[233] Darts or javelins.
From there we went four days and came to a people called Barchkonis. These did not await our coming, but as soon as we approached their town betook themselves to flight; yet they could not escape us. We asked them for food, and they brought us hens, geese, sheep, ostriches, deer, and other necessaries, with which we were well satisfied; and we remained four days among them to learn about the country.
From there we went twelve miles in three days to a people called Zeyhannis. These had but little food, for the locusts had eaten up everything; so we remained only one night there, and then went four days’ journey, twenty miles further, to a people called Karchkonis. There also the locusts had been at work, but had not done so much harm as in other places. We only abode one day among them, and took knowledge of the country. They also told us that for a distance of thirty miles we should find no water until we came to a people called Siberis.
We then took two Indians, who showed us the way, and in six days we came to these Siberis; but many of our people died from thirst, although we took water with us, on the journey from the Karchkonis. But in this journey we found in certain places a root above ground, having great, wide leaves[234] wherein the water remains and cannot get out, nor is it consumed by them, exactly as if it were in a vase. One such root contains nearly half a measure of water.
[234] The author uses the word Wurzel here and in other places for plant. Perhaps the Traveller’s tree (Urania speciosa), with its graceful crown of plantain-like leaves, is here referred to.
So we came, at two o’clock in the night, to the aforesaid Siberis, who would at once have fled with their wives and children. But our commander caused them to be told, through an interpreter, that they should remain in peace and quiet in their houses, and that they should not fear us. These Siberis also suffered from a great scarcity of water, for they have nothing else to drink. As it had not rained for three months they were preparing a beverage out of a root called mandepore,[235] after this manner: they take the said root and pound it in a mortar, and the juice they obtain from it is like milk; but, if you have water at hand, you may also prepare wine of this root.
[235] Mandioca or Manioc.
In that place there was only one spring, where we had to station a guard in order to look after the water and to give in a report on it. And our commander saw fit to select me for this duty, that I might give out the water after the measure that he had ordered, for the dearth was so great that one would not ask for gold, or silver, or eatables, or anything else, but for water. In this way I gained favour and grace among noblemen and common folk alike, for I was not too sparing of it; at the same time I had to be careful that we did not run short. There is not to be found in all this land a running stream, but all the water is collected in cisterns. These Siberis also wage war with other Indians for the sake of water.
With this people we remained two days, not knowing what to do, whether we should advance or go back; we therefore drew lots to decide the question. Meanwhile our commander asked the Siberis about the country, and they answered that we should have to go six days to reach a people called Peijssenos, and that on our way we should find two rivulets of drinkable water, and also the aforesaid Cardes.[236]