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
[Sidenote: The Nagay Tartar the cruellest, The Chircase the ciuillest
Tartar.] There are diuers other Tartars that border vpon Russia, as the
Nayages, the Cheremissens, the Mordwites, the Chircasses, and the Shalcans,
which all differ in name more then in regiment, or other condition, from
the Crim Tartar, except the Chircasses that border Southwest, towardes
Lituania, and are farre more ciuill than the rest of the Tartars, of a
comely person, and of a stately behauiour, as applying themselues to the
fashion of the Polonian. Some of them haue subiected themselues to the
Kings of Poland, and professe Christianitie. The Nagay lieth Eastwarde, and
is reckoned for the best man of warre among all the Tartars, but verie
sauage, and cruell aboue all the rest. [Sidenote: The Cheremissen Tartar of
two sorts: the Lugauoy and the Nagornay.] The Cheremessen Tartar, that
lieth betwixt the Russe and the Nagay, are of two sorts, the Lugauoy (that
is of the valley) and the Nagornay, or of the hilly countrey. These haue
much troubled the Emperours of Russia. And therefore they are content now
to buy peace of them, vnder pretence of giuing a yeerely pension of Russe
commodities to their Morseys, or Diuoymorseis, that are chiefe of their
tribes. For which also they are bound to serue them in their wars, vnder
certaine conditions. They are said to be iust and true in their dealings:
and for that cause they hate the Russe people, whom they account to be
double, and false in al their dealing. And therefore the common sort are
very vnwilling to keepe agreement with them, but that they are kept in by
their pensions sake.
[Sidenote: The Mordwit Tartar the most barbarous of the rest.] The most
rude and barbarous is counted the Mordwit Tartar, that hath many selfe-
fashions and strange kinds of behauiour, differing from the rest. For his
religion, though he acknowledge one God, yet his manor is to worship for
God, that liuing thing that he first meeteth in the morning; and to sweare
by, it all that whole day, whether it be horse, dog, cat, or whatsoeuer els
it bee. When his friend dieth, he killeth his best horse, and hauing flayed
off the skinne hee carieth it on high vpon a long pole before the corpes to
the place of buriall. This hee doeth (as the Russe saieth) that his friend
may haue a good horse to carie him to heauen: but it is likelier to declare
his loue towards his dead friend, in that he will haue to die with him the
best thing that he hath.
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