ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1558. 



The Soltan therefore understanding, that the theeves 

 were not many, appointed us 80. men well armed with 

 a Captaine to goe with us, and conduct us in our way. 

 And the Soltan himselfe returned backe againe, taking 

 the foure theeves with him. These souldiers travailed 

 with us two dayes, consuming much of our victuals. 

 And the 3. day in the morning very earely they set out 

 before our Caravan, and having ranged the wildernes 

 for the space of foure houres, they mette us, comming 

 towards us as fast as their horse could runne, and 

 declared that they had founde the tract of horses not 

 farre from us, perceiving well that we should meete 

 with enemies, and therefore willed us to appoint our 

 selves for them, and asked us what wee would give them 

 to conduct us further, or els they would returne. To 

 whom we offered as we thought good, but they refused 

 our offer, and would have more, and so we not agreeing 

 they departed from us, and went back to their Soltan, 

 who (as wee conjectured) was privie to the conspiracie. 

 Divination by But they being gone, certaine Tartars of our companie 

 sorcene. called holy men, (because they had bene at Mecha) caused 



the whole Caravan to stay, and would make their prayers, 

 and devine howe wee should prosper in our journey and 

 whether we should meet with any ill company or no ? 

 To which, our whole Caravan did agree. And they 

 tooke certaine sheepe and killed them, and tooke the 

 blade bones of the same, and first sodde them, and then 

 burnt them, and tooke of the blood of the said sheepe, 

 and mingled it with the powder of the saide bones, and 

 wrote certaine Characters with the saide blood, using 

 many other ceremonies and wordes, and by the same 

 devined and found, that wee shoulde meete with enemies 

 and theeves (to our great trouble) but should overcome 

 them, to which sorcerie, I and my companie gave no 

 credit, but we found it true : for within 3. houres after 

 that the souldiers departed from us, which was the 15. 

 day of December, in the morning, we escried farre off 

 divers horsemen which made towards us, and we (per- 



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