AN ARMENIAN LADY BUILDS A CHURCH. 357 which the multitudes of the faithful could meet on any solemn occasion. The Armenian lady seeing this, at- tending only to the promptings of her zeal and piety, and determining to devote her immense riches to the salvation of souls, and the glory of God, built such a magnificent church there, that the Archbishop, Monte Corvino, gave it the name of a cathedral, raised the province into a diocese, and entrusted its administration to Bishop Gerard, who, dying soon afterwards, was suc- ceeded by Bishop Peregrin. In 1326, this district was in the charge of Andre de Perouse, and it was from here that he wrote to the father of the convent of Perouse, giving some of the details of his journey in Central Asia, and speaking also of the state of the Catholic missions in China.* " We are separated," he says, " by such a vast stretch of sea and land, that I scarcely dare hope my letter will ever reach you. . . . You will doubtless have heard of the difficulties we encountered by land and water, of the trials, dangers, fatigues, and sufferings we had to en- dure; how we were sometimes robbed of everything, even of our horses and clothes. At last, however, by God's help, we arrived at Khanbalik, the capital of the empire of the great Khan, and consecrated the archbishop, ac- cording to the instructions we received from the Holy See. Our residence at Khanbalik lasted for five years, and during that time we received an alafa f through the munificence of the emperor ; that is to say, food and clothing for eight persons. This pension is granted by
- Wadding, vol. vii. p. 44.
f An Arabic word which means salary, appointment. It is in use among the Turks, the Persians, and the Tartars, and we have even met with it among the inhabitants of Thibet. A A 3
