When he was desired to number, he said thus, Ita, tua, tria, fyder, fyuf, seis, sevene, just as we Flemmings; for you Brabanters, who speak German-like, do highly value your selves, and laugh at us, as if we pronounced Seven more coarsely: He went on reckoning Athe, nyne, thiine, thiinita, thiinetua, thiinetria, &c. Twenty he called Stega, Thirty Treithyen, Forty Furdeithien, an Hundred Sada, a Thousand Hazer. He also sung us a Song in that Language, which began thus:
Wara wara ingdolou:
Scu te gira Galizu.
Hæmisclep dorbiza ea.
Whether these People be Goths or Saxons, I cannot tell; If Saxons, then, I suppose, they were transplanted thither in the time of Charles the Great, who dispersed that Nation into many remote Countries, as appears by the Cities of Transilvania, which to this day are inhabited by Saxons; and possibly he might transplant the rest of the Nation as far as Tauric Chersonese, where they still retain the Christian Religion, though surrounded by the Enemies of it: But if they are Goths, then I judge they chose their Inhabitants there next to the Getes, and perhaps most of that Tract of Land between the Gothick Isle and Procopia, (as now ’tis called) was heretofore inhabited by Goths. Hence we read of the Names of sundry Goths, as West-Goths, and East or Ostro-Goths, who over-ran the World with their Victory, and were the great Seminary of Multitudes of Barbarians. This is all I could hear of these Procopiensians concerning the Tauric Chersonese.
Let me now tell you something of the City and Country of Cathay, which I learned of a certain Turkish Pilgrim, who use to travel over the World on account of Religion, and to worship God on high Mountains and desert Places. He had travelled over a great part of the East-Country, where he was acquainted with the Portuguese; but, having a desire to visit Cathay also, he joined himself to some Merchants, who in great Numbers used to travel to this Country. ’Tis a Journey that not many will undertake, it being so dangerous, and the way thither so full of strange Nations, who use to plunder Travellers in their passage. When he left Persia behind him, he came to Samarchand, to Borchar, and to Taschan, and other Towns inhabited by the Successors of Tamerlane. When he had passed by these Places there were large Desarts, and some Countries inhabited by wild, and others by a more civilized People; yet the Country was generally poor, so that they were forced to carry their Victuals along with them on a drove of Camels: This Company they call Caravans. After some Month’s Travel they came to the Streights, entring into Cathay, (for you must know, that a great part of that Country is Mediterranean, and encompassed by such huge Mountains and Rocks, that it is accessible but in a very few Passages, where their King hath his Guards and Garrisons). When the Merchants come thither, they are asked what they bring? Whence they came? and how many they are? When the Guard is informed of the Truth, they make a Smoak by day, or else kindle a Beacon by night, which gives warning to the next Beacon, and so from one to another, till they come to Cathay. This Advice cost them but some Hours, which otherwise would take up many Days, the way is so long. When News is brought to the King, he sends backward by the same way of Conveyance what his Pleasure is, whether they shall all be admitted to enter, or only some, the rest being either excluded, or made to stay longer. When they are admitted, they are guarded all along to their several Inns or Lodging-places, where they may have all things for their Money, till they come to the King himself. Here every one brings forth his respective Ware, and offers it the King, whose Privilege it is, to buy what Ware he pleaseth in the first Place; and then they sell the rest to the best Chapman. This they must do within certain limits of Time, and then they must return; for the Carthayans cannot endure that Strangers should live long amongst them, for fear they should infect their Country-Manners. Thus the Merchants are dismissed in a very friendly Manner, and return by the same Stages they went.
This Traveller told me, that they were a very wise People, and lived in good Order and Government, having a distinct Religion of their own, differing from the Christian, Jewish or Mahometan; but nearest to the Jewish, except their Ceremonies.
Printing hath been in use among them for many Ages, as appears by their several printed Books: For Paper, they use the Cases of Silk-worms; it is so thin that it will bear Printing on one side only, the other is blank. In this City, he said, there were a great many Shops full of Musk, which was the fresh foame of a certain Beast as big as a Kid. A Lion is highly prized amongst them; there are none of them in that Country, and therefore they value it at a great Rate, and will pay well for it. This is what I could learn of this Wanderer concerning Cathay; believe it as you please. I asked him further, whether he had brought back any rare Root, Fruit or Stone, out of that Country? He told me, he had brought nothing but a little Root for his own Use, which he bit and eat a little of, when he was faint or cold, and it would presently warm and relieve him; and thereupon he gave me a piece of it, telling me I must use it very sparingly: I desired Dr. Williams, my Physician, then alive, to taste of it, who, by its biting and inflaming the Mouth, judged it to be a root of the Wolfleaf-tree.
Let me now tell you another wondrous Story of another wandering Turkish Monk. He wore a Cap and white Cloak down to his Heels, with long Hair, such as Painters draw the Apostles with. He had a promising Countenance, but was a meer Impostor; and, yet the Turks admired him as a miraculous Man. My Interpreters were persuaded to bring him to me, that I might see him. He dined with me soberly and modesty enough; afterwards he goes down into the Yard, and upon his return, he takes up a huge Stone, and struck with it divers times upon his naked Breast, as many Blows as would have felled an Ox: Then he took a piece of Iron, that was heated in the Fire on purpose, and thrust it into his Mouth, where he stirred it up and down so that his Spittle hiss’d again; ’twas a long piece of Iron, thick and quadrangular in that part which he thrust into his Mouth, and it was red-hot as a live Coal: Then he put the Iron into the Fire again, and after I had made him a Present, he saluted me and departed. My Domesticks wonder’d at the Trick, all but one, who pretended he knew more than all the rest; Oh, says he, he is a meer Cheat; and thereupon he takes hold of the stronger part of the Iron, pretending he could do as much as the Juggler. He had no sooner grasped it in his Hands, than he threw it away, and his Fingers were well burnt for his Audaciousness, so that they were many days a curing. This Accident caused his Fellows to laugh, and jearingly to ask, whether the Iron were hot enough yet, and whether he would touch it again or not?
The same Turk, while he was at Dinner, told me, that the Prior of their Monastery was a Man famous for Sanctity and Miracles, for he would spread his Cloak over a Lake near adjoining, and sitting on it, would row up and down whither he pleased: And that he would strip himself naked, and be tied to a Sheep newly kill’d, tying Arms to Arms, and Leg to Leg, and so would be thrown into the hot Oven till the Sheep were bak’d fit to be eaten, then he himself would be taken out without any harm at all: You will not believe this; neither do I, only I relate what he told me; but that part concerning the red-hot Iron I saw with my own Eyes.