Part 4
{MN} To her unkind Brother, this kind Lady writ so much for his good usage, that he half expected, as much as she intended; for she told him, he should there but sojourn to learn the Language, and what it was to be a _Turk,_ till time made her Master of her self. But the _Tymor,_ her Brother, diverted all this to the worst of Cruelty; for within an hour after his arrival, he caused his _Drubman_ to strip him naked, and shave his Head and Beard so bare as his Hand, a great Ring of Iron, with a long stalk bowed like a Sickle, revitted about his Neck, and a Coat made of _Ulgries_ Hair, guarded about with a piece of an undrest Skin. There were many more Christian Slaves, and near an hundred _Forsados_ of _Turks_ and _Moors,_ and he being the last, was slave of Slaves to them all. Among these slavish Fortunes, there was no great choice; for the best was so bad, a Dog could hardly have lived to endure, and yet for all their pains and labours, no more regarded than a Beast.
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{MN} Smith's _usage in_ Tartaria.
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CHAP. XIII.
_The_ Turks _diet; the Slaves diet; the attire of the_ Tartars; _and manner of Wars and Religions, &c._
{MN-1} The _Tymor_ and his Friends fed upon Pillaw, which is, boiled Rice and Garnances with little bits of Mutton or Buckones, which is Roasted pieces of Horse, Bull, Ulgrie, or any Beasts. Samboyses and Muselbit are great Dainties, and yet but round Pies, full of all sorts of Flesh, they can get chopped with variety of Herbs. Their best Drink is Coffee, of a grain they call _Coava,_ boiled with Water; and _Sherbeck,_ which is only Honey and Water; Mares Milk, or the Milk of any Beast, they hold restorative: but all the Commonalty drink pure Water. {MN-2} Their Bread is made of this _Coava,_ which is a kind of black Wheat, and Cuskus a small white Seed, like _Millia_ in _Biskay:_ But our common Victuals, the entrails of Horse and Ulgries; of this cut in small pieces, they will fill a great Cauldron, and being boiled with _Cuskus,_ and put in great Bowls in the form of Chaffing-dishes, they sit round about it on the Ground, after they have raked it thorow, so oft as they please with their foul Fists, the remainder was for the _Christian_ Slaves. Some of this Broth, they would temper with _Cuskus_ pounded, and putting the Fire off from the Hearth, pour there a Bowl full, then cover it with Coals till it be baked, which stewed with the remainder of the Broth, and some small pieces of Flesh, was an extraordinary Dainty.
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{MN-1} _The_ Tymor's _Diet of_ Cambia, _is as the_ Turks.
{MN-2} _The Slaves Diet._
{MN} The better sort are attired like _Turks,_ but the plain _Tartar_ hath a black Sheeps-skin over his back, and two of the Legs tied about his Neck; the other two about his middle, with another over his Belly, and the Legs tied in like manner behind him: Then two more, made like a pair of Bases, serveth him for Breeches; with a little close Cap to his Skull of black Felt, and they use exceeding much of this Felt for Carpets, for Bedding, for Coats, and Idols. Their Houses are much worse than your _Irish,_ but the In-land Countries have none but Carts and Tents, which they ever remove from Countrey to Countrey, as they see occasion, driving with them infinite Troops of black Sheep, Cattel and Ulgries, eating all up before them as they go.
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{MN} _The attire of those_ Tartars.
{MN} For the _Tartars_ of _Nagi,_ they have neither Town, nor House, Corn, nor Drink, but Flesh and Milk. The Milk they keep in great Skins like _Burracho's,_ which though it be never so sower, it agreeth well with their strong Stomachs. They live all in _Hordias,_ as doth the _Crim-Tartars,_ three or four hundred in a Company, in great Carts fifteen or sixteen foot broad, which are covered with small Rods, wattled together in the form of a Bird's Nest, turned upwards, and with the Ashes of Bones, temper'd with Oil, Camels Hair, and a Clay they have, they loam them so well, that no Weather can pierce them, and yet very light. Each _Hordia_ hath a _Murse,_ which they obey as their King. Their Gods are infinite. One or two thousand of those glittering white Carts drawn with Camels, Deer, Bulls, and Ulgries, they bring round in a Ring, where they pitch their Camp; and the _Murse,_ with his chief Alliances, are placed in the midst. They do much hurt, when they can get any _Stroggs,_ which are great Boats used up on the River _Volga,_ (which they call _Edle_) to them that dwell in the Countrey of _Perolog,_ and would do much more, were it not for the _Muscovites_ Garrisons that there Inhabit.
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{MN} _The_ Tartars _of_ Nagi _and their manners._
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CHAP. XIIII.
_The Description of the_ Crim-Tartars; _their Houses and Carts, their Idolatry in their Lodgings_
{MN-1} Now you are to understand, _Tartary_ and _Scythia_ are all one, but so large and spacious, few, or none, could ever perfectly describe it, nor all the several kinds of those most barbarous People that inhabit it. Those we call the _Crim-Tartars,_ border upon _Moldavia, Podolia, Lithuania,_ and _Russia,_ are much more regular than the interior parts of _Scythia._ This Great _Tartarian_ Prince, that hath so troubled all his Neighbours, they always call _Chan,_ which signifieth Emperour; but we, the _Crim-Tartar._ He liveth for the most part in the best Champion Plains of many Provinces; and his removing Court is like a great City of Houses and Tents, drawn on Carts, all so orderly placed East and West, on the right and left hand of the Prince's House, which is always in the midst towards the South, before which, none may pitch their Houses, every one knowing their Order and Quarter, as in an Army. {MN-2} The Princes Houses are very artificially wrought, both the Foundation, Sides, and Roof of Wickers, ascending round to the top like a Dove coat; this they cover with white Salt, or white Earth, temper'd with the Powder of Bones, that it may shine the whiter; sometimes with black Felt, curiously painted with Vines, Trees, Birds, and Beasts; the breadth of the Carts are eighteen or twenty Foot, but the house stretcheth four or five Foot over each side, and is drawn with ten or twelve, or for more state, twenty Camels and Oxen. {MN-3} They have also great Baskets, made of smaller Wickers, like great Chests, with a covering of the same, all covered over with black Felt, rubbed over with Tallow and Sheep's Milk, to keep out the Rain; prettily bedecked with Painting or Feathers; in those they put their Houshold Stuff and Treasure, drawn upon other Carts for that purpose. When they take down their Houses, they set the door always towards the South, and their Carts thirty or forty Foot distant on each side, East and West, as if they were two Walls: The Women also have most curious Carts; every one of his Wives hath a great one for her self, and so many other for her Attendants, that they seem as many Courts as he hath Wives. One great _Tartar_ or Nobleman, will have for his particular, more than an hundred of those Houses and Carts, for his several Offices and Uses, but set so far from each other, they will seem like a great Village. {MN-4} Having taken their Houses from the Carts, they place the Master always towards the North; over whose head is always an Image like a Puppet, made of Felt, which they call his Brother; the Women on his left hand, and over the chief Mistriss her Head, such another Brother, and between them a little one, which is the keeper of the House; at the good Wives Beds-feet is a Kids Skin, stuffed with Wooll, and near it a Puppet looking towards the Maids; next the door another, with a dried Cows Udder, for the Women that Milk the Kine, because only the Men Milk Mares; {MN-5} every Morning those Images in their orders, they besprinkle with that they drink, be it Cossmos, or whatsoever, but all the white Mares Milk is reserved for the Prince. Then without the door, thrice to the South, every one bowing his knee in honour of the Fire; then the like to the East, in honour of the Air; then to the West, in honour of the Water; and lastly to the North, in behalf of the dead. After the Servant hath done this duty to the four quarters of the World, he returns into the House, where his Fellows stand waiting, ready with two Cups, and two Basons, to give their Master, and his Wife that lay with him that Night, to wash and drink, who must keep him company all the day following, and all his other Wives come thither to drink, where he keeps his House that day; and all the Gifts presented him till night, are laid up in her Chests; and at the door a Bench full of Cups, and drink for any of them to make merry.
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{MN-1} _The description of the_ Crim-Tartar's _Court._
{MN-2} _His Houses and Carts._
{MN-3} _Baskets._
{MN-4} _Their Idolatry in their Lodgings._
{MN-5} _Cosmos is Mares Milk._
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CHAP. XV.
_Their Feasts, common Diet, Princes Estate, Buildings, Tributes, Laws, Slaves, Entertainment of Ambassadors._
{MN} For their Feasts, they have all sorts of Beasts, Birds, Fish, Fruits, and Herbs they can get, but the more variety of wild ones is the best; to which they have excellent Drink made of Rice, Millet, and Honey, like Wine; they have also Wine, but in Summer they drink most Cossmos, that standeth ready always at the entrance of the door, and by it a Fidler; when the Master of the House beginneth to drink, they all cry, ha, ha, and the Fidler plays, then they all clap their Hands and dance, the Men before their Masters, the Women before their Mistresses; and ever when he drinks, they cry as before; then the Fidler stayeth till they drink all round; sometimes they will drink for the Victory; and to provoke one to drink, they will pull him by the Ears, and lug and draw him, to stretch and beat him, clapping their Hands, stamping with their Feet, and dancing before the Champions, offering them Cups, then draw them back again to increase their Appetite; and thus continue till they be drunk, or their drink done, which they hold an honour, and no Infirmity.
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{MN} _Their Feasts._
{MN} Though the Ground be fertile, they sow little Corn, yet the Gentlemen have Bread and Honey-wine; Grapes they have plenty, and Wine privately, and good Flesh and Fish; but the common sort stamped Millet, mingled with Milk and Water. They call Cassa for Meat, and drink any thing; also any Beast unprofitable for service they kill, when they are like to die, or however they die, they will eat them, Guts, Liver and all; but the most fleshy parts they cut in thin slices, and hang it up in the Sun and Wind without salting, where it will dry so hard, it will not putrifie in a long time. A Ramm they esteem a great Feast among forty or fifty, which they cut in pieces boiled or roasted, puts it in a great Bowl, with Salt and Water, for other Sawce they have none; the Master of the Feast giveth every one a piece, which he eateth by himself, or carrieth away with him. {MN-2} Thus their hard fare makes them so infinite in Cattel, and their great number of Captive Women to breed upon, makes them so populous. But near the Christian Frontiers, the baser sort make little Cottages of Wood, called _Vlusi,_ daubed over with dirt, and Beasts dung covered with sedge; yet in Summer they leave them, beginning their Progress in _April,_ with their Wives, Children, and Slaves, in their Carted Houses, scarce convenient for four or five Persons; driving their Flocks towards _Precopia,_ and sometimes into _Taurica,_ or _Osow,_ a Town upon the River _Tanais,_ which is great and swift, where the _Turk_ hath a Garrison; and in _October_ return again to their Cottages. Their Clothes are the Skins of Dogs, Goats, and Sheep, lined with Cotton Cloath, made of their finest Wooll, for of their worst they make their Felt, which they use in abundance, as well for Shooes and Caps, as Houses, Beds, and Idols; also of the coarse Wooll mingled with Horse hair, they make all their Cordage. {MN-3} Notwithstanding this wandring life, their Princes sit in great State upon Beds, or Carpets, and with great reverence are attended both by Men and Women, and richly served in Plates and great Silver Cups, delivered upon the Knee, attired in rich Furrs, lined with Plush, or Taffity, or Robes of Tissue. These _Tartars_ possess many large and goodly Plains, wherein feed innumerable Herds of Horse and Cattel, as well wild as tame; which are Elkes, Bisons, Horses, Deer, Sheep, Goats, Swine, Bears, and divers others.
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{MN-1} _Their common diet._
{MN-2} _How they become populous._
{MN-3} _Their Princes State._
{MN-1} In those Countries are the Ruins of many fair Monasteries, Castles, and Cities, as _Bacasaray, Salutium, Almassary, Precopia, Cremum, Sedacom, Capha,_ and divers others by the Sea, but all kept with strong Garrisons for the Great _Turk,_ {MN-2} who yearly by Trade or Traffick, receiveth the chief Commodities those fertile Countries afford, as Bezoar, Rice, Furs, Hides, Butter, Salt, Cattel, and Slaves, yet by the spoils they get from the secure and idle Christians, they maintain themselves in this Pomp. Also their Wives, of whom they have as many as they will, very costly, yet in a constant custom with decency.
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{MN-1} _Ancient Buildings._
{MN-2} _Commodities for tribute to the_ Turk.
{MN} They are _Mahometans,_ as are the _Turks,_ from whom they also have their Laws, but no Lawyers, nor Attornies, only Judges, and Justices in every Village, or Hordia; but Capital Criminals, or matters of moment, before the Chan himself, or Privy Councils, of whom they are always heard, and speedily discharged; for any may have access at any time to them, before whom they appear with great Reverence, adoring their Princes as Gods, and their Spiritual Judges as Saints; for Justice is with such integrity and Expedition Executed, without Covetousness, Bribery, Partiality, and Brawling, that in six Months they have sometimes scarce six Causes to hear. About the Princes Court, none but his Guard wear any Weapon, but abroad they go very strong, because there are many Bandittos, and Thieves.
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{MN} _Good Laws, yet no Lawyers._
{MN} They use the _Hungarians, Russians, Wallachians,_ and _Moldavian_ Slaves (whereof they have plenty) as Beasts to every work; and those _Tartars_ that serve the Chan, or Noblemen, have only Victuals and Apparel, the rest are generally nastly, and idle, naturally miserable, and in their Wars better Thieves than Soldiers.
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{MN} _Their Slaves._
{MN} This Chan hath yearly a Donative from the King of _Poland,_ the Dukes of _Lithuania, Moldavia,_ and _Nagayon Tartars;_ their Messengers commonly he useth bountifully, and very nobly, but sometimes most cruelly; when any of them do bring their Presents, by his Houshold Officers, they are entertained in a plain Field, with a moderate proportion of Flesh, Bread and Wine, for once; but when they come before him, the _Sultans, Tuians, Vlans, Marhies,_ his chief Officers and Councellors attend, one Man only bringeth the Ambassadour to the Court Gate, but to the Chan he is led between two Councellors; where saluting him upon their bended knees, declaring their message, are admitted to eat with him, and presented with a great Silver Cup full of Mead from his own hand, but they drink it upon their Knees: when they are dispatched, he invites them again, the Feast ended, they go back a little from the Palace door, and rewarded with Silk Vestures, wrought with Gold down to their Anckles, with an Horse or two, and sometimes a Slave of their own Nation; in them Robes presently they come to him again, to give him thanks, take their leave, and so depart.
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{MN} _His Entertainment of Ambassadours._
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CHAP. XVI.
_How he levieth an Army; their Arms and Provision; how he divideth the Spoil, and his Service to the Great Turk._
{MN} When he intends any Wars, he must first have leave of the Great _Turk,_ whom he is bound to assist when he commandeth, receiving daily for himself and chief of his Nobility, Pensions from the _Turk,_ that holds all Kings but Slaves, that pay Tribute, or are subject to any: signifying his intent to all his Subjects, within a Month commonly he raiseth his Army, and every Man is to furnish himself for three Months Victuals, which is parched Millet, or ground to Meal, which they ordinarily mingle with Water (as is said) hard Cheese or Curds dried, and beaten to powder, a little will make much Water like Milk, and dried Flesh, this they put also up in Sacks; The Chan and his Nobles have some Bread and _Aquavitae,_ and quick Cattel to kill when they please, wherewith very sparingly they are contented. Being provided with expert Guides, and got into the Country he intends to Invade, he sends forth his Scouts to bring in what Prisoners they can, from whom he will wrest the utmost of their Knowledge fit for his purpose; having advised with his Council, what is most fit to be done, the Nobility, according to their Antiquity, doth march; then moves he with his whole Army: if he find there is no Enemy to oppose him, he adviseth how far they shall Invade, commanding every Man (upon pain of his Life) to kill all the obvious Rusticks; but not to hurt any Women, or Children.
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{MN} _How he levieth an Army._
{MN} Ten, or fifteen thousand, he commonly placeth, where he findeth most convenient for his standing Camp; the rest of his Army he divides in several Troops, bearing ten or twelve Miles square before them, and ever within three or four days return to their Camp, putting all to Fire and Sword, but that they carry with them back to their Camp; and in this scattering manner he will invade a Country, and be gone with his Prey, with an incredible Expedition. But if he understand of an Enemy, he will either fight in Ambuscado, or flie; for he will never fight any Battel if he can chuse, but upon treble advantage; yet by his innumerable flights of Arrows, I have seen flie from his flying Troops, we could not well judge, whether his fighting or flying was most dangerous, so good is his Horse, and so expert his Bow-men; but if they be so intangled they must fight, there is none can be more hardy, or resolute in their defences.
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{MN} _The manner of his Wars._
{MN} Regaining his own Borders, he takes the tenth of the principal Captives, Man, Woman, Child, or Beast (but his Captains that take them, will accept of some particular Person they best like for themselves) the rest are divided amongst the whole Army, according to every Mans Desert and Quality; that they keep them, or sell them to who will give most; but they will not forget to use all the means they can, to know their Estates, Friends, and Quality, and the better they find you, the worse they will use you, till you do agree to pay such a Ransom, as they will impose upon you; therefore many great Persons have endured much misery to conceal themselves, because their Ransoms are so intolerable: their best hope is of some Christian Agent, that many times cometh to redeem Slaves, either with Money, or Man for Man; those Agents knowing so well the extream covetousness of the _Tartars,_ do use to bribe some Jew or Merchant, that feigning they will sell them again to some other Nation, are oft redeemed for a very small Ransom.
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{MN} _How he divideth the spoil._
{MN} But to this _Tartarian_ Army, when the _Turk,_ commands, he goeth with some small Artillery; and the _Nagayans, Precopens, Crims, Osovens,_ and _Circassians,_ are his Tributaries; but the _Perigorves, Oczaconians, Bialogordens,_ and _Dobrucen Tartars,_ the _Turk_ by Covenant commands to follow him, so that from all those _Tartars_ he hath had an Army of an hundred and twenty thousand excellent, swift, stomackfull _Tartarian_ Horse for foot they have none. Now the Chan, his Sultans and Nobility, use _Turkiso, Caramanian, Arabian, Parthian,_ and other strange _Tartarian_ Horses; the swiftest they esteem the best; seldom they feed any more at home, than they have present use for; but upon their Plains is a short Wood-like Heath, in some Countries like Gail, full of Berries, much better than any Grass.
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{MN} _How the Chan doth serve the Great_ Turk.
{MN} Their Arms are such, as they have surprised or got from the _Christians_ or _Persians,_ both Brest-plates, Swords, Scimitars, and Helmets; Bows and Arrows they make most themselves, also their Bridles and Saddles are indifferent, but the Nobility are very handsome, and well armed like the _Turks,_ in whom consisteth their greatest Glory; the ordinary sort have little Armour, some a plain young Pole unshaven, headed with a piece of Iron for a Lance; some an old _Christian_ Pike, or a _Turks_ Cavarine, yet those Tattertimallions will have two or three Horses, some four or five, as well for service, as for to eat; which makes their Armies seem thrice so many as there are Soldiers. The Chan himself hath about his Person, Ten thousand chosen _Tartars_ and _Janizaries,_ some small Ordnance, and a white Mares Tail, with a piece of green Taffity on a great Pike, is carried before him for a Standard; because they hold no Beast so precious as a white Mare, whose Milk is only for the King and Nobility, and to Sacrifice to their Idols; but the rest have Ensigns of divers Colours.
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{MN} _Their Arms._
For all this miserable Knowledge, Furniture, and Equipage, the mischief they do in _Christendom_ is wonderful, by reason of their hardness of Life and Constitution, Obedience, Agility, and their Emperours Bounty, Honours, Grace, and Dignities he ever bestoweth upon those, that have done him any memorable Service in the face of his Enemies.
{MN} The Caspian Sea, most Men agree that have passed it, to be in length about 200 Leagues, and in breadth an hundred and fifty, environed to the East, with the great Desarts of the _Tartars_ of _Turkomania;_ to the West, by the _Circasses,_ and the Mountain _Caucasus;_ to the North, by the River _Volga,_ and the Land of _Nagay;_ and to the South, by _Media,_ and _Persia:_ This Sea is fresh Water in many places, in others as salt as the great Ocean; it hath many great Rivers which fall into it, as the mighty River of _Volga,_ which is like a Sea, running near Two thousand Miles, through many great and large Countries, that send into it many other great Rivers; also out of _Saberia, Yaick,_ and _Yem,_ out of the great Mountain _Caucasus,_ the River _Sirus, Arash,_ and divers others, yet no Sea nearer it than the black Sea, which is at least an hundred Leagues distant: In which Country live the _Georgians,_ now part _Armenians,_ part _Nestorians;_ it is neither found to increase or diminish, or empty it self any way, except it be under Ground, and in some places they can find no Ground at Two hundred fathom.
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{MN} _A Description of the_ Caspian _Sea._
Many other most strange and wonderful things are in the Land of _Cathay,_ towards the North-east, and China towards the South-east, where are many of the most famous Kingdoms in the World, where most Arts, Plenty, and Curiosities are in such abundance, as might seem incredible, which hereafter I will relate, as I have briefly gathered from such Authors as have lived there.
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CHAP. XVII.
_How Captain_ Smith _escaped his Captivity; slew the_ Bashaw _of_ Nalbrits _in_ Cambia; _his Passage to_ Russia, Transilvania, _and the middest of_ Europe _to_ Africa.