Farther East, I Saw Other Kinds Of Sepulchres,
Consisting Of Large Areas, Paved With Stone, Some Round And Others Square,
Having Four Large Stones Placed Upright Around The Pavement, And Fronting
The Four Cardinal Points.
When any one lies sick in bed, a mark is affixed
to the house, that no one may enter,
As no one ever visits the sick, except
his own servant; and when any one belonging to the great courts is sick,
watchmen are placed at a great distance, all round, that no one may enter
the precincts; as they dread lest evil spirits, or bad winds, might enter
along with visitors. They consider their soothsayers, or people who
practise divination, as priests.
SECTION XI.
Of our first Entering among the Tartars, and of their Ingratitude.
When we first entered among these Tartars, after having made us wait for
them a long time, under the shade of certain black carts, a considerable
number of them on horseback surrounded us. Their first question was,
whether we had ever before been among them; and being answered in the
negative, they began impudently to beg some of our victuals; and we gave
them some of the biscuits and wine, which we had brought with us from
Constantinople. Having drank one flaggon of our wine they demanded more,
saying, that a man does not enter a house with one foot only. But we
excused ourselves, as not being well provided. They next inquired, whence
we came, and whither we were going?
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