AD THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1253. 



the lake, becommeth hard sake like unto ice. And out of 

 those salte pittes Baatu and Sartach have great revenues : 

 for they repayre thither out of all Russia for salte : and 

 for each carte loade they give two webbes of cotton 

 amounting to the value of half an Yperpera. There come 

 by sea also many ships for salt, which pay tribute every 

 one of them according to their burden. The third day 

 after wee were departed out of the precincts of Soldaia, we 

 The Tartars, found the Tartars. Amongst whome being entred, me 

 [I- 95-] thought I was come into a new world. Whose life and 



maners I wil describe unto your Highnes as well as I can. 



Of the Tartars, and of their houses. Chap. 2. 



THey have in no place any setled citie to abide in, 

 neither knowe they of the celestiall citie to come. 

 They have divided all Scythia among themselves, which 

 stretcheth from the river Danubius even unto the rising 

 of the sunne. And every of their captaines, according to 

 the great or small number of his people, knoweth the 

 bounds of his pastures, and where he ought to feed his 

 cattel winter and summer. Spring and autumne. For in 

 the winter they descend unto the warme regions south- 

 ward. And in the summer they ascend unto the colde 

 regions northv/ard. In winter when snowe lyeth upon 

 the ground, they feede their cattell upon pastures without 

 water, because then they use snow in stead of water. 

 Their houses wherein they sleepe, they ground upon a 

 round foundation of wickers artificially wrought and com- 

 pacted together : the roofe whereof consisteth (in like 

 sorte) of wickers, meeting above into one little roundell, 

 out of which roundell ascendeth upward a necke like unto 

 a chimney, which they cover with white felte, and often- 

 times they lay morter or white earth upon the sayd felt, 

 with the powder of bones, that it may shine white. And 

 sometimes also they cover it with blacke felte. The sayd 

 felte on the necke of their house, they doe garnish over 

 with beautifull varietie of pictures. Before the doore 

 likewise they hang a felt curiously painted over. For 



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