AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1253- 



nor any kinde of mise with short tailes. They have 



also certaine litle beasts called by them Sogur, which 



[I. 98.] lie in a cave twenty or thirty of them together, al the 



whole winter sleeping there for the space of sixe 



moneths : and these they take in great abundance. 



There are also a kind of conies having long tayles like 



unto cats : & on the outside of their tailes grow blacke 



& white haires. They have many other small beasts 



good to eat, which they know and discerne right well. 



I saw no Deere there, & but a fewe hares, but a great 



number of Roes. I saw wild asses in great abundance, 



which be like unto Mules. Also I saw another kind 



of beast called Artak, having in al resemblance the body 



of a ram, & crooked homes, which are of such bignes, 



that I could scarce lift up a paire of them with one 



hand : & of these homes they make great drinking 



cups. They have Falcons, Girfalcons, & other haukes 



Our falconers in great plenty, all which they cary upon their right 



use the left hands : & they put alwaies about their Falcons necks 



^^' a string of leather, which hangeth down to ye midst 



strange cus- ^^ ^^^i^ gorges, by the which string, when they cast 



tome, which them off the fist at their game, with their left hand 



/ leave to be they bow downe the heads & breasts of the sayd haukes, 



scanned by j^^^^ ^^icy should be tossed up & downe, & beaten 



themselves. ^^^^ ^^^ wind, or least they should soare too high. 



Wherefore they get a great part of their victuals, by 



hunting & hauking. Concerning their garments and 



attire be it knowen unto your Majestic, that out 



of Cataya & other regions of the East, out of Persia 



also and other countries of the South, there are brought 



unto them stuffes of silke, cloth of gold, & cotton 



cloth, which they weare in time of summer. But out 



of Russia, Moxel, Bulgaria the greater, & Pascatir, 



that is Hungaria the greater, and out of Kersis (all 



which are Northerne regions & full of woods) & also 



out of many other countries of the North, which are 



subject unto them, the inhabitants bring them rich and 



costly skins of divers sortes (which I never saw in our 



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