Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/380

368 368 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. ern provinces of China. He then proceeded towards the north, and visited on his way several famous cities where there were neophytes or Franciscan mission- aries. He speaks of a city which had forty stone bridges, and of several numerous fleets which he met with, doubtless on the Yang-tse-Kiang and the lake Pou Yang. He crossed a great river, on which he makes but a single remark, but this characterises, in a re- markable manner, the Hoang-Ho, or Yellow River. " This river," says he, " passes through the midst of Cathay, to which it causes great injury by its inunda- tions." It is indeed well known that the overflowing of the Hoang-Ho has at all times occasioned much distress in the Chinese Empire. The indefatigable missionary arrived at length at Khanbalik, where he found the brethren of his Order honoured by the grandees and the people, and labouring with the greatest success in the conversion of the Tar- tars and Chinese. They even enjoyed special favours at the court of the great Khan. " I have often been present, " says Oderic, " at the imperial fetes : for we Minorite Brothers have in the palace a place specially appointed for us. In the ceremonies they make us go first, and we give our blessing to the great Khan." He relates that one day he had been walking, with four other missionaries of Pekin, outside the walls of the town. They were seated under a great tree, which pro- tected them by its shade from the heat of the sun, when they perceived at a distance the imperial chariot ad- vancing towards them, surrounded by a brilliant escort. At this sight the missionaries prepared to do homage to the sovereign in a manner suitable to their rank. Amongst them was one who, being a bishop, wore his