CHAP. XIIII.
Of the Nations which liued in, or neere, to those parts, now possessed by the Tartars: and their Religions and Customes.
FRom those Countries, inhabited by the Persians and Zagathayan Tar∣tars Eastward, we cannot see with M. Paulus his eyes (the best guides we can get for this way) any Religion but the Saracen, till we come to Bascia, a Prouince somewhat bending to the South, the people where∣of are Idolaters and Magicians, cruell and deceitfull, liuing on Flesh and Rice. Seuen daies iourney from hence is Chesmur, wickedly cun∣ning in their deuillish art, by which they cause the dumbe Idols to speake, the day to grow darke, and other maruellous things, being the well-spring of Idols and Idolatrie in those parts. They haue Heremits after their Law, which abide in their Monasteries, are very abstinent in eating and drinking, containe their bodies in strait chastitie, and are very carefull to abstaine from such sinnes, wherewith they thinke their Idols offen∣ded, and liue long. There are of them many Monasteries: They are obserued of the people with great reuerence. The people of that Nation shed no bloud, nor kill any flesh: but if they will eate any, they get the Saracens, which liue amongst them, to kill it for them. North-Eastward from hence is Vochan, a Saracenicall Nation; and after many dayes iourney ouer Mountaines (so high, that no kinde of birds are seene there∣on) is Beloro, inhabited with Idolaters. Cascar (the next Countrey) is Mahumetane, beyond which are many Nestorian Christians in Carchan. There are also Moores, or Mahumetanes, which haue defiled with like superstition the Countries of Cotam and Peym (where the women may marrie new husbands, if the former be absent aboue twentie dayes a 1.1 , and the men likewise) and of Ciarcian, & Lop. From Lop they crosse a Desart, which asketh thirtie dayes, and must carrie their victuals with them. Here (they say) spirits call men by their names, and cause them to stray from their company, and perish with famine. When they are passed this Desart, they enter into Sachion, the first Citie of Tanguth, an idolatrous Prouince, subiect to the great Can: there are also some Nestorians and Saracens, where they haue had the Art of Printing these thousand yeares. They haue Monasteries replenished with Idols of diuers sorts, to which they sacrifice, and when they haue a male child borne, they commend it to some Idoll, in whose honour they nourish a Ramme in their house that yeare, and after on their Idols festiuall, they bring it, together with their sonne, before the Idoll, and sacrifice the Ramme, and dressing the flesh, let it stand till they haue finished their prayers for their childs health: in which space (they say) their Idoll hath sucked out the principall sub∣stance of the meat: which they then carrie home to their house, and assembling their kinsfolke, eat it with great reuerence & reioycing, sauing the bones in goodly vessels.