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The Marvellous Adventures of Sir John Maundevile Kt (1895)
The Marvellous Adventures of Sir John Maundevile Kt - 1895 Author:John Mandeville Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI Of tie Desert between the Church of Saint Catherine and 'Jerusalem. Of the Dry Tree; and how Roses came first into the World J . OW, ... more »after that Men have visited those holy Places, then will they turn toward Jerusalem. And then will they take Leave of the Monks, and recommend themselves to their Prayers. And then the Monks give the Pilgrims of their Victuals to pass therewith the Deserts toward Syria. And those Deserts last well a 13 Days' Journey. In that Desert dwell many Arabians, that Men call Bedouins and Ascopards, and they be Folk full of all evil Conditions. And they have no Houses, but Tents,that they make of Skins of Beasts, as of Camels and of other Beasts that they eat; and beneath these they couch them and dwell in any Place where they may find Water, as on the Red Sea or elsewhere : for in that Desert is full great Default of Water, and often- time it befalleth that where Men find Water at one time in a Place it faileth another time ; and for that reason, they make no Habitations there. These Folk that I speak of, they till not the Land, and they labour nought; for they eat no Bread, but and if they be any that dwell nigh a good Town, that go thither and eat Bread sometimes. And they roast their Flesh and their Fish upon hot Stones against the Sun. And they be strong Men and well-fighting; and there so is much Multitude of that Folk, that they be without Number. And they neither reck of anything, nor do anything but chase after Beasts to eat them. And they reck nothing of their Lives, and therefore they fear not the Sultan, nor any other Prince; but they dare well war with them, if they do anything that is a Grievance to them. And they have often-times War with the Sultan, and, to wit, at that Time that I was with him. And they bear but ...« less