Any One Who Happens To
Enter A House, In Which A Grown Up Person Lies Dead, Must Not Enter The
House Of Mangu-Khan During A Whole Year; If The Dead Person Is A Child, He
Is Only Debarred For One Lunation.
One house is always left near the grave
of the deceased; but the burial place of any of the
Princes of the race of
Jenghis-khan is always kept secret; yet there is always a family left in
charge of the sepulchres of their nobles, though I do not find that they
deposit any treasure in these tombs. The Comanians raise a large barrow or
tomb over their dead, and erect a statue of the person, with his face
turned towards the east, holding a drinking cup in his hand; they erect
likewise, over the tombs of the rich, certain pyramids or sharp pinnacles.
In some places, I observed large towers built of burnt bricks, and others
of stone, though no stones were to be found about the place. I saw the
grave of a person newly buried, in honour of whom there were hung up
sixteen horses hides, four of which towards each quarter of the world,
between high poles; and beside the grave they had set cosmos, that the
deceased might drink, and flesh for him to eat, although the person was
said to have been baptized. Farther east, I saw other kinds of sepulchres,
consisting of large areas, paved with stone, some round and others square,
having four large stones placed upright around the pavement, and fronting
the four cardinal points. When any one lies sick in bed, a mark is affixed
to the house, that no one may enter, as no one ever visits the sick, except
his own servant; and when any one belonging to the great courts is sick,
watchmen are placed at a great distance, all round, that no one may enter
the precincts; as they dread lest evil spirits, or bad winds, might enter
along with visitors. They consider their soothsayers, or people who
practise divination, as priests.
SECTION XI.
Of our first Entering among the Tartars, and of their Ingratitude.
When we first entered among these Tartars, after having made us wait for
them a long time, under the shade of certain black carts, a considerable
number of them on horseback surrounded us. Their first question was,
whether we had ever before been among them; and being answered in the
negative, they began impudently to beg some of our victuals; and we gave
them some of the biscuits and wine, which we had brought with us from
Constantinople. Having drank one flaggon of our wine they demanded more,
saying, that a man does not enter a house with one foot only. But we
excused ourselves, as not being well provided. They next inquired, whence
we came, and whither we were going? To this I answered, that hearing
Sartach was become a Christian, we wished to go to him, that we might
present your majestys letters to him. They then asked if we came of our own
accord, or were sent upon this errand. To this I said, that no one had
compelled me, and that I had come voluntarily, and by the desire of my
superiors; being cautious not to say that I was the ambassador from your
majesty. They then required to know if our carts contained gold and silver,
or precious vestments, as presents for Sartach. To which I answered, that
Sartach should see what we carried when we came to his presence, and that
they had nothing to do with such questions, but ought to conduct me to
their captain; that he, if he thought proper, might direct me to be carried
to Sartach, otherwise I should return. There then was in this province one
Scacatai, or Zagathai, related to Baatu, to whom the emperor of
Constantinople had written requisitorial letters, that I might be permitted
to proceed on my journey. On being informed of this, they supplied us with
horses and oxen, and appointed two men to conduct us on our journey, and
those which we had brought with us from Soldaia returned. Yet they made us
wait a long while, continually begging our bread to give to their children;
and they admired and coveted every thing they saw about our servants, as
their knives, gloves, purses, and points. But when we excused ourselves
from their importunity, alleging that we had a long journey before us, and
must not give away those things which were necessary for ourselves, they
reviled me as a niggard; and though they took nothing by force, they were
exceedingly impudent, and importunate in begging, to have every thing they
saw. If a man gives them any thing, it may be considered as thrown away,
for they have no gratitude; and as they look upon themselves as the lords
of the world, they think that nothing should be refused to them by any one;
yet, if one gives them nothing, and afterwards stands in need of their
assistance, they will not help him. They gave us some of their butter milk,
called Apram, which is extremely sour. After this we left them, thinking
that we had escaped out of the hands of the demons, and the next day we
arrived at the quarters of their captain. From the tune when we left
Soldaia, till we got to Sartach, which took us two months, we never lay
under a house or a tent, but always in the open air, or under our carts;
neither did we see any town, or the vestiges of any buildings where a
village had been; though we saw vast numbers of the tombs of the Comanians.
On the same evening, our conductor gave us some cosmos, which was very
pleasant to drink, but not having been accustomed to that liquor, it
occasioned me to sweat most profusely.
SECTION XII.
Of the Court of Zagathai, and how the Christians drink no Cosmos.
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