At Another Particular Moment, Fixed By The Philosophers, Orders
Are Given In A Loud Voice, For Every One To Stop Their Ears With Their
Fingers; Afterwards They Are Called Upon To Take Out Their Fingers.
Many
similar things are performed in this manner, which they pretend to be
significant, but which, being vain and ridiculous, I gave no attention to,
and am not inclined to write.
When the hour of music comes, the
philosophers give the word, and they all sound their instruments, making a
great and melodious noise; after which, orders are given to cease from the
music. Then come the women musicians, who sing sweetly before the emperor,
which I thought delightful. After them, the lions are led in, and are made
to pay their obeisance to the emperor. Then the jugglers cause golden cups,
full of wine, to fly up and down in the air, and to apply themselves to
mens mouths, that they may drink. And many other strange things are
performed, which I omit to mention, as no one would believe me.
I was informed by certain credible persons, that in the mountains of
Kapsei, in the kingdom of Kalor, which is in the dominions of the great
khan, there grow certain gourds, or pompions, which open when ripe, and a
little beast is found within them, resembling a young lamb. I have likewise
heard, that there grow certain trees upon the shore of the Irish sea, which
carry a fruit like gourds, and that these fall into the sea at certain
times, and are changed into birds called Bernacles.
SECTION XVII.
Of various Provinces and Cities of the East.
After a residence of three years in Cambalu, I departed from the empire of
Kathay, and travelled fifty days to the west, when I arrived in the
dominions of Pretegoani[1], whose principal city is Cosan. Continuing my
journey for many days, I came to the province of Casan, which is well
inhabited, and one of the first countries in the world, for abundance of
provisions, and commodities of all kinds, especially of chesnuts; and, is
so extremely populous, that, on leaving the gates of any one city, we may
always have the gates of another within sight. This country is fifty days
journey in breadth, and it is above sixty days journey in length. This is
one of the twelve great provinces belonging to the great khan.
Farther on, I came into another kingdom belonging to the khan, called Tebek
or Thibet, which is, in my opinion, more abundant in bread and wine than
any other country in the world. The inhabitants mostly dwell in tents of
black felt, The principal city is surrounded by beautiful walls, built of
large white and black stones, disposed chequerwise; and all the highways of
the country are well paved. In this country, from certain religious
notions, no one dares shed the blood of a man, or of any beast. The Abassi,
who is their Pope, dwells in the city already mentioned, being the head or
prince of all the idolaters, on whom he bestows gifts; just as our Pope of
Rome considers himself to be the head of all the Christians. The women of
this country wear a prodigious number of ornaments, and they have two long
teeth like the tusks of a boar. When any man dies in this country, his son
assembles all the priests and musicians that he can procure, to do honour
to his father, whose body he causes to be carried out into the fields,
accompanied by all the kindred, friends, and neighbours of the family. Then
the priests, with great solemnity, cut off the head of the deceased, which
they give to his son; after which, they divide the whole body into small
pieces, which they leave strewed about the place; and then the whole
company return home in solemn procession, accompanied with prayers, the son
bearing his fathers head. On their departure from the field, the vultures
of the country, accustomed to similar banquets, come down from the
mountains, and carry off all the remains of the deceased person; who is
thereupon pronounced holy, because the angels of God, as they say, have
carried him to paradise. When the procession returns to the dwelling of the
deceased, the son boils the head of his father, and eats the flesh,
converting the skull into a drinking cup, out of which he, and all his
family, and kindred, carouse with much, mirth and solemnity, in remembrance
of his father. This nation has many other vile and abominable customs,
which I refrain from describing, because no one would believe them unseen.
[1] This strange word, both in the Latin and English of Hakluyt, is
obviously the Italian for Prester John, information concerning whom
will be found in the travels of Marco Polo. - E.
SECTION XVIII.
Of a certain Rich Man, who was Fed by fifty Virgins.
While in the province of Mangi, or Southern China, I passed by the palace
of a rich man, who is continually attended upon by fifty young virgins, who
feed him at every meal as a bird feeds her young; and all the time they are
so employed, they sing to him most sweetly. The revenues of this man are
thirty toman of tagars of rice, each toman being 10,000 tagars, and one
tagar is the burthen of an ass. His palace is two miles in circuit, and is
paved with alternate plates of gold and silver. Near the wall of his
palace, there is an artificial mound of gold and silver, having turrets and
steeples, and other magnificent ornaments, contrived for the solace and
recreation of this great man.[l] I was further informed, that there are
four such great men in the kingdom of Mangi. It is reckoned a great mark of
dignity, among the great men of this country, to have their nails of great
length; more especially their thumb nails, which are sometimes of
sufficient length to be wrapped round the hand.
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