In
This Plain The Comani Dwelt Before The Coming Of The Tartars, And Compelled
The Before-Mentioned Cities And Castles
To pay tribute; and upon the coming
of the Tartars, so vast a multitude of the Comani took refuge in
This
province, flying to the sea shore, that the living were forced to feed upon
the dying, as I was assured by a merchant, an eye-witness, who declared,
that the survivors tore in pieces with their teeth, and devoured the raw
flesh of the dead as dogs do carrion. Towards the extremity of this
province, there are many large lakes, having salt springs on their banks,
and when the water of these springs reaches the lake, it coagulates into
hard salt like ice. From these salt springs, Sartach and Baatu draw large
revenues; as people come from all parts of Russia to procure salt, and for
each cart-load, they pay two webs of cotton cloth, equal in value to half
an yperpera. Many vessels come likewise by sea for salt, all of which pay
tribute, in proportion to the quantities which they carry away. On the
third day after leaving Soldaia, we fell in with the Tartars, on joining
whom, I thought myself entered into a new world; wherefore, I shall use my
best endeavours to describe their manners and way of life,
[1] The Euxine or Black Sea. Though not expressed in the text, he probably
took his departure from Constantinople. - E
[2] By the Latins are here obviously meant the inhabitants of western
Europe.
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