The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 04Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 04
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
For person and complexion they haue broade and flatte visages, of a tanned
colour into yellowe and blacke, fierce and cruell lookes, thinne haired
vpon the upper lippe, and pitte of the chinne, light and nimble bodied,
with short legges, as if they were made naturally for horsemen: whereto
they practise themselues from their childhood, seldome going afoot about
anie businesse. Their speech is verie sudden and loude, speaking as it were
out of a deepe hollowe throate. When they sing you would thinke a kowe
lowed, or some great bandogge howled. Their greatest exercise is shooting,
wherein they traine vp their children from their verie infancie, not
suffering them to eate till they haue shot neere the marke within a
certaine scantling. They are the very same that sometimes were called
ScythŠ Nomades, or the Scythian shepheards, by the Greekes and Latines.
Some thinke that the Turks took their beginning from the nation of the Crim
Tartars. [Sidenote: Laonicus Calcocondylas.] Of which opinion is Laonicus
Calcocondylas the Greek Historiographer, in his first booke of his Turkish
storie. Wherein hee followeth diuers verie probable coniectures. [Sidenote:
1.] The first taken from the verie name it selfe, for that the worde Turke
signifieth a Shepheard or one that followeth a vagrant and wilde kinde of
life. By which name these Scythian Tartars haue euer beene noted, being
called by the Greekes [Greek: skythai nomades] or the Scythian shepheards.
[Sidenote: 2.] His second reason because the Turkes (in his time) that
dwelt in Asia the lesse, to wit, in Lydia, Caria, Phrygia and Cappadocia,
spake the very same language that these Tartars did, that dwelt betwixt the
riuer Tanais or Don, and the countrey of Sarmatia, which (as is knowen) are
these Tartars called Crims. At this time also the whole nation of the
Turkes differ not much in their common speech from the Tartar language.
[Sidenote: 3.] Thirdly because the Turke and the Crim Tartar agree so well
together, as well in religion, as in matter of Traffique neuer inuading, or
iniurying one another: saue that the Turke (since Laonicus his time) hath
encroached vpon some Townes vpon the Euxin Sea, that before perteined to
the Crim Tartar. [Sidenote: 4.] Fourthly, because Ortogules sonne to
Oguzalpes, and father to Ottoman the first of name of the Turkish nation
made his first roads out of those pans of Asia, vpon the next borderers,
till hee came towardes the countreys about the hill Taurus where he
ouercame the Greekes that inhabited there: and so enlarged the name and
territorie of the Turkish nation, till hee came to EubŠa and Attica and
other partes of Greece. [Sidenote: 1400.] This is the opinion of Laonicus,
who liued among the Turkes in the time of Amurat the sixt Turkish Emperour,
about the yeere 1400. when the memorie of their originall was more fresh:
and therefore the likelier hee was to hit the trueth.
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