m. But the first wife
is ever held most in honour, and as the most legitimate [and the same
applies to the sons whom she may bear]. The husband gives a marriage
payment to his wife's mother, and the wife brings nothing to her husband.
They have more children than other people, because they have so many
wives. They may marry their cousins, and if a father dies, his son may
take any of the wives, his own mother always excepted; that is to say the
eldest son may do this, but no other. A man may also take the wife of his
own brother after the latter's death. Their weddings are celebrated with
great ado.[NOTE 5]

NOTE 1.--The word here in the G. T. is "_fennes_," which seems usually to
mean _ropes_, and in fact Pauthier's text reads: "_Il ont mesons de verges
et les cueuvrent de cordes_." Ramusio's text has _feltroni_, and both
Muller and the Latin of the S. G. have _filtro_. This is certainly the
right reading. But whether _fennes_ was ever used as a form of _feltres_
(as _pennes_ means _peltry_) I cannot discover. Perhaps some words have
dropped out. A good description of a Kirghiz hut (35 feet in diameter),
and exactly corresponding to Polo's account, will be found in _Atkinson's
Siberia_, and another in _Vambery's Travels_. How comfortable and
civilised the aspect of such a hut may be, can be seen also in Burnes's
account of a Turkoman dwelling of this kind. This description of hut or
tent is common to nearly all the nomade tribes of Central Asia. The
trellis-work forming the skeleton of the tent-walls is (at least among the
Turkomans) loosely pivoted, so as to draw out and compress like
"lazy-tongs."

[Illustration: Dressing up a tent.]

Rubruquis, Pallas, Timkowski, and others, notice the custom of turning the
door to the south; the reason is obvious. (_Atkinson_, 285; _Vamb._ 316;
_Burnes_, III. 51; _Conolly_, I. 96) But throughout the Altai, Mr. Ney
Elias informs me, K'alkas, Kirghiz, and Kalmaks all pitch their tents
facing _east_. The prevailing winter wind is there _westerly_.

[Mr. Rockhill (_Rubruck_, p. 56, note) says that he has often seen Mongol
tents facing east and south-east. He adds: "It is interesting to find it
noted in the _Chou Shu_ (Bk. 50, 3) that the Khan of the Turks, who lived
always on the Tu-kin mountains, had his tent invariably facing south, so
as to show reverence to the sun's rising place."--H. C.]

NOTE 2.--Aeschylus already knows the

"wandering Scyths who dwell