Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/169
than their Horses; but they are very hard to be tak'n; for when one of these Horses perceives that his Rider is slain, he follows those that fly with all the swiftness imaginable. Beside that, those Horses being carri'd into other Countries, are presently spoil'd, and come to nothing.
Their Cloathing is only a Sheep-skin, which in Winter they wear with the wool next their Bodies; in the Summer turning the other side. They that are the Nobility of the Countrey, wear Wolves-skins, with a kind of Shirt, and Breeches of course Fustian of divers Colours, which the Taylor gets little credit by shaping.
Their Women are very white and well proportioned, but their Faces are broad, and their Eyes little, so that by thirty years of Age they become very deformed. There is not a man but has two or three Wives, which they never choose but out of their own Tribe. Every Tribe has a Chief; who is one of the Nobility of the Countrey, and carries for his Banner a Horse-tail fasten'd to a half-Pike, and dy'd into the Colour belonging to the Tribe. When they march, every one knows where to place himself, and how much ground they ought to take up for their Tribe and their Cattel; one Tribe never encroaching upon another.
The Women and Maids are generally clad in a large Shirt that reaches down to their feet. Upon their Heads they wear a large white Vail, their Foreheads being bound about with a large black Handkerchief ty'd in five or six Rolls. The Noble sort of Women and Maids wear over this Vail a Bonnet open behind, which comes down upon their Foreheads like a three-corner'd Cap: One of these Points stands up in the midst of the Forehead, lin'd with Velvet, Satin, or Cloth of Gold, and set with small pieces of Gold and Silver, and false Pearls, of which they also make themselves Bracelets: Their Breeches are of single-colour'd Cloth, and for Shoes and Stockings, they only wear a Cordovan Boot of what Colour they please, neatly sew'd.
When a young man intends to marry, it behoves him to give the Father and the Mother of the Maid a certain quantity of Horses, Bullocks or Cows, or other Cattel, which is done in the presence of the greatest part of the ancientest of the Tribe, and a Moullah beside. When the Agreement is made, the young man has the liberty to see his Mistress, but not till then: For before, he has only the information of her Mother, his Sisters, or such Women as were his own Friends. Besides the three Wives which the man is allow'd to take, he may keep several female Slaves; but the Children are still slaves, and can never inherit. These Tartars are of a very hot constitution, though not so hot as the women. Both the one and the other are very fair-haird; but the men have little or no Beards: So that if there be any one that has more Beard than ordinary, and can but write and read, they make him a Moullah.
These people have no Houses, but live in Tents, or in Waggons which are drawn after them where-ever they go. The Tents are for the old people and little Children, with their Slaves that attend them. The young women ride in Waggons clos'd up with Boards, and to let in the Air, upon one side they open a Window that is made like a Lattice. In the Evening they are permitted to spend a little time in the Tents. When the Girls have attain'd to the age of ten or twelve Years, they never stir any more out of their Waggons till they are married, not so much as for the necessities of Nature; but in the middle of the Waggon there is a Plank to be taken up; and if it be in a place where they stay, a Slave presently comes and cleanses all underneath. The Maidens Waggon is easie to be known, as being painted with Flowers; and generally there is a Camel ty'd to the Tail of it, besmear'd with several colours, and several Nosegays or Posies of Flowers stuck about the Head of the Beast.
The young men have also everyone their Chariot, wherein they only carry a Boracho of Horse-skin, containing about 38 Quarts, which they usually fill with Mares-Milk, which is very sowr. They have also every one another Waggon next to that wherein they ride themselves; wherein they carry several Boracho's full of Cows-Milk, which is very sowr. At Meals they drink this Milk: But before they powr it out, they stir it in the Boracho with a great Stick, that the Curd may mix with the thin Milk. But the Mares-Milk is only for the Master and Mistress, though before they drink of either, they mix it with water. When a Friend comes to seethem,