The Beasts Also Are Peculiar; And First I Will Tell You Of Their Oxen.
These Are Very Large, And All Over White As Snow; The Hair Is Very Short
And Smooth, Which Is Owing To The Heat Of The Country.
The horns are short
and thick, not sharp in the point; and between the shoulders they have a
round hump some two palms high.
There are no handsomer creatures in the
world. And when they have to be loaded, they kneel like the camel; once
the load is adjusted, they rise. Their load is a heavy one, for they are
very strong animals. Then there are sheep here as big as asses; and their
tails are so large and fat, that one tail shall weigh some 30 lbs. They
are fine fat beasts, and afford capital mutton.[NOTE 2]
In this plain there are a number of villages and towns which have lofty
walls of mud, made as a defence against the banditti,[NOTE 3] who are very
numerous, and are called CARAONAS. This name is given them because they
are the sons of Indian mothers by Tartar fathers. And you must know that
when these Caraonas wish to make a plundering incursion, they have certain
devilish enchantments whereby they do bring darkness over the face of day,
insomuch that you can scarcely discern your comrade riding beside you; and
this darkness they will cause to extend over a space of seven days'
journey. They know the country thoroughly, and ride abreast, keeping near
one another, sometimes to the number of 10,000, at other times more or
fewer.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 549 of 1256
Words from 149188 to 149456
of 342071
