The Natural History of the Varieties of ManLatham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Science
The Natural History of the Varieties of Man
Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Ethnology
"The _Tartars_ never remain fixed, but, as the winter approaches,
remove to the plains of a warmer region, in order to find sufficient
pasture for their cattle; and in summer they frequent cold situations
in the mountains, where there is water and verdure, and their cattle
are free from the annoyance of horse-flies and other biting insects.
During two or three months they progressively ascend higher ground,
and seek fresh pasture; the grass not being adequate in any one place
to feed the multitudes of which their herds and flocks consist. Their
huts or tents are formed of rods covered with felt, and being exactly
round, and nicely put together, they can gather them into one bundle,
and make them up as packages, which they carry along with them in
their migrations, upon a sort of car with four wheels. When they have
occasion to set them up again, they always make the entrance front to
the south. Besides these cars, they have a superior kind of vehicle,
upon two wheels, covered likewise with felt, and so effectually as
to protect those within it from wet, during a whole day of rain.
These are drawn by oxen and camels, and serve to convey their wives
and children, their utensils, and such provisions as they require.
The women it is who attend to their trading concerns, who buy and
sell, and provide every thing necessary for their husbands and their
families; the time of the men being entirely devoted to the employment
of hunting and hawking, and matters that relate to the military life.
They have the best falcons in the world, and also the best dogs. They
subsist entirely upon flesh and milk, eating the produce of their
sport, and a certain small animal, not unlike a rabbit, called by our
people _Pharaoh's mice_, which, during the summer season, are found in
great abundance in the plains. But they likewise eat flesh of every
description, horses, camels, and even dogs, provided they are fat.
They drink mares' milk, which they prepare in such a manner that it has
the qualities and flavour of white wine. They term it in their language
_kemurs_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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