When A Merchant Comes Among These People, The First Person With Whom
He Stops Is Obliged To Provide Him With
All necessaries during his stay in
the district; and they are so little jealous of their wives, that husbands
pay
Little regard to their infidelity, unless directly under their eyes.
These people have abundance of swine, honey, and wax, precious furs, and
falcons. Beyond these dwell the Merdas[1] or Merdui, who are Saracens or
Mahometans. Beyond them is the Etilia or Volga, the largest river I ever
beheld, which comes out of the north, from the country of the Greater
Bulgaria and runs southwards, into a vast lake of four months journey in
circuit, of which I shall speak afterwards. In the northern region, by
which we travelled, the Tanais and Volga are not above ten days journey
asunder, but towards the south they are at a much farther distance; the
Tanais falling into the Euxine, and the Volga into the before mentioned sea
or lake, which likewise receives many rivers from Persia. In the course of
our journey, we left to the south certain great mountains, on whose sides,
towards the desert, dwell the Cergis and the Alani or Acas, who are
Christians, and still carry on war with the Tartars. Beyond these, near the
sea or lake of Etilia, or the Caspian, are certain Mahometans named Lesgis,
who are subjected to the Tartars. Beyond these again are the Irongates,
which were constructed by Alexander, to exclude the barbarians from Persia,
of which I shall speak hereafter, as I passed that way in my return. In the
country through which we travelled between these great rivers, the
Comanians dwelt before it was occupied by the Tarters.
[1] In the English of Hakluyt and Harris, these people are called Merdas
and Mardui. - E.
SECTION XVII.
Of the Magnificence of the Court of Sartach.
WE found Sartach encamped within three days journey of the river Volga or
Etilia, and his court or horda appeared to us very large and magnificent;
as he had six wives, and his eldest son three, and each of these ladies had
a great house, like those already described, besides that each had several
smaller houses, and 200 of the chest-carts already mentioned. Our guide
went immediately to a certain Nestorian named Coiat, who has great
influence at the court of Sartach; and this man carried us in the evening a
considerable distance, to an officer called, in the Tartar language, the
Lords Gate, to whom belongs the duty of receiving messengers or
ambassadors. Our guide inquired what we had ready to present to this
person, and seemed much offended when he found we had nothing to offer.
When we came into his presence, he sat majestically, having music and
dancing performed before him. I then spoke to him the words formerly
mentioned, giving an account of the cause of our mission, and requesting
that he would bring us and our letters into the presence of his lord.
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