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ishes　to　put　a　spell　on　us；　for　he　is　immersing　himself　in　water；〃　and　they　pel　him　to　pay　a　fine。
　None　of　the　Muhammadans　can　enter　Turkish　country　until　one　of　the　Oguz　agrees　to　bee　his　host；　with　whom　he　stays　and　for　whom　he　brings　garments　from　the　land　of　Islam；　and　for　his　wife　some　pepper；　millet；　raisins；　and　nuts。　When　the　Muslim　es　to　his　host；　the　latter　pitches　a　tent　for　him　and　brings　him　sheep；　so　that　the　Muslim　may　himself　slaughter　the　sheep。　The　Turks　never　slaughter；　they　beat　the　sheep　on　the　head　until　it　is　dead。
　Oguz　women　never　veil　themselves　in　the　presence　of　their　own　men　or　others。　Nor　does　the　woman　cover　any　of　her　bodily　parts　in　the　presence　of　any　person。　One　day　we　stopped　off　with　a　Turk　and　were　seated　in　his　tent。　The　man's　wife　was　present。　As　we　conversed；　the　woman　uncovered　her　pudendum　and　scratched　it；　and　we　saw　her　doing　so。　We　veiled　our　faces　and　said；　〃I　beg　God's　pardon。〃　At　this　her　husband　laughed　and　said　to　the　interpreter；　〃Tell　them　we　uncover　it　in　your　presence　so　that　you　may　see　it　and　be　abashed；　but　it　is　not　to　be　attained。　This　is　better　than　when　you　cover　it　up　and　yet　it　is　attainable。〃
　Adultery　is　unknown　among　them。　Whomsoever　they　find　to　be　an　adulterer；　they　tear　him　in　two。　This　es　about　so：　they　bring　together　the　branches　of　two　trees；　tie　him　to　the　branches；　and　then　let　both　trees　go　so　the　man　who　was　tied　to　the　trees　is　torn　in　two。
　The　custom　of　pederasty　is　counted　by　the　Turks　a　terrible　sin。　There　once　came　a　merchant　to　stay　with　the　clan　of　the　Kudarkin。　This　merchant　stayed　with　his　host　for　a　time　to　buy　sheep。　Now；　the　host　had　a　beardless　son；　and　the　guest　sought　unceasingly　to　lead　him　astray　until　he　got　the　boy　to　consent　to　his　will。　In　the　meantime；　the　Turkish　host　entered　and　caught　them　in　flagrante　delicto。
　The　Turks　wished　to　kill　the　merchant　and　also　the　son　for　this　offense。　But　after　much　pleading　the　merchant　was　permitted　to　ransom　himself。　He　paid　his　host　with　four　hundred　sheep　for　what　he　had　done　to　his　son；　and　then　the　merchant　hastily　departed　from　the　land　of　the　Turks。
　All　the　Turks　pluck　their　beards　with　the　exception　of　their　mustaches。
　Their　marriage　customs　are　as　follows：　one　of　them　asks　for　the　hand　of　a　female　member　of　another's　family；　against　such　and　such　a　marriage　price。　The　marriage　price　often　consists　of　camels；　pack　animals；　and　other　things。　No　one　can　take　a　wife　until　he　has　fulfilled　the　obligation；　on　which　he　has　e　to　an　understanding　with　the　men　of　the　family。　If；　however；　he　has　met　it；　then　he　es　without　any　ado；　enters　the　abode　where　she　is；　takes　her　in　the　presence　of　her　father；　mother；　and　brothers；　and　they　do　not　prevent　him。
　If　a　man　dies　who　has　a　wife　and　children；　then　the　eldest　of　his　sons　takes　her　to　wife　if　she　is　not　his　mother。
　If　one　of　the　Turks　bees　sick　and　has　slaves；　they　look　after　him　and　no　one　of　his　family　es　near　him。　A　tent　is　pitched　for　him　apart　from　the　houses　and　he　does　not　depart　from　it　until　he　dies　or　gets　well。　If；　however；　he　is　a　slave　or　a　poor　man；　they　leave　him　in　the　desert　and　go　on　their　way。
　When　one　of　their　prominent　men　dies；　they　dig　for　him　a　great　pit　in　the　form　of　a　house　and　they　go　to　him；　dress　him　in　a　qurtaq　with　his　belt　and　bow；　and　put　a　drinking　cup　of　wood　with　intoxicating　drink　in　his　hand。　They　take　his　entire　possessions　and　put　them　in　this　house。　Then　they　set　him　down　in　it　also。　Then　they　build　another　house　over　him　and　make　a　kind　of　cupola　out　of　mud。
　Then　they　kill　his　horses。　They　kill　one　or　two　hundred；　as　many　as　he　has；　at　the　site　of　the　grave。　Then　they　eat　the　flesh　down　to　the　head；　the　hooves；　the　hide；　and　the　tail；　for　they　hang　these　up　on　wooden　poles　and　say；　〃These　are　his　steeds　on　which　he　rides　to　Paradise。〃
　If　he　has　been　a　hero　and　slain　enemies；　they　carve　wooden　statues　in　the　number　of　those　whom　he　has　slain；　place　them　upon　his　grave；　and　say；　〃These　are　his　pages　who　serve　him　in　Paradise。〃
　Sometimes　they　delay　killing　the　horses　for　a　day　or　two；　and　then　an　old　man　from　among　their　elderly　ones　stirs　them　up　by　saying；　〃I　have　seen　the　dead　man　in　my　sleep　and　he　said　to　me：　'Here　thou　seest　me。　My　rades　have　overtaken　me　and　my　feet　were　too　weak　to　follow　them。　I　cannot　overtake　them　and　so　have　remained　alone。'　〃　In　this　case；　the　people　slaughter　his　steeds　and　hang　them　up　on　his　grave。　After　a　day　or　two；　the　same　elder　es　to　them　and　says；　〃I　have　seen　the　dead　man　in　a　dream　and　he　said：　'Inform　my　family　that　I　have　recovered　from　my　plight。'　〃
　In　this　way　the　old　man　preserves　the　ways　of　the　Oguz；　for　there　might　otherwise　be　a　desire　for　the　living　to　retain　the　horses　of　the　dead。　2
　At　length　we　traveled　on　in　the　Turkish　kingdom。　One　morning　one　of　the　Turks　met　us。　He　was　ugly　in　figure；　dirty　in　appearance；　despicable　in　manner；　and　base　in　nature。　He　said：　〃Halt。〃　The　whole　caravan　halted　in　obedience　to　his　mand。　Then　he　said；　〃No　single　one　of　you　may　proceed。〃　We　said　to　him；　〃We　are　friends　of　the　Kudarkin。〃　He　began　to　laugh　and　said；　〃Who　is　the　Kudarkin？　I　defecate　on　his　beard。〃
　No　man　among　us　knew　what　to　do　at　these　words；　but　then　the　Turk　said；　〃Bekend〃；　that　is；　〃bread〃　in　the　language　of　Chwarezm。　I　gave　him　a　few　sheets　of　bread。　He　took　them　and　said；　〃You　may　go　further。　I　take　pity　upon　you。〃
　We　came　to　the　district　of　the　army　mander　whose　name　was　Etrek　ibn…al…Qatagan。　He　pitched　Turkish　tents　for　us　and　had　us　stay　in　them。　He　himself　had　a　large　establishment；　servants　and　large　dwellings。　He　drove　in　sheep　for　us　that　we　might　slaughter　them；　and　put　horses　at　our　disposal　for　riding。　The　Turks　speak　of　him　as　their　best　horseman；　and　in　truth　I　saw　one　day；　when　he　raced　with　us　on　his　horse　and　as　a　goose　flew　over　us；　he　strung　his　bow　and　then；　guiding　his　horse　under　it；　shot　at　the　goose　and　brought　it　down。
　I　presented　to　him　a　suit　from　Merv；　a　pair　of　boots　of　red　leather；　a　coat　of　brocade；　and　five　coats　of　silk。　He　accepted　these　with　glowing　words　of　praise。　He　removed　the　brocade　coat　that　he　wore　in　order　to　don　the　garments　of　honor　I　had　just　given　him。　Then　I　saw　that　the　qurtaq　which　he　had　underneath　was　fraying　apart　and　filthy；　but　it　is　their　custom　that　no　one　shall　remove　the　garment　that　he　wears　next　to　his　body　until　it　disintegrates。　Verily　also　he　plucked　out　his　entire　beard　and　even　his　mustache；　so　that　he　looked　like　a　eunuch。　And　yet；　as　I　have　observed；　he　was　their　best　horseman。
　I　believed　that　these　fine　gifts　should　win　his　friendship　to　us；　but　such　was　not　to　be。　He　was　a　treacherous　man。
　One　day　he　sent　for　the　leaders　close　to　him；　that　is；　Tarhan；　Yanal；　and　Glyz。　Tarhan　was　the　most　influential　among　them；　he　was　crippled　and　blind　and　had　a　maimed　hand。　Then　he　said　to　them：　〃These　are　the　messengers　of　the　King　of　the　Arabs　to　the　chief　of　the　Bulgars；　and　I　should　not　let　them　pass　without　taking　counsel　with　you。〃
　Then　Tarhan　spoke：　〃This　is　a　matter　that　we　have　never　yet　seen。　Never　has　the　ambassador　of　the　Sultan　traveled　through　our　country　since　we　and　our　ancestors　have　been　here。　My　feeling　is　that　the　Sultan　is　playing　us　a　trick。　These　men　he　really　sent　to　the　Hazars　to　stir　them　up　against　us。　The　best　is　to　hew　these　ambassadors　in　twain　and　we　shall　take　all　they　have。〃
　Another　counselor　said：　〃No；　we　should　rather　take　what　they　have　and　leave　them　naked　so　that　they　may　return　thither　whence　they　came。〃
　And　another　said：　〃No；　we　have　captives　with　the　King　of　the　Hazars；　so　we　ought　to　send　these　men　to　ransom　them。〃
　They　kept　discussing　these　matters　among　themselves　for　seven　days；　while　we　were　in　a　situation　similar　to　death；　until　they　agreed　to　open　the　road　and　let　us　pass。　We　gave　to　Tarhan　as　a　garment　of　honor　two　caftans　from　Merv　and　also　pepper；　millet；　and　some　sheets　of　bread。
　And　we　traveled　forth　until　we　came　to　the　river　Bagindi。　There　we　took　our　skin　boats　which　had　been　made　from　camel　hides；　spread　them　out；　and　loaded　the　goods　from　the　Turkish　camels。　When　each　boat　was　full；　a　group　of　five；　six；　or　four　men　sat　in　them。　They　took　birchwood　branches　in　their　hands　and　used　them　like　oars　and　kept　on　rowing　while　the　water　carried　the　boat　down　and　spun　it　around。　Finally　we　got　across。　With　regard　to　the　horses　and　camels；　they　came　swimming　across。
　It　is　absolutely　necessary　when　crossing　a　river　that　first　of　all　a　group　of　warriors　with　weapons　should　be　transported　across　before　any　of　the　caravan；　in　order　that　a　vanguard　be　established　to　prevent　attack　by　Baskirs　while　the　main　body　is　crossing　the　river。
　Thus　we　crossed　the　river　Bagindi；　and　then　the　river　called　Gam；　in　the　same　way。　Then　the　Odil；　then　the　Adrn；　then　the　Wars；　then　the　Ahti；　then　the　Wbna。　All　these　are　big　rivers。
　Then　we　arrived　at　the　Pecenegs。　These　had　encamped　by　a　still　lake　like　the　sea。　They　are　dark　brown；　powerful　people　and　the　men　shave　their　beards。　They　are　poor　in　contrast　to　the　Oguz；　for　I　saw　men　among　the　Oguz　who　possessed　10；000　horses　and　100；000　sheep。　But　the　Pecenegs　are　poor；　and　we　remained　only　a　day　with　them。
　Then　we　started　out　and　came　to　the　river　Gayih。