l do. But if ye shall see and hear the
commandment of the Eternal GOD, and will not hearken to or believe it,
saying, our country is far off, our hills are strong, our sea is great; and
in this confidence shall lead an army against us to know what we can do; he
that made what is hard easy, and that which is far off near, the Eternal
GOD himself knows that alone."

While these things were going forwards, my companion heard that we were to
return by the wilderness to Baatu, under the guidance of a Moal, on which
he ran to Bulgai, the chief secretary, signifying to him, by signs, that he
should certainly die if he went that way. On the day when we were to
receive our pass, which was a fortnight after the feast of St John, 8th
July, the secretary said to him; it is the pleasure of Mangu, that your
companion shall return by Baatu, and as you are sick, you may remain and
shall be provided in necessaries till some ambassador come, with whom you
may return more easily by a way where there are villages. The friar
answered "God grant the khan a long and prosperous life, I will remain."
Then they brought us three garments, saying, that as we refused gold or
silver, and had stayed long here, praying for the khan, he entreats that
each would accept a single garment, that you may not depart empty handed.

[1] Explained as signifying the sound of iron, probably in allusion to his
martial power.--E.

[2] The obscurity of this passage is inexplicable.--E.

SECTION XXXIX.

_The departure of Rubruquis from the Court of Mangu-khan, and his journey
by Saray and other places, to Tripoly in Syria._

Leaving the Leskar or moving camp of Mangu-khan, we came to Caracarum, and
while we remained in the house of William Bouchier the goldsmith, my guide
brought ten jascots, five of which he delivered to William, commanding him,
from the khan, to expend these for the use of the friar while he remained
there, and he left the other five with my interpreter for my subsistence by
the way; for William had given them such instructions without my knowledge.
I immediately changed one of the jascots into small money, which I
distributed among the poor Christians of Caracarum. Another was spent in
providing garments and other necessaries for our journey. With the third my
interpreter bought several articles, of which he afterwards made some
profit. The other two we expended on the road, as, after we came into
Persia, sufficient necessaries were