Of our first entrance among the Tartars, and of their ingratitude. Chap. 11.
ANd being come amōgst those barbarous people, me thought (as I said before) yt I was entred into a new world: for they came flocking about vs on horse back, after they had made vs a long time to awaite for them sitting in the shadow, vnder their black carts. The first question which they demanded was whether we had euer bin with them heretofore, or no? And giuing thē answere that we had not, they began impudently to beg our victuals frō vs. And we gaue them some of our bisket & wine, which we had brought with vs from the towne of Soldaia. And hauing drunke off one fla∣gon of our wine they demanded another, saying, that a man goeth not into the house with one foote. Howbeit we gaue them no more, excusing our selues that we had but a litle. Then they asked vs, whence we came, & whither we were bound? I answered them with the words aboue mentioned: that we had heard concerning duke Sartach, that he was become a Christian, & that vnto him our determination was to trauel, hauing your Maiesties letters to deliuer vnto him. They were very inquisitiue to know whether I came of mine own accord, or whether I were sent? I answered that no man compelled me to come, neither had I come, vnles I my selfe had bin willing: & that there∣fore I was come according to mine own wil, & to the will of my superior. I tooke diligent heed ne∣uer to say that I was your Maiesties ambassador. Then they asked what I had in my carts; whe∣ther it were gold or siluer, or rich garments to carie vnto Sartach? I answered that Sartach should see what we had brought, when we were once come vnto him, & that they had nothing to do to aske such questions, but rather ought to conduct me vnto their captaine, and that he, if he thought good• should cause me to be directed vnto Sartach: if not, that I would returne. For there was in the same prouince one of Baatu his kinsmen called Scacati, vnto whom my lord the Emperor of Con∣stantinople had written letters of request, to suffer me to passe through his territory. With this answere of ours they were satisfied, giuing vs horses & oxen, & two men to conduct vs. Howbeit before they would allow vs the foresayd necessaries for our iourney, they made vs to awayt a long while, begging our bread for their yong brats, wondering at all things which they fawe about our seruants, as their kniues, gloues, purses, & points, and desiring to haue them. I excused my self that Page 101 we had a long way to trauel, & that we must in no wise so soon depriue our selues of things necessa∣ry, to finish so long a iourney. Then they said that I was a very varlet. True it is, that they tooke nothing by force frō me: howbeit they wil beg that which they see very importunatly & shamelesly. And if a man bestow ought vpon thē, it is but cost lost, for they are thankles wretches. They esteeme thēselues lords & think yt nothing should be denied thē by any man. If a man giues them nought, & afterward stands in neede of their seruice, they will do right nought for him. They gaue vs of their cowes milke to drink after ye butter was cherned out of it, being very sower, which they cal Apram. And so we departed from thē. Aud in very deed it seemed to me yt we were escaped out of the hands of diuels. On the morrow we were come vnto the captain. From the time wherin we departed frō Soldaia, till we arriued at the court of Sartach, which was the space of two moneths, we neuer lay in house or tent, but alwaies vnder the starry canopy, & in the open aire, or vnder our carts. Neither yet saw we any village, nor any mention of building where a village had bin, but the graues of the Comanians in great abundance. The same euening our guide which had conducted vs, gaue vs some Cosmos. After I had drunke thereof I sweat most extreamly for the nouelty and strange∣nes, because I neuer dranke of it before. Notwithstanding me thought it was• very sauory, as in∣deed it was.
