bake under ashes, cakes made of millet, barley, or Sarrazin corn, which grows spontaneously. The Poles call this bread Tatarka. Tho' some become servants to others, yet most of them choose rather to seek their food by rapine, than to earn it by any ignominious subjection. It is scarce conceivable, considering their indefatigability in war, how lazy and slothful they are in their families, where they spend their days in the most contemptible indolence. When they kill a horse, they first thrust a knife into his throat, and carefully saving the blood, they mix it with flour of millet, and make a kind of pudding, which they hold to be delicious. They afterwards cut the horse into four quarters. The master referves one only for himself, and sends the other three as presents to his friends or neighbours, who make returns in kind.
Their usual drink is water. In some parts of their country there is none, and they either have not the sense to dig pits, or they neglect it through indolence. Snow, however, in the winter, supplies the defect. Those who live more comfortably than the rest, make a kind of drink of boiled millet. It is of the consistence and colour of milk, and drank to excess will intoxicate. However, they esteem nothing comparable to mares milk, which they chiefly use when they cross desarts to make war. Being Mahometans, they abstain from wine, or drink it only by stealth; but they think the frequent use of brandy no breach of their laws.
When they find themselves indisposed, they open a vein of a horse, drink the blood hot, and fatigue themselves as much as possible, by galloping[1]. If any one is so weak that he cannot use this exercise, two of them get on horseback, and holding him each by an arm, make him ride at full speed. There are few ailments which they do not actually cure, or believe they cure, by this remedy. Without any other occasion, than to appease their hunger or thirst, when they have nothing else, they bleed their horses, and drink the blood. This likewise was the custom of the ancient Scythians. They all carry meal of millet with them when they go to war. They mix it with water; and this supports them in their painful marches, and extremely refreshes them in the great heats. Polish lords, who have been obliged to follow them, have often experienced what I say and it is upon their testimony I relate it.
Ever ready to make incursions among their neighbours, because they have no other way of supplying themselves with what they want, they are not apprehensive of being attacked in their turn. They trust to the power of the Turks for their protection.
When they are preparing for an expedition, they send their horses for some time to grass in the fields to fatten: their Kan holds council with the Galga, or general of the army: they assemble their chief Murzas: they draw up the plan of operations, or rather of the ravages to be committed. If the Kan com- mands
- ↑ Persons of credit have assured me (says M. Polignac) that when Charles XII. was at Bender, the Swedes of his retinue, having neither surgeons nor physicians to attend them in their illness, made use of this remedy, and were all cured by it.
