This means that if a captive is to be sold his kinsmen have a right before all others to redeem him.
Schariat, the name of the Turkish court of justice, stands in the original.
Although me Armenians became Christians in the fourth century, they still retain many heathen customs which have lost all their original significance. They still sacrifice sheep and cows which have on the previous evening been given some salt consecrated by the priests. The meat is cooked in immense kettles and carried around to the houses. The shepherd speaks of soup of this kind.
Maratuk is a monastery built on a mountain of the same name.