Some Are
Very Large, Almost Ten Paces High, Standing Upright, And Having Many
Smaller Idols Placed Around, Which Seem To Give Reverence To The Great One.
The Priests Of These Idols Appear To Live More Regularly, And Are Less
Addicted To Voluptuousness Than Other Idolaters.
Yet wantonness is not
looked upon in this country as any great sin; for they say if a woman
invites a man, there is no harm in compliance, but if the man solicits the
woman, it is quite otherwise.
In this country they divide the year by lunations, and in every moon they
keep certain days as holy, in some five, or four, or three days, in which
they kill no beast or bird, and abstain from animal food. The people of
this country marry twenty or thirty wives, or as many as they are able to
maintain, but the first wife always has the precedence over the others. The
husband receives no portion with his wife, but on the contrary has to
assign her a dower in cattle, servants, and money, according to his
ability. If any of the wives does not live in harmony with the rest, or if
she becomes disliked by her husband, it is lawful for him to put her away.
They marry their own near relations, and even the wives of their deceased
father, excepting always their own mothers. In the manners and customs of
this country, I Marco was sufficiently experienced, having dwelt a whole
year in this place, along with my father and uncle, for the dispatch of
certain affairs of business.
In twelve days journey from Campion, we come to the city of Ezina[7], which
borders on a sandy desert towards the north. All the provinces and cities
before mentioned, viz. Sachion, Camul, Chinchintalas, Succair, Campion, and
Ezina, are comprehended in the great country of Tangut. The inhabitants of
Ezina are idolaters, who live by agriculture, and on the produce of their
flocks and herds, having great quantities of camels and other cattle, but
carry on no trade. In this country there are forests of pine trees, in
which there are wild asses, and many other wild beasts; there are likewise
abundance of falcons, particularly the lanner and sacre, which are reckoned
excellent. Such travellers as intend to pass through the great desert of
Shamo, which is forty days journey in extent, must provide all their
provisions in this place, as they afterwards meet with no habitations,
except a few straggling people here and there on the mountains and valleys.
[1] Called also Kamul, Chamul, Khami, and Came-xu. - Forst.
[2] The desert of Noman-Cobi; or Tzokurin of modern maps. - E.
[3] Called likewise Cinchincalas, Sanghin-talgin, Sankin-talai, and
Chitalas-dalai. - Forst. This appears to be the district stretching to
the S.E. of the Bogdo mountains, between the Changai ridge on the
north, and the Ungandag on the south, now occupied by a tribe of
Eluts, and in which there do not appear to be any towns.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 252 of 425
Words from 131294 to 131798
of 222093
