dust and water was frozen on their backs; and having done this repeatedly till the ice was thick and strong, they attacked the Mongals with great fury; but when the Mongals threw their darts, or shot their arrows at them, they rebounded as if they had fallen on stones, neither could their weapons in any way hurt them.  But the dogs killed some of the Tartars, and wounded many with their teeth, and finally drove them out of the country[1].

On their return home, the Mongals came into the country of Burithabeth, of which the inhabitants are pagans, and conquered the people in battle.  These people have a strange custom of eating their kindred when they die.  They have no beard, for we saw some of them going about with certain iron instruments in their hands, with which they pluck out any hairs they find on their faces[2].

[1] It is surely unnecessary to remark on this ridiculous story of the
    canine men, which no commentary could reduce to sense.—­E.

[2] These people may possibly have been the Burats.  The same practice of
    eradicating the beard is still followed by the native tribes of
    America.—­E.

SECTION XII.

How the Mongals were repulsed at the Caspian Mountains, by Men dwelling in Caves.

When Zingis sent the before-mentioned armies into the east, he marched personally into the land of the Kergis[1], which, however, he did not now conquer.  In this expedition the Mongals are said to have penetrated to the Caspian mountains, which being of adamant, attracted their arrows and other weapons of iron[2].

[1] The Kirguses, inhabiting Western Turkestan, between Lake Balkash and
    the Caspian.—­E.

[2] The remainder of this short section is so ridiculously fabulous as not
    to merit translation, and is therefore omitted.—­E.

SECTION XIII.

Of the death of Zingis, and concerning his Sons, and the Tartar Dukes or Princes.

Zingis is said to have been killed by lightning.  He had four sons, the first was called Occoday, or Oktai, the second Thosut, Tuzi, or Tuschi, the third Thiaday, or Zagathai, and the name of the fourth I could not learn.  From these four all the dukes of the Mongals are descended[1].  Cuyne, or Kajuk, the eldest son of Occoday, or Oktai, is now emperor; and he has two brothers Cocten, and Chyrinen.  Bathy, or Baatu, Ordu, Siba, and Boru are the sons of Thosut-khan.  Baatu is richer and mightier than all the rest, being next in power to the emperor; but Ordu is the superior of all the dukes.  The sons of Thiaday are Hurin and Cadan.  The sons of the son of Zingis whose name I could not learn, are Mengu, Bithat, and several others.  The mother of Mengu was Seroctan, the greatest lady among the Tartars, and the most honoured except the emperor’s mother, and more powerful than any subject except