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kin。〃　He　began　to　laugh　and　said；　〃Who　is　the　Kudarkin？　I　defecate　on　his　beard。〃
　No　man　among　us　knew　what　to　do　at　these　words；　but　then　the　Turk　said；　〃Bekend〃；　that　is；　〃bread〃　in　the　language　of　Chwarezm。　I　gave　him　a　few　sheets　of　bread。　He　took　them　and　said；　〃You　may　go　further。　I　take　pity　upon　you。〃
　We　came　to　the　district　of　the　army　mander　whose　name　was　Etrek　ibn…al…Qatagan。　He　pitched　Turkish　tents　for　us　and　had　us　stay　in　them。　He　himself　had　a　large　establishment；　servants　and　large　dwellings。　He　drove　in　sheep　for　us　that　we　might　slaughter　them；　and　put　horses　at　our　disposal　for　riding。　The　Turks　speak　of　him　as　their　best　horseman；　and　in　truth　I　saw　one　day；　when　he　raced　with　us　on　his　horse　and　as　a　goose　flew　over　us；　he　strung　his　bow　and　then；　guiding　his　horse　under　it；　shot　at　the　goose　and　brought　it　down。
　I　presented　to　him　a　suit　from　Merv；　a　pair　of　boots　of　red　leather；　a　coat　of　brocade；　and　five　coats　of　silk。　He　accepted　these　with　glowing　words　of　praise。　He　removed　the　brocade　coat　that　he　wore　in　order　to　don　the　garments　of　honor　I　had　just　given　him。　Then　I　saw　that　the　qurtaq　which　he　had　underneath　was　fraying　apart　and　filthy；　but　it　is　their　custom　that　no　one　shall　remove　the　garment　that　he　wears　next　to　his　body　until　it　disintegrates。　Verily　also　he　plucked　out　his　entire　beard　and　even　his　mustache；　so　that　he　looked　like　a　eunuch。　And　yet；　as　I　have　observed；　he　was　their　best　horseman。
　I　believed　that　these　fine　gifts　should　win　his　friendship　to　us；　but　such　was　not　to　be。　He　was　a　treacherous　man。
　One　day　he　sent　for　the　leaders　close　to　him；　that　is；　Tarhan；　Yanal；　and　Glyz。　Tarhan　was　the　most　influential　among　them；　he　was　crippled　and　blind　and　had　a　maimed　hand。　Then　he　said　to　them：　〃These　are　the　messengers　of　the　King　of　the　Arabs　to　the　chief　of　the　Bulgars；　and　I　should　not　let　them　pass　without　taking　counsel　with　you。〃
　Then　Tarhan　spoke：　〃This　is　a　matter　that　we　have　never　yet　seen。　Never　has　the　ambassador　of　the　Sultan　traveled　through　our　country　since　we　and　our　ancestors　have　been　here。　My　feeling　is　that　the　Sultan　is　playing　us　a　trick。　These　men　he　really　sent　to　the　Hazars　to　stir　them　up　against　us。　The　best　is　to　hew　these　ambassadors　in　twain　and　we　shall　take　all　they　have。〃
　Another　counselor　said：　〃No；　we　should　rather　take　what　they　have　and　leave　them　naked　so　that　they　may　return　thither　whence　they　came。〃
　And　another　said：　〃No；　we　have　captives　with　the　King　of　the　Hazars；　so　we　ought　to　send　these　men　to　ransom　them。〃
　They　kept　discussing　these　matters　among　themselves　for　seven　days；　while　we　were　in　a　situation　similar　to　death；　until　they　agreed　to　open　the　road　and　let　us　pass。　We　gave　to　Tarhan　as　a　garment　of　honor　two　caftans　from　Merv　and　also　pepper；　millet；　and　some　sheets　of　bread。
　And　we　traveled　forth　until　we　came　to　the　river　Bagindi。　There　we　took　our　skin　boats　which　had　been　made　from　camel　hides；　spread　them　out；　and　loaded　the　goods　from　the　Turkish　camels。　When　each　boat　was　full；　a　group　of　five；　six；　or　four　men　sat　in　them。　They　took　birchwood　branches　in　their　hands　and　used　them　like　oars　and　kept　on　rowing　while　the　water　carried　the　boat　down　and　spun　it　around。　Finally　we　got　across。　With　regard　to　the　horses　and　camels；　they　came　swimming　across。
　It　is　absolutely　necessary　when　crossing　a　river　that　first　of　all　a　group　of　warriors　with　weapons　should　be　transported　across　before　any　of　the　caravan；　in　order　that　a　vanguard　be　established　to　prevent　attack　by　Baskirs　while　the　main　body　is　crossing　the　river。
　Thus　we　crossed　the　river　Bagindi；　and　then　the　river　called　Gam；　in　the　same　way。　Then　the　Odil；　then　the　Adrn；　then　the　Wars；　then　the　Ahti；　then　the　Wbna。　All　these　are　big　rivers。
　Then　we　arrived　at　the　Pecenegs。　These　had　encamped　by　a　still　lake　like　the　sea。　They　are　dark　brown；　powerful　people　and　the　men　shave　their　beards。　They　are　poor　in　contrast　to　the　Oguz；　for　I　saw　men　among　the　Oguz　who　possessed　10；000　horses　and　100；000　sheep。　But　the　Pecenegs　are　poor；　and　we　remained　only　a　day　with　them。
　Then　we　started　out　and　came　to　the　river　Gayih。　This　is　the　largest；　widest；　swiftest　that　we　saw。　Verily　I　saw　how　a　skin　boat　overturned　in　it；　and　those　on　it　were　drowned。　Many　of　the　pany　perished　and　a　number　of　the　camels　and　horses　were　drowned。　We　crossed　the　river　with　difficulty。　Then　we　went　a　few　days　farther　on　and　crossed　the　river　Gaha；　then　the　river　Azhn；　then　the　Bagag；　then　the　Smur；　then　the　Knal；　then　the　Sub；　and　then　the　river　Kiglu。　At　length　we　arrived　in　the　land　of　the　Baskirs。
　
　The　Yakut　manuscript　contains　a　short　description　of　Ibn　Fadlan's　stay　among　the　Baskirs；　many　scholars　question　the　authenticity　of　these　passages。　The　actual　descriptions　are　unusually　vague　and　tedious；　consisting　chiefly　of　lists　of　the　chiefs　and　nobles　encountered。　Ibn　Fadlan　himself　suggests　the　Baskirs　are　not　worth　bothering　with；　an　uncharacteristic　statement　from　this　relentlessly　curious　traveler。
　
　At　length　we　left　the　land　of　the　Baskirs；　and　crossed　the　river　Germsan；　the　river　Urn；　the　river　Urm；　then　the　river　Wtig；　the　river　Nbasnh；　then　the　river　Gawsin。　Between　the　rivers　that　we　mention；　the　distance　is　a　journey　of　two；　three；　or　four　days　in　each　case。
　Then　we　came　to　the　land　of　the　Bulgars；　which　begins　at　the　shore　of　the　river　Volga。
　
　FIRST　CONTACT　WITH　THE　NORTHMEN

　I　SAW　WITH　MY　OWN　EYES　HOW　THE　NORTHMEN3　HAD　arrived　with　their　wares；　and　pitched　their　camp　along　the　Volga。　Never　did　I　see　a　people　so　gigantic：　they　are　tall　as　palm　trees；　and　florid　and　ruddy　in　plexion。　They　wear　neither　camisoles　nor　caftans；　but　the　men　among　them　wear　a　garment　of　rough　cloth；　which　is　thrown　over　one　side；　so　that　one　hand　remains　free。
　Every　Northman　carries　an　axe；　a　dagger；　and　a　sword；　and　without　these　weapons　they　are　never　seen。　Their　swords　are　broad；　with　wavy　lines；　and　of　Frankish　make。　From　the　tip　of　the　fingernails　to　the　neck；　each　man　of　them　is　tattooed　with　pictures　of　trees；　living　beings；　and　other　things。
　The　women　carry；　fastened　to　their　breast；　a　little　case　of　iron；　copper；　silver；　or　gold；　according　to　the　wealth　and　resources　of　their　husbands。　Fastened　to　the　case　they　wear　a　ring；　and　upon　that　a　dagger；　all　attached　to　their　breast。　About　their　necks　they　wear　gold　and　silver　chains。
　They　are　the　filthiest　race　that　God　ever　created。　They　do　not　wipe　themselves　after　going　to　stool；　or　wash　themselves　after　a　nocturnal　pollution；　any　more　than　if　they　were　wild　asses。
　They　e　from　their　own　country；　anchor　their　ships　in　the　Volga；　which　is　a　great　river；　and　build　large　wooden　houses　on　its　banks。　In　every　such　house　there　live　ten　or　twenty；　more　or　fewer。　Each　man　has　a　couch；　where　he　sits　with　the　beautiful　girls　he　has　for　sale。　He　is　as　likely　as　not　to　enjoy　one　of　them　while　a　friend　looks　on。　At　times　several　of　them　will　be　thus　engaged　at　the　same　moment；　each　in　full　view　of　the　others。
　Now　and　again；　a　merchant　will　resort　to　a　house　to　purchase　a　girl；　and　find　her　master　thus　embracing　her；　and　not　giving　over　until　he　has　fully　had　his　will；　in　this　there　is　thought　nothing　remarkable。
　Every　morning　a　slave　girl　es　and　brings　a　tub　of　water　and　places　it　before　her　master。　He　proceeds　to　wash　his　face　and　hands；　and　then　his　hair；　bing　it　over　the　vessel。　Thereupon　he　blows　his　nose；　and　spits　into　the　tub；　and；　leaving　no　dirt　behind；　conveys　it　all　into　this　water。　When　he　has　finished；　the　girl　carries　the　tub　to　the　man　next　to　him；　who　does　the　same。　Thus　she　continues　carrying　the　tub　from　one　to　another；　till　each　of　those　who　are　in　the　house　has　blown　his　nose　and　spit　into　the　tub；　and　washed　his　face　and　hair。
　This　is　the　normal　way　of　things　among　the　Northmen；　as　I　have　seen　with　my　own　eyes。　Yet　at　the　period　of　our　arrival　among　them；　there　was　some　discontent　among　the　giant　people；　the　nature　of　which　was　thus：
　Their　principal　chieftain；　a　man　of　the　name　Wyglif；　had　fallen　ill；　and　was　set　up　in　a　sick…tent　at　a　distance　from　the　camp；　with　bread　and　water。　No　one　approached　or　spoke　to　him；　or　visited　him　the　whole　time。　No　slaves　nurtu