Travelling Still Westwards From The Province Of Carazam, Or Cariam, We
Came, After Five Days Journey, To The Province Of Cardandan, Of Which The
Chief City Is Called Vociam[7].
The inhabitants, who are subject to the
great khan, use porcelain shells, and gold by weight, instead of money.
In
that country, and many other surrounding provinces, there are no silver
mines, and the people give an ounce of gold for five ounces of silver, by
which exchange the merchants acquire great profits. The men and women cover
their teeth with thin plates of gold, so exactly fitted, that the teeth
seem as if they were actually of solid gold. The men make a kind of lists
or stripes round their legs and arms, by pricking the places with needles,
and rubbing in a black indelible liquid, and these marks are esteemed as
great decorations. They give themselves up entirely to riding and hunting,
and martial exercises, leaving all the household cares to the women, who
are assisted by slaves, whom they purchase or take in their wars.
Immediately after delivery, the woman leaves her bed and washes the child;
after which, the husband lies down in her bed with the child, where he
remains for forty days, during all which time, he receives the visits and
compliments of the friends and neighbours. The wife looks after the house,
carries broth to her husband in bed, and suckles the child. Their wine is
made from rice and spiceries; and their ordinary food is rice and raw
flesh, seasoned with spiceries or garlic, as formerly mentioned. There are
no idols in this province, except that every family adores the oldest man
in the house, from whom they say that they and all they have are come. The
country consists mostly of wild and rugged mountains; into which strangers
seldom come, because the air, especially in summer, is exceedingly noxious.
They have no letters, but all their contracts and obligations are recorded
by tallies of wood, one counterpart being kept by each party, and when the
contract is fulfilled the tallies are destroyed.
There are no physicians in this province or in Caindu, Vociam, or Caraiam;
but when any one is sick, the magicians or priests of the idols are
assembled, to whom the sick person gives an account of his disease. Then
the magicians dance to the sound of certain instruments, and bellow forth
songs in honour of their idols, till at length, the devil enters into one
of these who are skipping about in the dance. The dance is then
discontinued, and the rest of the magicians consult with him who is
possessed as to the cause of the disease, and what ought to be done for its
remedy. The devil answers by this person, "because the sick person has done
this or that, or has offended some particular idol." Then the magicians
entreat this idol to pardon the sick person, engaging, if he recover, that
he shall offer a sacrifice of his own blood. But if the devil or the priest
thinks that the patient cannot recover, he says that the person has so
grievously offended the idol, that he cannot be appeased by any sacrifices.
If, on the other hand, he thinks the sick person may recover, he orders an
offering of a certain number of rams with black heads, to be prepared by so
many magicians and their wives, and offered up to appease the idol. On this
the kinsmen of the sick person immediately execute the orders of the devil.
The rams are killed, and their blood sprinkled in the air. The assembled
magicians light up great candles, and perfume the whole house with the
smoke of incense and aloes wood, and sprinkle some of the broth made from
the flesh, mixed with spices, into the air, as the portion of the idols.
When these things are performed, they again skip and dance in honour of the
idol, singing and making a horrible noise; and then ask the possessed
priest whether the idol is now satisfied. If he answer in the negative,
they prepare to obey any farther commands; but if he answer that the idol
is satisfied, they sit down to table, and eat the flesh which was offered
to the idol and drink the liquors; after which, the magicians being paid
for their trouble, every one departs to his own home. If the sick person
recover through the providence of God, he attributes the restoration of his
health to the idol; but if he die, it is then supposed that the idol had
been defrauded, by some of the assistants having eaten of the sacrifices
before all the rites were duly performed. This ceremony is only practised
for rich patients, on whom the devil, or the priests in his name, impose
their blind belief.
In 1272, the great khan sent an army of 12,000 veteran troops, under the
command of aft experienced officer, named Nestardin, to reduce the kingdom
of Vociam and Guarazan[8]. As soon as the kings of Mien[9] and Bengala
heard of this invasion, they assembled an army of 60,000 horse and foot,
besides a thousand elephants, carrying castles, in each of which there were
from twelve to sixteen armed men. With this army, the king of Mien marched
towards the city of Vociam, where the Tartar army was encamped. Nestardin,
regardless of the great disparity of numbers, marched with invincible
courage to fight the enemy; but when he drew near, he encamped under cover
of a great wood, knowing that the elephants could not penetrate into the
wood with the towers on their backs. The king of Mien drew near to fight
the Tartars; but the Tartarian horses were so terrified with the sight of
the elephants, who were arranged along the front of the battle, that it was
impossible to bring them up to the charge. The Tartars, therefore, were
compelled to alight from their horses, which they fastened to the trees,
and came boldly forewards on foot against the elephants, among whom they
discharged immense quantities of arrows; so that the elephants, unable to
endure the smart of their wounds, became unmanageable, and fled to the
nearest wood, where they broke their castles, and overturned the armed men,
with which they were filled.
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