Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/162
Cherry-trees, Apple-trees, Pear-trees, Walnut-trees, and all other useful Trees of the same nature: but their chiefest Wealth consists in Cattel, but especially in well-shap'd Horses, not much unlike the Spanish Gennets. They have also an abundance of Goats and Sheep, whose Wool is as good as that of Spain; which the Muscovites fetch away to make Felts. They neither sow Wheat nor Oats, but only Barley for their Horses, and Millet to make Bread; nor do they ever sow twice in the same place: not but that the Land is good enough to bear Wheat, but because they love Bread made of Millet better. They have very good Fowl, and Venison, and Wild-Fowl more than they know what to do withal; which they never hunt with Dogs, nor fly their Hawks at; for their Horses are so swift and so good, that they will tire the Beast, and force him to lye down and yield. Ev'ry Horse-man has a Rope with a sliding-knot ready at the Pummel of his Saddle, which they are so dextrous to throw about the neck of the Beast that begins to be weary, that 'tis twenty to one if they miss him. When they have kill'd a Dear, they cut off the legs, and breaking the Bones, eat the Marrow, which they say is the best thing in the World to strengthen the Body. When they go to steal Cattel, they carry along with them great Cows-horns stuft with boyl'd Tripes cut in small pieces; then watching their times when the Herdsmen are asleep, when the Dogs begin to bark, they throw to ev'ry one a Horn, with which the Dog presently runs away: and so while the Shepherds are asleep, and the Dog is busie to get the Meat out of the Horn, which is there ramm'd in on purpose, the Thieves drive away what they please.
The Drink of the Sherkes is Water and Bosa. Bosa is a Drink made of Millet, as intoxicating as Wine, which they want in the Country.
The Men and the Women, Boys and Girls go habited all alike, and their Habit is a colour'd Robe of Fustian, with a kind of large Petticoat underneath; with this they wear a little pink'd Wastcoat that reaches down to their Thighs; and over that a Cassock of course Cloth that reaches down to their Knees, girt about their Wasts with a Cord. The Sleeves of the Cassock are op'n below and above, and sometimes they pin them behind their Backs. They wear no Beards 'till they are sixty years of age. And as for their Hair, neither Men nor Women, Boys nor Girls, ever wear it longer than the tips of their Ears. The Men, both young and old, shave the middle of their Heads about the bredth of two Fingers from the Forehead down to the Nape of the Neck: and then instead of Hats or Head-clothes, both Men and Women wear only a little Bonnet of the same Cloth as the Cassock, made like a Night-cap. 'Tis true, when the Maids come to be marry'd there is some distinction upon their Heads; for then they fast'n to the hinder part of their Heads a round piece of Felt, which they cover with a white Veil very artificially-pleated. Their Breeches are ty'd below their Knees, and reach to their Ancles; their Shooes, which are of Cordovan, both upper and under Leather, have but one seam upon the upper part of the Foot, being light, and cut like a pair of Pumps.
As for their Beds, they take several Sheep-skins and sow them together, and then stuffing them full of Millet-leaves, make a kind of Quilt. Now when they beat the Millet, the Leaf comes to be as small as the Chaff of Oats; so that when the person rises off from the Quilt, the Quilt rises and swells again of it self. Their Cushions are of the same Make, only sometimes they are stuft with Wool.
The People are neither Christians nor Mahometans, all their Religion consisting in some Ceremonies which they perform with the greatest Solemnities which they can imagin: for at that time old and young of all Ages and Sexes, and all the whole Town must be there at the place appointed, unless impotency or sickness excuses them. I call them Villages, for in all these Countries their is neither Fortress nor City: and as for their Villages, they are all built after the same Model, round, with a Piazza in the middle, according to the Figure.
CHAP.