The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Thus proceeding in our iourney, the tenth day at night being at rest, and
our watch set, there came vnto vs foure horsemen, which wee tooke as spies,
from whom wee tooke their weapons and bound them, and hauing well examined
them, they confessed that they had seene the tract of many horsemen, and no
footing of camels, and gaue vs to vnderstand, that there were rouers and
theeues abroade: for there trauaile few people that are true and peaceable
in that Countrey, but in companie of Carauan, where there be many camels:
and horsefeeting new without camels were to be doubted. Whereupon we
consulted and determined amongst our selues, and sent a poste to the said
Soltan of Kayte, who immediatly came himselfe with 300. men, and mette
these foure suspected men which we sent vnto him, and examined them so
streightly, and threatned them in such sort, that they confessed, there was
a banished Prince with 40. men 3. daies iourney forward, who lay in wait to
destroy vs, if he could, and that they themselues were of his companie.
The Soltan therefore vnderstanding, that the theeues were not many,
appointed vs 80. men well armed with a Captaine to goe with vs, and conduct
vs in our way. And the Soltan himselfe returned backe againe, taking the
foure theeues with him. These souldiers trauailed with vs two dayes,
consuming much of our victuals. And the 3. day in the morning very earely
they set out before our Carauan, and hauing ranged the wildernes for the
space of foure houres, they mette vs, comming towards vs as fast as their
horse could runne, and declared that they had founde the tract of horses
not farre from vs, perceiuing well that we shoulde meete with enemies, and
therefore willed vs to appoint our selues for them, and asked vs what we
would giue them to conduct vs further, or else they would returne. To whom
we offered as we thought good, but they refused our offer, and would haue
more; and so we not agreeing they departed from vs, and went back to their
Soltan, who (as wee coniectured) was priuie to the conspiracie. [Sidenote:
Diuination by sorcerie] But they being gone, certaine Tartars of our
companie called holy men, (because they had bene at Mecha) caused the whole
Carauan to stay, and would make their prayers, and deuine how wee should
prosper in our iourney and whether we should meet with any ill company or
no? To which, our whole Carauan did agree. And they tooke certaine sheepe
and killed them, and tooke the blade bones of the same, and first sodde
them and then burnt them, and tooke of the blood of the said sheepe, and
mingled it with the powder of the saide bones, and wrote certaine
Characters with the saide blood, vsing many other ceremonies and wordes,
and by the same deuined and found, that wee shoulde meete with enemies and
theeues (to our great trouble) but should ouercome them, to which sorcerie,
I and my companie gaue no credit, but we found it true: for within 3.
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