Easte