WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS 



drawe the great houses of the Moals : and their homes 

 are slender, long, streight, and most sharpe pointed : 

 insomuch that their owners are faine to cut off the endes 

 of them. A cowe will not suffer her selfe to be coupled 

 unto one of them, unles they whistle or sing unto her. 

 They have also the qualities of a Buffe : for if they see 

 a man clothed in red, they run upon him immediately 

 to kill him. Next unto them are the people of Tebet, 

 men which were wont to eate the carkases of their 

 deceased parents : that for pities sake, they might make 

 no other sepulchre for them, then their owne bowels. 

 Howbeit of late they have left off this custome, because 

 that thereby they became abominable and odious unto al 

 other nations. Notwithstanding unto this day they make 

 £ne cups of the skuls of their parents, to the ende that 

 when they drinke out of them, they may amidst all their 

 jollities and delights call their dead parents to remem- 

 brance. This was tolde mee by one that saw it. The 

 sayd people of Tebet have great plentie of golde in their 

 land. Whosoever therefore wanteth golde, diggeth till 

 he hath found some quantitie, and then taking so much 

 thereof as will serve his turne, he layeth up the residue 

 within the earth : because, if he should put it into his 

 chest or storehouse, hee is of opinion that God would 

 withholde from him all other gold within the earth. I 

 sawe some of those people, being very deformed creatures. 

 In Tangut I saw lusty tall men, but browne and swart in 

 colour. The Jugures are of a middle stature like unto 

 our French men. Amongst the Jugures is the originall 

 and roote of the Turkish, and Comanian languages. 

 Next unto Tebet are the people of Langa and Solanga, 

 whose messengers I saw in the Tartars court. And they 

 had brought more then ten great cartes with them, every 

 one of which was drawen with sixe oxen. They be little 

 browne men like unto Spaniards. Also they have jackets, 

 like unto the upper vestment of a deacon, saving that the 

 sleeves are somewhat streighter. And they have miters 

 upon their heads like bishops. But the fore part of their 



291 



A.D. 

 1253- 



The people of 

 Tebet. 



Abundance of 

 golde. 



The stature of 

 the people of 

 Tangut, and 

 of the Jugures. 



Langa U 

 Solanga. 



The people 

 of Solanga 

 resemble 

 Spaniards. 



