and they read to themselves, keeping profound
silence: Insomuch, that when I went into the temple, and endeavoured all I
could to provoke them to speak, I could not succeed. Wherever they go, they
carry a string with an hundred or two hundred nut-shells, like our
rosaries, and they are continually uttering the words, _Ou mam Hactani_,
which was explained to me as signifying, _O God! thou knowest_. And as
often as they pronounce these words in remembrance of God, they expect a
proportional reward[1]. Round the temple, there is always a handsome court,
environed by a high wall, on the south side of which is a large portal, in
which they sit to confer together; and over this portal they erect a long
pole, rising if possible above the whole city, that every one may know
where to find the temple. These things are common to all the idolaters.

On going to visit this temple, I found the priests sitting under the outer
portal; and those whom I saw, appeared, by their shaven beards, like French
friars. They wore conical caps of paper on their heads; and all the priests
of the Jugurs wear this cap continually, and yellow strait tunics fastened
down the middle like those in France; besides which, they wear a cloak on
their left shoulder, flowing loosely before and behind, but leaving the
right arm free, somewhat like a deacon carrying the pix in Lent. Their mode
of writing is adopted by the Tartars. They begin to write at the top of the
page, and extend their lines downwards, reading and writing from left to
right. They make great use of written papers in their magical incantations,
and their temples are hung round with short written sentences. The letters
sent by Mangu-khan to your majesty, are written in these characters, and in
the language of the Moal. These people burn their dead in the manner of the
ancients, and deposit the ashes on the top of certain pyramids. After
sitting for some time beside these priests, and having entered their temple
to look at their many images, some large and others small, I asked what was
their belief concerning God? To which they answered, that they believed in
one God only. On asking them whether he was a spirit or of a corporeal
nature, they said he was a spirit. Being asked if God had ever assumed the
human mature, they answered never. Since, then, said I, you believe God to
be a spirit, wherefore do yow make so many images of him; and as you
believe that he never took upon him the human form,