'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎129] (170/1024)

Chap. XII. Monfieur Tavernier,
CHAP. XII.
Oj the Ceremonies and Cujioms of the People of Coinania and
Circaflia.
Principal of all the Feafis which thcComouchs and Sberkff or Cir\ajfi-
ans make, is that which they make at the end of Autumn, after this
manner. Three of the ancientelf of the tillage are appointed to ma-
nage it, and todifcharge themfelves of a Duty impos’d upon them in
the company of all the peoplc.Thefe three old men take a Sheep or a Goat,and having
mutter’d certain Prayers over the Bead, they cut the throat of it: after they have
died it very clean, they boil it whole, all but the Gathers, and them they road.
The Sheep being boil’d, they fet it upon a Table, and carry it into a large Barn,
where the People are appointed to meet: There the three old men ftand upright
before a Table, and all the People, Men, Women and Children behind them* When
the Table upon which the Meat ftands, is brought in, two of the three old men cut
off the Legs and the roided Gathers, and hold them up above their heads, and the
third holds up a great Cup of Bofa in the fame manner, to the end the people behind
may fee them. When the people fee the Meat and Bofa fo lifted up, they proftrate
themfelves upon the ground, and fo continue till all the reft of the Meat be fet up
on the leffer Table, and that the old men have faid fome few words. Then the two
old men that held up the Meat, cut off two little pieces, and give each of them a
piece to him that holds the Gup, which being done, they take each of them a piece
for themfelves. When they have all three eaten of the meat, the old man that holds
the Cup, drink? firft, then gives the two old men to drink, firft to him upon the
right hand, nekt to«him upon the left, never letting go the Cup all the while. This
firft Ceremony being thus accomplifh’d, the two old men turn toward the Affembly,
and go and prefent both of the Meat and the Drink, firft to their Chief or Lord, then
to all the people, who equally eat thpr (hare, both men and women. That which
remffr.s of the four feet, is carry’d back to the Table, at d the three old men eat it.
This done, they go and place themfelves at the Table, where the Mutton is fet,
where the oldeft of the three taking the Head, eats a little Mo^feU after turn, the
feconcU and next to him, the third does the fame. Then the firft old man commands
the reft to be carry’d to the Lord, who receives it with a great deal of refpedfc, and
after he has giv’n it to his next a-kin, or the Friend whom he loves beft, the Head is
gi’vn from one to another, till it be eat’n up. This being done, the three old men
begin to eat of the Mutton a bit or two, and the Lord of the Village is call’d,
who c;omcs with his Bonnet in his hand, in a trembling pofture^ to whom, one of the
old men prefenting a Knife, he cuts off a piece of Mutton, and eats* and having
drank a Gup of Bo/j, he returns to his Seat. After him, all the people, according'
to their turns in quality, do as much > and then, for the Bones the Children go to
gether by the ears among themfelves.
They have another Feaft before they begin to Mow their Meadows *, at which
time all the people of the Village, that have wherewithal, take every one a Goat,
(for in their Ceremonies they efteem Goats better than SheepJ and for the poor,
they join eight Or ten together for a Goat. Let them be Goats, Sheep or Lambs,when
they are' all brought together, they cut theirThroats and then flea off the skin,leaving
fhefoUr feet and the Head in it. Then they ftretch the Skin with flicks that crofs
from one foot to the other, and fet it upon a Pole fix’d in the Earth, the top whereof
enters into the head of the Beaft, as is to be feen in the Figure of the Villager and
as many Bealls as there are kili’d, fo many Poles are planted in the midft of the Vil
lage, with every one a particular Skin upon if, to which, every one that paffes by,
makes a profound obeyfance.
f v’ry one having boil’d his Goat, brings it into the void place in the middle of
the Village, and lets it upon a great Table with the reft. There is the Lord of the
Village with his Servants, and fbmetimes the Lord of fome other Village is invited.
Now all this Victuals being upon the Table, three of the oldeft men of the Village
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