CHAP. XVII.

_Travels of the Ambassadors of Mirza Shah Rokh, King of Persia, from Herat
to Khanbalek in Katkay, in 1419_[1].

INTRODUCTION.

This curious embassy, sent by Mirza Shah Rokh one of the sons of Timur, or
Timour the Great, better known in Europe by the name of Tamerlane,
travelled from Herat, in Persia, the residence of their sovereign, to
Khanbalek, Cambalu, or Peking, the imperial city of Kathay, Khatay, Kitay,
or Northern China, where Yong-lo, or Ching-tsu, the third emperor of the
race of Ming then kept his court. Yong-lo began to reign, in 1404, and died
in 1425, the year in which the ambassadors returned to Persia, the race of
Ming, a Chinese dynasty, was founded in 1368, fifty-one years before the
present embassy, by Hoang-vu, who had expelled the Mongol khans, the
degenerate and enervated descendants of Gingis or Zengis. This journey was
described by the famous Persian historian, Emir-Khond, or Emir-Khovand,
usually known by the name of Mirchond, in his performance, entitled, "Of
the Wonders of the World." Nicolas Witsen[2], a learned burgomaster of
Amsterdam, has inserted this curious journey, in his curious work, "Of
North and East Tartary," Having translated it for that purpose from the
Persian into Dutch. The singularly excellent work of Witsen is extremely
rare, and very seldom to be met with, as the author suppressed the work,
from motives which are now unknown. The library of the university of
Goettingen; formerly possessed a copy, which had belonged to the library of
the Empress of Russia, and which was purchased at the sale of the effects
of the late Mr Thunnman for eighty-six dollars. These travels are contained
in the fourth volume of the French collection by Thevenot; who says that it
was written in Persian, in twelve pages, without notes or explanation. He
makes no mention of the translator, but probably borrowed the article from
Witsen, without acknowledgment. The present edition is taken from Astleys
collection, and is enriched by several notes and elucidations, by Mr John
Reinhold Forster; who, while he regrets the scarcity of Witsens valuable
work in Dutch, forgets to inform us of the existence of this tract in
Thevenot, or in the collection of Astley. This journey throws some light on
the interior part of Tartary, or Central Asia; and is therefore an
important addition to our scanty knowledge of that little known and
interesting country, the real storehouse of nations, and the