_How some Alanians visited them on the Eve of Pentecost_.
On the eve of Pentecost or Whitsunday, there came to us certain Alanians,
called there Acias or Akas, who are Christians after the Greek form, using
Greek books, and having Grecian priests, but they are not schismatics like
the Greeks as they honour all Christians without exception. These men
brought us some sodden flesh, which they offered us to eat, and requested
us to pray for one of their company who had died. But I explained to them
the solemnity of the festival, and that we could eat no flesh at this time.
They were much pleased with our exposition, as they were ignorant of every
thing relative to the Christian rites, the name of Christ alone excepted.
They and many other Christians, both Russians and Hungarians, demanded of
us if they might be saved, having been constrained to drink cosmos, and to
eat the flesh of animals that had been slain by the Saracens and other
infidels; which the Greek and Russian priests consider as things strangled
or offered to idols. They were likewise ignorant of the times of fasting,
neither could they have observed these in this region, even if they had
known their times and seasons. I then instructed them as well as I could,
and strengthened them in the faith. We reserved the flesh which they had
brought us until the feast day, for there was nothing to be bought among
the Tartars for gold and silver, but only for cloth and garments, which we
had not to dispose of. When our servants offered any of the coin which they
call yperpera [1], they rubbed it with their fingers, and smelt it, to see
whether it were copper. All the food they supplied us with was sour, and
filthy cows milk; and the water was so foul and muddy, by reason of their
numerous horses, that we could not drink it. If it had not been for the
grace of God, and the biscuit we brought with us, we had surely perished.
[1] Or hyperpyron, a coin said to be of the value of two German
dollars, or six and eightpence Sterling.--E.