The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 02 — John Shaqi
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
fighting &c, he protested the particulars following to be true: namely,
that they were aboue all men, couetous, hasty, deceitfull, and mercilesse:
notwithstanding, by reason of the rigour and extremitie of punishments to
be inflicted vpon them by their superiours, they are restreined from
brawlings, and from mutuall strife and contention. The ancient founders and
fathers of their tribes, they call by the name of gods, and at certaine set
times they doe celebrate solemne feasts vnto them, many of them being
particular, & but foure onely generall. They thinke that all things are
created for themselues alone. They esteeme it none offence to exercise
cruelty against rebels. They be hardie and strong in the breast, leane and
pale-faced, rough and huf-shouldered, hauing flatte and short noses, long
and sharpe chinnes, their vpper iawes are low and declining, their teeth
long and thinne, their eyebrowes extending from their fore-heads downe to
their noses, their eies inconstant and blacke, their countenances writhen
and terrible, their extreame ioynts strong with bones and sinewes, hauing
thicke and great thighes, and short legs, and yet being equall vnto vs in
stature: for that length which is wanting in their legs is supplied in the
vpper parts of their bodies. Their countrey in olde time was a land vtterly
desert and waste, situated far beyond Chaldea, from whence they haue
expelled Lions, Beares, & such like vntamed beasts with their bowes, and
other engines. Of the hides of beasts being tanned, they vse to shape for
themselues light, but yet impenetrable armour. They ride fast bound to
their horses, which are not very great in stature, but exceedingly strong,
and mainteined with little prouender. They vse to fight constantly and
valiantly with iauelines, maces, battle axes, and swords. But specially
they are excellent archers, and cunning warriers with their bowes. Their
backs are slightly armed, that they may not flee. They withdraw not
themselues from the combate, till they see the chiefe Standerd of their
Generall giue backe. Vanquished, they aske no fauour and vanquishing, they
shew no compassion. They all persist in their purpose of subduing the whole
world vnder their owne subiection, as if they were but one man, and yet
they are moe then millions in number. They haue 60000. Courriers, who being
sent before vpon light horses to prepare a place for the armie to incampe
in, will in the space of one night gallop three days iourney. And suddenly
diffusing themselues ouer an whole prouince, and surprising all the people
thereof vnarmed, vnprouided, dispersed, they make such horrible slaughters
that the king or prince of the land inuaded, cannot finde people sufficient
to wage battell against them, and to withstand them. They delude all people
and princes of regions in time of peace, pretending that for a cause which
indeed is no cause. Sometimes they say, that they will make a voyage to
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