with a high tower therein wherevpon there is a great bell and when it ringeth in the night none dare walke abroad in the streates but the watchemen of the citie and Midwiues and Phisicions who must passe with light And without the citie are twelue great streates euery one aunswering to his gate of the citie wherein there are many craftes men and merchants dwelling and in the same are lodged all such as come to the court about any busines and the Stewes are kept in those streates in the which are aboue xx thousand women of euil liuing and not one of them dare enter into the citie vpon paine of burning Out of this citie goeth euery day more then a thousand cartes laden with silke Nere to the citie of Cambalu there is a mountayne wherein are founde blacke stones which burne like vnto drye wood There is also nere to Cataya a countrey of xx days iourney inhabited with Christians Nestorians which haue greater fayrer churches then we haue In this citie of CaÌ„balu the great Cham hath his Pallace and Court which is very great And it is sayde that this Pallace hath 4. Columnes of fine gold and the walles of the Pallace layde ouer with golde and the floores layed with brickes of gold siluer In this Pallace are the great Cham his wiues which are foure in nomber of lawfull birth euery of which hath in her court thirtie thousand maides many pages men women that serue them which are more then foure thousand men women His eldest sonne of his first wife hath his court by him selfe There watche euery night xx thousande gentlemen on horsebacke which are his garde And foure thousand persons sit at meat with him The first wife sitteth at his left hande the rest successiuely and at his other hande sit his sonnes his sonnes sonnes euery one according to his age He hath xx thousande huntsmen foure thousand dogs xx thousand hawkes fiue thousand Gerfalcons a great nomber of Acorres They pitch ten thousand tents in the fieldes when he goeth to his pastimes of hunting And two principall tents for him self wherin may be two thousand knights at pleasure the which teÌ„ts are furnished with such riches that one of the small realmes is not able to buy them The great Cham is the greatest Lord of the whole earth and so intitleth him selfe king of kinges and lorde of lordes and in trueth he is lorde from Scythia euen thorowe out all the East partes from thence to the Mediteran Sea so that not without reason he causeth him selfe to be written lorde and Emperour of all the East partes He commaundeth him selfe to be called the sonne of God and in this gloryeth much He hath great countryes and very riche thereby is the greatest lorde and the richest of the worlde as we haue already rehearsed In the Winter the Tartars come into the plaine feeldes which are hote and of good pasture and in the Sommer they abyde in the mountaynes and among the trees and fresh places They make rounde houses of tymber couer them with felts and these houses they carry with them wâ—â—ther soeuer they goe And alwayes they set the dore of the house in the Sommer time towardes the South and in the Winter towardes the North. They bring likewise some cartes couered with feltes so strong that the water neuer passeth thorow them the which are drawen with Camels Vpon these they carry their wiues children family All the other customes and manners of the Tartars are spoken of already where â—e treated of Tartaria The prouince of Mangi otherwise called Mongall is neare vnto Cataya subiect to the great Cham. It hath vnder the iurisdiction thereof eight realmes and in euery realme a 140. cities And in all the prouince of Mangi is a thousand two hundred and two cities very great and riche There is in this countrey great â—rade of clothes of golde and silke and of precious stones pearles and of all sortes of spices The people are for the most parte all handycraftes men They cause the children to followe their fathers occupations There are a great nomber that vse the science of Necromancie and witchecraft and there are many euil people and of wicked conditions There is in this countrey no man of warre nor horse for the warres by reason it is situated in a strong place and shut vp with many waters and round about the cities and townes are deepe and broade â—aues full of water The people of this countrey are much toubled with sickenesse and diseases If they gaue them selues to seates of armes all the world coulde not bring the prouince of Mangi vnder subiection They worship idols they speake the Persian language they burn their dead bodies They vse in this countrie money of Corall and the women bring it hanging at their neckes and deck their Idols with it therefore it is much desired and set by In this prouince they make clothes of golde silke and chamblet in very great quantitie There are in this prouince mastiues as great as Asses All they that are borne in the prouince of Mangi haue the day houre of their birthes written that the lord of the countrey may knowe it When any man will take his iourney he goeth to aske counsell of the diuines When they dye they apparell their bodies in canuas burne them with papers wherein are paynted diuels horses slaues beastes and apparell And they say that all the same shall serue those that dye in another worlde And when they burne the bodyes they sing and make much mirth and saye that the goddes do so receiue them with ioye in the other worlde There are many great riche cities in the prouince of Cataya Mangi as for example one called Gengomsu being ten miles in compasse and the walles of the pallace of that citie are round about on the inside lined with golde In the prouince of Mangi is another citie called Nocian subiect also to the great Cham where men haue their teeth couered with golde the women set great store by their hayre and buy sell gouerne all the goods and the men followe no kinde of busines but apply their hunting pleasure pastimes in the feeldes go to the warres And when the womeÌ„ haue brought forth their children the men go to bed take the child keepe it vntil fourtie dayes be past the women rise vp go abroad as though they had not ben deliuered of any child serue their husbands Singni is also a great and noble citie contayning fourtie miles in compasse and in it is an innumerable coÌ„pany of people al are Philosophers Phisicions merchants handy craftes men very expert in all artes Ther â—re in this citie vii thousand stone bridges brought very curiously vnder the which a Galley may rowe very wel In the mountaines of this citie groweth Rewbarb and Ginger in great
burne the body according to their fashion and the women of their owne accorde leape into the fire All those are idolaters and for the most parte worship the Oxe saying he is a saint because he ploweth the grounde where the wheat groweth and therefore will not kill an Oxe for any thing in the worlde nor eate of his flesh And when any Oxe dyeth they annoynt all the house with his tallowe These people descend of such as killed saint Thomas The king and all the rest eate their meate vpon the ground There groweth nothing else in this countrey but Rice All men and women do wash them selues twice a day morning and euening and he that faileth therein shal be taken for an heretike They are good in the handeling of their weapons and fewe of them drinke wine This countrey is of an intollerable heate and it neuer rayneth in it sauing at certeine times in Iune Iuly and August There are in this region many Philosophers Necromancers and Soothsayers and blacke hawkes like to crowes great Owles like to Hennes In this prouince the body of Saint Thomas the Apostle lyeth buryed in a small citie And there liue many Christians The men of this countrey do annoynt them selues with Beniamin to make them the blacker for the blacker they are the fayrer they thinke themselues to be and they paynt theyr Idoles blacke and the diuels white In all this India they obserue neyther lawe nor order in their maryages By this course of the sea towardes the South are two Ilands of Christians thirtye myles one from the other the one of men the other of women and the men go not to the women nor the women to the men but three monethes in the yeare August September and October The men children remaine with their mothers vntill they be seuen yeares of age and then they go to their fathers They â—â—ue by flesh milke fishe and Ryce hauing â—o other victuals In this Ilande is great quantitie of Ambar Mandagaister is an oâ—er Ilande towardes the South distant from Escorcia neare 250. leages It hath in compasse one thousande fourtie miles â—hich are 260. leages It hath foure kings Mores There is not eaten in it any other â—leshe then of Elefants and Camels whereâ—f there be many and therefore there is â—reat trafique with Elefants tooth There are founde in this Ilande certeine birdes that are called Nichas so great that the greatest Feathers of their Winges are twelue paces long they are of so greate strength that they take an Elephant and carrye him vp into the ayre and kill him and after let him fall and feede vppon him at their pleasure Tanquibar is another Ilande moste noble and lyeth in the same course and hath in circuite 250. leages The inhabiters thereof are Idolaters and so great of stature that they be like Giantes and are of great force They be all blacke and go naked They are to be wondered at The women are foule and euil fauoured They are strong in battell for they esteeme not their liues Returning to the cities of Cataya and Tartaria It is sayde that the citie of Berengalia hath in circuite three score myles which are fifteene leages and that it hath nyne hundred thousande men that can carrye armour The men of that countrie take as many wiues as they list who are burned with their husbands when they dye And the king hath twelue thousande of the which two or three thousande are taken vppon condicion that when the king dyeth they of their owne accorde shall burne with him and to these is done great honour In the citie of Berengalia three times in the yeare they make a greate feast to their goddes they carrye their Idoles through the citie in procession in the middest of two cartes accompanyed with many people and manye maydens finely arrayed singing ioyfully with great deuotion they spende three dayes in bankets daunces and songes and celebrate their marryages with bankets songes and trumpets They haue all kinde of Instrustruments as we haue except Organs which they lacke They dawnce as wee do one after an other which is a thing to be seene They vse bathes except it bee such as are neare to Ganges The other washe them selues manye tymes a daye in tolde water Neare to this citie of Berengalia is a mountayne so called in the which are manye Diamonds and the mountayne is full of serpents but they take them with policye They which dwell in these countreys deuide the yeare into xii partes as we do accompt the moneths like to the xii signes The most part recken the yeare from August by Augustus Caesar In some of those realmes they vse certeine small stones for money which are called the eyes of a Catt In others they vse certeine small Irons like to needles in others certeine papers wherein is written the name of the king In some prouinces of the India more forwarde they vse Venice duccats of golde in others they haue money of siluer and copper in others they make pieces of golde and vse them for money Malpuria or Malapuria or Milipar is an other citie in the prouince of Mahabaria neare to the second entrance that the riuer Indo doth runne in at where the body of saint Thomas the Apostle is honorably buryed in an honorable church where are resident well neare 1000 Christians of the Nestorians of the which are many throughout all the India euen as the Iewes are here among vs. In the prouince of Macino which Volaterano thinketh to be the region of the Seras are many Elephants The king bringeth vp tenne thousande and vseth of them in his warres The men of this countrey take but one wife apeece The women are verye lecherous They are all Idolaters and in the morning they turne towards the Sunne They worship the diuinitie of God in Trinitie In this region is a ryuer called Daua well neare as great as Ganges the citie is called Dua it hath 18000. paces in circuite they write in the leaues of certeine trees for in all the India is no paper except onely in the citie of Cambayta They eate Serpents that are vi foote in length as groâ—e as a man They eate likewise Ants which are red and as great as crabbes In the end of this region towards Cataya are certeine Oxen white and blacke with maynes and tayles like horses hauing longer hayre The hayres of their tayles are very small as light as fethers they sell theÌ„ by waight they are highly esteemed Cibalechia is a royall citie and one of the chiefest in all Cataya it hath xxviii miles in circuite and in the middest a pallace very strong and faire and at euery end a round fort of foure miles compasse for a house of armour where is all kinde of armour and engins necessarye and that may be imagined for the warres From the kings pallace to euery one of these fortes is a wall with arches from whence the king may passe to any of
them Volaterrano caleth this citie Cubaleschia and sayeth it hath 32. thousand paces in circuit and it shoulde seeme to bee the same Cambalu which we haue heretofore spoken of About fifteene dayes iourney from this citie is an other citie called Neptay newly buylt hauing in circuite thirtie myles and very full of people Nicholao did affirme that the houses and palaces and all other things of these two cities were verye like to our houses and that the men were modest and full of curtesie and very riche Neare the citie of Paconia he found vines yet very fewe for all the India as is alreadie declared lacketh wine and grapes and the grapes that there be growe of trees and therewith they make sacrifice to their gods Coloen is a noble Citie twelue myles in compas it hath neare to the same much Gynger Pepper and Cloues And there be many serpentes of diuers kyndes some of sixe cubites in length wonderfull to be seene but they do no harme Others haue foure feete and a long tayle like to a dogge they take them in hunting and eat them and report it to be verye good meate Others there are of the length of a Cubite with winges that haue seuen heads set in order by the length of their bodyes and liue in trees and flye swiftly and are so full of poyson that onely with their breath they kill There are also cattes of the mountaynes that flye Cochin is an other citie that hath fiue myles in circuite and standeth at the entrie of a ryuer of the which it taketh his name wherein there are sayde to be fishes in a manner like to men and women without any great difference And passing farther they go to another citie that is called Colichuchia conteyning viii myles in circuits which is the moste famous and noble of trade in all India Here is much Pepper Lacar Ginger and grose Cinamon and manye other sweete spices In this region onely the women take as many husbandes as they liste and the husbandes agree among them selues and euery one contributeth towardes the womans mayntenance and dwelleth in his owne house and when he goeth to the woman he leaueth a signe vppon the doore Euery manchilde is the husbandes to whome the wife will giue him Their inheritaunce fall not to the sonnes but to the cousines This citie according to the signes shewes is Calicut From hence fifteene days iourney he came to the citie of Cambayta nere to the sea whose circuite is xii miles is towardes the West hauing great aboundaunce of Espico nardo Lacat Indico Mirabolanos and Sarge There is a certeine kinde of Priestes that are called Bacchales which haue but one wife who burneth her selfe with her husband when he dyeth These eate of no kinde of beast but liue with fruites of the Earth Rice milk and wild hearbes In this citie the priestes do preache to the people in the presence of their Idols And many kill themselues for the honour of their gods and those that so do are taken among them for Saintes There are many Oxen of the mountaynes that haue maynes lyke horses and hornes so long that if they turne their heads they reche with them their tayles Neare to this citie lyeth two Ilandes distant a hundreth miles a sunder the one inhabited with women and the other with men one while the men passe to the women another while the women to the men euery one returning within sixe moneths to their owne Ilands for they thinke if they continued any longer together that they should dye of the which â—eople we haue before spoken There remaineth behinde for the conclusion of this â—eregrination to treat of a region of the Siâ—as who by the North parte do border vpoÌ„ the Seras towardes the West but it is vnâ—nowen what countries there are on the South parte but that it is wildernesse Towardes the West the India lyeth neare to Ganges vnto the great gulfe that is called â—he South sea where it is sayde that the â—cthiafagi to wit such as liue onely with â—â—sh dwel It hath many cities The metroâ—olitan and principall of all is the citie of â—ina which is at the South parte Of this Ptolomeo speaketh reporting it to be vnâ—er the Equinoctiall line and that it extenâ—eth vnto the Antecos which are on the oâ—her side of the South The countrey of Gaâ—igara encloseth it on the West parte the â—nknowen countrie vnto the Promontorio â—raso and the sea of Prasodia Gatigara is â—port and a principall place where the â—hips do ryde and harbour in this region And Aspithra is a riuer and great citie in â—he same Calicut Canonor Cambayta Narsinga are no newe regions for in truth â—hey were knowen of the auncient writers and in our time haue beene discouered many and wonderfull things which are found in these East Indias newely discouered by the Spanyardes but especially in euery region of the same are some precious thinges more in particular as in the kingdome of Calicute and Narsinga groweth Pepper Ginger Cardamo Mirabolanos and Casia In Cambaya and Cochin is much Espiquenardo and Mirabolannos and also cotten woâ—l in aboundance In the realme of Pego are al the like And likewise the stone Cornerina the Calcedonia the diamoÌ„ds In the Iland of Armos are stones in great aboundance In the Iland of Zailon which is Taprobana are found Rubies and Iacinets Saphires and Topacios In the realme of Melaca are many Popingeys and Eâ—ephants In Sumotra is great aboundaunce of Pepper The Camfora is found in the Iland of Porne in Monoch Bandan which are Ilands Neare to these partes are Nutmegs and Cloues great store The Iland of Sipangry hath much golde and great riches The Iland of Petarâ— and both Iauas yeld great store of Pepper Nutmegs Espique of Galanga and other swete odours In Madagassar are many Elefants and great aboundance of Iuory very fyne The Ilande of Zauzibar is verye much like to this abounding with Lyons and many other wilde beastes Nicolao Veneciano as Pogio declareth reporteth that in the small brooks of the ryuer Ganges there were canes of a meruailous length so great that a man could skarcely insorace them about with both armes with the which they made small Boates to saile in and at euery syde of those brookes are many gardeynes and orchardes very pleasant and full of delyght And there groweth a fruite verye like to Figges that they call Musa which is exceeding sweete yea sweeter then honye It is sayde that the Ilande Taprobana conteyneth sixteene thousande tymes a hundreth thousand paces in circuite which amount to foure hundred leages accompting foure Englishe myles to euery leag The men of that Ilande were verye cruell in their manners and both the men and women haue verye great eares laden with Zarcillos of gold precious stones and they weare linnen loth and cloth of Sarge And the men take many wiues and haue lowe houses by reason of the great heat and are
A Discouerie of the countries of Tartaria Scithia Cataya by the North-East With the maners fashions and orders which are vsed in those countries Set foorth by Iohn Frampton merchaunt Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson 1580. ¶ To the right worshipfull syr Rowland Hayward knight and to master George Barne Aldermen of the citie of London and gouernours of the worshipfull company of the merchaunts aduenturers for discouerie of newe trades and to the assistents generalitie of all the sayd worshipfull fellowship Iohn Frampton wisheth all happye successe in all their attempts THere came of late to my hands right vvorshipfull a discours of the seueral sundrye customes and manners of diuers nations which are founde to inhabite in the North in the North East and in the East partes of the worlde c. Collected and written by a certaine learned man called Francisco Thamara a reader in Spayne in the citie of Cadiz and dedicated by him to the moste excellent Lorde Don Iohn Claros de Guzman Earle of Niebla and inheriter of the dukedome and estate of Medina Cidonia And vnderstanding the purpose of your worthie enterprise for the discouerie of the passages by sea to all those regions of the North and Northeast c. for very great zeale I beare to you and of desire I had to farther you in so famous an enterprise I tooke the translation of the same worke in hande and bestowed the same in writing on such as you sent in the sayde discouerie in your two Pinesses late sent forth that falling on those coastes foreknowing the natures of those people they might the better shunne perilles and on the other side take the benefite of the place the better And nowe hauing thought good to committ the same to print and to dedicate the same to your worships that eache of you may be partaker of the contents praying you to accept of my small trauell good meaning and to take the same in good parte wishing that I were more able to do you pleasure or seruice to the furtherance of so noble an enterprise since the same tendeth to the ample vent of our cloth and other our commodities of England to the increase of our nauie to the supply of sundry our wants and to the annoy of the mortall enemies of this kingdome wherby you shal please God purchace the prayer of the poore and not offende any one or other honest person of the realme and so I commit your worships to God wishing the moste happy successe that is to be wished From London this xv of Iuly 1580. Your worships to commaund Iohn Frampton ¶ Of the Region of Tartaria and of the Lawes and power of the Tartars TArtaria which by another name is called Mongall as Vicencio writeth standeth towardes the northeast and at the East parte ioyneth with the Land of the Catheos and Solangos on the South parte it bordereth with the Country of Sartanecos on the West parte with that of the Naymanos and of the North parte it is cōpassed about with the Occean Seas It was called Tartaria by reason of a Riuer running by it called Tartar and is a Region where the greatest parte is full of Mountaines and the most part of the plaine fields verie sandie being a barren countrey sauing that some parte of it is ouerflowen with the waters of the Ryuers a great parte thereof is wildernesse litle inhabited Ther are no Cities nor Townes in it sauing onelye the Citie of Cracuris Ther is so great want and smal store of wood in it that the people there are driuen to vse for the most parte the offall and dung of Oxen and Horses for their fuel aswell in rosting and boyling their victuals as otherwise The ayre of this Region is very intemperate and full of stormes and tempests that in the sommer time there are such wonderfull thunders and lightninges that men die for very feare of the same At other times there is great heat and immediately followeth verye extreame colde and snowe falling very thicke The windes there are so boysterous an strong almost continually that they drawe men backward as they are ryding on their iournyes ouerthrowing them to the ground and also blowe vp trees by the rootes and to conclude do much other harme In the winter it neuer rayneth in the summer many times and at euery of the same so little that scarselye it wetteth the ground and yet for all this it is a rich countrey of all kinde of cattell as well oxen as Camels c. Of beastes of seruice and horses there is so great store and plentie that it is to be supposed there are not so many moe in all the rest of the worlde There were at the beginning in this Realme foure sortes of people The first sorte called Yeca Mongales which is as much to saye the great Mongales The second sorte called Sumongales which signifieth the Mongales of the water because they dwell neere to the Riuer Tartar whereof they beare the name of Tartars The third are called Mercat and the fourth sorte Metrit All these had one manner of shape of body and vsed all one language Their manner of lyuing at the firste was fearce barbarous without any lawes or policie they lyued by the increase of rattell and were a bruite people and little regarded among the Scithians Afterwarde in processe of tyme they deuided and seuered them selues into certaine places and began to take theyr Captaines in companie which had charge of the whole common wealth and yet for all that ceased not to pay tribute to the Naymanos which next adioyned to them vntill that by chaunce one Canguista a man brought vp among them was elected for their king by meanes of an Oracle and reuelation This man immediately after he had receiued the Empire and Souereigne gouernment commaunded that all honour accustomed to be done to the deuill should ceasse and established by his generall edicte that all people shoulde honour and worship one onelye GOD the mightiest greatest and best of all others and also gaue expresse commandement that it should be generally published that he had receyued the Realme by the same Gods prouidence After this he commaunded that all such as could beare armour should come forthwith and represent them selues before him by a certeine day And all the people apt for the warres being come together he in his owne person hauing taken the number of them deuided them in order and appoynted ouer thē Corporals Sargents Captaines and Coronels c. After this to proue what force and power he had in the empire and supreme authoritie he commaunded seuen of the most principall men that first had the charge and gouernment of all the Realme to kill their sonnes with their owne handes the which though it was and seemed a very hard thing vnto thē yet they accōplished it forthwith being moued thervnto partly for feare of the cōmon people and
partly by reason of a deuout superstition in that they had conceiued a stedfast beliefe that God was the beginning and foundation of that kingdome and that if they refused to obey the commaundementes of their king they committed not an offence to him but to God And with this trust and power so raysed the king Canguista first of all brought vnder his subiection by force of armes the Scithians that bordered vpon his countrey making them his tributaries with the other people also to whom his owne subiects had before payed tribute and forthwith set vpon diuers other nations both farre and neere from his owne dominions hauing so prosperous successe that he brought in subiection vnder his Empyre all the Realmes Dominions nations euen from Scithia vnto the Mediterran sea wher the Sun ryseth some what more insomuch that with reason he intituleth him selfe Lord and Emperour of all the East partes All the Tartars are of an euill shape in their bodies the most part of them being of a small stature They haue great eyes standing farre out and the liddes thereof couered with very much hayre in such sorte that there can but a litle of their eies be sene their faces are brode they haue no beards sauing on their vpper lips in the same haue but a few hayres and those very thin al of them for the most part are slender in the wast in the fore pare of their heads they weare their hayre long like women of our countrey and make two rowles thereof and so gather thē behind their eares and not only the Tartars do thus but also such as are ioyning nere to them do the like They are light people and good horsemen but euill footemen none of them do go afoote although they be very little Their manner is to ride vpon horses or oxen whether so euer they trauaile and the women vse Geldinges that are not fierce They also vse to haue their forheds decked with siluer and precious stones and conceiue a great glorye in that their horses carry collers of belles to make a great iyngling Their speach is sharpe and high when they would singe they howle like wolues when they drinke they shake the head and also they accustome to drinke so often tyll they fall downe and take it for great honour They inhabite neither townes nor cities but in the fieldes as the Scithians did in the olde time vnder Pauilions and Tentes For the most parte are shepheardes In the winter they vse to lyue in the plaine fieldes in the Sommer they continue in the mountaines for the fruitefulnesse of the pasture They make their lodginges and plates of abode like a shoppe eyther of bowes or of timber couered with felt and in the middest of these sheddes make a rounde windowe where the light commeth in and the smoke goeth out in the middest of the cottage is the fire and their wiues and children alwayes about it The men vse to shoote in bowes and to wrastle they are merueilous hunters they ride a hūting armed on horsback whē they see any wilde beastes they compasse them about and euery one of them shooting his arow they wound take him They haue no bread vse no table cloth nor napkins and beleeue in one God onely affyrming him to be the maker of all thinges visible and inuisible they honour him not with any ceremonie but make certeine Iodls of felt or silke or the likenesse of a man and put them on both sides of their sheddes or shoppes praying them to keepe safe their cattell and shewing great reuerence toward them offering them all the milke that they haue first of the cattell and before they beginne to eate or drinke they set their part before them Any manner of beast that they kyll for to eate they put his hart in a vessell all night and in the morning seeth and eate it They honour and do sacrifise likewise to the Sunne and Moone to the foure Elements and also the great Chaam their king and Lorde whome they thinke to be the Sonne of God and so honour him deuoutly and do sacrifice to him and beleue that in al the world there is none better nor of more dignitie then he neyther wil they consēt that any other be named but be This people in respect of them selues thinking no other nation worthy to be compared with them in wisdome nor goodnesse and therfore will not willingly speake with any other but rather auoyd them selues from their companies They call the Pope and al other Christians dogges and Idolaters alledging that they honour stones and stockes They are much adicted to wicked arts geue credit to dreames and enterteine and allow such as vse the magicall science and arte of diuination and can enterpret their dreames Also they aske questions and receiue answer of their Idols with ful perswasion and beliefe that God speaketh in them And therfore what enterprise so euer they take inhand they begin and proceede in the same by the counsell of those Idols They behold and marke the weather very much and especially the Moone for they make no difference of one tyme more then of an other nor honour any festiuall day ne vse any manner of fasting or abstinence At all times they liue after one fashion and are so couetous that what soeuer they see if it like them well if they cannot get it with the good will of the owner being no Tartar they take it from him by plaine stafford law accounting it a matter lawfull to be don by meanes of a commaundement and establishment of the king their souereign Lord. For they haue an ordinance of their Canguista and Chaam their first king that any manner of Tartar or Tartars seruaunt finding by the way as he trauaileth any horse man or woman without a letter or safe conduct of the king may sense and take them as his owne and enioy them foreuer They lend their monye to such as stand in neede of it and take a certeine kind of vsurie both very great and also intollerable for they take after the rate often pounds vppon the hundred for euerie moneth and if the vsurie money be not payde immediatly then they they take further vsurie They constraine the people subued vnto them to paye so excessiue tribute and taxes and so greatly molest and oppresse them that there is no people read of that so much molesteth their tributarie subiects Their couetousnesse is such as is skant credible to be beleeued they are alwayes crauing and brybing yea the most Lordes of all others geue nothing to any no not to such as are in necessitie neither giue to poore people almes onelye in this they seeme worthy of some commendation that if any guestes by chaunce come to them when they be at meate and would take parte with them they turne them not awaye nor disturb them but rather inuite them and geue them of that they eate with much pitie In their diet they are very filthy
the body they put three pieces of timber leauing one to the other round about him vpon the which they hang certeine woll The men of Scithia wash not them selues but the women wash their bodyes with water and rub them selues with a plain stone shut within a peece of wood of Cypres or Ceder or inceÌ„se After they haue so washed theÌ„ selues that they begin to smel they annoynt all their body face with oyntments so they remaine very cleane shining The maner of the othe that they sweare is by the kings chayr And if they find any periured which they knowe by the diuines that haue the knowledge therof immediatly without any longer tarrying they behead him and he loseth all his goods which is giuen to such as accused him of periury There are in Scithia other people called the Massagetas towards the part of Asia neere to the Caspian sea which are like to the people of Scithia in apparell also in life by the which many beleeue that they are Scithians These fight both on horseback on foote eyther way are almost inuincible In battayle they vse arrowes launces short swords that they always carry with theÌ„ They vse much gold in their girdels in the trimming of their heads vnder their armepits in the breasts of their horses The heades of their launces arrowes be of copper There is neither Iron nor siluer among them Euery of them taketh out wife but afterward shee is common to all Howe long they liue no man hitherto could set downe any certaintie for as soone as any of them beginneth to waxe olde his kinsfolkes and friendes â—eete together and kill him and then seethe him and after sacrifice him with certeyne â—heepe and then eate of that fleshe at a banâ—et which they make And this manner of death they accompt a happy kind of death And if he dye of any disease they eate him â—ot but rather bury him hold it for a gret sâ—me losse that he was not killed sacrifiâ—ed They sowe nothing in the earth but liue â—f the cattel fishes that are taken in the â—â—uer Araxes and for the most parte drinke â—ilke They worship the Sunne and to it they offer sacrifice with horses saying it is the â—ightest planet therfore the lightest beast â—ight to be sacrifised to him There is anoâ—her sort of people called Seres who are aâ—ong themselues very quiet tame they 〈◊〉 from the company of al men in so much â—hat they wil haue no trafique with any strange â—eople Howbeit merchants may passe vpoÌ„â—heir riuer in the same without any other â—â—â—ling put their merchandize to exchange â— that they buy nothing but by way of barâ—â—y exchange one coÌ„moditie for another Among this last sort there is no woman brought to answer in iudgement nor otherwise touched although shee be a wicked woman an adulteresse or theefe And as it is reported there hath beene no man put to death among them at any time for the feare reuerence which they haue to their lawes is of more strength then any other constellation or sinne They dwell at the beginning of the roundnesse of the worlde and because they liue chaste they be not afflicted with Caterpiller nor worme nor hayle nor pestilence nor any other euils The woman after shee is conceiued is neither touched nor desired of any Vncleane fleshe or forbidden none eate thereof Euery one is Iudge for him selfe according to the righteousnes of Iustice and therefore they are not chastened nor afflicted with those plagues that are vsed to come to others for their sinnes and so they liue long and ende their life without any disease There are others which are called Tauroscythas of the mountayne Tauro neare to the which they inhabite These offer in sacrifice to the virgin Ephigenia all those that come sayling to them by sea and are lost and al maner of Greekes that repaire thither and the sacrifice is in this manner After they haue made certein prayers they wound the head of the man and so kill him Others say they cast the body headlong from a great rocke because her temple standeth vpon a high rocke and they set the head vpon a stake And some say that the body is not cast downe from the rocke but that they bury it This diuell to whome they offer this sacrifice they say is Ephigenia that was daughter to king Agamemnon Their enimies whome they take they vse in this sort euery one cutteth off the head of his enimie and carryeth it to his house and setteth it vpon a staffe the greatest that he can get and then setteth it vpon his house commonly vppon the chimney and say that they set them so high to the ende their enimies may be keepers of all the house They of this couÌ„trey liue by robberies warres There are others called Agatirsos which are very politike vse to weare vpon their bodies great store of golde All their women are common among them for they say â—hey are al brethren of one house There is not among them any enuye nor contentiâ—â— but are like in manners to the people of Tracia There are others called Neuros which vse the maners and lawes of the Scithians These were constrayned to leaue their countrey one yeare before the conquest of king Darius by reason of the multitude of Serpentes that breede in it They holde for a certaine trueth and sweare that euery yeare in certeine dayes they were conuerted into Wolues and afterwarde returned into the forme and shape that they were first of There are others which are called Antropophagis because they eate mens flesh whose manners and lawes are the moste rude and beastly of all others which are among men They liue vnder no maner of lawe All their trade is in cattell Their apparel is like to theirs of Scithia They haue a language proper to them selues Ther are other called Melandenos which vse to weare all their apparell blacke and therefore are so called These onely among the Scithians do eate mans fleshe In the rest they haue the manners and lawes of the people of Scithia The Budinos are another great nation and all these haue fayre eyes and the collours of their bodyes are white and red The citie that these possesse is called Gelona of the which they are called Gelonas and this is the head place of that realme They make their feastes in the honour of the god Bacchus which are called Trietericas Bacchanales from three yeares to three yeares These were Greeks in tymes past but going out of their countrey came to this region where they made their abode and euen at this daye vse parte of the Greeke language and part of the Scithians The Budinos do differ from the Gelones in their language life for these Budinos are naturalles of this countrey and al their liuing dependeth vpoÌ„ the trade of cattell and these of that region vse to eate lyce
Idolaters and haue great store of Pepper of that sorte which is called the greatest of the toung and plentie of Canfora and Golde In a certeine place of this Ilande which they call Bateth are a kind of people called Anthropophagi to wit deuowrers of men in respect that they eat the fleshe of their enemies and keepe their heades for treasure and he that hath most heads is accounted most riche for they make a trade with them and barter them away for other things In Armenia the great there is reported to be a fountayne where water like oyle springeth in so great abundance that many shippes are laden therewith It is good to burne for light and to annoynt beastes In the land of Tartaria towards the North are doggs not much lesse then Asses the which drawe a frame of timber like as if it were a Cart sauing that it goeth not with wheeles vpon the which two men may go and they put two or foure dogges or more to it according to the burthen and necessitie At the ende of this realme is a countrie called Darknesse because it is alwayes as darke as the first houre of the night the Sunne is neuer seene there In this countrey are handsome men and women of person but yellowe in couler They haue neither king nor lawe but liue like beastes This countrey ioyneth with one parte of Russia Russia is a great prouince towardes the North a strong countrey There are in it faire men and women and are Christians They pay tribute to the king of Tartaria There is great store of costly skinnes and fâ—rres There are in Russia many mynes of siluer the countrie is very colde In the same time Pogio declareth that there came certeine men from Aethiopia which is parcel of the Indias and the countrey of Prester Iohn and declared that they were of the countrey nere whereunto the riuer Nile springeth and also sayd that the same riuer springeth neare to the Equinoctiall at the foote of certeine high mountaynes that are alwayes couered with clowdes and that the sayd riuer groweth of three great fountaines two of them which are 40. paces asunder these meete together at the ende of 500. paces then make the riuer so great that it cannot be waded through The thirde fountayne is a greater streame a thousande paces from the other and is neare to his riuer and tenne myles from the other ryuers They saye that there runne aboue a thousande riuers into the riuer of Nile And in the monethes of Marche April and Maye the rayne so much increaseth in that countrey that they cause the riuers to ouerflowe and great floods to followe thereof They saye also that the water of Nile is verye sweete before it mingleth with other ryuers and that it had vertue to heale the leprosie and scabbes of such as washed them selues therein Saying that very neere about the place where the riuer Nile springeth there standeth a citie where they were borne that had 25. myles in circuite which is vi leagues aboue and that it was inhabited with people And they sayde that this region neare to Nile was verye temperate and aboundant of all thinges In so much thaâ— thrice a yeare they had Haye growing and mowen and twyce Wheate and had abundaunce of breade and wyne and of all fruites like to ours but Almondes therâ— want And the moste parte of Aethiopia in steede of Wine vse Water tempereâ— with Barley They sayd that vnto the Ilanâ— of Meroe the riuer of Nile was not nauiâ—able by reason of the great noÌ„ber of rocks â—hat are in it and that from the same Iâ—ande forwarde shippes might easilye â—ayle and passe Men being asked of Aethiopia which is of the Indias of Preâ—er Iohn vppon the sayde ryuer and â—hose that here wee speake of reported â—hat those people of Aethiopia are comâ—only of a longer lyfe then wee are of â—nd many of them liue a hundred and fiftie â—â—ares and in some places two hundred â—hey neuer haue the Pestilence nor other â—firmities and that therefore it is a veâ—e populous countrey They haue no â—oll they apparell them selues with linâ—n cloth or with silke both men and woâ—en and the women for the moste parte â—â—rrye behinde them a long trayne and goe â—â—rte with certeine broade gyrdels garriâ—ed with golde and precious stones â—ome couer their heads with thingâ—â—â—at are wouen in with Golde others carry â—â—eir haire loose Both men and women vâ—â—weare rings on their fingers they 〈◊〉 â—â—all tables to eat vppon they couer thâ—â—we do All those people haue one 〈◊〉 â—â—ters but diuerse languages They haue one king who is intituled king of kings vnder God There are in Aethiopia Oxen that are crooked backt like Camels with hornes of three foote long Their dogges be as great as our Asses They can do more then Lyons and they hunt Lyons with them There are many Elefants that haue teeth of sixe foote in length There are diuers other beasts which differ from ours and also birdes They sayde that in the deserts were serpents of 50. foote of length without feete that would swallowe vp a whole calfe Vpon the riuer Eufrates is a noble citie whose circuite is of 14. thousand paces They saye that it is one parte of the auncient Babylon It is called Baldach or Baldachia Eufrates passeth through the middest thereof It hath one gate of 14. arches There appeare from these parts many tokens of that great and auncient Babylon FINIS Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson 1580.