The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 564 (Color Image)

0564	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

262

MARCO POLO BOOK I.

drinking till they have had enough, and then staunching

it.'

•

They also have milk dried into a kind of paste to

in water, and beat it up till it dissolves, and then drink

it. [It is prepared in this way ; they boil the milk, and

when the rich part floats on the top they skim it into

another vessel, and of that they make butter ; for the

milk will not become solid till this is removed. Then

they put the milk in the sun to dry. And when they

go on an expedition, every man takes some ten pounds

of this dried milk with him. And of a morning he will

take a half pound of it and put it in his leather bottle,

with as much water as he pleases. So, as he rides along,

the milk-paste and the water in the bottle get well

churned together into a kind of pap, and that makes his

dinner.1

When they come to an engagement with the enemy,

they will gain the victory in this fashion. [They never

let themselves get into a regular medley, but keep per-

petually riding round and shooting into the enemy.

And] as they do not count it any shame to run away in

battle, they will [sometimes pretend to] do so, and in

running away they turn in the saddle and shoot hard and

strong at the foe, and in this way make great havoc.

Their horses are trained so perfectly that they will double

hither and thither, just like a dog, in a way that is quite

astonishing. Thus they fight to as good purpose in

running away as if they stood and faced the enemy,

because of the vast volleys of arrows that they shoot in

this way, turning round upon their pursuers, who are

fancying that they have won the battle. But when the

Tartars see that they have killed and wounded a good

many horses and men, they wheel round bodily, and

return to the charge in perfect order and with loud cries ;

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