A.D. 

 1246. 



The manners 

 of the people. 



Another 

 expedition of 

 Chinas. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



custome. For when anie mans father deceaseth, he 

 assembleth all his kindred, and they eate him. These 

 men have no beards at all, for we saw them carie a certaine 

 iron instrument in their hands, wherewith, if any haires 

 growe upon their chinne, they presently plucke them out. 

 They are also very deformed. From thence the Tartars 

 armie returned to their owne home. 



Hov^ they had the repulse at the Caspian moun- 

 taynes, and v^ere driven backe by men dv^ell- 

 ing in caves. Chap. 12. 



Moreover Chingis Cham, at the same time when he 

 sent other armies against the East, hee himselfe 

 marched with a power into the lande of Kergis, which 

 notwithstanding, he conquered not in that expedition, and 

 as it was reported unto us, he went on forward even to 

 the Caspian mountaines. But the mountaines on that part 

 where they encamped themselves, were of adamant, and 

 therefore they drew unto them their arrowes, and weapons 

 of iron. And certaine men contained within those Caspian 

 mountaynes, hearing, as it was thought, the noyse of the 

 armie, made a breach through, so that when the Tartars 

 returned unto the same place tenne yeeres after, they 

 found the mountaine broken. And attempting to goe 

 unto them, they could not : for there stood a cloud before 

 them, beyond which they were not able to passe, being 

 deprived of their sight so soone as they approched there- 

 unto. But they on the contrary side thinking that the 

 Tartars durst not come nigh them, gave the assault, & 

 when they came at the cloud, they could not proceed for 

 the cause aforesaid. Also the Tartars, before they came 

 unto the said mountaines, passed for the space of a moneth 

 and more, through a vast wildernes, & departing thence 

 towards the East, they were above a moneth traveiling 

 through another huge desert. At length, they came unto 

 a land wherin they saw beaten waies, but could not find 

 any people. Howbeit, at the last, diligently seeking, they 

 found a man & his wife, whom they presented before 



148 



