‘On the waggon is put a sort of pavilion of wands laced together with

narrow thongs
‘On the waggon is put a sort of pavilion of wands laced together with
narrow thongs. It is very light, and is covered with felt or cloth, and
has latticed windows, so that the person inside can look out without being
seen. He can change his position at pleasure, sleeping or eating, reading
or writing, during the journey.’ These waggons were sometimes of enormous
size. Rubruquis declares that he measured between the wheel-tracks of one
and found the interval to be 20 feet. The axle was like a ship”s mast, and
twenty-two oxen were yoked to the waggon, eleven abreast. (See opposite
cut.) He describes the huts as not usually taken to pieces, but carried
all standing. The waggon just mentioned carried a hut of 30 feet diameter,
for it projected beyond the wheels at least 5 feet on either side. In
fact, Carpini says explicitly, ‘Some of the huts are speedily taken to
pieces and put up again; such are packed on the beasts. Others cannot be
taken to pieces, but are carried bodily on the waggons. To carry the
smaller tents on a waggon one ox may serve; for the larger ones three oxen
or four, or even more, according to the size.’ The carts that were used to
transport the Tartar valuables were covered with felt soaked in tallow or
ewe”s milk, to make them waterproof. The tilts of these were rectangular,
in the form of a large trunk. The carts used in Kashgar, as described by
Mr. Shaw, seem to resemble these latter. (_I. B._ II. 381-382; _Rub._ 221;
_Carp._ 6, 16.)