Some Of Them, Who Are Great
Villains, Are Said Always To Carry Poison With Them, That If Taken
Prisoners, They May Swallow It To Procure Sudden Death, And To Avoid
Torture.
On which occasion, the great lords force them to swallow dogs dung
that they may vomit up the poison.
Before they were conquered by the great
khan, when any stranger of good appearance happened to lodge with them,
they used to kill him in the night; believing that the good properties of
the murdered person would afterwards devolve to the inhabitants of the
house; and this silly notion has occasioned the death of many persons.
Travelling still westwards from the province of Carazam, or Cariam, we
came, after five days journey, to the province of Cardandan, of which the
chief city is called Vociam[7]. The inhabitants, who are subject to the
great khan, use porcelain shells, and gold by weight, instead of money. In
that country, and many other surrounding provinces, there are no silver
mines, and the people give an ounce of gold for five ounces of silver, by
which exchange the merchants acquire great profits. The men and women cover
their teeth with thin plates of gold, so exactly fitted, that the teeth
seem as if they were actually of solid gold. The men make a kind of lists
or stripes round their legs and arms, by pricking the places with needles,
and rubbing in a black indelible liquid, and these marks are esteemed as
great decorations. They give themselves up entirely to riding and hunting,
and martial exercises, leaving all the household cares to the women, who
are assisted by slaves, whom they purchase or take in their wars.
Immediately after delivery, the woman leaves her bed and washes the child;
after which, the husband lies down in her bed with the child, where he
remains for forty days, during all which time, he receives the visits and
compliments of the friends and neighbours. The wife looks after the house,
carries broth to her husband in bed, and suckles the child. Their wine is
made from rice and spiceries; and their ordinary food is rice and raw
flesh, seasoned with spiceries or garlic, as formerly mentioned. There are
no idols in this province, except that every family adores the oldest man
in the house, from whom they say that they and all they have are come. The
country consists mostly of wild and rugged mountains; into which strangers
seldom come, because the air, especially in summer, is exceedingly noxious.
They have no letters, but all their contracts and obligations are recorded
by tallies of wood, one counterpart being kept by each party, and when the
contract is fulfilled the tallies are destroyed.
There are no physicians in this province or in Caindu, Vociam, or Caraiam;
but when any one is sick, the magicians or priests of the idols are
assembled, to whom the sick person gives an account of his disease. Then
the magicians dance to the sound of certain instruments, and bellow forth
songs in honour of their idols, till at length, the devil enters into one
of these who are skipping about in the dance.
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