Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/231

219 THE MISSIONARIES AT THE CAMr OF SARTAK. 219 over the water, but on reaching the opposite bank, found that their guide had played them a shameful trick. On his assurance that they would find plenty of horses on the other side, they had sent back those they had had, as well as their draught oxen; and now they had to wait three whole days on the banks of the river, without being able to procure any. " The river was very full of fish, but the Tartars do not know how to catch it, and do not care about it, un- less it is large enough to cut off lumps, as they do off the carcass of a sheep." At length, the missionaries found means of continuing their journey, though it had to be on foot, as the only cattle to be procured were wanted to draw their waggons. They walked for three whole days without coming to any human habitation, and both men and oxen were getting thoroughly exhausted, when two horses came up which had been forwarded to them. The guide and the interpreter then mounted and set off on an expedition of discovery, and after riding about for three days, came to a Tartar camp, where they obtained horses and oxen, with which they returned to the mis- sionaries, and finally, at the end of the month of July, they arrived at Sartak's encampment. They were taken to Coyat, his lieutenant*, and one of the first questions addressed to them was, who was the greatest Lord among the Franks or Christians of the West ? Rubruk named the Emperor of Germany, but Coyat replied that it was not he, but the King of France ; " for," adds Rubruk, addressing his narrative to King Louis, " he had heard speech of your Majesty by Sir Baldwin of Hamault, and I found there too one of the
 * This man was a Nestorian Christian,