The Old Bushi Was Then Consulted, And His Advice Was That They
Should Take With Them 4 Mares And 9 She-Asses That Had Foals, And Tie Up
The Foals At The Entrance To The Land Of Darkness, But Drive The Dams
Before Them.
And when they wished to return they would be guided by the
scent and maternal instinct of the mares and she-asses.
And so it was
done. (See Erdmann Temudschin, p. 478.) Ughuz, according to the
Mussulman interpretation of the Eastern Legends, was the great-grandson of
Japhet.
The story also found its way into some of the later Greek forms of the
Alexander Legends. Alexander, when about to enter the Land of Darkness,
takes with him only picked young men. Getting into difficulties, the King
wants to send back for some old sage who should advise. Two young men had
smuggled their old father with them in anticipation of such need, and on
promise of amnesty they produce him. He gives the advice to use the mares
as in the text. (See Mueller's ed. of Pseudo-Callisthenes, Bk. II. ch.
xxxiv.)
NOTE 3. - Ibn Batuta thus describes the traffic that took place with the
natives of the Land of Darkness: "When the Travellers have accomplished a
journey of 40 days across this Desert tract they encamp near the borders
of the Land of Darkness. Each of them then deposits there the goods that
he has brought with him, and all return to their quarters. On the morrow
they come back to look at their goods, and find laid beside them skins of
the Sable, the Vair, and the Ermine.
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