and
the Jews also. The latter are good and benevolent. They know the law
of Moses and the prophets, and to a small extent the Talmud and
Halacha.

Thence it is twenty-three days by sea to Ibrig[173], and the
inhabitants are fire-worshippers, and are called Duchbin. Among them
are about 3,000 Jews, and these Duchbin have priests in their several
temples who are great wizards in all manner of witchcraft, and there
are none like them in all the earth. In front of the high place of
their temple there is a deep trench, where they keep a great fire
alight all the year, and they call it Elahutha.

[p.93]

And they cause their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, and
even their dead they throw into it. Some of the great men of the
country make a vow to die by fire. In such cases the man communicates
his intention to the members of his household and his relations, and
says:--"I have vowed to throw myself in the fire whilst I am yet
alive," then they answer, saying: "Happy art thou." And when the day
of the performance of his vow arrives, they prepare for him a grand
banquet, and if he is rich he rides on horseback, if poor he goes on
foot to the border of the trench and throws himself into the fire. And
all the members of his family shout to the accompaniment of timbrels
and dancing until the body is entirely consumed. At the end of three
days two of their high priests come to his house and to his children
and say unto them: "Arrange the house, for this day your father will
come to give his last directions as to what ye shall do." And they
bring witnesses from the city. Then Satan is made to appear in the
likeness of the deceased, and when his widow and children ask him how
he fares in the other world he answers: "I went to my companions, but
they would not receive me until I had discharged my obligations to the
members of my house and to my neighbours."

[p.94]

Then he makes his will and divides his property among his children,
and gives directions that all his creditors should be paid and that
his debts should be collected. Then the witnesses write out the will,
and he goes his way and is seen no more. And by means of this trickery
and witchcraft which these priests practise, the people are confirmed
in their errors and assert that there is none in all the land like
their priests.

Thence to cross over to the land of Zin (China) is a voyage of forty
days. Zin is in the uttermost East, and some say that there