But The Rude Tartars Know Not Now To Catch Them, Neither Do They Hold
Fish In Any Estimation, Unless Large Enough To Feed A Company.
This river
is the eastern limit of Russia, and arises from certain marshes which
extend to the northern ocean;
And it discharges itself in the south, into a
large sea of 700 miles extent, before falling into the Euxine; and all the
rivers we had passed ran with a full stream in the same direction. Beyond
this place the Tartars advance no farther to the north, and they were now,
about the first of August, beginning to return into the south; and they
have another village somewhat lower down the river, where passengers are
ferried over in winter. At this time the people were reaping their rye.
Wheat does not succeed in their soil, but they have abundance of millet.
The Russian women attire their heads like those in our country; and they
ornament their gowns with furs of different kinds, from about the knees
downwards. The men wear a dress like the Germans, having high crowned
conical hats made of felt, like sugar loaves, with sharp points.
At length, after representing that our journey was intended for the common
benefit of all Christians, they provided us with oxen and men to proceed
upon our journey; but as we got no horses, we were ourselves under the
necessity of travelling on foot. In this manner we journied for three days,
without meeting any people; and when both our oxen and ourselves were weary
and faint with fatigue, two horses came running towards us, to our great
joy: Our guide and interpreter mounted upon these, and set out to see if
they could fall in with any inhabitants. At length, on the fourth day,
having found some people, we rejoiced like seafaring men, who had escaped
from a tempest into a safe harbour. Then getting fresh horses and oxen, we
passed on from station to station, till we at length reached the habitation
of duke Sartach on the second of the kalends of August[2].
[1] In the Latin this fish is named Barbatus, which both Hakluyt and Harris
have translated Turbot, a fish never found in rivers. It was more
probably a Barbel, in Latin called Barbus; or it might be of the
Sturgeon tribe, which likewise has beard-like appendages, and is found
in the Don. - E.
[2] This, according to the Roman method of reckoning, ought to be the last
day of July. Yet Rubruquis had previously mentioned the 1st of August
a considerable time before. - E.
SECTION XVI.
Of the Dominions and Subjects of Sartach.
The region beyond the Tanais is very beautiful, especially towards the
north, where there are fine rivers and extensive forests. In these dwell
two different nations. One of these, named the Moxel, are ignorant pagans,
without any laws, who dwell in cottages among the woods, and have no
cities. Their lord, and the greater part of the nation were carried to the
confines of Germany by the Tartars, and were there slain by the Germans,
who are held in great estimation by the nations who are subject to the
Tartars, as they hope, through their means, to be freed from the Tartar
yoke.
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