The Province Of Chamil, Which Abounds In All The Necessaries Of Life, Is
Situated In The Wide Country Of Tangut,
And is subject to the great khan.
This province, of which the city of Chamil or Hami is the capital[
1], is
bounded by two deserts; the great desert of Lop already mentioned, and
another which is only three days journey across[2]. The inhabitants are
idolaters, have a peculiar language, and appear to live only for amusement,
devoting their whole time to singing, dancing, and sports, playing upon
instruments of music, and reading and writing after their fashion. When any
traveller goes into a house for entertainment and lodging, the master of
the family receives him with great joy, and commands his wife and family to
obey the stranger in all things so long as he may choose to remain, and
even departs immediately from his own house, that he may not be any
restraint upon his guest. And while the traveller remains, he may choose a
female bed fellow every night, either the wife, daughter, or servant of the
polite host, as he feels inclined. The women of the country are very
beautiful, and are perfectly ready to obey these singular commands; and the
husbands believe that this strange hospitality is conducive to their own
honour and glory, and is an acceptable service to their idols, from whose
favour it secures prosperity and abundance to themselves and their country.
Mangu-khan having received notice of this detestable custom, issued a
peremptory order for its discontinuance, and it was accordingly laid aside
for three years; but as these years happened to be unusually barren, and
the inhabitants were vexed with some disasters in their domestic concerns,
they sent ambassadors to the khan, earnestly entreating him to revoke so
grievous a mandate, and to permit them to continue a custom which had been
handed down by their ancestors.
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