SECTION XI.
Of Monstrous Men like Dogs, and of the Conquest of Burithabeth.
In returning through the desert, we were told by some Russian priests at
the emperor's court, that the Mongals found certain women, who, being asked
where their men were, said that all the women of that country had human
shapes, but that the males had the shape of great dogs. After some time,
they met the dogs on the other side of a river. It being in winter, the
dogs plunged into the water, and then rolled themselves in the dust on the
land, till the dust and water was frozen on their backs; and having done
this repeatedly till the ice was thick and strong, they attacked the
Mongals with great fury; but when the Mongals threw their darts, or shot
their arrows at them, they rebounded as if they had fallen on stones,
neither could their weapons in any way hurt them. But the dogs killed some
of the Tartars, and wounded many with their teeth, and finally drove them
out of the country[1].
On their return home, the Mongals came into the country of Burithabeth, of
which the inhabitants are pagans, and conquered the people in battle. These
people have a strange custom of eating their kindred when they die. They
have no beard, for we saw some of them going about with certain iron
instruments in their hands, with which they pluck out any hairs they find
on their faces[2].
[1] It is surely unnecessary to remark on this ridiculous story of the
canine men, which no commentary could reduce to sense. - E.
[2] These people may possibly have been the Burats. The same practice of
eradicating the beard is still followed by the native tribes of
America. - E.
SECTION XII.
How the Mongals were repulsed at the Caspian Mountains, by Men dwelling in
Caves.
When Zingis sent the before-mentioned armies into the east, he marched
personally into the land of the Kergis[1], which, however, he did not now
conquer. In this expedition the Mongals are said to have penetrated to the
Caspian mountains, which being of adamant, attracted their arrows and other
weapons of iron[2].
[1] The Kirguses, inhabiting Western Turkestan, between Lake Balkash and
the Caspian. - E.
[2] The remainder of this short section is so ridiculously fabulous as not
to merit translation, and is therefore omitted. - E.
SECTION XIII.
Of the death of Zingis, and concerning his Sons, and the Tartar Dukes or
Princes.
Zingis is said to have been killed by lightning. He had four sons, the
first was called Occoday, or Oktai, the second Thosut, Tuzi, or Tuschi, the
third Thiaday, or Zagathai, and the name of the fourth I could not learn.
From these four all the dukes of the Mongals are descended[1]. Cuyne, or
Kajuk, the eldest son of Occoday, or Oktai, is now emperor; and he has two
brothers Cocten, and Chyrinen.
