They Were Now Arrived In Great Tartary,
At The Camp Of Ideku, Who Had Just Assembled All His Forces And Was Going
To March Into The Land Of Ibissibur[8].
In this expedition, they employed
two months of continual marching; in the course of which, they crossed a
range of
Mountains, thirty-two days journey in length, and at their
extremity, there is a desert, which is the end of the world[9]; which
desert is uninhabitable from the number of reptiles and wild beasts with
which it is infested. These mountains are inhabited by roaming savages, who
are hairy all over, except their faces and hands[10], and who subsist on
green leaves and roots, or whatever they can procure. In this country,
also, there, are wild asses as large as horses. The inhabitants employ
dogs, as large as asses, to draw carts and sledges, and some times feed
upon them. They are Christians, and they bury, their young people who die
in celibacy, with music and rejoicing, eating and drinking at their graves.
In this country they cultivate nothing but beans, and they eat no bread.
Having made a conquest of Bissibur, they marched into. Walor[11], which
they also conquered, and then returned into Kiptschak.
At this period, there was a high officer of state among the Tartars, called
Obmann, who had usurped the power of nominating and deposing the khan, and
to whom all the lords or chiefs were subservient. This anomalous dignity
was now held by Ideku; who, as has been already mentioned, had invited
Zegra to accept the dignity of khan. This Ideku, with the khan, all the
nobility, and the whole people, wandered continually up and down the
country, with their wives and children, their cattle, and whole property,
to the number of about 100,000 people, having no fixed abodes, but dwelling
in moveable huts, at all seasons of the year. At this time there was a king
in Tartary, named Schudicho chey or Kom, or Schadibeck-knan, the son of
Timur-Utluck, grandson of Timur-melik-aglen, and great-grandson of Urus-
Khan, This Schadibeck reigned from 1401 to 1406. Immediately on hearing
that Ideku was approaching, he took to flight; but was pursued, and killed
in a skirmish. Ideku appointed Polat or Pulad-khan, the son[12] of
Schadibeck, to be his successor, who reigned a year and a half, between
1406 and 1408. After him Segel-Aladie, or Zedy-khan, the son of
Tokatmysch or Toktemysch-khan, got possession of the throne; but he was
soon expelled by Timur-Khan, the son of Timur-Uduck, and brother of Pulad-
Khan, who reified fourteen months. Thebak, the brother of Pulad-khan, took
the field against Timur-khan, and killed him, but was unable to attain the
sovereignty, as his brother Kerunhardin ascended the throne, which he only
held for five months. Thebak again endeavoured to dispossess his brother
Kerunhardin, but was unable to effectuate his purpose; for at this
juncture, Ideku interposed, and conferred the sovereignty on Zegra, in the
room of both.
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