A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 1 - Robert Kerr
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It requires a months journey to cross this desert from south to north, but
to go through it lengthways would take up a whole year. Those who intend to
cross the desert remain for some time in Lop, on purpose to prepare all
necessaries for the journey, as no provisions are to be met with for a
whole month. These, with their merchandize, are loaded on asses and camels,
and if provisions fall short in the desert, the unfortunate travellers are
reduced to the necessity of killing their beasts of burden for sustenance,
preferring the asses for this purpose, as the camels can carry much heavier
burdens, and are satisfied with less food. This journey is entirely through
sands and barren mountains, in which water is found every day; yet at some
of the resting places it is so scanty as hardly to suffice for a caravan of
fifty of an hundred persons and their cattle. In three or four places the
water is salt and bitter, but in all the rest of the journey it is very
good. In the whole of this journey there are no beasts or birds to be seen.
It is reported, that many evil spirits reside in the wilderness, which
occasion wonderful illusions to travellers who happen unfortunately to lag
behind their companions calling them even by their names, and causing them
to stray farther from the right course, so that they lose their way and
perish in the sands. In the night time also they hear noises as of their
friends, and sometimes the sound of music is heard in the air, and people
imagine that they hear the din of drums, as if armies were marching past.
To avoid the danger of separation, the travellers in the desert keep close
together, and hang bells about the necks of their beasts; and if any one
stays behind, they set up marks in the route, that they may know how to
follow.
Having crossed the desert of Lop, we come to the city of Sachion[6] or
Sachiou, which is subject to the great khan, and is situated in the great
country of Tangut. The inhabitants of this city are mostly idolaters, who
have a peculiar language, mixed with a good many Mahometans, and some
Nestorian Christians; this people are little addicted to merchandize or
manufacture, and live on the products of their soil. In this city there are
many temples, consecrated to various idols, with monasteries of priests
devoted to the service of these false deities, to which numerous sacrifices
are offered with great reverence. When a son is born to any person, he is
immediately consecrated to the protection of some particular idol, and the
father nourishes a sheep in his house for a year with great care; and on
the anniversary day of that idol, he presents his son and the sheep as a
sacrifice, with great reverence and many ceremonies, before the shrine of
this tutelary deity. The flesh of the sheep is boiled and set before the
idol during the continuance of the prayers and invocations, as an offering
for the preservation and protection of the boy, and the idol is supposed to
inhale the savour of the meat. After the religious ceremonies are finished,
the meat is carried home to the father's dwelling, where all the kindred of
the family are convened, and feasted with great joy and devotion; but the
bones are religiously kept in certain appropriated vessels. The priests
receive the head, feet, skin, and intrails, with a portion of the flesh for
their share.
When a person of any estimation dies, his funerals are celebrated with much
ceremony. An astrologer is sent for by the kindred, and informed of the
year, month, day, and hour when the deceased was born, when he calculates
the aspect of the constellation, and assigns the day when the burial is to
take place, sometimes at the distance of seven days, or perhaps the planet
may not have a favourable aspect for six months, during all which time the
body is kept in the house. For this purpose a fit chest or coffin is
provided, which is so artificially jointed that no noisome smell can
escape, and in this the body is placed, having been previously embalmed
with spices. The coffin is ornamented with painting, and is covered over
with an embroidered cloth. Every day, while the body remains unburied, a
table is spread near the coffin, and set out with meat, bread, and wine,
which remains for as long a time as a living person would require to eat
and drink, and the soul of the deceased is supposed to feed upon the
savour. The astrologers sometimes forbid the body to be carried out for
interment at the principal door of the house, pretending to be regulated in
this by the stars, and order it to be carried out by some other way; or
will even command a passage to be broken out in the opposite wall of the
house, to propitiate the adverse planet. And if any one object to this,
they allege that the spirit of the dead would be offended, and would
occasion injury to the family. When the body is carried through the city to
be buried, wooden cottages are built at certain distances by the way,
having porches covered with silk, in which the coffin is set down, with a
table spread out with bread and wine and delicate viands, that the spirit
of the dead may be refreshed with the savour. When the body is carried to
the place of the funeral, a number of pieces of paper, made of the bark of
trees, curiously painted with figures of men and women servants, horses,
camels, money, and garments of all kinds are carried in procession, all the
instruments of music in the city sounding as the cavalcade moves along; and
all these pieces of painted paper are burned in the same funeral pile with
the body, under the idea that the deceased will have as many servants,
cattle, and garments in the next world, and as much money, as there were
pictures of these things burnt along with his body, and shall live
perpetually hereafter in the enjoyment of all these things[7].
[1] The text is here obviously transposed. While the editor endeavours to
illustrate and explain the descriptions of the author, he does not
consider himself at liberty to alter the text, even in the most
obviously faulty places.--E.
[2] Charchan, Charcham, Carcam, Hiarkand, Jarkun, Jerket, Jerken, Urkend;
such are the varieties in the editions of these travels, for the
Yarkand of modern maps. This paragraph ought obviously to have
followed the account of Cashgar.--E.
[3] Cotan, Cotam, Hotum, Khoten, Khotan, from which the useful material of
manufacture, _cotton_, takes its name. But instead of being between
the east and north-east direction from Yarkand, as in the text, or
E.N.E. it is actually E.S.E.--E.
[4] Called likewise Ciarciam, Ciartiam, and Sartam, in different editions.
--E.
[5] The journey from Sartem to Lop is obviously retrograde, and this course
must have been pursued by the Polos for commercial purposes; perhaps
for collecting those valuable stones which are mentioned by Marco as
giving so much profit when sold in China.--E.
[6] Schatscheu, Tschat-scheu, or Chat-chou, on the Polonkir, which runs
into the Hara lake.--E.
[7] It is highly probable that this emblematical representation had been
substituted by some humane legislator or conqueror, in place of the
actual sacrifice of the servants, cattle, and goods themselves, which
we are well assured was once the practice among many rude nations, in
honour of their deceased great men.--E.
SECTION VII.
_Of the Province of Chamil and several other Countries on the road from
thence to the City of Ezina; and of another great Desert_.
The province of Chamil, which abounds in all the necessaries of life, is
situated in the wide country of Tangut, and is subject to the great khan.
This province, of which the city of Chamil or Hami is the capital[1], is
bounded by two deserts; the great desert of Lop already mentioned, and
another which is only three days journey across[2]. The inhabitants are
idolaters, have a peculiar language, and appear to live only for amusement,
devoting their whole time to singing, dancing, and sports, playing upon
instruments of music, and reading and writing after their fashion. When any
traveller goes into a house for entertainment and lodging, the master of
the family receives him with great joy, and commands his wife and family to
obey the stranger in all things so long as he may choose to remain, and
even departs immediately from his own house, that he may not be any
restraint upon his guest. And while the traveller remains, he may choose a
female bed fellow every night, either the wife, daughter, or servant of the
polite host, as he feels inclined. The women of the country are very
beautiful, and are perfectly ready to obey these singular commands; and the
husbands believe that this strange hospitality is conducive to their own
honour and glory, and is an acceptable service to their idols, from whose
favour it secures prosperity and abundance to themselves and their country.
Mangu-khan having received notice of this detestable custom, issued a
peremptory order for its discontinuance, and it was accordingly laid aside
for three years; but as these years happened to be unusually barren, and
the inhabitants were vexed with some disasters in their domestic concerns,
they sent ambassadors to the khan, earnestly entreating him to revoke so
grievous a mandate, and to permit them to continue a custom which had been
handed down by their ancestors. To this the khan answered, "Since you glory
in your shame, you may go and act according to your customs." The
messengers who brought back this favourable answer, were received with
great rejoicings by the nation; and the above custom continued when I Marco
was among them.
After leaving the province of Chamil, we enter into that of
Chinchintalas[3], subject to the great khan, which is bounded by the desert
on the north, and is sixteen days journey in length. It has large cities
and many castles, the inhabitants being divided into three sects or
religions: The greater number are idolaters, a considerable number are
Mahometans, and a small proportion are Nestorian Christians. In this
province there are mountains containing mines of steel, and andanicum or
audanicum, and also a mineral substance called salamander or asbestos, from
the wool of which an incombustible cloth is manufactured, which, if cast
into the fire does not burn. This cloth is actually made of stone in the
following manner, as I was informed by a Turk named Curifar, an intelligent
industrious person of my acquaintance, who had the superintendence of the
mines in this province. A certain mineral is found in these mountains,
which yields fibres resembling wool: After being thoroughly dried in the
sun, this substance is pounded in a brass mortar, and then washed to remove
all earthy impurities; and the clean fibrous matter is spun in the same
manner as wool, and woven into cloth. When this cloth requires to be
cleaned or whitened, it is thrown into the fire for an hour, and is then
taken out unhurt, and as white as snow. It is said, there is a napkin at
Rome of this salamander wool, in which the handkerchief of the Lord Jesus
is kept wrapped up, which a certain king of the Tartars sent as a present
to the Pope. But as for the salamander or serpent, which is reported to
live in the fire, I could hear of no such creature in all the eastern
countries.
Leaving this province, we travel for ten days between the east and
north-east, during which there are few habitations or things worthy of
remark; after which we come to the province of Succir[4], in which there
are many towns and villages, the chief city being called Succir. In this
province, which is subject to the great khan, there are a few Christians
among a great number of idolaters. The best rhubarb[5] is found in great
quantities in this province, and is carried thence by merchants to various
parts of the world. Strangers dare not go to the mountains where the
rhubarb grows, on account of certain poisonous plants, which occasion any
beasts that feed upon them to cast their hoofs; but the beasts of the
country know this plant, and avoid feeding upon it Campion[6] is a great
city, and is the chief place in all Tangut. In it, besides idolaters and
Mahometans, there are a good many Christians, who have three fair churches.
The idolaters have many temples and monasteries dedicated to their idols.
These idols are very numerous, and are made of stone, wood, or clay, some
of them curiously inlaid with gold, and very artificially made: Some are
very large, almost ten paces high, standing upright, and having many
smaller idols placed around, which seem to give reverence to the great one.
The priests of these idols appear to live more regularly, and are less
addicted to voluptuousness than other idolaters. Yet wantonness is not
looked upon in this country as any great sin; for they say if a woman
invites a man, there is no harm in compliance, but if the man solicits the
woman, it is quite otherwise.
In this country they divide the year by lunations, and in every moon they
keep certain days as holy, in some five, or four, or three days, in which
they kill no beast or bird, and abstain from animal food. The people of
this country marry twenty or thirty wives, or as many as they are able to
maintain, but the first wife always has the precedence over the others. The
husband receives no portion with his wife, but on the contrary has to
assign her a dower in cattle, servants, and money, according to his
ability. If any of the wives does not live in harmony with the rest, or if
she becomes disliked by her husband, it is lawful for him to put her away.
They marry their own near relations, and even the wives of their deceased
father, excepting always their own mothers. In the manners and customs of
this country, I Marco was sufficiently experienced, having dwelt a whole
year in this place, along with my father and uncle, for the dispatch of
certain affairs of business.
In twelve days journey from Campion, we come to the city of Ezina[7], which
borders on a sandy desert towards the north. All the provinces and cities
before mentioned, viz. Sachion, Camul, Chinchintalas, Succair, Campion, and
Ezina, are comprehended in the great country of Tangut. The inhabitants of
Ezina are idolaters, who live by agriculture, and on the produce of their
flocks and herds, having great quantities of camels and other cattle, but
carry on no trade. In this country there are forests of pine trees, in
which there are wild asses, and many other wild beasts; there are likewise
abundance of falcons, particularly the lanner and sacre, which are reckoned
excellent. Such travellers as intend to pass through the great desert of
Shamo, which is forty days journey in extent, must provide all their
provisions in this place, as they afterwards meet with no habitations,
except a few straggling people here and there on the mountains and valleys.
[1] Called also Kamul, Chamul, Khami, and Came-xu.--Forst.
[2] The desert of Noman-Cobi; or Tzokurin of modern maps.--E.
[3] Called likewise Cinchincalas, Sanghin-talgin, Sankin-talai, and
Chitalas-dalai.--Forst. This appears to be the district stretching to
the S.E. of the Bogdo mountains, between the Changai ridge on the
north, and the Ungandag on the south, now occupied by a tribe of
Eluts, and in which there do not appear to be any towns.--E.
[4] Suchur, Succuir, Souk, or Suck, on the river Suck, which empties itself
into the river of Pegu to the north of Thibet.--Forst.
This I suspect to be Chioming of our modern maps, on a river which
runs north into the Soukouk lake.--E.
[5] The country of the genuine rhubarb has been described by the great
Russian traveller Palas, as situated on the river Selingol, not far
from the town of Selinga, which falls into the Chattungol, Hoang-ho,
Choango, or Karamuren.--Forst.
The travels of Palas will be found in an after portion of this work;
and it need only be remarked in this place, that there are at least
two kinds of true rhubarb, the China and Russia; and that two species
of the genus, the R. Palmatum and R. Undulatum, certainly produce the
drug nearly of the same quality, and are probably to be found in
various parts of central Asia or Tartary,--E.
[6] Kampion, Kampition, Kampiciou, Kantscheu, or Kan-tcheou, in the Chinese
province of Shensi, on the Etzine-moren, or Etchine river, which joins
the Souk.--Forst.
[7] Eziva, or Etzine, on a river of the same name, which runs into the Suck
or Souhouk.--Forst.
SECTION VIII.
_Of the City of Caracarum and of the Tartars, with some account of their
History, Monarchs, and Manners_.
Having passed over the before mentioned desert of forty days, travelling
always to the northward, we come to the large city of Charachoran, or
Caracarum[1] which is three miles in circumference, and strongly fortified
with an earthen rampart, as there is no stone in these parts. Near the city
there is a great castle with an elegant palace, in which the governor
usually resides. Near this place the Tartars used to assemble in old times,
and here therefore I shall explain the original of their empire.
They dwelt at first in the northern parts called Curza and Bargu[2], where
there are many vast plains without cities and towns, but abounding in
pastures, lakes, and rivers. They had no prince of their own nation, but
paid tribute to a certain great king, named, as I have been told, in their
language, _Umcan_, and which some people believe to signify, in the
languages of Europe, Prester-John[3]; and to whom the Tartars gave yearly a
tenth part of the increase of their flocks and herds, and of their horses.
In process of time, the Tartars so increased in numbers, that Umcan became
afraid of them, and endeavoured to disperse them into several parts of his
empire; and when any of them rebelled, he used to send parties into their
territories to reduce them to obedience; for which purpose, he even
frequently deputed some of their own nobles. At length it became obvious to
the whole nation, that their ruin was intended; and being unwilling to be
separated from each other, they retired into the northern deserts, where
they might be safe from the power of Umcan, to whom they refused the
accustomed tribute. After continuing in the north for some time, they chose
a king among themselves, named Zingis-khan, who was a wise and valiant man,
and reigned with such justice, that he was beloved and feared of all as a
god rather than as a prince, so that by his fame and prowess, he soon
reduced all the Tartars in these parts under his authority. Seeing himself
at the head of so many valiant men, he determined to leave the northern
deserts; and commanding his people to provide themselves with bows and
other weapons, he began to reduce the neighbouring cities and provinces
under his dominion, in which conquests he placed such just governors, that
the people were perfectly reconciled to his authority. In all his conquests
he carried the chief persons along with him, bestowing upon them provisions
and other gifts, and by that means attached them to his person, and
continually augmented his power. After sometime, finding himself advanced
to power and glory, he sent ambassadors to Umcan, to entreat that he would
bestow his daughter upon him for a wife. Umcan received this message with
the utmost indignation, saying to the messengers; "Does my servant presume
to demand my daughter? Begone, and tell your master, that if ever he dare
to repeat so insolent a proposal, I will make him die a miserable death."
Zingis seems only to have wanted a reasonable pretence to justify him in
the estimation of his nobles for entering into war against Umcan; he
therefore immediately levied a great army, with which he marched boldly
against Umcan, and encamped in a great plain named Tanduc[4], sending a
message to Umcan to defend himself. Upon this Umcan collected a vast army,
with which he advanced into the plains, and pitched his camp within ten
miles of that of the Tartars. Zingis commanded his astrologers to shew him
what was to be the event of the approaching battle; on which they split a
reed into two pieces, on one of which they wrote the name of Zingis, and
the name of Umcan on the other, and struck them separately into the ground,
saying to Zingis: "While we read in our holy books, it shall come to pass
through the power of the idol, that these two pieces of reed shall fight
together, and whose part shall get the better, to that king shall the
victory be given." The astrologers began to mumble their prayers and
incantations, while the multitude stood around to observe the result; and
after some time, the two pieces of reed seemed spontaneously to fight
together, and the portion inscribed with the name of Zingis got the mastery
over that of Umcan; and the Tartars being encouraged by this prodigy, went
into the battle fully assured of victory, which they actually obtained. By
this battle, in which Umcan was slain, the sovereignty of all Tangut was
transferred to Zingis, who took to wife the daughter of Umcan. Zingis
reigned six years after this, and conquered many provinces: But at last,
while he endeavoured to take a certain castle called Thaigin, he approached
too near the walls, and was wounded in the knee by an arrow, of which wound
he died, and was buried in the mountain of Altai. Zingis was the _first_
king of the Tartars; the second was Khen-khan, the third Bathyn-khan, the
fourth Esu-khan, the fifth Mangu-khan, the sixth Kublai-khan, whose power
is greater than that of all his predecessors, as, besides having inherited
all their acquisitions, he has added almost the whole world to his empire,
during a long and prosperous reign of sixty years[5]. All the great khans
and princes of the blood of Zingis, are carried for burial to the mountains
of Altai, even from the distance of an hundred days journey; and those who
attend the body, kill all whom they meet by the way, ordering them to go
and serve their lord in the other world, and a great number of fine horses
are slain on the same occasion and pretence. It is said that the soldiers,
who accompanied the body of Mangu-khan to the mountain of Altai, slew above
ten thousand men during their journey.
The Tartar women are remarkably faithful to their husbands, considering
adultery as the greatest and most unpardonable of crimes; yet it is
accounted lawful and honest for the men to have as many wives as they can
maintain, but the first married is always accounted the principal and most
honourable. These wives live all in one house, in the utmost harmony and
most admirable concord; in which they carry on various manufactures, buy
and sell, and procure all things necessary for their husbands and families,
the men employing themselves only in hunting and hawking, and in martial
affairs. They have the best falcons in the world, and great numbers of
excellent dogs, and they live upon flesh and milk, and what they procure by
hunting. They eat the flesh of horses and camels, and even of dogs, if fat;
and their chief drink is cosmos, made of mares milk in a particular manner,
and very much resembling white wine. When the father of a family dies, the
son may marry all his fathers wives, except only his own mother, neither do
they marry their sisters; and on the death of a brother, the surviving
brother may marry the widow of the deceased. The husbands receive no
portions with their wives, but must assign sufficient dowries to their
wives and mothers. As the Tartars have many wives, they often have great
numbers of children; neither is the multitude of their wives very
burthensome, as they gain much by their labour, and they are exceedingly
careful in the management of family concerns, in the preparation of food,
and in all other household duties.
The Tartars feed many herds of cattle, and numerous flocks of sheep, and
great numbers of camels and horses. They remain with these during the
summer in the pastures of the mountains and colder regions of the north,
where they find abundance of grass and wood; but in winter they remove into
the warmer regions of the south, in search of pasture, and they generally
travel forwards for two or three months together. Their houses are made of
slender rods covered with felt, mostly of a round form, and are carried
along with them in carts or waggons with four wheels, and the doors of
these moveable houses are always placed fronting the south. They have also
very neat carts on two wheels, covered so closely with felt, that the rain
cannot penetrate, in which their wives and children and household goods are
conveyed from place to place. All these are drawn by oxen or camels.
The rich Tartars are clothed in sables and ermines, and other rich furs,
and in cloth of gold, and all their apparel and furniture is very costly.
Their arms are bows, swords, battle-axes, and some have lances; but they
are most expert in the use of the bow, in which they are trained from their
infancy. They are hardy, active, and brave, yet somewhat cruel; are
exceedingly patient and obedient to their lords, and will often remain two
days and nights armed on horseback without rest. They believe in one
supreme God of heaven, to whom they daily offer incense, praying to him for
health and prosperity. But every person has a little image covered with
felt, or something else, in his house, called _Natigay_; and to this
household god they make a wife, which is placed on his left hand, and
children, which are set before his face. This image or idol is considered
as the god of earthly things, to whom they recommend the protection of
their wives and children, their cattle, corn, and other valuables. This god
is held in great reverence, and before eating any thing themselves, they
anoint the mouth of the idol with the fat of their boiled meat, and they
cast some broth out of doors in honour of other spirits; after which they
eat and drink their fill, saying, that now their god and his family have
had their due portion.