A.D. 



1558. 



Bussarmans. 



[I. 331.] 

 Caphar. 



The river of 

 Oxus. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



we might all heare. And then we sent one of our 

 company (reputed a holy man) to talke with the same 

 messenger. The message was pronounced aloude in this 

 order, Our Prince demaundeth of the Caravan Basha, 

 and of all you that be Bussarmans, (that is to say cir- 

 cumcised) not desiring your bloods, that you deliver 

 into his hands as many Caphars, that is, unbeleevers 

 (meaning us the Christians) as are among you with their 

 goods, and in so doing, hee will suffer you to depart with 

 your goods in quietnesse, and on the contrary, you shall 

 be handled with no lesse cruelty then the Caphars, if 

 hee overcome you, as he doubteth not. To the which 

 our Caravan Basha answered, that he had no Christians 

 in his company, nor other strangers, but two Turkes 

 which were of their Law, and although hee had, hee 

 would rather die then deliver them, and that we were 

 not afraide of his threatnings, and that should he know 

 when day appeared. And so passing in talke, the 

 theeves (contrary to their othe) caried our holy man 

 away to their Prince, crying with a lowde voyce in token 

 of victory, Olio, olio. Wherewith we were much dis- 

 comforted, fearing that that holy man would betray us : 

 but he being cruelly handled and much examined, would 

 not to death confesse any thing which was to us pre- 

 judiciall, neither touching us, nor yet what men they had 

 slaine and wounded of ours the day before. When the 

 night was spent, in the morning we prepared our selves 

 to battel againe : which the theeves perceiving, required 

 to fall to agreement & asked much of us : And to be 

 briefe, the most part of our companie being loth to go 

 to battel againe, and having litle to loose, & safeconduct 

 to passe, we were compelled to agree, and to give the 

 theeves 20 ninths (that is to say) 20 times 9 severall 

 things, and a camell to cary away the same, which being 

 received, the theeves departed into the wildernes to their 

 old habitation, and we went on our way forward. And 

 that night came to the river Oxus, where we refreshed 

 our selves, having bene 3. dayes without water and 



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