Page:Busbecq, Travels into Turkey (1744).pdf/279

 thereof sent some of his own Family, with several Chiauxes to meet us; and among the rest, there was a Troop of young Men on Horseback, which drew our Eyes after them in respect of the Novelty of their Garb; their Heads were uncovered, and their Crowns shav'd; there was a long Line cut with a Knife, and in the Wound they stuck Feathers of several Sorts; and, though Drops of Blood distilled down from their Wounds, yet they dissembled their Pain, and rode merrily on, as if they ailed nothing at all. Just before me, there walked some Footmen; one of them had his naked Arms a-kembow, and both had a Knife, (such as we call Pragensian) run through them above the Elbow; another was naked, all the upper Parts, to his Navel, the Skin of his Loyns being so cut in two Places, both above and below, that a Club being run through them, hung down from thence as from a Girdle; another had a Horshoe nail'd to the Crown of his Head, and it was so old, that the Shoe and the Skin grew together.

this Pomp we entered Buda, and were introduced to the Bashaw, with whom, in the Presence of de Sande, I had a long Discourse concerning the Validity of the Truce I had made. In the Passage to him there stood those hardy Youngsters who were regardless of their Pain; casting my Eye upon them, the Bashaw demanded, what I thought of them? I think, said I, that they are hardy Fellows; only they do that to their Skins, which I would not do to my Cloaths, for I had rather have them whole than slash'd. Whereupon, the Bashaw laughed, and dismissed us.

Day after we came to Gran; from thence to Comara, the Frontier Garrison of the Empire, situate on the River Wage; on both sides its Banks the Garrison of the Place, with the Seamen, called