Next Morning, We Met The Carts Of Zagathai, Laden With Houses, And I
Thought That A Great City Was Travelling Towards Us.
I was astonished at
the prodigious droves of oxen and horses, and the immense flocks of sheep,
though I
Saw very few men to guide them; which made me inquire how many men
he had under his command, and I was told he had not above 500 in all, half
of whom we had already passed at another station. Then the servant who
conducted us, informed me that it was requisite for us to make a present to
Zagathai, and desired us to stop while he went forwards, to announce our
arrival. It was then past three o'clock, and the Tartars unladed their
houses near a certain water. After this, the interpreter of Zagathai came
to us, and learning that we had not been before among them, he demanded
some of our victuals, which we gave him; he also required to have some
garments, as a reward for his trouble in interpreting for us to his master;
but we excused ourselves on account of our poverty. He then asked us what
we intended to present to his lord, when we shewed him a flaggon of wine,
and filled a basket with biscuit, and a platter with apples and other
fruits; but he was not satisfied, as we had not bought him some rich
stuffs. However, we entered into the presence of Zagathai with fear and
bashfulness; he was sitting on a bed, having a small citern or lute in his
hand, and his wife sat beside him, who, I really believe, had amputated her
nose, between the eyes, that it might be the flatter, for she had no nose
in that part of her face, which was smeared over with black ointment, as
were also her eyebrows, which seemed very filthy in our eyes. I then
repeated to him the exact same words which I had used before, respecting
the object of our journey, as we had been admonished by some who had been
among them formerly, never to vary in our words. I requested that he would
deign to accept our small gift; for, being monks, it was contrary to the
rules of our order to possess gold or silver or rich garments; on which
account, we had no such things to offer, and hoped he would accept some
portion of our victuals as a blessing. He received those things, and
immediately distributed them among his men, who were met in his house to
drink. I likewise presented to him the letters from the emperor of
Constantinople. He then sent these to Soldaia to be translated, because,
being in Greek, there was no person about him who understood that language.
He asked if we would drink cosmos? For the Russian, Greek, and Alanian
Christians, who happen to, be among the Tartars, and conform strictly to
their own laws, do not drink that liquor, and even think they are not
Christians who do so; and their priests, after such conduct, formally
reconcile them again to the church, as if they had thereby renounced the
Christian faith. I answered that we had still a sufficiency of our own
drink, but when that was done, we should be under the necessity of using
what might be given us. He next asked us, what the letters contained which
we carried to Sartach? I answered that these were sealed, and contained
only the words of friendship and good will. He asked what I meant to say to
Sartach? To this I answered, that I should speak to him the words of the
Christian faith. He asked what these were, as he would willingly hear them?
I then expounded to him the apostles creed, as well as I was able, by means
of our interpreter, who was by no means clever or eloquent. On hearing this
he shook his head, but made no reply. He then appointed oxen and horses for
our use, and two men to attend upon us; but he desired us to abide with
him, until the messenger should return with the translation of the emperors
letters from Soldaia. We arrived at the horde of Zagathai, in the Ascension
week, and we remained with him until the day after Pentecost, or Whitsun
Tuesday, being ten days in all.
SECTION XIII.
How some Alanians visited them on the Eve of Pentecost.
On the eve of Pentecost or Whitsunday, there came to us certain Alanians,
called there Acias or Akas, who are Christians after the Greek form, using
Greek books, and having Grecian priests, but they are not schismatics like
the Greeks as they honour all Christians without exception. These men
brought us some sodden flesh, which they offered us to eat, and requested
us to pray for one of their company who had died. But I explained to them
the solemnity of the festival, and that we could eat no flesh at this time.
They were much pleased with our exposition, as they were ignorant of every
thing relative to the Christian rites, the name of Christ alone excepted.
They and many other Christians, both Russians and Hungarians, demanded of
us if they might be saved, having been constrained to drink cosmos, and to
eat the flesh of animals that had been slain by the Saracens and other
infidels; which the Greek and Russian priests consider as things strangled
or offered to idols. They were likewise ignorant of the times of fasting,
neither could they have observed these in this region, even if they had
known their times and seasons. I then instructed them as well as I could,
and strengthened them in the faith. We reserved the flesh which they had
brought us until the feast day, for there was nothing to be bought among
the Tartars for gold and silver, but only for cloth and garments, which we
had not to dispose of. When our servants offered any of the coin which they
call yperpera [1], they rubbed it with their fingers, and smelt it, to see
whether it were copper.
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