All The
People Of The Immense Dominions Who Acknowledge The Authority Of The Great
Khan, Whether Christians, Or Jews, Mahometans, Tartars, Or Pagans, Are
Bound, On This Anniversary, To Pray Solemnly To Their Gods For The Life,
Safety, Prosperity, And Health Of The Great Khan.
On the first of February, which is the commencement of the Tartar year, the
great khan, and all the
Tartars, wherever they may happen to be at the
time, observe a very solemn feast; and all of them, both men and women, are
desirous, on that occasion, to be clothed in white garments, that fortune
may be favourable to them for the remainder of the year. On this occasion,
the governors of provinces, and rulers of cities, and all who are in office
or authority, send presents to the khan, of gold, silver, pearls, and
precious stones, likewise of many white cloths of various kinds, and other
white things, and many white horses. It is the custom of those who bring
presents, if they can, to present nine times nine of every particular
article, whether it be gold, or silver, or cloths, or horses; and on this
occasion, the khan sometimes receives 100,000 horses. On this grand
festival, all the elephants belonging to the great khan, about 5000, are
brought into the great court of the palace, covered with splendid housings
of tapestry, wrought with the figures of various kinds of birds and beasts,
each of them bearing on their backs two chests filled with vessels of gold
and silver; and many camels are paraded on the same occasion, covered over,
with fine silken cloths, and loaded with other necessaries for the court.
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