I Have Counted Twenty-Two Bullocks Dragging One Waggon,
Surmounted By A House; Eleven In One Row, According To The Breadth Or The
Waggon, And Other Eleven Before These.
The axle of this waggon was very
large, like the mast of a ship; and one man stood in the door of the house,
upon the waggon, urging on the oxen.
They likewise make quadrangular
structures of small split wicker, like large chests, and frame for them an
arched lid or cover of similar twigs, having a small door at the front end;
and they cover this chest or small house with black felt, smeared over with
suet or sheeps' milk[1], to prevent the rain from penetrating; and these
are likewise decorated with paintings or feathers. In these they put all
their household goods and treasure; and they bind these upon higher carts,
drawn by camels, that they may be able to cross rivers without injuring
their contents. These chests are never taken down from the carts to which
they belong. When their dwelling-houses are unloaded from the waggons,
their doors are always turned to the south; and the carts, with the chests
which belong to each house, are drawn up in two rows, one on each side of
the dwelling, at about the distance of a stone's throw.
The married women get most beautiful carts made for themselves, which I am
unable to describe without the aid of painting, and which I would have
drawn for your majesty, if I had possessed sufficient talents. One rich
Moal, or Tartar, will have from a hundred to two hundred such carts with
chests. Baatu has sixteen wives, each of whom has one large house, besides
several small ones, serving as chambers for her female attendants, and
which are placed behind the large house; and to the large house of each
wife there belong two hundred chest-carts. When the camp is formed, the
house of the first wife is placed on the west, and all the rest extend in
one line eastwards, so that the last wife is on the east, or left of all.
And between the station of each wife there is the distance of a stone's
throw, so that the court of a rich Moal appears like a large city, but in
which there are very few men. One girl is able to lead twenty or thirty
carts; for the ground being quite plain, they fasten the carts, whether
drawn by camels or oxen, behind each other, and the girl sits on the front
of the foremost cart of the string, directing the cattle, while all the
rest follow with an equable motion. If they come to any difficult passage,
the carts are untied from each other, and conducted across singly; and they
travel at a very slow pace, only so fast as an ox or a lamb can easily
walk.
[1] The butter from ewe-milk is probably here meant. - E.
SECTION III.
Of their Beds and Drinking-cups.
After having placed the house on the ground, with its door turned to the
south, the bed of the master is placed to the north, opposite the door. The
place of the women is always on the east, or on the masters left hand,
where he sits on his bed with his face to the south, and the place of the
men on his right hand, to the west; and when any men enter into the house,
they never hang up their quivers on the womens side. Over the head of the
lord there is placed an image or puppet of felt, which is called the
masters brother, and a similar image over the head of the mistress, which
is called her brother; and a little higher between these, there is one very
small and thin, which is, as it were, the keeper of the house. The mistress
places at the foot of her bed, on the right hand, in a conspicuous place,
the skin of a kid, stuffed with wool, or some such material, and beside
that a small puppet looking towards the maidens and women. Near the door,
on the womens side of the house, there is another image, with a cows udder,
as the guardian of the women who milk the kine. On the masters side of the
door is another image, having the udder of a mare, being the tutelary deity
of the men who milk the mares. When they meet together for drinking, they,
in the first place, sprinkle the master's idol with some of the liquor, and
then all the rest in their order; after which a servant goes out of the
house with a cup of drink, and sprinkles thrice towards the south, making a
genuflexion between each, in honour of the fire, then towards the east, in
honour of the air, next towards the west, in honour of the water, and
lastly, towards the north, for the dead. When the lord takes the cup in his
hand to drink, he first pours a part on the ground; and if he is to drink
on horseback, he first spills a portion on the neck and mane of his horse.
After the servant has made his libations to the four quarters of the world,
he returns into the house, and two other servants are ready with two other
cups and salvers, to carry drink to the lord and his wife, who sit together
on a bed. When he has more than one wife, she with whom he slept the night
before sits beside him that day, and all the other wives must come to her
house that day to drink; and all the gifts which the lord receives that day
are deposited in her chests. Upon a bench there stands vessels of milk and
other drinks, and drinking cups.
SECTION IV.
Of their Kinds of Drink, and Fashion of Drinking.
In winter they make excellent drink of rice, millet, and honey, which is
clear like wine; and they have wine brought to them from distant countries.
In summer they care not for any drink except cosmos, which always stands
within the door, and beside it is a minstrel with his instrument of music.
I saw no citerns, lutes, and viols, such as ours, but they have many other
instruments which we have not.
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