The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 02Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 02
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
and of the Iugures.] In Tangut I saw lusty tall men, but browne and swart
in colour. The Iugures are of a middle stature like vnto our French men.
Amongst the Iugures is the originall and roote of the Turkish, and Comanian
languages. [Sidenote: Langa and Solanga.] Next vnto Tebet are the people of
Langa and Solanga, whose messengers I saw in the Tartars court. And they
had brought more than ten great cartes with them, euery one of which was
drawen with sixe oxen. [Sidenote: The people of Solanga resemble
Spaniards.] They be little browne men like vnto Spaniards. Also they haue
iackets, like vnto the vpper vestment of a deacon, sauing that the sleeues
are somewhat streighter. And they haue miters vpon their heads like
bishops. But the fore part of their miter is not so hollow within as the
hinder part: neither is it sharpe pointed or cornered at the toppe: but
there hang downe certaine square flappes compacted of a kinde of strawe
which is made rough and rugged with extreme heat, and is so trimmed, that
it glittereth in the sunne beames, like vnto a glasse, or an helmet well
burnished. And about their temples they haue long bands of the foresayd
matter fastened vnto their miters, which houer in the wind, as if two long
hornes grewe out of their heads. And when the wind tosseth them vp and
downe too much, they tie them ouer the midst of their miter from one temple
to another: and so they lie circle wise ouerthwart their heads. [Sidenote:
A table of elephants tooth.] Moreouer their principal messenger comming
vnto the Tartars court had a table of elephants tooth about him of a cubite
in length, and a handfull in breadth, being very smoothe. And whensoeuer
hee spake vnto the Emperor himselfe, or vnto any other great personage, hee
alwayes beheld that table, as if hee had found therein those things which
hee spake: neither did he cast his eyes to the right hand, nor to the
lefte, nor vpon his face, with whom he talked. Yea, going too and fro
before his lord, he looketh no where but only vpon his table. [Sidenote:
The people called Muc.] Beyond them (as I vnderstand of a certainty) there
are other people called Muc, hauing villages, but no one particular man of
them appropriating any cattell vnto himselfe. Notwithstanding there are
many flockes and droues of cattell in their countrey, and no man appointed
to keepe them. But when any one of them standeth in neede of any beast, hee
ascendeth vp vnto an hill, and there maketh a shout, and all the cattel
which are within hearing of the noyse, come flocking about him, and suffer
themselues to be handled and taken, as if they were tame. And when any
messenger or stranger commeth into their countrie, they shut him vp into an
house, ministring there things necessary vnto him, vntill his businesse be
despatched. For if anie stranger should trauell through that countrie, the
cattell would flee away at the very sent of him, and so would become wilde.
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