If It Had Not Been For The
Grace Of God, And The Biscuit We Brought With Us, We Had Surely Perished.
[1] Or hyperpyron, a coin said to be of the value of two German
dollars, or six and eightpence Sterling.
- E.
SECTION XIV.
Of a Saracen who desired to be Baptized, and of men who seemed Lepers.
Upon the day of Pentecost, a Saracen came to visit us, to whom we explained
the articles of the Christian faith; particularly the salvation of sinners,
through the incarnation of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, and
judgment to come, and how through baptism all sin was washed out. He seemed
much affected with these doctrines, and even expressed a desire to be
baptized; but when we were preparing for that ceremony, he suddenly mounted
on horseback, saying that he must first consult his wife; and he returned
next day, declining to receive baptism, because he would not then be
allowed to drink cosmos, without which, he could not live in that country.
From this opinion, I could not move him by any arguments; so that these
people are much estranged from becoming Christians, by the assertion of
that opinion by the Russians, and other Christians, who come among them in
great numbers.
On the same day, which was the morrow of the feast of Pentecost, Zagathai
gave us one man to conduct us to Sartach, and two others to guide us to the
next station, which was at the distance of five days journey for our oxen.
We were presented also with a goat to serve us as food, and a great many
skin bags of cows milk, but they gave us very little cosmos, as that liquor
is in great estimation among themselves.
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