Chap. II. 
of William d e Rubruquis. 
them many rich and coftly Skins of divers forts, fuch as I 
never faw, wherewith they are cloathed in Winter, and againft 
which Seafon they make themfelves two Gowns, one with 
the Fur inward to their Skin, and another with the Fur 
outward, to defend them from Wind and Snow, which for 
the moft part are made of Wolves Skins, or Foxes Skins, 
When they fit in the Houfe they have a finer Gown to 
wear : The poorer fort make their Gowns of Dogs or of 
Cats Skins. When they go to hunt wild Beafts they meet 
in a great Company, and furrotinding the Place where they 
are fure to find Game, by little and little they approach on 
all Sides, till they have got all the wild Beafts into the midft 
in a Circle, and then they difcharge their Arrows at them. 
They make themfelves Breeches of Skins. The rich ’Tar- 
tars fometimes fur their Gowns with Silk Shag, which is 
exceeding foft, light, and warm : The poorer fort line their 
Cloaths with Cotton, or Cloth, which is made of the fineft 
Wool they can pick out •, and of the coarfer Part of the 
Wool they make Felt to cover their Ploufes, and their 
Chefts, and for their Bedding •, alfo of the fame Wool, being 
, mixed with One-third Part of Horfe-hair, they make all 
their Cordage. They make of this Felt likewife Covering 
for their Stools, and Caps to defend their Heads from the 
Weather ; for all which they fpend a great Quantity of 
their Wool. 
\ 1 3 - Tbe Men fhave a four-fquare Spot upon the 
Crowns, of their Heads, and from the two Corners, they 
fhave, as it were, two Seams down to their Temples. They 
fhave alfo their Temples, and the hinder Part of their Head, 
to the Nape of the Neck. They likewife fhave the Fore- 
part down to their Foreheads, and upon their Foreheads 
they leave a Lock of Hair, reaching down to their Eye- 
brows ; on the two hinder Corners of their Heads they have 
two Locks alfo, which they twine and brade into Knots, 
and fo bind and knit them one under each Ear. The Gar- 
ments of their Women differ not from the Mens, except 
that they are fomewhat longer. But the Day after a Wo- 
man is married fhe fliaves from the midft of her Head 
down to her Forehead, and wears a wide Garment like the 
Veil of a Nun ; but larger and longer in all Parts than a 
Nun’s Veil, being open before, and they girt them under 
the right Side. The Tartars differ from the Turks, becaufe 
the Turks fallen their Garments to their Bodies on the left 
Side ; but the T artars always on the right Side. 
They have always an Ornament for their Heads, which 
they call Botta , which is made of the Bark of a Tree, or 
of feme fuch Subftance as they can find, which by’ the 
Thicknefs and Roundnefs thereof, cannot be held but in 
both Hands together ; and it hath a fquare fharp Spire 
riling from the Top thereof, being almoft two Foot in 
Length, and fhaped like a Pinacle. This Botta they cover 
all over with a Piece of rich Silk, and it is hollow within •, 
and upon the midft of this fame Spire they place a Bunch of 
Quills, or flender Canes, a Foot and a half long, or more, 
and the Bunch on the Top thereof they beautify with Pea- 
cocks Feathers *, and round about they flick the Feathers of 
1 a Mallard’s Tail, and adorn it with precious Stones. Alfo 
great Ladies wear this kind of Ornament upon their Heads, 
binding it ftrongly to a kind of Hat, or Coif, which hath 
a Hole in the Crown, fit for the Spire to come through ; 
and under this Ornament they comb the Hair of their 
Heads, which they gather up round together, from the 
hinder Part thereof to the Crown, and fo lap them up in a 
■ Knot or Bundle within the Botta , which afterwards they 
bind ftrongly under their Throats. 7 
It is on this Account, that when a great Company of 
uch Ladies ride together, and are feen at a Diftance, they 
look like Soldiers with Helmets on their Heads, carrying 
their Lances upright, for the Botta appears like an Helmet 
with a Lance over it. All their Women fit on Horfeback 
, and ^ he y bind ^eir Veils or Gowns about their 
1 Waifts with a Sky-coloured or Silk Scarf, and with ano- 
ther Scarf they gird it about their Breafts ; and they alfo 
bind a Piece of white Silk like a Muffler, or Mafk, under 
i their Eyes, reaching down to their Breafts. Thefe Ladies 
are generally ipeakmg, exceeding fat 5 and the lefs their 
iNoles, the handfomer they are efteemed. They daub 
over their Face with Greafe too moft frightfully, and they 
Numb. 38, J y 
never keep their Beds on account of their bringino- forth 
Children. 00 
14. As to the Employments of their Women, they drive 
Carts, lay their Houles upon Carts, and take them down 
again, milk Cattle, make Butter and Griat, drefs Skins, 
and few them, which they ufually do with Thread 
made of Sinews 5 for they divide Sinews into flender 
Threads, and then twine them into one large one. They 
make Sandals and oocks, and other kind of Apparel but 
they never wafh any Cloaths, for they fay that God is then 
angry, and that dreadful ft hunder will enfiie, if wafhed 
Garments be hung out to dry. Nay, they beat fuch as 
wafh, and take their Garments from them. They are 
wonderfully afraid of Thunder; for in the Time of Thunder 
they force all Strangers out of their Houfes, and then 
wi aping themfelves in black felt, lie hid therein till the 
Thundei be over. Xhey never wafh their Difh.es, or 
Bowls ; yet when the Flefh is boiled they wafh their 
Platte* , wheiein it rnuft be put, with fcalding hot Broth out 
of the I ot, and then pour the Broth into the Pot again. 
1 hey make felt alfo, and cover the Houfes therewith,, 
.ft lie Dudes of the Pylen are to make Bows and Arrows, 
Stirups, Bridles and Saddles, to build Houfes and Carts, 
to keep Hprfes, to milk Mares, to churn Cofmos and 
Mares Milk, and to make Bags to put it in ; they keep 
Camels alfo, and lay Burthens upon them. As for Sheep 
and Goats, they mind and milk them, both Men and 
Women. With Sheeps Milk thickened and faked they 
drefs and tan their Hides. When they wain their Hands 
and their Heads they fill their Mouths full of Water, and 
fpouting it into their Elands by little and little, they fprinkle 
their Hair, and wafti their Heads therewith. As to their 
Marriages, your Flighnefs is to underfland, that no Man 
can have a Wife among them till he hath bought her ; 
therefore fometimes their Maids are very ftale before they 
are married, for their Parents always keep them till they 
can fell them. They abftain from the firft and fecond De- 
grees of Confanguinity inviolably as we do ; but they have 
no Regard to the Degrees of Affinity, for they will marry 
together, or by Succeffion, two Sifters ; their Widows 
never marry a fecond time, for this Reafon, becaufe ffiey 
believe that all who have ferved them in this Life, fhall do ' 
them Service alfo in the Life to come. Whereupon they 
are perfuaded, that every Widow after Death fhall return to 
her own Hufband ; and hence arifes an abominable and 
filthy Cuftom amongft them, namely, that the Son mar- 
neth lometimes all his Father’s Wives, except his own Mo- 
ther ; for the Court, or Houfe of the Father or Mother, 
falleth by Inheritance always to the youngeft Son, whereupon 
he is to provide for all his Father’s Wives, becaufe they are 
part of his Inheritance, as well as his Father’s Pofieffions • 
and then, if lie will, he ufeth them for his own Wives, for 
he thinks it no Injury or Difparagement to himfelf, ’tho’ 
they return unto his Father after Death. Therefore when 
any Man hath bargained with another for a Maid, the Fa- 
ther of the Damfel makes him a Feaft ; in the mean time 
fhe hies away lbme of her Kinsfolks to hide herfelf. Then 
her Father fays to the Bridegroom, my Daughter is yours 
take her wherefoever you can find her. Then he and his 
rnends feek her till they find her, and having found her 
he takes her by Force, and carries her to his own Houfe * 
15. In regard to their Laws, or their Execution of Tu- 
ftice, your Majefty is to be advertifed, that when two 
Men fight, no third Man dare intrude himfelf to part 
them : The bather dare not help his own Son ft but he 
that happens to have the word, muft appeal to the 
Court of his Lord, and whoever elfe offereth him any Vio- 
lence after Appeal, is put to death but he muft be taken 
prefen tly without Delay. They punifh no Man with 
Death, unlefs he be taken in the Commiffion of the I'acf 
or elfe confefs the fame : But being accufed, they put him 
to extreme ft orture to make him confefs the Truth. They 
pumfli Murder with Death, and even Fornication with any 
other befides his own Women. By his. own, I mean his Wife 
or his Maid-Servant ; for every Man may ufe his Slave as he 
pleafes. Heinous Theft alfo, or Felony, they punifh with 
Death. For a light Theft, as for dealing of a Ram, the 
Criminal not apprehended m the Fad, but otherwife de- 
ft £> " te< 5 ted. 
