The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. XI. Of Comania, Circassia, and of certain people which they call Kalmouchs.

COmania is bounded toward the East by the Caspian Sea; Westward by the Mountains that divide it from Circassia; Northward it lies upon Muscovia; and Southward it is bounded by Georgia. From the Mountains that bound upon the North-East to Tercki, which is the River that parts Moscovia from Comania, it is all a level Country excellent for Tillage, and aboun∣ding in fair Meadows and Pasturage. However it is not over-peopl'd, which is the reason they never Sow twice together in one place. The Climate is much the same

as between Paris and Lion, where it Rains very much; and yet the Country people have cut several Channels from the Rivers to water the Grounds after they have Sow'd them, which they learnt from the Persians. Those Rivers fall from the Sou∣thern Mountains, being not at all tak'n notice of in the Map. There is one among the rest a very large River, which can be forded at no time. They call it Coyasou, or The thick water, in regard it is continually muddy, the stream being so slow, that they can hardly discern which way it runs. It falls gently into the Caspian Sea to the South of the mouth of Volga. Not far from this River, in the months of Octo∣ber and November, all along the Shore of the same Sea, you may see vast shoals of fish about two foot long. Before, they have two legs, like a Dog's legs, behind in∣stead of legs they have only claws. Flesh they have none, but only fat with a bone in the middle. Now in regard they are but flow pac'd when they come upon Land, the Country people easily knock them on the head, and make Oyl of them; which is the greatest Trade they have.

The people of Comania, commonly call'd Comouchs, dwell for the most part at foot of the Mountains, because of the Springs so plentiful in those places, that in some Villages you shall have above twenty or thirty. Three of these Spings meeting to∣gether, make a stream strong enough to drive a Mill. But this is not the sole reason, for there is Water enough in the plain. But in regard they are a people that only live upon the spoil and plunder of their Enemies, and of one another, as they are in continual fear of being set upon, they love to dwell near the refuge of the Moun∣tains, whither they fly with their Cattle upon any occasion of danger. For all the people round about, as Georgians, Mengrelians, Cirkassians, Tartars, and Mus∣covites, live altogether by rapine, and continual In-roads into one anothers Countries.

There are another sort of people which are call'd Kalmouchs, that inhabit upon the Coast of the Caspian Sea between the Muscovites and the Tartars. The men are strong, but the most deformed under Heaven. Their faces are so flat and broad, that there is the bredth of five fingers between each Eye. Their Eyes are very small, and that little Nose they have is so flat, that there is nothing to be seen but two little holes instead of Nostrils. Their Knees also and their Feet turn inward. When they go to the Wars, they carry their Wives and their Daughters, if they be twelve years of age, along with them, who fight as couragiously as the men themselves. Their Arms are Bows, Arrows, and Skains, with a great wooden Mace at the Pummel of their Saddles; their Horses being the best in all Asia. Their Captain is of some ancient Family, but they more particularly choose him for his valour. The Duke of Muscovia sends them presents every year, to preserve their friendship, which presents consist in Cloth. And he grants them free passage through his Territories, when ever they have a mind to invade the Mengrelians, Georgians, or Cirkassians, at which sport they are much more dexterous than the lesser Tartars. Sometimes they advance into Persia, as far as the Province of the Usbekes, which is a part of Great Tartary, ranging up as far as Caboul and Canda∣har. Their Religion is particular to themselves, but they are great Enemies to the Mahumetans.

As for the Comouchs or people of Comania, they are Mahumetans, and very pre∣cise ones too. They are under the protection of the King of Persia, who makes great account of them, in regard they defend the Passes into his Country on that side against the Kalmouchs. They are habited both men and women like the Lesser Tartars, fetching all the Silk and Calicut which they use out of Persia; for as for Cloth, they are contented with what they make in their own Country, which is very course.

Circassia is a pleasant good Country, and full of variety. There are Plains, For∣rests, Hills, and Mountains abounding in Springs, some of which are so large, that some of them will serve seven or eight of the neighbouring Villages. But on the other side, in all the Rivers that proceed from these Springs, there is not a fish to be seen. Flowers they have in abundance, especially fair Tulips. There is a sort of Strawberry also with a short stalk, of which five or six grow in a bunch; the least are as big as a small Nut, of a pale yellow Colour. The Soil is so fertile, that it brings forth without any great trouble a vast plenty of all sorts of Fruits. Nor do the people need any other Gardens than their Fields which are cover'd with

Cherry-trees, Apple-trees, Pear-trees, Walnut-trees, and all other useful Trees of the same nature: but their chiefest Wealth consists in Cattel, but especially in well-shap'd Horses, not much unlike the Spanish Gennets. They have also an abun∣dance of Goats and Sheep, whose Wool is as good as that of Spain; which the Mus∣covites fetch away to make Felts. They neither sow Wheat nor Oats, but only Barley for their Horses, and Millet to make Bread; nor do they ever sow twice in the same place: not but that the Land is good enough to bear Wheat, but because they love Bread made of Millet better. They have very good Fowl, and Venison, and Wild-Fowl more than they know what to do withal; which they never hunt with Dogs, nor fly their Hawks at; for their Horses are so swist and so good, that they will tire the Beast, and force him to lye down and yield. Ev'ry Horse-man has a Rope with a sliding-knot ready at the Pummel of his Saddle, which they are so dextrous to throw about the neck of the Beast that begins to be weary, that 'tis twenty to one if they miss him. When they have kill'd a Dear, they cut off the legs, and breaking the Bones, eat the Marrow, which they say is the best thing in the World to strengthen the Body. When they go to steal Cattel, they carry along with them great Cows-horns stuft with boyl'd Tripes cut in small pieces; then watch∣ing their times when the Herdsmen are asleep, when the Dogs begin to bark, they throw to ev'ry one a Horn, with which the Dog presently runs away: and so while the Shepherds are asleep, and the Dog is busie to get the Meat out of the Horn, which is there ramm'd in on purpose, the Thieves drive away what they please.

The Drink of the Sherkes is Water and Bosa. Bosa is a Drink made of Millet, as intoxicating as Wine, which they want in the Country.

The Men and the Women, Boys and Girls go habited all alike, and their Habit is a colour'd Robe of Fustian, with a kind of large Petticoat underneath; with this they wear a little pink'd Wastcoat that reaches down to their Thighs; and over that a Cassock of course Cloth that reaches down to their Knees, girt about their Wasts with a Cord. The Sleeves of the Cassock are op'n below and above, and sometimes they pin them behind their Backs. They wear no Beards 'till they are sixty years of age. And as for their Hair, neither Men nor Women, Boys nor Girls, ever wear it longer than the tips of their Ears. The Men, both young and old, shave the middle of their Heads about the bredth of two Fingers from the Forehead down to the Nape of the Neck: and then instead of Hats or Head-clothes, both Men and Women wear only a little Bonnet of the same Cloth as the Cassock, made like a Night-cap. 'Tis true, when the Maids come to be marry'd there is some distinction upon their Heads; for then they fast'n to the hinder part of their Heads a round piece of Felt, which they cover with a white Veil very artificially pleated. Their Breeches are ty'd below their Knees, and reach to their Ancles; their Shooes, which are of Cordovan, both upper and under Leather, have but one seam upon the upper part of the Foot, being light, and cut like a pair of Pumps.

As for their Beds, they take several Sheep-skins and sow them together, and then stuffing them full of Millet-leaves, make a kind of Quilt. Now when they beat the Millet, the Leaf comes to be as small as the Chaff of Oats; so that when the person rises off from the Quilt, the Quilt rises and swells again of it self. Their Cushions are of the same Make, only sometimes they are stuft with Wool.

The People are neither Christians nor Mahometans, all their Religion consisting in some Ceremonies which they perform with the greatest Solemnities which they can imagin: for at that time old and young of all Ages and Sexes, and all the whole Town must be there at the place appointed, unless impotency or sickness excuses them. I call them Villages, for in all these Countries their is neither Fortress nor City: and as for their Villages, they are all built after the same Model, round, with a Piazza in the middle, according to the Figure.

[illustration]

THE PLATFORME OF ONE OF THE VILLAGES OF THE COMOU••