This
province, flying to the sea shore, that the living were forced to feed upon
the dying, as I was assured by a merchant, an eye-witness, who declared,
that the survivors tore in pieces with their teeth, and devoured the raw
flesh of the dead as dogs do carrion. Towards the extremity of this
province, there are many large lakes, having salt springs on their banks,
and when the water of these springs reaches the lake, it coagulates into
hard salt like ice. From these salt springs, Sartach and Baatu draw large
revenues; as people come from all parts of Russia to procure salt, and for
each cart-load, they pay two webs of cotton cloth, equal in value to half
an yperpera. Many vessels come likewise by sea for salt, all of which pay
tribute, in proportion to the quantities which they carry away. On the
third day after leaving Soldaia, we fell in with the Tartars, on joining
whom, I thought myself entered into a new world; wherefore, I shall use my
best endeavours to describe their manners and way of life,
[1] The Euxine or Black Sea. Though not expressed in the text, he probably
took his departure from Constantinople. - E
[2] By the Latins are here obviously meant the inhabitants of western
Europe. The province here mentioned is the Crimea; the Taurica
Chersonesus of the ancients, or the modern Taurida. - E.
[3] At the mouth of one of the branches of the Kuban is the town of
Temruck, formerly called Tmutrakhan by the Russians, and Tamatarcha by
the Greeks; this has been corrupted to Tamaterca, Materca, and
Matriga. - Forst.
[4] This obviously refers to the canal of communication between the sea of
Azoph and the Euxine. - E.
[5] Called likewise Soldeya, Soldadia and Sogdat, now Sudak. - E.
[6] Sartach was the son of Baatu-khan. - E.
[7] This name is probably meant to imply the Trucheman, Dragoman, or
interpreter; and from the strange appellative, Man of God, he may
have been a monk from Constantinople, with a Greek name, having that
signification: perhaps Theander - E.
[8] Cherson or Kersona, called likewise Scherson, Schursi, and Gurzi. - E.
[9] These castles of the Goths, first mentioned by Rubruquis, were
afterwards noticed by Josaphat Barbaro, a Venetian, in 1436; and
Busbeck conversed with some of these Goths from the Crimea at
Constantinople in 1562, and gives a vocabulary of their language. From
the authority of Rubruquis misunderstood, some ancient map makers have
inserted the Castella Judeorum instead of Gothorum in the Crimea, and
even Danville placed them in his maps under the name of Chateaux des
Juifs, castles of the Jews. - Forst.
SECTION II.
Of the Tartars and their Houses.
They have no permanent city, and they are ignorant of the future.
