varietie of Hearbs. Their best drinke is Coffa, made of a Graine, called Coaua, boyled with wa∣ter and Sherberke, which is onely Hony and Water. Mares Milke, or the Milke of any Beast, they hold restoratiue; but all the Comminaltie drinke pure Water. Their Bread is made of this Coaua, which is a kind of blacke Wheate, and Cuscus a small white Seed like Millet in Biskany. Our common victuall, was the Intrals and Offall of Horses and Vlgryes; of this cut in small pieces, they will fill a great Cauldron; which being boyled, and with Cuscus put in great bowles in the manner of Chafing-dishes, they sit about it on the ground; after they haue raked it through as oft as they please with their fowle fists, the remainder was for the Christian Slaues. Some of this broth they would temper with Cuscus, like Butter for Fritters, and putting the fire off from the hearth, powre there a bowle full, then couer it with coales till it be baked, which stued [ 10] with the remainder of the broath, and small pieces of flesh, was an extraordinary daintie. The better sort are attired like Turkes, but the plaine Tartar weareth halfe a blacke Sheepes skinne ouer his backe, two of the legges tyed about his necke, the other two about his middle; with another ouer his belly, and his legges tyed in like manner behind him: then two skinnes more made like a paire of Bases, serue him for Breeches, with a little Cap close to his skull of course blacke Felt, and they vse exceeding much of this Felt for Carpets, for Bedding, for Coates, and Idols. Their houses are much worse then your Irish: but the In-land Countrey hath none but Carts and Tents, which they euer remoue from Countrey to Countrey, as they see occasion, dri∣uing with them infinite troups of blacke Sheepe, Cattle, and Vlgryes, eating vp all before them as they goe. [ 20]
For the Tartars of Naga, they haue neither Towne nor House, Corne nor Drinke, but Flesh and Milke; and liue all in Hordias, three or foure thousand of them in a company, all liuing in great Carts, fifteene or sixteene foot broad, which is couered ouer with small Rods, wratled to∣gether in the forme of a Birds-nest turned vpwards, and with the Ashes of bones, tempered with Oyle, and a Clay they haue, & Camels haire, they loome them so wel, that no weather wil pierce them, and yet they are very light. Each Hordia hath a Murse, which they obey as King. Their gods are infinite, but the Crimme Tartar and the Tauricks, obey Murtissalla Mahomets chiefe Prophet. One thousand or two thousand of those glittering white Carts drawne with Camels, Deere, Bulls, and Vlgryes, they bring round in a Ring, where they pitch their Campe, and the Murse with his chiefe Alliances are placed in the midst: They doe much hurt when they get any [ 30] Strogs, which are great Boats, vsed vpon the Edle a Riuer we call Uglga, to them that dwell in the Countrey of Poronlog, and would doe much mo••••, were i•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for the Muscouits Garisons that there inhabite.
All the hope he had euer to be deliuered from this thraldome, was onely the loue of Traga∣bigzand••, who surely was ignorant of his bad vsage for although he had oft debated the matter with some Christians, which had beene there long Slaues, they could not find how to make any escape, by any reason or possibilitie, But God beyond Mans expectation or imagination, hel∣peth his Seruants when they least thinke of helpe, as it hapned to him. In this miserable estate, he became a Thrasher at a Grange in a great field, more then a league from the Tymors house. The Bassa as he oft vsed to visite his grounds, visited him, and tooke occasion so to beate, spurne and [ 40] reuile him that Smith forgetting all reason, beate out his braines with his bat: and seeing his estate could not be worse then it was, he cloathed himselfe in his cloathes, hid his body vnder the Straw, filled his Knapsacke with Corne, shut the doores, mounted his Horse, and ranne into the Desart at all aduenture: Two or three daies thus fearefully wandring he knew not whither, and well it was hee met not any to aske the way. Thus being euen as one taking leaue of this miserable world, God did direct him to their great way or Custragan, as they call it, which doth crosse these large Territories, and is generally knowne among them by these markes.
In euery crossing of this great way, is planted a Poste, and in it so many bolts with broad ends, as there are waies, and euery bolt hath the figure painted ouer it, that demonstrateth to what part that way leadeth, as that which pointeth towards the Crimmes Countrey, is marked [ 50] with a halfe Moone: if towards the China, the picture of the Sunne; if towards the Georgians and Persia, a blacke man full of white spots; if towards Muscouy, the signe of a Crosse; if to∣wards the habitation of any other Prince, the figure whereby his Standard is knowne. To his dying spirits thus God added some comfort in this melancholy iourney, wherein if hee had met any of that vild generation, they had made him their Slaue, or sent him backe againe to his Ma∣ster. Sixteene daies he trauelled in this feare and torment after that crosse, till hee arriued at Axopolis, vpon the Riuer Don, a Garrison of the Muscouits. The Gouernor after due examina∣tion of those hard euents, tooke off his Irons, and so kindly vsed him, that he thought himselfe newly risen from death.
The most he could learne of these wild Countries was this, that the Countrey of Cambria is [ 60] two dayes Iourney from the head of the great Riuer Bruapo, which springeth from many pla∣ces of the Mountaynes of Inagachi, that ioyne themselues together in the Poole Kerkas, which they account for the head, and falleth into the Sea Dissabach: which receiueth also the Riuer Don, and all the Riuers that fall from the great Countrey of the Circassi, the Caitaches, the Tau∣ricaces,