als are found
that produce musk.

The mountains of Nisbor, which are situated near the river Gozan, are about
twenty-eight days journey from Thibet; and some of the Jews in Persia
affirm, that the four tribes of Israel, carried away in the first captivity
by Salmanazar, still inhabit the cities of Nisbor. Their country extends
twenty days journey in length, all full of mountains, and having the river
Gozan running on one side, with many inhabited cities, towns, and castles;
and the inhabitants are entirely free, being governed by Joseph Amrael, a
Levite, and among them are many disciples of the wise men. They sow and
reap, and are at war with the children of Chus, who dwell in the
deserts[16]. These Jews are in league with the Copheral Turks, a people who
dwell in the deserts, and eat no bread, neither do they drink any wine, but
feed on the raw or dried flesh of beasts, clean or unclean, devouring them
newly killed, while yet trembling with the warm life-blood, and uncooked;
yea, even feed on the limbs torn from beasts yet alive. This last people
seem to want noses, having only as it were two holes in their faces through
which they breathe[17].

These Copheral Turks invaded Persia about fifteen years ago, about 1145,
with a great army, and destroyed the metropolitan city of Rei[18], and
carried off vast spoil into the desert. Enraged at this insult, the king of
Persia endeavoured to pursue them with a powerful army, that he might
extirpate these destroyers from the earth, and procured a guide who
undertook to conduct him to their dwellings, and recommended to him to take
bread and water for fifteen days along with the army, as it would occupy
that time to pass the deserts. After marching these fifteen days, the army
was without subsistence for man and beast, and no signs could be perceived
of any habitation of mankind. On being interrogated, the guide pretended to
have lost his way, and was put to death as a traitor. After marching for
thirteen days more, in prodigious distress, during which they had to eat up
all the beasts that carried their baggage, they arrived at the mountains of
Nisbor, inhabited by the Jews, and incamped among gardens and orchards,
watered by canals drawn from the river Gozan; and being then the season of
ripe fruits, they eat what they pleased, no one appearing to oppose them.
At a distance among the mountains, they observed some hamlets and forts,
and two scouts were sent to discover what mann