by the owner, he received a violent blow from a stone which broke his leg, and as he bound it up with a piece of iron, the name he afterwards bore was given to him from the iron and from the lameness, for "Themir'" signifies iron, and "Assack", lame. At the time that the people of Constantinople were sorely besieged by the Turks, he sent his son thither with auxiliary forces, who, after routing the Turks and forcing them to raise the siege, returned victoriously to his father in the year 6909 [A.D. 1401].
The Tartars are divided into hordes, amongst which the horde of Savolha stands first in numbers and in fame; for all the other hordes are said to have derived their origin from it. The word "horde" among them signifies a concourse or multitude. But although each horde has its peculiar name, such as the horde of Savolha, Precop, Nahaisa, and many others, and all are of the Mahometan religion, yet they are highly offended if they are called Turks, and consider it a reproach, but delight in being called Besermani, a name which the Turks also are pleased to be called by. But as the regions inhabited by the Tartars are scattered far and wide in various directions, so do they differ from each other considerably in manners and mode of life. The men are of middle stature, with a broad, fat face, with eyes turned in and hollow, wearing no hair but the beard, shaving the rest of their hair; the more distinguished persons only wear their hair, which is very black, and curling down to their ears; they are strong in frame and of a daring courage, preposterously depraved in the indulgence of their passions, and feeding contentedly on the flesh of animals in whatever manner they may have been killed, except pork, from which they are obliged to abstain by law. They are so patient under the want of food and sleep, that they will sometimes endure these privations for four days together, without in the least relaxing any needful exertion. Again, when they by chance have lighted upon something to cat, they gorge themselves
