the maidens and women.  Near the door, on the womens side of the house, there is another image, with a cows udder, as the guardian of the women who milk the kine.  On the masters side of the door is another image, having the udder of a mare, being the tutelary deity of the men who milk the mares.  When they meet together for drinking, they, in the first place, sprinkle the master’s idol with some of the liquor, and then all the rest in their order; after which a servant goes out of the house with a cup of drink, and sprinkles thrice towards the south, making a genuflexion between each, in honour of the fire, then towards the east, in honour of the air, next towards the west, in honour of the water, and lastly, towards the north, for the dead.  When the lord takes the cup in his hand to drink, he first pours a part on the ground; and if he is to drink on horseback, he first spills a portion on the neck and mane of his horse.  After the servant has made his libations to the four quarters of the world, he returns into the house, and two other servants are ready with two other cups and salvers, to carry drink to the lord and his wife, who sit together on a bed.  When he has more than one wife, she with whom he slept the night before sits beside him that day, and all the other wives must come to her house that day to drink; and all the gifts which the lord receives that day are deposited in her chests.  Upon a bench there stands vessels of milk and other drinks, and drinking cups.

SECTION IV.

Of their Kinds of Drink, and Fashion of Drinking.

In winter they make excellent drink of rice, millet, and honey, which is clear like wine; and they have wine brought to them from distant countries.  In summer they care not for any drink except cosmos, which always stands within the door, and beside it is a minstrel with his instrument of music.  I saw no citerns, lutes, and viols, such as ours, but they have many other instruments which we have not.  When the lord begins to drink, one of his servants exclaims aloud Ha! and the minstrel begins to play.  When they make a great feast, all the guests clap their hands and dance to the music, the men before the lord, and the women before the lady of the house.  When the lord hath drank, the servant calls out as before, and the minstrel ceases; then all drink round in their turns, both men and women, and they sometimes carouse on hearing the news of a victory, to a shameful and beastly degree.  When they desire to provoke one to drink, they seize him by the ears, dragging them strongly, as if to widen his throat, clapping their hands, and dancing before him.  When they mean to do great honour to any person, one takes a full cup, having one on his right hand, and another on his left, and these three advance towards him who is to receive the cup, singing and dancing before him; but when he reaches out his hand to receive the cup, they suddenly draw back, and come forwards again in the same manner, and they thus delude him three or four times, till he seems very eager, when they give him the cup, and keep dancing, singing, and stamping with their feet, till he has finished his draught.