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Having remained for some time in the imperial city, they crossed the Great Sea to Soldadia , from thence they went to the court of a Tartar prince, named Barha , who lived in the towns of Bolgara and Alsara . To this prince they shewed the fine jewels which they had brought for sale, and presented him with some of the most valuable.
By this unfortunate incident, the roads to the westwards became quite unsafe for the journey of the Polos, and they were advised to make a large circuit round the north and east frontiers of the dominions of Barha; and by which route they made their escape from the seat of war to Guthacam, a town on the Tygris . A little farther on, they crossed the Gihon, one of the four rivers of Paradise, and travelled afterwards for seventeen days in the desert, in which they saw neither town, castle, nor village, and only a few Tartars dwelling in huts or tents.
The Black-Sea, or Euxine, is here called the Great Sea. Soldadia, Soldaia, or Sudak, was a city in the Crimea, a little to the west of Caffa. Forst. Barha or Barcha, more properly Bereke-khan, who reigned from 1256 to 1266. Bolgara is the town of Bolgari, the capital of Bulgaria, which subsisted from 1161 to 1578.
Having remained a whole year at his court, they were desirous of returning to Venice; but before they had any opportunity of departing, a war broke out between Barha and another Tartar prince named Arau ; the armies of these rivals came to a battle, in which Barha was defeated, and obliged to fly.
After a few months, the aid of the governors of Bihar and Allahabad, Saiyids of the tribe of Barha, enabled the last remaining claimant to overthrow and murder the incapable Emperor. The conqueror succeeded his uncle under the title of FAROKHSIAR.
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