Travels of Rabbi Petachia of Ratisbon

THESE are the travels undertaken by Rabbi Petachia, who travelled through all the countries. He set out from Prague, which is in Bohemia, going to Poland, from Poland to Kieff in Russia, and from Russia he went in six days to the river Dnieper. On the other side of the river he commenced his travels in the land of Kedar. They: have no ships, but sew together ten extended horse hides, and a thong on the border round; they then seat themselves on the hides, placing there also the waggons and all luggage. They then tie the thong, on the border of the hides, to the tails of the horses, which swim, and thus they pass over the water. They eat no bread in the land of Kedar, but rice and millet boiled in milk, as well as milk and cheese. They also put pieces of flesh under the saddle of a horse, which they ride, and, urging on the animal, cause it to sweat. The flesh getting warm, they eat it. They only travel in the land of Kedar under escort. This is the manner in which the sons of Kedar pledge their faith to. each other. One thrusts a needle into his finger, and invites the intended companion of his journey to swallow the blood of the wounded finger. He then becomes, with the person, as it were the same blood and flesh. There is also another mode of taking an oath. They fill a vessel of cast copper of the shape of a human face, then the traveller and his escorter drink thereout, after which he never proves faithless to him. They have no king, but only princes and (noble) families.