[9] This appears to refer to the Uralian chain, and the frozen regions of
    the north of Russia.—­E.

[10] A mistake, by confounding close-made dresses of fur with the notion of
    naked men, covered all over with shaggy hair.—­E.

[11] Probably Wolgar, Bulgar, or Bulgaria, is here meant.—­E

[12] From the sequel he appears rather to have been his brother.—­E.

[13] This is probably a corruption for Mangrill, or Mingrelia.—­E.

[14] Forster explains this by substituting the names of Bebian and Bedias
    as synonymous.  No such name occurs in our best maps; but there is a
    place near the country of Mingrelia in Guria on the Black-Sea, named
    Batum, which may be here indicated—­E.

[15] This place is called in the text Weisseburgh, signifying the White
    Town, otherwise named Akkerman or Akkiermann, Asprecastro,
    Tschetatalba, and Belgorod.—­Forst.

    From the concluding sentence, Schildtberger, who began his travels,
    or rather captivity in 1394, must have returned to Munich about 1426
    or 1427—­E.

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;