The Tartars Used Often To Come To Our Hut In The
Night, When Drunk With Mead, Demanding With Loud Outcries To Deliver Up
The Franks To Them, And The Bravest Among Us Were Terrified At The
Dangerous Situation In Which We Were Among These Savages.
In this
horrible situation we remained from the 1st of May to the 10th of August.
The city of
Citracan belongs to three brothers, who are sons to the
brother of the Tartar emperor, and the inhabitants often make plundering
inroads into the plains of _Cinassia_[4], and along the borders of the
Don. During the height of summer they travel with their flocks in search
of pasturage, to the northern parts of Russia, and hardly spend above a
month every year in Citracan. That city, which stands on the banks of the
Wolga, is by no means large, its houses being built of earth: It is
surrounded by a slight wall, and does not appear to have had any better
buildings for a long time past. It is said to have had a very
considerable fair formerly, and that the perfumes and spiceries which
used to be brought to Venice, came first to this place from the east,
whence they were carried to the Tanais or Don, which is only eight days
journey from the Wolga. The prince of Citracan, whose name is _Casinach_,
sends every year an ambassador to the grand duke of Muscovy, on purpose
to extort a present; and on this occasion, several Tartar merchants
accompany the ambassador, carrying silk, silken vestments, and other
articles of trade, which they barter for saddles, furs, and other things
which are in request among their countrymen.
The only way of travelling into Russia from this place, is through
extensive deserts, on which account travellers have to go in large bands
or caravans for mutual security, and to carry provisions for the journey.
The Tartars care little for the latter precaution, as they have always
plenty of spare horses, and kill one when needed, as they live entirely
on flesh and milk, without caring for any other food. They use no bread,
and only a few of their merchants who have been in Russia know any thing
of this article. Previous to the commencement of our journey[5], we
provided provisions for the journey as well as we could. In this view we
procured some rice with much difficulty, which, boiled in milk, and then
dried in the sun, makes, when afterwards boiled in water, an excellent
and nourishing food. We had likewise some onions, a small quantity of
biscuit, and some other trifles, and I bought, during the journey, the
salted tail of a sheep[6]. The usual road from Citracan to Russia lay
between two branches of the Wolga, but the roads were then exceedingly
dangerous, as the Tartar emperor was then at war with his nephew, who
pretended a right to the throne, as his father had once been emperor. On
this account it was proposed to pass over to the other side of the river,
and to travel towards the straits between the Don and the Wolga, which
are about five days journey from Citracan, after which it was presumed we
should be out of danger. Our baggage was accordingly carried across the
river on rafts, and Marcus desired me to keep always along with him and
the Tartar ambassador, named _Auchioli_. I and my interpreter accordingly
set out about mid-day along with the ambassador, to go to the place where
the boats waited for us, which was about twelve miles from the city, our
other companions having already gone there. On our arrival about sunset,
while I prepared to go into one of the boats on purpose to cross the
river, Marcus seemed suddenly struck with an extraordinary panic, and
commanded the interpreter and me to take to flight instantly to avoid
inevitable danger. We mounted therefore immediately, having likewise a
Russian woman along with us and a Tartar guide of a most horrible aspect,
and set out at full speed. In this manner we followed our guide the whole
of that night and part of the next day, without being ever allowed to
stop. I frequently asked our guide, by means of my interpreter, what was
the reason of all this, and where he proposed to carry me? At length he
explained the cause of Marcus having made us set off, with such
precipitation; as the khan had sent an order to examine all the boats,
and he was apprehensive they would have detained me as a slave if I had
been found.
About mid-day of the 13th of August 1475, we arrived at the banks of the
river, and our Tartar guide endeavoured to find a boat in which to carry
us into an island in which the flocks of Auchioli were kept; but not
finding one, he cut down some branches, which he tied together so as to
form a raft. On this he placed the saddles of our horses, and tying this
raft to his horses tail, he mounted the horse, on which he swam across
the river to the island, which lay a bow-shot from the shore. He then
came back with the raft, on which he carried over the Russian woman;
after which he came back for me, and I stripped myself naked before
trusting myself to the crazy raft, that I might be in readiness to save
myself by swimming, in case of any misfortune. He afterwards returned for
our horses; and my interpreter swam across. The passage of the river
being thus happily effected, the Tartar carried us to a wretched hovel,
covered by a miserable woollen cloth, where he gave us some sour milk,
which we found very refreshing, as we had been long without food, and
were much fatigued. Immediately on our arrival in the island being known,
several Tartars left their flocks to come and see us, seeming infinitely
surprized and much gratified by the sight, as we were probably the first
Christians who had ever been on the island.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 64 of 219
Words from 64537 to 65560
of 224388
