The Governors Or Captains Being Absent, I Caused All These
Things To Be Packed Up In One Of The Carts, Being Informed That They Would
Be Acceptable Presents To Sartach.
We began our journey about the beginning of June, having four covered carts
of our own, and two others which they furnished to us, in which we carried
our bedding, and we were allowed five riding horses for ourselves, our
company consisting of five persons; viz.
Myself and my companion, Friar
Bartholomew of Cremona, Goset, the bearer of these letters, the man of God
Turgeman[7], and a servant or slave, named Nicholas, whom I had purchased
at Constantinople, out of the alms we had received. The people of Soldaia
likewise allowed us two men to drive our carts, and to take care of our
horses and oxen.
There are several lofty promontories on the shore of Casaria, between
Kersova[8] and the mouth of the Tanais; and there are forty castles between
Kersova and Soldaia, at almost each of which a distinct language is spoken;
and among these are many Goths who speak the Teutonic language[9]. Beyond
these mountains, towards the north, extends a most beautiful wood, in a
plain, which is full of springs and rivulets; and beyond this wood is an
extensive plain, continuing for five days journey to the northern extremity
of this province, where it contracts into a narrow space, having the sea on
the east and west, and a great ditch is drawn between these two seas. In
this plain the Comani dwelt before the coming of the Tartars, and compelled
the before-mentioned cities and castles to pay tribute; and upon the coming
of the Tartars, so vast a multitude of the Comani took refuge in this
province, flying to the sea shore, that the living were forced to feed upon
the dying, as I was assured by a merchant, an eye-witness, who declared,
that the survivors tore in pieces with their teeth, and devoured the raw
flesh of the dead as dogs do carrion. Towards the extremity of this
province, there are many large lakes, having salt springs on their banks,
and when the water of these springs reaches the lake, it coagulates into
hard salt like ice. From these salt springs, Sartach and Baatu draw large
revenues; as people come from all parts of Russia to procure salt, and for
each cart-load, they pay two webs of cotton cloth, equal in value to half
an yperpera. Many vessels come likewise by sea for salt, all of which pay
tribute, in proportion to the quantities which they carry away. On the
third day after leaving Soldaia, we fell in with the Tartars, on joining
whom, I thought myself entered into a new world; wherefore, I shall use my
best endeavours to describe their manners and way of life,
[1] The Euxine or Black Sea. Though not expressed in the text, he probably
took his departure from Constantinople. - E
[2] By the Latins are here obviously meant the inhabitants of western
Europe. The province here mentioned is the Crimea; the Taurica
Chersonesus of the ancients, or the modern Taurida. - E.
[3] At the mouth of one of the branches of the Kuban is the town of
Temruck, formerly called Tmutrakhan by the Russians, and Tamatarcha by
the Greeks; this has been corrupted to Tamaterca, Materca, and
Matriga. - Forst.
[4] This obviously refers to the canal of communication between the sea of
Azoph and the Euxine. - E.
[5] Called likewise Soldeya, Soldadia and Sogdat, now Sudak. - E.
[6] Sartach was the son of Baatu-khan. - E.
[7] This name is probably meant to imply the Trucheman, Dragoman, or
interpreter; and from the strange appellative, Man of God, he may
have been a monk from Constantinople, with a Greek name, having that
signification: perhaps Theander - E.
[8] Cherson or Kersona, called likewise Scherson, Schursi, and Gurzi. - E.
[9] These castles of the Goths, first mentioned by Rubruquis, were
afterwards noticed by Josaphat Barbaro, a Venetian, in 1436; and
Busbeck conversed with some of these Goths from the Crimea at
Constantinople in 1562, and gives a vocabulary of their language. From
the authority of Rubruquis misunderstood, some ancient map makers have
inserted the Castella Judeorum instead of Gothorum in the Crimea, and
even Danville placed them in his maps under the name of Chateaux des
Juifs, castles of the Jews. - Forst.
SECTION II.
Of the Tartars and their Houses.
They have no permanent city, and they are ignorant of the future. They
divide all Scythia among them; and each leader, according to the number of
his followers, knows the boundaries of his pastures, and where he ought to
feed his flocks in winter and summer, and in spring and autumn. In winter
they descend into the warmer regions of the south, and in summer they
travel towards the colder countries of the north. Such pastures as have no
water, are reserved for winter use, when there is snow on the ground, as
the snow there serves instead of water.
The houses in which they sleep are founded on a round structure of wattled
rods, and the roof is formed of wickers, meeting above in a small roundel,
from which arises a neck like a chimney, all of which they cover with white
felt; and they often cover over the felt with lime, or white earth and
powdered bones to make it bright: sometimes their houses are black; and the
felt about the neck of the dome is decorated with a variety of pictures.
Before the door, likewise, they hang a felt, ornamented with painting; and
they employ much coloured felt, painted with vines, trees, birds, and
beasts, for decorating their dwellings. Some of these houses are so large
as to measure thirty feet in breadth. I once measured the distance between
the wheel ruts of one of their waggons to be twenty feet, and when the
house was upon the waggon, it spread beyond the wheels at least five feet
on each side.
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