6 ot 
Chap. H. e/ Marco PoiOi 
many Cities and Cattles ; die chief City thereof is called the Idol hath, as they fuppofe, fucked the Savour of the 
Piem> near which rims a. River wherein precious Stones are Meat ; after which, all his Kindred being gathered toge- 
found, fuch as Jafpers and Chalcedons. The Inhabitants of ther, eat the Flefh at home with great Devotion and Joy 5 
the Country follow the Law of Mohammed, and are Artifi- but religi.oufly keep the Bones in certain Veftels, The 
ers and Merchants. There is a Cuftom in this Province, that Priefts have the Feet, Head, Inwards* Skin, and fome 
when any married Man goeth into another Place and re- Part of the Flefh, for their Share. 
turneth not home in twenty Days, it becomes lawful for In celebrating the Funerals of fudi Sri Were Men in 
the Wife to marry another Hufband ; and the Men alfo, Efteem, the dead Bodies are buried after this Manner 5 
whenfoever the Women go away for the fame time, do the the Kindred fend for the Aftrologers* and tell them What 
like. All thofe Provinces, viz, Cafcha , Cotem , Piem, to Year, Month, Day and Hour he who died was bong 
the City of Lop , are in the Bounds of Turkefian. who, having confidered the Conftellation, affigns the Day 
Ciafcian is fubjeft to the 'Tartars ; the Name of the when he is to be buried ; fo that when the Planet fuits not* 
Province and chief City is the fame: It hath many Cities they preferve the dead Body fometimes feven Days;, and 
and Caftles 5 many precious Stones are found there in the fometimes fix Months, preparing a Cheft for it at home* 
Rivers, efpecially Jafpers and Chalcedones, which Mer- and joining the Sides together with fuch Art, that no 
chants carry quite to Ouchach to fell and make great Gain, noifome Smells ilfue forth. They alfo embalm the Body 
From Piem to this Province, and quite through it alfo itfelf with Spices, and cover the Cheft, fairly painted 
is a Tandy Soil, with many bad Waters and few good, with embroidered Cloth ; and every Day that the dead 
When an Army paffes through this Province, all the In- Corps is kept at home, at the Hour of Dinner a Table is 
habitants theof, with their Wives, Children, Cattle, and fpread near the Cheft, Wine and Meat fet thereon for 
all their Houfhold-ftuff, fly two Days Journey into the the Space in which one might eat a Meal’s Meat, fuppof- 
Sands, where they know that good Waters are, and ftay ing that the Soul of the Dead feedeth on the Savour 
there, and carry their Corn thither alfo to hide it in the thereof. The Aftrologers fometimes forbid to carry it out 
Sands, after Harveft, from the like Fears. The Wind doth of the chief Gate, pretending fome difaftrous Star, and 
fo deface their Steps in the Sand, that their Enemies cannot caufe them to carry it out another Way, and fometimes 
find their Way. Departing from this Province, you are break the Wall which is oppofite to that Place, which the 
to travel five Days Journey through the Sands, where no Planet makes more lucky ; for otherwife the Spirits departed 
other Water almoft than that which is bitter is any where would be offended, and hurt thofe of the Houfe j and if any 
to be found, until you come to the City called Lop , which fuch Evil happen, they aferibe it to the Dead thus wronged, 
is a great City, from whence is the Entrance of a great When the Body is carried through the City to be buried 
Defart, called alfo the Wildernefs of Lop , feated between without, wooden Cottages are erected in the Way, with a 
the Eaft and the North-Eaft. The Inhabitants are Mo- Porch covered with Silk, in which they place the Body,, 
hammedans , fubjed to the Great Khan. and fet before it Bread, Flefh, and delicate Meats, fup- 
In the City of Lop , Merchants who defire to pafs over pofing the Spirit to be refrefhed therewith, which is held 
the Defart, caufe all Neceffaries to be provided for them ; to be conftantly prefent at the burying of the Body ; and 
and when Viduals begin to fail in the Defart, they kill when they come to the Place where the Body is to be 
their Affes and Camels, and eat them. They make it buried, they diligently and curioufly paint upon Papers 
moftly their Choice to ufe Camels, becaufe they are fuf- made of the Bark of Trees the Images of Men and Wo- 
rained with little Meat, and bear great Burthens. They men, Horfes, Camels, Money and Garments, all the In- 
muft provideViduals for a Month to crofs it only, for to go ftruments of the City founding, which are burned toge- 
thro* it Lengthways would require a Year’s Time. They ther with the dead Body ; for they fay, that dead Men 
go through the Sands and barren Mountains, and daily fhall have fo many Men-fervants, and Maid-fervants, Cat^ 
find Water ; yet it is fometimes fo little that it will hardly le, and Money in another Life, as Pictures were burned 
fuffice fifty or an hundred Men with their Beafts and in with him, and fhall perpetually live in that Honour and 
three or four Places the Water is fait and bitter. The reft: Riches. 
of theRoad, for eight and twenty Days, is very good. In it 12. The Province of Camul Jieth in the wide Country 
there are not either Beafts or Birds ; they fay, that there of Tangut, fubjeft to the Great Khan, having many Cities 
dwell many Spirits in this Wildernefs, which caufe great and and Towns; the chief City is called Camul This Province 
marvellous Illufions to Travellers, and make them perifh ; is bounded by two Defarts, viz. the Great Defart, of which 
for if any ftay behind and cannot fee his Company, he we have fpoken before, and another, that is lefs, of three 
fhall be called by his Name, and fo going out of the Way Days Journey. It abounds with all things for the convex 
is loft. In the Night they hear as it were the Noife of a nient Support of Life. The Inhabitants are Idolaters, have 
Company, which, taking to be theirs, they perifh likewife. a peculiar Language, and feem to be born for no other* 
Concerts of mufical Inftruments are fometimes heard in Purpofe but to apply themfelves to fporting, ringing, dan- 
the Air ; likewife Drums and Noifes of Armies. They cing, writing and reading, after their Fafhion, playing on 
go therefore clofe together, hang Bells on their Beafts Inftruments, and giving themfelves unto Pleafure. When 
Necks,, and fet Marks, if any ftay g . any Traveller palling by goes into any Man’s Houle for 
Having palled over the Defart you come into the City Entertainment, the Matter of the Family receives him 
Sachion , betwixt the Eaft and North-Eaft, fubjedt to the with great Joy, and commands his Wife, and all the Fa- 
Great Khan, in the Province of Tangut, where, amongft the mily, that as long as he will abide with them, they obey 
W orfliippers of Mohammed , a few Nejlcrian Chriftians him in all things. In the mean time he departs, and re- 
are found ; many Idolaters are alfo there, who have their turns not fo long as the Gueft remains athisPIoufe ; and 
proper Language. The Inhabitants of this City live not during all this Space the Stranger lies with the Wife, Daugh- 
1 by Merchandize, but on the Fruits of the Earth. The ter, and the reft, as with his own Wives. The Womenof 
1 City hath many Monafteries confecrated to divers Idols, in the Country are beautiful, and ready to obey all thefe Com- 
' which many Sacrifices are offered with great Reverence : mandments of their Hufbands, who are fo befotted with 
And when a Son is born to a Man, he prefently com- this Folly, that they think it a glorious thing for them, 
mendeth him to fome Idol, and in honour thereof nou- and believe it fo acceptable to their Idols, that, through 
i Fiftieth a Sheep that Year in his Houfe, which he pre- their Favour thus obtained, they profper, and enjoy Plenty 
i fenteth before it, together with his Son, the next Feftival of all things. Mangu-Khan having heard of this Folly, 
] Day of that Idol, with many Ceremonies, and great Re- commanded them not to obferve this deteftable Cuftom any 
1 verence. Afterwards the Flefh of the Sheep is boiled, and longer, and accordingly they forbore it for about three 
1 left fo long before the Idol till their Prayers are finifhed. Years, and then not feeing their wonted Fertility, and trou- 
which they make for the Confervation of their Son, and bled with fome domeftic Croffes, they fent Embaffadors to 
* ^his Defart mentioned by our Author, dill retains the fame Name in the mod modern Maps. His Defcription of this and other Wilderneffes are 
very exaft ; and the Harddups he mentions in palling through them are not at all exagerated. It is for this Reafon that it is fo extremely difficult 
to pais from any fart of the Dominions of the Great Mogul to China , without taking a prodigious Compafs to avoid thefe Defarts. It is not' 
above forty Years ago fince a certain Rajah who had incurred the Mogul’s Difpleafure, attempted, with a Train of thirty Followers, to pafs through 
thele peiarts m which they all perifbedby Hunger and Third, except the Nobleman himfelfand four of his Attendants, who reached the Province 
or Obienji, where he and one of his M§n died of the Fatigue a few Days after. 
Numb. 41, 7 O tite 
