ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1558. 



A strange especially in them that be not there borne, a worme of an 

 wormeinmens e jj j Qn ^ w hi c h lyeth commonly in the legge betwixt the 

 flesh and the skinne, and is pluckt out about the ancle 

 with great art and cunning, the Surgeons being much 

 practised therein, and if shee breake in plucking out, the 

 partie dieth, and every day she commeth out about an 

 inch, which is rolled up, and so worketh till she be all 

 out. And yet it is there forbidden to drinke any other 

 thing then water, & mares milke, and whosoever is found 

 to breake that law is whipped and beaten most cruelly 

 through the open markets, and there are officers appointed 

 for the same, who have authoritie to goe into any mans 

 house, to search if he have either Aquavitae, wine, or 

 brage, and finding the same, doe breake the vessels, 

 spoile the drinke, and punish the masters of the house 

 most cruelly, yea, and many times if they perceive but 

 by the breath of a man that he hath drunke, without 

 further examination he shall not escape their hands. 



There is a Metropolitane in this Boghar, who causeth 

 this law to bee so streightly kept : and he is more obeyed 

 then the king, and will depose the king, and place another 

 at his will and pleasure, as he did by this king that 

 raigned at our being there, and his predecessour, by the 

 meanes of the sayd Metropolitan : for he betrayed him, 

 and in the night slewe him in his chamber, who was a 

 Prince that loved all Christians well. 



This Countrey of Boghar was sometime subject to the 

 Persians, & do now speake the Persian tongue, but yet 

 now it is a kingdome of it selfe, and hath most cruel 

 warres continually with the sayd Persians about their 

 U- 33 2 -] religion, although they be all Mahometists. One occasion 

 of their wars is, for that the Persians will not cut the 

 haire of their upper lips, as the Bogharians and all 

 other Tartars doe, which they accompt great sinne, 

 and cal them Caphars, that is, unbeleevers, as they doe 

 the Christians. 



The king of Boghar hath no great power or riches, 

 his revenues are but small, and he is most mainteined 



470 



