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
The Mongols or Tartars, in outward shape, are vnlike, to all other people.
[Sidenote: The shape of the Tartars.] For they are broader betweene the
eyes and the balles of their cheekes, then men of other nations bee. They
haue flat and small noses, litle eyes and eye liddes standing streight
vpright, they are shauen on the crownes like priests. They weare their
haire somewhat longer about their eares, then vpon their foreheads: but
behinde they let it growe long like womans haire, whereof they braide two
lockes binding eche of them behind either eare. They haue short feet also.
[Sidenote: Their habite.] The garments, as well of their men, as of their
women are all of one fashion. They vse neither cloakes, hattes, nor cappes.
But they weare Iackets framed after a strange manner, of buckeram, skarlet,
or Baldakines. [Sidenote: Like vnto Frobishers men.] Their shoubes or
gownes are hayrie on the outside, and open behinde, with tailes hanging
downe to their hammes. They vse not to washe their garments, neither will
in any wise suffer them to bee washed, especially in the time of thunder.
[Sidenote: Their tabernacles.] Their habitations bee rounde and cunningly
made with wickers and staues in manner of a tent. But in the middest of the
toppes thereof, they haue a window open to conuey the light in and the
smoake out. For their fire is alwayes in the middest. Their walles bee
couered with felt. Their doores are made of felte also. Some of these
Tabernacles may quickely be taken asunder, and set together againe, and are
caried vpon beastes backes. Other some cannot be taken insunder, but are
stowed vpon carts. And whithersoeuer they goe, be it either to warre, or to
any other place, they transport their tabernacles with them. [Sidenote:
Their cattell.] They are very rich in cattel, as in camels, oxen, sheep,
and goats. And I thinke they haue more horses and mares then all the world
besides. But they haue no swine nor other beasts. Their Emperors, Dukes,
and other of their nobles doe abound with silk, gold, siluer, and precious
stones. [Sidenote: Their victuals.] Their victuals are al things that may
be eaten: for we saw some of them eat lice. They drinke milke in great
quantitie, but especially mares milke, if they haue it: They seeth Mill
also in water, making it so thinne, that they may drinke thereof. Euery one
of them drinkes off a cup full or two in a morning, and sometime they eate
nought else all the day long. But in the euening each man hath a little
flesh, giuen him to eate, and they drinke the broath thereof. Howbeit in
summer time; when they haue mares milk enough, they seldome eate flesh,
vnles perhaps it be giuen them, or they take some beast or bird in hunting.
De moribus eorum bonis et malis. Cap. 5.
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