{MN} Smith's usage in Tartaria.
CHAP. XIII.
The Turks diet; the Slaves diet; the attire of the Tartars; and manner of
Wars and Religions, &c.
{MN-1} The Tymor and his Friends fed upon Pillaw, which is, boiled Rice and Garnances with little bits of Mutton or Buckones, which is Roasted pieces of Horse, Bull, Ulgrie, or any Beasts. Samboyses and Muselbit are great Dainties, and yet but round Pies, full of all sorts of Flesh, they can get chopped with variety of Herbs. Their best Drink is Coffee, of a grain they call Coava, boiled with Water; and Sherbeck, which is only Honey and Water; Mares Milk, or the Milk of any Beast, they hold restorative: but all the Commonalty drink pure Water. {MN-2} Their Bread is made of this Coava, which is a kind of black Wheat, and Cuskus a small white Seed, like Millia in Biskay: But our common Victuals, the entrails of Horse and Ulgries; of this cut in small pieces, they will fill a great Cauldron, and being boiled with Cuskus, and put in great Bowls in the form of Chaffing-dishes, they sit round about it on the Ground, after they have raked it thorow, so oft as they please with their foul Fists, the remainder was for the Christian Slaves. Some of this Broth, they would temper with Cuskus pounded, and putting the Fire off from the Hearth, pour there a Bowl full, then cover it with Coals till it be baked, which stewed with the remainder of the Broth, and some small pieces of Flesh, was an extraordinary Dainty.
{MN-1} The Tymor's Diet of Cambia, is as the Turks.
{MN-2} The Slaves Diet.
{MN} The better sort are attired like Turks, but the plain Tartar hath a black Sheeps-skin over his back, and two of the Legs tied about his Neck; the other two about his middle, with another over his Belly, and the Legs tied in like manner behind him: Then two more, made like a pair of Bases, serveth him for Breeches; with a little close Cap to his Skull of black Felt, and they use exceeding much of this Felt for Carpets, for Bedding, for Coats, and Idols. Their Houses are much worse than your Irish, but the In-land Countries have none but Carts and Tents, which they ever remove from Countrey to Countrey, as they see occasion, driving with them infinite Troops of black Sheep, Cattel and Ulgries, eating all up before them as they go.