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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/marcopolohistravOOtowl 
 
Heroes of History. 
 
 fa sco da gama: 
 His Voyages and Adventures. 
 
 ii. 
 
 PlZARRO: 
 HIS ADVENTURES AND CONQUESTS. 
 
 III. 
 
 magellan: 
 Or, the First Vo ya ge Ro und the World. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Marco Polo.- 
 His Tra vels and Adventures. 
 
 Others in Preparation. 
 
 LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers 
 BOSTON. 
 
v >. 
 
Marco Studying the Charts. Page 27. 
 
Young Folks Heroes of History. 
 
 MARCO POLO 
 
 HIS TRAVELS 
 
 ADVENTURES 
 
 GEORGE MAKEPEACE TOWLE '» 
 
 Author of " Vasco da Gama," " Pizarro," " Magellan," etc. 
 
 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM. 
 
 1880. 
 
■Mr 
 
 Copyright, 1880, 
 By LEE & SHEPARD. 
 
 All Rights Reserved. 
 
 3ffZ# 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 -003- 
 
 |HE reader is carried back, in .the present 
 volume, to a period two centuries previous to 
 the discovery of the route to India by Vasco 
 da Gama, and to the conquest of Peru by Pizarro. A 
 young Venetian of the thirteenth century, brought up 
 amid luxury and wealth, of a bold spirit and a curious 
 mind, went forth from his home in the beautiful Queen 
 City of the Adriatic, and for many years lived among 
 a far-off Asiatic people, and at a court of barbaric and 
 yet splendid pomp. 
 
 He made many far and dangerous journeyings in the 
 wild distant lands and among the fierce tribes of Cathay, 
 Thibet, India, and Abyssinia. His life was passed 
 amid an almost incessant succession of exciting events, 
 of strange adventures, and of hair-breadth escapes. 
 He rose to high distinction and power at the Tartar 
 court of the mighty Kublai Khan, one of the most 
 famous conquerors and potentates who ever, in either 
 
 iii 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 ancient or modern times, have led legions to devas- 
 tating wars, or have ruled teeming millions with des- 
 potic sway. 
 
 Nor did his career of valor and stirring action end 
 with his return, middle-aged and laden with riches, to 
 his native Venice. He engaged in the bitter warfare 
 between the two rival republics of the sea, Venice 
 and Genoa ; became a prisoner of the latter state ; 
 and while in prison, dictated the wondrous narrative 
 of his adventures which still survives, a precious legacy 
 left by this great traveller to later generations. 
 
 I have attempted to transform the somewhat dry 
 and monotonous translation of this narrative into an 
 entertaining story, that may engage the attention and 
 the interest of my young readers ; for which it cer- 
 tainly presents ample opportunities. If the task is 
 properly done, no one can fail to follow Marco Polo 
 from his Venetian home, across the entire continent 
 of Asia to the court of Kublai Khan, and in his various 
 adventures and journeys while in the far-off Orient, 
 without eager curiosity and ever-deepening interest. 
 The central figure of the story is heroic, for Marco 
 Polo was in all things manly, brave, persevering, in- 
 telligent, and chivalrous ; and the scenes and incidents 
 in which he was the leading actor were in the highest 
 degree thrilling and dramatic. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 -<UK- 
 
 CHAPTER I. page 
 
 The Return of the Wanderers. i 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Marco Polo's Youth 18 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Marco Polo Sets Forth 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Marco Polo's Travels in Persia and Turkistan. . . 45 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Marco Polo Reaches Cathay. 61 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The Imperial Hunting Grounds 78 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Court of the Great Khan 93 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Marco Polo among the Tartars 109 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Marco Polo's Travels in Cathay. 124 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Marco Polo's Return . 139 
 
 V 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Marco Polo in the Eastern Seas. 155 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Marco Polo among the Hindoos 170 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Marco Polo in Africa. . . . . , , , .185 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Homeward Bound. . . . - . . , . . . 200 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 A Strange Welcome i . . 216 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Marco Polo Goes to the Wars. -. . , . . 232 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Marco Polo a Prisoner. ^ , 248 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Last Days of Marco Polo. . . . . . . . 263 
 
MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 
 
 |EAUTIFUL as Venice now is, in the 
 days of its stagnation and decay, it was a 
 yet more beautiful city seven centuries 
 ago. Then its quays and Grand Canal were 
 crowded with the ships of every nation; its 
 bazaars and marts were bustling with active trade, 
 and were picturesque in the mingling of the gay 
 and brilliant costumes of the East, with the more 
 sober attire of the European peoples ; its noble 
 and lofty palaces, not yet, as we now see them, 
 hoary and dilapidated, rose in fresh splendor 
 from the verge of its watery and winding streets ; 
 the dome of St. Mark's shone with new gilding, 
 
2 MARCO POLO. 
 
 and its walls with recent frescoing; the Piazza 
 was nightly crowded with throngs of gallant nobles 
 and cavaliers, long-bearded, prosperous merchants, 
 and bevies of fair dames, whose black veils swept 
 from their fair foreheads to their dainty feet. 
 Venice was not only a queen among commercial 
 cities, but a great warlike power ; with brave and 
 well-disciplined armies, hardy captains, formid- 
 able fleets, and proud strongholds, where, on 
 either shore of the sparkling Adriatic, she held 
 her own valiantly, against Turk, Austrian, and 
 Genoese. 
 
 Mighty princes soughtthe hands of the daugh- 
 ters of Venice in marriage ; the Doges who ruled 
 over the stately city were greeted by Emperors 
 and Kings as their brothers and equals ; the con- 
 quests of Venice reached to Asia and to Africa ; 
 her ships rode the purple waters of the Mediter- 
 ranean in haughty defiance of the galleys of her 
 rivals. Around the patriarchal Doges was gathered 
 a gorgeous court. There were festal days when 
 the Grand Canal, bordered by palaces on either 
 side, was crowded thick with gilded and canopied 
 barges, and interminable lines of gondolas, each 
 gay craft filled with richly attired cavaliers and 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 3 
 
 dames, on whom jewels sparkled, and above whom 
 rose many-colored banners that announced their 
 rank and station; while, after night-fall, the air 
 was alive with the most dazzling fire-works, which 
 fairly hid moon, stars, and the heaven's canopy 
 from view. 
 
 It is in Venice, at this period of her greatness 
 and glory, that our story opens. 
 
 A mellow, hazy autumn day was drawing to 
 its close. The sky was lit with that soft, rich, 
 yellow sunset glow, which has always been re- 
 marked as one of the loveliest sights to be seen 
 at Venice ; the last rays of the sun glittered 
 upon the gilded dome of Saint Mark's ; the 
 broad square before the ancient cathedral was 
 beginning to fill with its evening multitude of 
 cavaliers and coquettes. In the Grand Canal, and 
 the glassy lagoon beyond, the gondoliers lazily 
 plied their long oars, or rested their gondolas on 
 the still waters. It was an hour in which what- 
 ever there was of activity and bustle in Venice, 
 became indolent and tranquil ; when men and 
 women sought their ease under a sky which com- 
 pelled serenity and reverie. In the bazaars, on 
 the Rialto, and the Piazza, the stalls were laden 
 
4 MARCO POLO. 
 
 with bunches of large and luscious grapes, with 
 figs of many colors, so ripe that the gummy juice 
 oozed from them, and with pomegranates, upon 
 whose cheeks glowed the rich red bloom which 
 betrayed their full ripeness ; and there was scarcely 
 to be seen a Venetian of the lower class, who was 
 not munching some of the succulent fruit which 
 his climate produced in such cheap and varied 
 abundance. 
 
 Not far from the centre of the beautiful city, 
 on one of the many canals which serve it instead 
 of streets, stood a lofty mansion, which, at one's 
 first approach, seemed two. Three stories in 
 height, it towered above many of the surround- 
 ing -buildings ; and between its two wings stood 
 an archway, richly decorated with scrolls and 
 figures of animals, surmounted by an ornate cross ; 
 while, above the archway, rose a tall square tower. 
 Entering the archway, you would have found 
 yourself in a spacious, paved court-yard, which the 
 house, quadrangular in shape, completely en- 
 closed. The inner walls were adorned, like the 
 archway, with sculptured devices, among which 
 you might have observed a coat-of-arms, compris- 
 ing a shield, with a wide bar running across it, 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 5 
 
 upon which were graven three birds. The whole 
 mansion was stately and imposing, and betokened 
 that its possessors were at once rich and of high 
 rank. 
 
 On the late afternoon which has been described, 
 an unusual bustle was going on in and near this 
 house. It was full of gayly-dressed people, old 
 and young, all of whom were evidently in a state 
 of excitement. Servants hurried to and fro in 
 the corridors ; in the pretty balconies which were 
 built at the windows facing the canal of San 
 Giovanni Crisostomo, were gathered groups of 
 cavaliers and ladies, who were leaning over and 
 peering eagerly out to the end of the watery 
 thoroughfare, as if they were anxiously expecting 
 an arrival. 
 
 In the main hall of the mansion, a vast apart- 
 ment, approached from the court-yard by a broad 
 flight of stone steps, and entered by a high and 
 richly-sculptured portal — stood a knot of persons 
 who seemed even more excited than the rest. 
 One was a tall and dignified man, clad in a long 
 blue cloak, his head covered by a slashed blue and 
 white cap, from which rose an ostrich feather. 
 He wore a long, brown beard, just streaked with 
 
O MARCO POLO. 
 
 gray; his dark face was flushed, and every mo- 
 ment he approached the door, and questioned the 
 servants posted in the court-yard. On either side 
 of him stood two youths, one fifteen and the 
 other thirteen, both very richly attired, and both 
 the very pictures of boyish freshness and beauty. 
 The elder was tall for his age, and his form 
 was straight, graceful, and well-knit. A pair of 
 bright gray eyes, a nose rather longer than me- 
 dium, full red lips, and a handsome round chin, 
 comprised his features , the expression of his face 
 was at once energetic and pleasing ; his move- 
 ments were quick and nervous ; and every now 
 and then he turned to the cavalier beside him, 
 and talked rapidly in a strong, musical voice. The 
 younger boy, while he closely resembled his 
 brother, was of more gentle mould and manners. 
 The one seemed made to be a warrior, to play an 
 active, perhaps a heroic part, in the struggling 
 world. The other appeared born to be a courtier, 
 to shine in the society of elegant women, to be 
 rather a favorite of the polite world, than a man 
 of deeds. While the younger clung to the cava- 
 liei's arm with sort of air of dependence, the elder 
 bore himself erect, as if quite able to take care 
 of himself. 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 7 
 
 All at once loud and joyous cries were heard 
 from the balconies in front of the house; and 
 presently down rushed their occupants into the 
 hall, whither all the others who were in the house 
 flocked in a twinkling. 
 
 " They are coming ! They are coming !" were 
 the words that went eagerly around. The two 
 lads were seized and embraced by the ladies ; the 
 elder's eyes kindled with delight as he hurried to 
 the door; his brother danced up and down, and 
 clapped his hands, while tears of happiness flowed 
 over his rosy cheeks. 
 
 In the court-yard there was the greatest noise 
 and confusion. The retainers of the household 
 gathered in two rows at the archway, while the 
 steward, a portly personage, in a tunic, with a 
 heavy chain around his neck, and a long staff in 
 his hand, passed out upon the landing to welcome 
 the new-comers. 
 
 He was soon seen returning, walking backwards, 
 and bowing, as he came, almost to the ground. 
 In another moment, the travellers who had been 
 so anxiously awaited, slowly walked through the 
 archway, and greeted the excited group before 
 them. 
 
8 MARCO POLO. 
 
 A strange appearance, indeed, did the two tall, 
 bronzed men present to those who were gazing 
 at them. Instead of the rich and elegant Vene- 
 tian costume of the day, their forms were covered 
 with what seemed rough and barbarous garments. 
 From their shoulders to their feet they were ar- 
 rayed in long, loose gowns, or great-coats, one of 
 them made of shaggy fur ; while on their heads 
 were fur caps, Their feet were incased in rude 
 shoes, which turned up at the toes ; while at their 
 sides, instead of the long, slender Venetian sword, 
 hung broad, heavy, curved scimitars. In their 
 hands they carried stout sticks ; slung across their 
 shoulders were long, furry bags. Not less strange 
 were their faces. Both wore long, shaggy, grizzled 
 hair, which fell in thick masses to their shoulders ; 
 the beards of both were long and tangled, and 
 covered their cheeks almost to their eyes ; their 
 skin was rough and brown, and here and there a 
 seamed scar betokened that they had met with 
 fierce and savage enemies. 
 
 No sooner had they appeared than the elder of 
 the two boys pushed his way through the crowd, 
 which parted to let him pass, and rushed up to 
 the new-comers as if to throw himself into the 
 
Return of the Wanderers. Page 8. 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 9 
 
 arms of one of them. But when he came close to 
 them, he suddenly stopped short. In place of 
 the light of joy, a puzzled and pained expression 
 came across his handsome face. He looked, first 
 at one and then at the other ; peered into their 
 countenances, and seemed quite at a loss which 
 to embrace first. His trouble, however, was 
 soon relieved. The stouter, and evidently the 
 elder of the travellers, advanced and folded him 
 in his arms. 
 
 " Surely," said he, in a hoarse, low voice, "this 
 is my beloved Marco ! No wonder you did not 
 know me, child ; for when I went away, you were 
 but an infant, six years old. And how has it 
 been with you? Thank heaven, I find you well 
 and strong. But where — where is Maffeo?" 
 
 The traveller looked eagerly around ; and 
 then the younger boy resolved his anxiety by 
 leaping into4iis arms. 
 
 The two boys were clasped close at last to 
 their father's breast. He kissed them on both 
 cheeks, and patted their heads, and lifted their 
 chins with his finger, the better to scan their 
 faces. Then the tears coursed down his bronzed 
 face ; and raising his hands aloft, he made a silent 
 
10 MARCO POLO. 
 
 prayer of thanksgiving, that he had returned home 
 from far-distant lands, and an absence of many 
 years, to find his darling sons alive and well. 
 
 Meanwhile the other traveller found a welcome 
 not less loving. A comely dame had thrown her 
 arms around his neck, and was holding him tight, 
 overjoyed to find her husband by her side once 
 more; and two fair young girls, his daughters, 
 were disputing with their mother his caresses. 
 Then it came the turn of the other relatives and 
 old friends of the wanderers to greet them and 
 overwhelm them with endearments ; and, before 
 these greetings were over, night had fallen, and 
 the court-yard was lit up by the torches which the 
 servants had fetched and lighted. 
 
 The scene then changed to the great hall, 
 which, while the merry-making had been going 
 on in the court-yard, had been quickly trans- 
 formed into a banqueting-room. Two long rows 
 of tables, decked out with a profusion of flowers, 
 and profusely laden with a bounteous, smoking- 
 hot supper, were ranged throughout its length ; 
 while the apartment was lit up by hundreds of 
 wax candles, which gleamed from gilded candel- 
 abra fixed along the walls. The servants, clad in 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. II 
 
 \ 
 
 the livery of the house, stood beside the tables, 
 ready to serve the marry guests; who poured in 
 and took their places, and waited till the two 
 travellers re-appeared. 
 
 The latter had gone up to their chambers, to 
 enjoy a moment with their families in private, and 
 to exchange their outlandish garments for their 
 native costume. They ere long descended, clad 
 in splendid suits of velvet, and took their places 
 at the heads of the two tables, their children on 
 either side of them. Very late that night, it may 
 well be believed, was the revel of welcome kept 
 up. The travellers, at last finding themselves 
 cozily at home, with all who were dear around 
 them, their appetites sated with delicious dishes 
 and warming wines, their bodies rested from the 
 long journey, grew very merry and talkative, and 
 launched out into long stories of their adventures. 
 
 For nine long years they had been absent from 
 Venice, and only once or twice had they either 
 heard news from home, or been able to send tid- 
 ings of themselves to their families and friends. 
 The elder, Nicolo, had left his two boys scarcely 
 more than infants, in the care of their aunt and 
 of their uncle Marco, the cavalier who has been 
 
12 MARCO POLO. 
 
 described as awaiting, in the great hall, the 
 travellers' return. 
 
 The two brothers had set out, at first, with the 
 intention of making a trading journey to Con- 
 stantinople, and then to the countries bordering 
 on the Black Sea ; for they were not only Vene- 
 tian nobles, but merchants as well. It was no 
 uncommon thing in those -days for Venetian 
 noblemen to engage in commerce ; and in this 
 way the nobility of that city long maintained 
 themselves in wealth and power, when the nobles 
 of other Italian cities fell into poverty and decay. 
 
 Nicolo had taken his wife with him to Constan- 
 tinople ; and soon after their arrival there, she had 
 died. The two little boys who had been left at 
 home, thus became motherless. At first Nicolo 
 was overcome with grief. He lost all desire, for 
 the time, to return home ; and now resolved to 
 extend his travels further East than he had ori- 
 ginally planned. After remaining awhile at Con- 
 stantinople, the brothers crossed the Black Sea 
 and tarried sometime in the Crimea, the promon- 
 tory which was, centuries after, to become a fam- 
 ous battle ground between the Russians on one 
 side, and the English, French, and Turks on the 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 1 3 
 
 other. While in the Crimea, they succeeded in 
 making some profitable trading ventures; and 
 they learned, moreover, that further East there 
 were countries rich in goods and treasures, 
 though warlike in temper and barbarous in cus- 
 toms. Nicolo finally persuaded his brother Maffeo 
 to venture further, and to join him in penetrat- 
 ing the remote countries of which they heard so 
 much. 
 
 They first ascended the great river Volga, 
 which flows for so long a distance through the 
 vast territory now comprised in the Russian Em- 
 pire, and entered what is now called, on the 
 maps, Central Asia. They stopped at Bokhara, 
 then the seat of a rude and warlike court, but 
 where they were well treated ; then sped on their 
 way still further east, and continued their jour- 
 ney, pausing at the various Asiatic capitals, cross- 
 ing now vast deserts, now bleak and lofty steppes, 
 now lovely and luxuriant valleys, now dense and 
 seemingly interminable forests, until they found 
 themselves among the curious, squint-eyed, pig- 
 tailed, small-footed, ingenious race whom we now 
 call the Chinese. 
 
 Of course their journey was far from rapid. 
 
14 MARCO POLO. 
 
 They proceeded for the most part on horse-back, 
 although sometimes they perched themselves on 
 the humps of camels, or rode aloft on the broad 
 backs of elephants. It took not only months, but 
 years, to reach the limit of their journey. They 
 were often delayed by savage Asiatic wars, which 
 made further progress dangerous. Sometimes 
 they were forcibly detained in the rude towns by 
 the ruling khans, who insisted on being enter- 
 tained with accounts of European marvels. Now 
 and then they were in terrible peril of their lives 
 from the attacks of barbarian brigands, who as- 
 sailed them in lonely solitudes. Meanwhile, they 
 were able to observe the great riches which many 
 of the Asiatic potentates displayed ; the beautiful 
 fabrics which Asiatic skill and taste and love of 
 gorgeous colors could produce ; the astonishing 
 variety and luxuriance of the Oriental vegetation, 
 and the many strange animals, birds and reptiles 
 which peopled the forests, and had their lairs and 
 nests in the deep, rank, overgrown jungles. 
 
 Europeans had long suspected the existence, in 
 a remote part of Asia, of a powerful and splendid 
 empire, which they had come to speak of as 
 Cathay. Indeed, accounts kept coming from time 
 
THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 1 5 
 
 to time of the exploits of the sovereign of Cathay, 
 and no less of the wisdom and energy of his rule. 
 It was towards this mysterious land that the 
 brothers now wended their way; resolved to dis- 
 cover, if possible, whether such a land really ex- 
 isted, and to see for themselves the mighty mon- 
 arch who reigned over it. 
 
 After long years of wandering, they at last 
 reached Cathay, which they found to really and 
 truly exist ; nor, as they saw, had any of the ac- 
 counts of it which had come to their ears in Venice, 
 at all exaggerated its extent, wealth, and power. 
 The monarch, they saw, was indeed a great and 
 wise ruler, a man of far higher intelligence than 
 the Asiatic princes they had before met, and 
 a host who welcomed them with gracious 
 hospitality, and made them quite at home at his 
 court. 
 
 His name was Kublai Khan, and his sway ex- 
 tended over a large portion of Eastern China. He 
 was delighted with his Venetian guests, and plied 
 them with questions about the continent from 
 whence they came. They found, too, that he 
 was deeply interested in Christianity, about which 
 he eagerly and constantly asked them ; declaring 
 
l6 MARCO POLO. 
 
 that he himself would introduce Christianity into 
 Cathay. 
 
 After the brothers had spent a long period at 
 the court of Kublai Khan, they began to feel 
 homesick, and to wish to bear back to Venice the 
 story of the wonderful things they had seen and 
 heard. At first, Kublai Khan was very loth to 
 part with them. He was very fond of their society 
 and conversation, and he had learned a great many 
 things from them, useful to his government. 
 Seeing, however, that they were bent on return- 
 ing home, he finally consented to take leave of 
 them ; but before he did so, he made them 
 solemnly promise that they would come back to 
 Cathay again. This they did, although at that 
 time they were very doubtful whether they would 
 fulfil their pledge. 
 
 The khan then gave them an important mis- 
 sion to the pope of Rome. He desired very much, 
 he said, that the pope should send a large number 
 of educated missionaries to Cathay, to convert his 
 people to Christianity, and to civilize and polish 
 his semi-barbarous subjects, so that they might 
 become like Europeans. 
 
 The brothers were only too glad to bear this 
 
THE RETURN- OF THE WANDERERS. IJ 
 
 message to the pope ; for they were both good 
 Christians, and they knew with what pleasure the 
 head of the Church would receive the news that 
 the monarch of Cathay was not only willing, but 
 eager, that his people should embrace the Chris- 
 tian faith. 
 
 Their journey back home was unattended by 
 any serious accident, though it was a long, weary, 
 and dangerous one. At last, in the spring of 1269, 
 their eyes were rejoiced to greet the waters of the 
 Mediterranean at Acre, where they remained 
 several months, and from whence they sailed, in 
 a Venetian galley, directly to their native city. 
 They soon safely reached the familiar bay, and 
 were welcomed with open arms, as we have seen, 
 by their long-waiting relatives and friends, 
 
l8 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MARCO POLO'S YOUTH. 
 
 ARCO POLO— for the reader has already 
 guessed that the elder of the two boys 
 who had welcomed their father home 
 was Marco Polo — was born amid surroundings of 
 wealth and luxury. His family was a noble one, 
 and held high rank in Venice. His father, Nicolo, 
 before he made his memorable journey to the 
 court of Kublai Khan, had both inherited and 
 amassed riches. Marco suffered in early life none 
 of those privations which have hardened so many 
 great travellers and discoverers, and have accus-. 
 tomed them to lives of peril and rough adven- 
 ture. From his most tender years, he had not 
 known what it was to wish for anything beyond 
 his reach. Fine clothes, plenty of playmates, 
 petting, fond parents, all the pleasures enjoyed 
 by the children of his time, were his. 
 
MARCO POLO S YOUTH. I9 
 
 Instead of going to school, he was taught at 
 home by tutors and governesses ; and happily 
 his own tastes led him to find study interesting, 
 so that he became a better scholar than most 
 boys of his age. He especially loved history and 
 narratives of adventure and discovery, and it was 
 often difficult to persuade him to leave his books 
 and go to bed. He was fond, too, of geography, 
 and was wont to puzzle for hours over such rude 
 maps and charts as he could lay his hands on ; 
 though at that period, the maps and charts in ex- 
 istence were but few, and represented but here 
 and there patches of the world. 
 
 The Polo family lived all together in the great 
 mansion that has been described. Marco's uncle, 
 whose name also was Marco, was the eldest 
 brother, and when Nicolo and Maffeo went on 
 their travels, remained in Venice to retain charge 
 of the important trading-house which they car- 
 ried on in common. This elder Marco was a 
 kindly, though rather proud and stately man ;. 
 and while he treated his little nephews, deprived 
 as they were both of father and mother, with 
 gentleness, he kept a close watch upon their hab- 
 its and conduct. As the phrase is, he " brought 
 
20 MARCO POLO. 
 
 them up well ;" and once in a great while, when 
 young Marco's high spirits betrayed him into wild 
 pranks, his uncle would shut him up in one of the 
 remote rooms of the house. On this occasion the 
 little fellow would beg, as a special favor, that 
 one of his books might keep him company, and 
 when his uncle refused this, the punishment he 
 inflicted was indeed a severe one. 
 
 Besides their uncle, Marco and young Maffeo 
 were left in the care of their aunt, the wife of 
 that uncle who had gone away with their father ; 
 and their daily companions were their two cousins, 
 the daughters of this aunt, not far from their own 
 age. But their aunt was a fine lady of the doge's 
 court, and was always going to balls, the theatre, 
 or galas in the lagoon ; and so they saw but little 
 of her. Marco and his brother spent many happy 
 hours in their gondolas, which they themselves 
 learned to manage with skill ; and once in a while 
 as they grew older, their uncle took them with 
 him on hunting expeditions on the main land. 
 
 At this period, ferocious wars were continually 
 going on between Venice and its great maritime 
 rival, the republic of Genoa. Both struggled for 
 the supremacy of Mediterranean commerce, and 
 
MARCO POLO S YOUTH, 21 
 
 sought to gain as many military stations and 
 fortresses as possible on the islands and seaboards 
 of the Levant. In these wars, Venice up to this 
 time bad been generally successful; the time was, 
 indeed, drawing near when the Genoese would be- 
 come the conquerors ; but it had not yet come. 
 
 It was one of Marco's chief delights to watch 
 the brilliant arrays of troops as they were re- 
 viewed by the doge in the Piazza before leaving 
 for the seat of conflict : and to haunt the quays 
 and watch the preparations for departure of the 
 quaint war-galleys of the age. He caught the 
 martial spirit which was then in the air, and often 
 longed to be old enough to go to the wars and fight 
 under the proud flag of Venice; and thus came 
 to have adventurous and military tastes. He 
 was not destined to indulge these tastes for many 
 years to come ; but the time was, long after, to 
 arrive, when he would engage in furious battle 
 with his country's foes, and have a romantic 
 and thrilling experience in the fortunes of war. 
 
 At the period of his father's return from Cathay. 
 Marco, as has been said, was fifteen years of age, 
 a bright, promising boy, intelligent beyond his 
 age, and a great favorite with all who knew him. 
 
22 MARCO POLO. 
 
 It may well be believed that he was delighted to 
 ^ee his father once more, after the lapse of so 
 many years ; and to hear from his lips the tale 
 of his many and marvellous adventures in the 
 East. Nicolo, on his side, was rejoiced to find 
 his elder son grown up to be so vigorous and at- 
 tractive a youth, and was extremely proud of 
 'him. He freely indulged Marco's desire to hear 
 him recount his adventures ; and used to sit talk- 
 ing with him for hours together. He soon per- 
 ceived that Marco had a keen taste for a life of 
 stirring adventure, and was far from displeased to 
 make the discovery. 
 
 One day, when Nicolo had been at home for 
 several months, he was chatting with Marco, and 
 happened to say that he had given his promise to 
 Kublai Khan to return to Cathay. 
 
 "And you will go, sir, will you not?" eagerly 
 asked Marco. " You will keep your promise to 
 the great king?" 
 
 " In truth, I know not," was the father's reply. 
 "There are many things to keep me at home. 
 These wars interfere much with our trade, and it 
 needs all three of us brothers to be here to look 
 after it. The journey to Cathay, too, is not only 
 
MARCO POLO S YOUTH. 23 
 
 long and dreary, but dangerous. The man who goes 
 thither, holds his life, every hour, in his hand. 
 At any moment, a hidden enemy"may despatch 
 him before he can lift a weapon ; or, he may be 
 lost on the great deserts, and die of sheer thirst 
 and starvation. Then, my son, how can I leave 
 you and your brother again, for so long a time? 
 It would be too hard to part from you ; to be 
 far away, and not able to watch you, as month 
 by month you grow towards manhood. On the 
 other hand, there are vast riches to be had in 
 Cathay ; and noble service to be done for our 
 Holy Church, by once more venturing thither." 
 ''But, father," replied Marco, grasping Nicolo's 
 arm, ''you need not leave me behind. I beg you 
 to go, and to let me go with you ! Surely I am 
 old enough and big enough now to go anywhere. 
 Think, sir, I shall be soon sixteen : why, that is 
 almost a man. Look, I am almost as tall as you 
 are now. I can handle a sword, javelin, and 
 cross-bow as well as any boy of my age ; I am 
 strong and well, and can walk and ride with the 
 stoutest. My uncle Maffeo said, the other day, 
 I would make a fine soldier, young as I am. Pray, 
 sir, let me go with you to Cathay !" 
 
24 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Nicolo smiled, and patted the eager boy's 
 flushed cheek; but gently shook his head. 
 
 "You ask, dear Marco," said he, "what cannot 
 be. What ! Do you suppose I would risk your 
 young life amid those fierce Tartar tribes, those 
 frightful jungles, those dreary, trackless wastes ? 
 And even if you reached Cathay in safety, do you 
 think I would trust you with that Eastern despot, 
 Kublai Khan, who might take it into his wilful 
 head to separate you from me, and keep you for- 
 ever? No, no, Marco, I should not dare take you, 
 even if I went." 
 
 Marco hung his head in deep disappointment. 
 He had long had it in his "heart to implore his 
 father to let him return with him to Cathay ; and 
 now Nicolo's words chilled and grieved him. 
 But he was not easily discouraged. In spite of 
 his father's refusal, he resolved to leave no per- 
 suasion untried. Again and again he returned to 
 the subject that absorbed his mind ; but all his 
 pleading might have been in vain, had it not been 
 that a powerful ally took up his cause. This 
 was his uncle Maffeo : who, besides admiring 
 Marco greatly, said that the companionship of a 
 brave and vigorous youth would be of great value 
 
MARCO POLO S YOUTH. 2$ 
 
 to his brother and himself, in case they again 
 crossed Asia, and that Marco might win the 
 special frienship of Kublai Khan by his youth, 
 lively spirits, and agreeable bearing. 
 
 In due time, the two brothers definitely made 
 up their minds to fulfil their promise to the 
 oriental monarch ; and after many long and earnest 
 talks, Nicolo filled his son's heart with joy 
 by telling him that he might go with them. 
 
 Much remained to be done, however, before 
 they set out* On arriving at Acre, returning from 
 their first journey, the brothers Polo had borne in 
 mind the message of Kublai Khan to the pope ; 
 and the first thing they did was to visit a famous 
 Church dignitary who was staying there, named 
 Tedaldo, archdeacon of Liege This eminent man 
 had no sooner heard their errand, than he aston- 
 ished them very much by telling them that, just 
 now, there was no pope at all, and that conse- 
 quently, they could not deliver their message ! 
 Not long before their arrival, Pope Clement IV. 
 had died ; and the cardinals had not yet been able 
 to agree upon a successor. This vacancy in 
 the papal chair was not, indeed, yet filled. The 
 Polos, after having resolved to go again to Cathay, 
 
26 MARCO POLO. 
 
 delayed their departure until a new pope should 
 be chosen, so that he might send some mis- 
 sionaries with them, as Kublai Khan desired. 
 
 But they grew tired of waiting ; for, after two 
 years, the great council of the Church seemed no 
 nearer electing a pope than at first ; and the 
 Polos made up their minds that they must return 
 to Cathay, if at all, without the missionaries. 
 Then the naval wars going on between Venice and 
 Genoa made it for a while unsafe for Venetians to 
 cross the Mediterranean to Syria, and this com- 
 pelled another postponement of their plans. At 
 last, however, a favorable opportunity occurred to 
 traverse the sea to Acre, which as before was to 
 be the starting-point of the travellers. A war- 
 galley destined for that Asiatic town, then in the 
 possession of Venice, was about to set forth; and 
 by Nicolo's great influence at court, where he had 
 been heartily welcomed back by the reigning 
 doge, a passage was secured in her for all three. 
 
 Marco had scarcely slept since permission to go 
 had been wrung from his reluctant father. He 
 devoted himself ardently to the practise of the 
 sword and the cross-bow ; he was measured for 
 two suits of clothes, fit for rough travelling ; again 
 
MARCO POLO S YOUTH. 2J 
 
 and again he went over the proposed route, on 
 such charts relating to it as his father had brought 
 with him ; and he constantly talked about the 
 wonderful things he was about to see, and the 
 many adventures he would undoubtedly meet 
 with. Happily his younger brother, Maffeo, whose 
 tastes were gentle and domestic, did not share his 
 eagerness for a wandering life ; and, well content 
 to stay at home, was only distressed at the thought 
 of the long absence of his father and of the 
 brother who had been his constant companion. 
 
 On the eve of the day appointed for the depart- 
 ure of the travellers, the great house on the 
 canal of San Giovanni Crisostomo was once more 
 crowded with a numerous and brilliantly attired 
 assemblage. Nicolo had resolved to give a boun- 
 teous parting feast to his family and friends ; and 
 the doge himself had consented to honor the 
 feast with his presence. There was no family 
 more honored and respected in Venice than the 
 Polos ; and the doge regarded Nicolo as one of 
 the bravest and most estimable of his subjects. 
 
 The appearance of the guests was very differ- 
 ent from that on the former occasion. The joy- 
 ful welcome was replaced by the sad leave-taking. 
 
28 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Little Maffeo's face was suffused with tears, 
 which he in vain tried to repress ; and the elder 
 Marco looked grave and downcast. As for young 
 Marco, his anticipations of the journey so excited 
 him that he could scarcely think of grief, even at 
 leaving his home and parting from his brother 
 and kind kindred. His fair face was flushed with 
 eager expectation : and he felt very proud of the 
 bran-new sword which swung, for the first time, 
 at his side. He felt himself already a man and a 
 soldier, and never once thought: of shrinking from 
 the dangers of the tour. To him it was more 
 like a holiday journey than a dangerous venture; 
 and it seemed as if the morrow would never come. 
 
 At last the guests tearfully embraced the 
 brothers and Marco, and one by one departed. 
 The candles in the glittering candelabra were put 
 out, and the house was left in darkness. 
 
 The sun had scarcely risen when Marco leaped 
 from his bed, donned the suit which had been 
 prepared for his setting out, and buckled on his 
 sword ; and while almost all the people of Venice 
 were still wrapped in slumber, the travellers 
 wended their way to the war-galley on the quay, 
 and went on board. 
 
MARCO POLO. 29 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 
 
 S Marco Polo stood, on that bright April 
 morning in 1271, on the deck of the war- 
 galley, and watched the glittering domes 
 and spires of Venice receding from view, while the 
 vessel sailed down the Adriatic, he little guessed 
 how many years would elapse ere his eyes would 
 greet the familiar home scenes again. 
 
 But he thought only of the future just before 
 him ; and although, on passing out of the Gulf of 
 Venice into the rougher waters of the Adriatic, he 
 was at first a little sea-sick, he soon recovered his 
 bouyancy of spirits, and now gazed with keen in- 
 terest at the objects which coast and waters 
 presented. 
 
 It was a delightful trip, through the Adriatic, 
 across the sparkling purple waves of the Mediter- 
 ranean, skirting the rugged coast of Greece, and 
 
30 MARCO POLO. 
 
 at last launching into the more open ocean, out of 
 sight of land ; and the days that elapsed between 
 the departure from Venice and the arrival at the 
 curious old town of Acre, on the Syrian coast, 
 with its towered walls, its narrow, winding streets, 
 its lofty castle, its temples, palaces and churches, 
 quite unlike those of Venice, were joyous ones to 
 the young traveller. 
 
 On landing at Acre, the brothers Polo and 
 Marco repaired to the best inn in the place; and 
 Nicolo lost no time in seeking out his old friend, 
 the priest Tedaldo, to learn what prospect there 
 was of missionaries going eastward with them. 
 Tedaldo was rejoiced to see him, but said that no 
 pope had yet been chosen ; and begged Nicolo 
 to stay at Acre until that event took place. At 
 first Nicolo, impatient to reach the great khan's 
 court, resisted Tedaldo's request ; but finally the 
 shrewd priest prevailed with him. 
 
 " If you will give us leave to go Jerusalem, and get 
 some holy oil from the lamp on the Sepulchre," 
 said Nicolo, " we will not proceed on our journey 
 until you consent. The great khan will receive 
 the holy oil as a precious gift." 
 
 " Be it so," responded Tedaldo ; " go to Jeru- 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH, 31 
 
 salem, and after performing your errand, return 
 hither. Perhaps, then, we shall have a pope." 
 
 Marco was well pleased to visit the holy city, 
 which he now did, in company with his father. 
 They did not stay long at Jerusalem ; but while 
 there, Marco had time to see all the ancient and 
 sacred relics and curious sights which still attract 
 the traveller. Having procured a vial of oil from 
 the lamp on the Sepulchre (which, it was said, 
 had been kept constantly burning there from the 
 time of Christ's death), Nicolo returned to Acre. 
 No pope had yet been chosen ; and nowTedaldo 
 could not find it in his heart to forbid the depart- 
 ure of the brothers. 
 
 They therefore set out from Acre, crossing in a 
 galley to the old fortified town of Ayas, in the 
 gulf of Scanderoon. Ayas they found to be a busy 
 commercial port, with teeming bazaars and a 
 noble fortress rising near the shore ; but they could 
 not tarry long there, and began to make their 
 preparations to penetrate into Armenia. They 
 were on the point of starting, when an urgent 
 message reached them from Acre. 
 
 It seemed that a pope had at last been elected, 
 and that the choice had fallen on no other than 
 
32 MARCO POLO. 
 
 their friend Tedaldo himself, who took the 
 name of Gregory the Tenth ; and he had sent for 
 them to return at once to Acre, and receive his in- 
 structions how to deal with the great khan. 
 
 On reaching Acre, the Polos were at once ad- 
 mitted to the presence of their old friend, who 
 had now become the head of the Church. Te- 
 daldo, or Pope Gregory, as he should now be 
 called, received them with all his old kindness of 
 manner, in the palace where he was sojourning, 
 and gave his special blessing to young Marco, 
 whose youth and bearing greatly pleased him. 
 
 Then, turning to the two brothers, the pope 
 said : 
 
 " Now I can give you full power and authority 
 to be the envoys of the Church to Kublai Khan. 
 You shall take with you two trusty friars, who 
 will aid you in converting the heathen of Cathay ; 
 and you yourselves may ordain bishops and 
 priests, and grant absolution. To show my de- 
 sire to receive Kublai into the bosom of the 
 Church, I will give you some vases and jars of 
 crystal, to take to him as presents from me." 
 
 Nicolo fell at the pope's feet, and did him hum- 
 ble and grateful reverence ;and Maffeo and Marco 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 33 
 
 followed his example. All their wishes seemed 
 now fulfilled ; and, after bidding the pope once 
 more adieu, and receiving his blessing, they set 
 out to return to Ayas, inspired by the new and 
 noble purpose of converting a vast nation of bar- 
 barians to the true faith. With them went the 
 two friars whom the pope had appointed, Nicolo 
 of Vicenza, and William of Tripoli ; and on land- 
 ing at Ayas, they resolved to delay their journey 
 no longer. 
 
 Another mishap, however, was destined to be- 
 fall them before they found themselves full on 
 their way eastward. At Ayas they learned that 
 Armenia, the country through which they were 
 about to pass, had just been invaded by the Sul- 
 tan of Babylon with a formidable army. 
 
 No sooner had the two friars heard this unwel- 
 come news than they ran to Nicolo, and declared 
 that they were afraid to go on, or even to stay at 
 Ayas. In vain Nicolo besought them to con- 
 tinue with him, and even to brave the dangers 
 that now loomed before them, rather than give 
 up the project of converting the people of Cathay. 
 
 "No," replied the friars: "We are afraid of 
 these ruthless Saracens. If they should capture 
 
34 MARCO POLO. 
 
 any Christian priests, it would be to torture and 
 kill them. Take our credentials and documents, 
 Messer Polo ; and God be with you. We must 
 return to Acre." 
 
 And so they did, taking the first galley that 
 set out for that place. 
 
 The Polos found that they must go forward 
 alone ; and after a last look at Ayas, and feeling, 
 truth to tell, somewhat alarmed lest they should 
 meet the Saracen invaders, they started on the 
 high road that led northward in the direction of 
 Turcomania. 
 
 Marco observed everything on the journey with 
 the keenest curiosity ; and his father, who had 
 already traversed that region, was able to explain 
 many sights that were mysterious to him. They 
 passed through many queer Asiatic cities and 
 towns, and Marco stared at the dusky complex- 
 ions and picturesque attire of the natives. The 
 natives, in turn, examined the travellers with 
 much amazement; but everywhere, in this part 
 of the country, seemed friendly, and not at all 
 disposed to molest them. 
 
 Sometimes the wayfarers would stop in a city 
 or town a week or two at a time, lodging in very 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 35 
 
 old inns, and partaking of dishes which Marco 
 had never seen before, and of some of which 
 neither of the three knew the names. 
 
 The people of the regions through which they 
 passed were usually poverty stricken, and seemed 
 quite content with very little. Marco observed 
 that they were a very lazy set, and spent a great 
 deal of time drinking a coarse, rank liquor, which 
 speedily intoxicated them. 
 
 Sometimes, however, the travellers came to a 
 town which had a well-to-do, thriving aspect, and 
 where they met men and women of a higher and 
 more active class. The chiefs in these places 
 would treat them with hearty hospitality, placing 
 before them the best dishes and most luscious 
 fruits the region afforded, and giving them the 
 best rooms in their houses — not very confortable 
 ones, at best — in which to sleep. 
 
 One day, a hospitable chief proposed to the 
 Polos that they should form part of a hunting ex- 
 pedition, which was about to set out in search of 
 savage game on the neighboring hills. This pro- 
 posal gave young Marco a thrill of pleasure, for 
 he had begun to think that their journey was 
 getting monotonous. At first his father refused 
 
36 MARCO POLO. 
 
 to let him go with the hunting party; but Marco 
 begged so persistently, and the chief brought 
 out a horse for his use that seemed so strong and 
 steady, that Nicolo finally yielded. 
 
 Not only horses, but elephants also, bore the 
 sportsmen to their scene of action ; and after 
 travelling for two days across the plains and 
 among the hills, the party encamped on a river 
 bank. Then Marco, for the first time, saw the 
 fierce, wild sport which the Asiatic hills and 
 jungles provided. He was too young and too 
 little skilled to take any active part in the hunt 
 for wild beasts ; but roamed the lofty forests, 
 and brought down many a bird of gorgeous 
 plumage, which proved afterwards to afford the 
 sweetest and most delicate nourishment. Once 
 he witnessed, from a safe distance, a terrific en- 
 counter with a gigantic tiger, which the natives 
 attacked from the backs of their elephants, and 
 at last succeeded in killing and dragging, with his 
 magnificent striped hide, into the camp. 
 
 Marco was afterwards to become quite accus- 
 tomed to this thrilling sport, and to deal, with 
 his own hand, many a finishing blow upon lion 
 and tiger and famished wolf. 
 
: . • ' - - v - "" 
 
 m 
 
 W«i«ij»iiiifl«l«ii*- 
 ^iBl:ii' ; :::^limli 
 
 
 Marco Shooting in the Asiatic Hills. Page 36. 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 2>7 
 
 After crossing the eastern edge of Turco- 
 mania, the travellers entered the picturesque and 
 fruitful country of Greater Armenia with its 
 broad, fertile plains, and its grim and narrow 
 mountain passes ; the same country, indeed, 
 which in our own times has been so often the 
 scene of conflict between the Russians and the 
 Turks. They passed near or by the very spots 
 where the now famous fortresses of Kars and 
 Erzeroum stand ; and as they proceeded, they 
 were surprised to find the region so thickly 
 dotted with towns and villages, and sometimes 
 quite stately cities. They found the inhabitants, 
 who were for the most part Tartars, as little dis- 
 posed to molest them as the Turcomans had 
 been ; though, no w and then, as they went through 
 lonely districts, they were menaced by brigands. 
 
 With them were several native guides, whose 
 language was already familiar to the two elder 
 Polos. One day, one of these guides stopped, 
 and pointed to a mountain, whose dim outline 
 could just be made out in the hazy distance. 
 
 "Do you see that mountain?" he said, turning 
 to the travellers. " It is Mount Ararat. It was 
 there that Noah's ark was stranded, after the 
 
38 MARCO POLO. 
 
 flood. The ark is still there, on the top of the 
 mountain ; and the faithful of this region brave 
 the snows with which Ararat is perpetually 
 shrouded, to get from the ark some of its pitch, 
 which they make into amulets, and wear as a 
 charm around their necks!" 
 
 Marco listened with open mouth, and stared 
 long and earnestly at the famous eminence. He 
 could scarcely believe that the ark was still there; 
 yet the guide spoke so earnestly that he was 
 loth to doubt what he said. 
 
 After crossing a lofty range of mountains, they 
 descended into a wide and umbrageous valley, 
 through which meandered a broad, rapidly flow- 
 ing river. This river, Marco learned, was no other 
 than the Tigris, which flows northward from the 
 Persfan Gulf. On every hand the young traveller 
 perceived the majestic ruins of the splendid civili- 
 zation which had once existed in this valley. 
 Ruined or decaying cities, with vast walls, and 
 lofty palaces, and towering temples, were often 
 encountered ; and near them nestled the more 
 modern towns and villages, still alive with the 
 bustle of trade or the vanity of oriental show. 
 
 This country was the kingdom of Mosul ; and 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 39 
 
 in some of the towns, Marco observed manufac- 
 tories of fine cloth, which was produced with ra- 
 pidity and skill, and was made of many beautiful 
 colors. This cloth gave the name to what we now 
 call "muslin," from the place whence it was first 
 obtained ; it was really not muslin, but a much 
 finer texture, of silk and gold. The Polos were 
 delighted to find that large numbers of the people 
 of Mosul were Christians, who gave them a wel- 
 come all the warmer because of their professing 
 the same faith. 
 
 As they descended the valley of the Tigris 
 further towards the Persian Gulf, however, they 
 were destined to meet with a very different kind 
 of people. From the mountain fastnesses of 
 Curdistan there swooped into the valley fierce 
 bands of Curds, the savage and vindictive race 
 who dwelt in those fastnesses, and whose occupa- 
 tion it was to rob and murder. Their very name, 
 which, in Turkish, means "wolves," betrayed 
 their character and habits. Luckily a large number 
 of Mosul Christians accompanied the travellers, 
 armed to the teeth, purposely to protect them 
 from the inhuman Curds ; and the latter, when- 
 ever they assailed the party, were driven back, 
 
40 MARCO POLO. 
 
 with great loss of life, to their mountain retreats 
 again. Marco thought he had never seen such 
 ferocious looking creatures as were some of the 
 Curds who were taken prisoners. They were very- 
 dark, wore long, fierce moustaches, and their black 
 eyes gleamed with a savage and murderous glare. 
 This danger was therefore escaped ; and, soon 
 after, Marco went nearly wild with joy to enter, 
 and see with his own eyes, the famous city of 
 Bagdad. He had often heard of Bagdad, from 
 the Venetian merchants who had made journeys 
 hither ; and often, at home, had his curiosity been 
 aroused to see the singular sights, the curious 
 people, the ancient temples, gates and palaces, 
 which had been thus described to him. And here 
 he was, in the streets of the old Arab city, still 
 in all the glory of its trade, though many of its 
 ancient splendors had departed ; and everything 
 he saw filled him with delight. He was delighted 
 when his father and uncle, putting up at the best 
 inn the old city afforded, announced their inten- 
 tion to rest some time in Bagdad ; for now he 
 would have leisure to explore it thoroughly, and 
 to hunt up the very scenes of the marvellous 
 tales. 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 41 
 
 He found Bagdad to be not only full of ancient 
 monuments, but a very thriving and busy place, 
 ruled over by a caliph, who had a large and val- 
 iant army. It produced a bewildering variety of 
 cloths, such as silk, gold cloth, and brocade, and 
 it was a fine sight to see the men and women of the 
 higher classes, arrayed in these splendid tissues, as 
 they strolled on the river bank, or lolled in their 
 luxurious balconies, that overlooked the Tigris. It 
 was while in this famous place that Marco heard a 
 story which gave him an insight into Oriental char- 
 acter. About forty years before there had been 
 reigning at Bagdad, a caliph who was very avar- 
 icious, and also very rich. He had a lofty tower, 
 which was said to be piled full of gold and silver. 
 A Tartar prince came with a great army, attacked 
 Bagdad and took it, and made the caliph a pris- 
 oner. When he saw the tower full of treasure, the 
 Tartar conqueror was amazed ; and ordering the 
 captive caliph into his presence, said, " Caliph, 
 why hast thou gathered here so many riches ? 
 When thou knewest I was coming to attack thee, 
 why didst thou not use it to pay soldiers to de- 
 fend thee?" The caliph not replying, the Tartar 
 went on, " Now, caliph, since thou hast so vast 
 
42 MARCO POLO. 
 
 a love for this treasure, thou must eat it !" He 
 caused the caliph to be shut up in the tower, 
 and commanded that neither food nor drink should 
 be given him ; for, he said, he must eat the gold, 
 or nothing. The poor caliph died in the tower 
 some days after, of starvation, though surrounded 
 by heaps of treasure, that would have bought food 
 for a mighty army. 
 
 Marco had by this time picked up enough of 
 the language of the region to converse with the na- 
 tives ; and nothing pleased him more than to 
 wander about the bazaars and -shops, and to find 
 some talkative Mussulman, who would sit and tell 
 him stories. In this way, he heard many tales 
 which were scarcely less romantic than those of 
 the Arabian Nights. 
 
 One of the stories that seemed most wonderful 
 to him was that of the " one-eyed cobbler." 
 Some years before, it was related, there reigned 
 at Bagdad a caliph who bore bitter hatred against 
 the Christians, and who was resolved to put 
 them to the sword. " Thinking to entrap them 
 by their own doctrine, he called a vast number of 
 Christians together, and pointed to the passage in 
 the Bible which says, that if a Christian has faith 
 
MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 43 
 
 as a grain of mustard seed, and should com- 
 mand a mountain to be moved, it would obey the 
 command. 
 
 " Now," said the caliph, " you who have such 
 faith, must either move that mountain, which 
 you see yonder — " pointing to a very lofty emi- 
 nence, " or you shall one and all perish by the 
 sword. Unless you do this in ten days, or become 
 Mohammedans, every one of you shall die." 
 
 The Christians were terrified and bewildered 
 at the caliph's words, and knew not what to do. 
 For several days they felt like men already lost. 
 But one day a certain bishop came to them, and 
 said that he had had a vision from God ; and that 
 God had told him that if the Christians would 
 persuade a certain pious cobbler, who had but one 
 eye, to pray that the mountain should be moved, 
 the prayer would be granted. 
 
 The cobbler was eagerly sought out. At first 
 he refused to pray for the miracle, saying that 
 he was no better than the rest. But finally he 
 consented to offer up the prayer. The caliph's 
 army and the Christians assembled on avast plain 
 before the mountain. The cobbler knelt and made 
 a solemn appeal to heaven : when lo, the mountain 
 
44 MARCO POLO. 
 
 rising up, moved to the spot that the caliph had 
 pointed out ! It was said that after this miracle, 
 the caliph became secretly a Christian ; and that 
 when he died a small ivory cross was found hung 
 around his neck. 
 
 Marco was very loth to leave Bagdad, with its 
 romantic memories, its venerable buildings, its 
 brilliant bazaars, and its captivating story-tellers ; 
 and when one day, Nicolo told him that they 
 should set out again early the next morning, he 
 felt exceedingly sorry to hear the news. Fresh 
 scenes, however, soon diverted his mind from the 
 old city ; and ere many days he found himself 
 with his father and uncle on a strange galley, 
 with lateen sails, crossing the Persian Gulf. 
 
MARCO POLO. 45 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKIS- 
 TAN. 
 
 HE passage across the Persian Gulf was 
 a brief and prosperous one; and in due 
 time the Polo party landed on the soil of 
 the ancient country of Persia. The port at which 
 they set foot on shore was an old fortified town 
 named Hormuz, with its towers rising high above 
 the sea, and its harbor crowded with the shipping 
 of many nations. Here for the first time Marco 
 witnessed the dress, manners and customs of the 
 people who, once upon a time, had been led to 
 brilliant victory by Cyrus and Darius. 
 
 Hormuz itself, with its bazaars, its wide streets, 
 its fortresses and palaces, was not unlike the cities 
 Marco had seen in Armenia ; but the people, 
 both in their appearance and in their customs, 
 were very different from those of Western Asia. 
 
46 MARCO POLO. 
 
 They lived, it appeared, mainly on dates and salt 
 fish ; and it was only when they were ill that 
 they would taste bread. For a beverage, they 
 drank a very strong wine, made of dates and 
 spices. The city seemed to have but few inhabit- 
 ants who actually dwelt in it. The buildings, 
 except on the outskirts, were mostly given up to 
 store-houses, shops, and other places of business; 
 and the surrounding plain was covered with 
 dwellings, almost every one with a pretty, shady 
 garden, whither the mass of the population re- 
 sorted at nightfall. Marco soon learned that the 
 people lived in this way on account of the op- 
 pressive heat which existed in the city ; and 
 found by his own experience that it was one of 
 the hottest places on earth. 
 
 He learned that sometimes winds swept across 
 the deserts, so scorching that the people were 
 obliged to plunge themselves up to the neck in 
 cool water, and stay there until the winds had 
 gone down ; otherwise they would be burnt to 
 death ; and a story was told him of a hostile 
 army, which was literally baked to death, while 
 on its way to attack Hormuz. 
 
 Marco examined the Persian ships which he 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. Afi 
 
 saw in the harbor with great curiosity. They 
 were wretched affairs compared with the skil- 
 fully-built Venetian galleys. Instead of being 
 made fast with pitch, they were smeared with fish 
 oil ; and were held together by a rude twine, 
 made of the husk of a nut. The ships were 
 deckless, the cargo being only protected by a 
 matting; and had but one mast, one sail, and one 
 rudder. The nails were of wood ; and altogether, 
 these frail craft seemed to Marco dangerous 
 boats in which to cross the stormy seas of the 
 East. 
 
 Setting out from Hormuz, the Polos found 
 themselves travelling over a vast and beautiful 
 plain, which glowed with the most brilliant 
 flowers, among which birds of gorgeous plumage 
 nestled, and where dates and palms grew in the 
 richest luxuriance. The plain was watered by 
 many picturesque streams, on the banks of which 
 the travellers gratefully rested after their long 
 daily jaunts. The plain crossed, they began a 
 gentle ascent to a range of lofty hills, after 
 traversing which they found themselves at Ker- 
 man, which was then the seat of Persian sover- 
 eignty. This, too, was a busy place, where all 
 
48 MARCO POLO. 
 
 sorts of warlike weapons were made, and where 
 the women were very skilful in needle-work and 
 embroidery. Marco saw a great number of beauti- 
 ful light blue turquoises, which precious stones, he 
 heard, were found in great quantities among the 
 neighboring mountains. 
 
 The Polos only staid in Kerman long enough 
 to take a good rest, and then" set out again ; for 
 already they had been nearly a year on their 
 travels, and Nicolo was anxious to get to Cathay 
 as soon as possible, lest the good khan who had 
 treated him so well before, should be dead. But 
 they had yet many a long month of journeying 
 before them, and they were to see many strange 
 and wonderful things before they reached the 
 end of their travels. They now crossed a beauti- 
 ful country, varied with plains, hills, and lovely 
 valleys, where dates grew in plenty, and many 
 other fruits, which Marco had never before seen, 
 hung on the trees and bushes. He saw, browsing 
 in the meadows, many large, white oxen, with 
 short smooth hair, thick stubby horns, and 
 humps on their backs ; and the sheep in the 
 pastures were the biggest he had ever seen. Al- 
 most every village they passed was surrounded by 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. 49 
 
 a high wall of mud. On asking why this was, 
 Marco was told that the country was infested 
 with banditti, and that these walls were built to 
 protect the people from their bold and savage in- 
 cursions. A native declared to him that these 
 banditti were magicians ; and that when they 
 wished to attack a village, they were able, by 
 their magic spells, to turn daylight into darkness. 
 Sometimes, this native said, there was as many as 
 ten thousand men in these bands of robbers. 
 
 The travellers heard these stories of the ban- 
 ditti with some alarm, for they were about to 
 pass through the very region where they dwelt ; 
 nor was this alarm groundless. Scarcely had 
 they got fairly away from one of the villages, 
 when they were suddenly attacked by a formida- 
 ble band, and were forced to fight desperately 
 for their lives. The three Polos succeeded in 
 killing a number of the robbers, and in escaping 
 into a village just beyond ; but when they called 
 their guides and attendants together, they found 
 that the robbers had killed or captured all but 
 seven of them ; and they were obliged to push 
 forward with this small number. 
 
 They soon came to a dismal and dreary desert, 
 
5<3 MARCO POLO. ( 
 
 which 1 ' it took them a week to cross, and where 
 they saw nowhere a vestige of human habitation. 
 For three days they found no water whatever, 
 except some little salt streams, from which they 
 could not drink, however _parched by thirst. It 
 was a vast solitude, where no living thing ap- 
 peared ; and Marco gave a sigh of relief and satis- 
 faction when, towards the end of the seventh day, 
 the buildings of another large and flourishing 
 city came into view. But beyond this city, 
 another and still larger desert stretched out be- 
 fore them. Profiting by their previous experi- 
 ence, the Polos carried with them an ample quan- 
 tity of water; and passed across the greater 
 desert without much suffering. They had now 
 reached the northernmost provinces of Persia. 
 One day Marco observed a very tall, wide- 
 spreading tree, the bark of which was a bright 
 green on one side, and white on the other. This 
 tree stood entirely alone, on a vast plain, where 
 there was not the least sign of any other trees, 
 as far as eye could reach in any direction. Marco 
 thought this very strange, and called his party to 
 look at it. Then one of the Persian guides, whom 
 they had brought with them, told him that it was 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. 5 I 
 
 very near this curious tree, which was called the 
 " Dry Tree," that a famous battle was once fought 
 between Alexander the Great and King Darius. 
 
 Not long after passing the " Dry Tree," the 
 travellers entered a district called Mulchet, not 
 far from the Caspian sea ; and here Marco, who, 
 everywhere he went, put himself on easy terms 
 with the most intelligent natives he could find, 
 heard many interesting stories and legends 
 about the country through which he was trav- 
 elling. One of the most romantic of these 
 legends was that which related to the " Old Man 
 of the Mountain," who it was said, dwelt in the 
 neighboring range not many years before. An 
 old nobleman — so ran the story — who had plenty 
 of money, had caused a certain deep valley to be 
 enclosed with high walls at either end, so that 
 none could enter whom he wished to keep out ; 
 and thus protected, he cultivated a rare and 
 beautiful garden in the valley. In the midst of 
 this he reared gilded pavilions, and even lofty 
 and glittering palaces, whose minarets could be 
 seen a great distance away. The old man also 
 surrounded himself with many lovely women^who 
 sang and danced exquisitely, and every day 
 
52 MARCO POLO. 
 
 feasted, with the chosen few whom he invited to 
 share the delights of the valley. 
 
 Thus' was created what the old man called his 
 Paradise ; following, as near as he could, the de- 
 scription which Mohammed had given of that 
 celestial abode. It was said that he gathered about 
 him a number of boys and youths, to whom he 
 told tales of Paradise ; and that, sometimes, 
 making these youths drink a certain wine, which 
 stupefied them, he had them carried to the beauti- 
 ful garden, where they awoke to find themselves 
 in the midst of the most ravishing scenes. He 
 thereby made them believe that it was really 
 Paradise where they dwelt, and that he was a 
 great Prophet ; and so could persuade them to do 
 just what he pleased. When he had a grudge 
 against any neighboring prince, he would send 
 these youths forth to kill his enemy, promising 
 that if they did his bidding they should forever 
 live in this charming Paradise. 
 
 Soon he became a terror through all the land, 
 wreaking his vengeance on all who offended him, 
 and reducing the rulers round about to submis- 
 sion.* But by and by the king of the Western 
 Tartars became enraged at the tyranny and mur- 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. 53 
 
 ders of the Old Man of the Mountain, and re- 
 solved to put an end to them. He accordingly 
 sent one of his generals at the head of a numer- 
 ous army, to destroy the Old Man's Paradise. In 
 vain, however, did the Tartars assail the solid 
 towers and walls that defended the valley; they 
 could not penetrate it. They were obliged to 
 lay regular siege to it ; and it was only after three 
 months that the Old Man of the Mountain, his 
 courtiers and houris, were forced, from sheer 
 want of food, to surrender. The old man him- 
 self, and all the youths and men of his court, were 
 at once put to death ; the palaces and pavilions 
 were razed to the earth ; and the fairy-like gar- 
 dens were ruthlessly turned into a desolate waste. 
 The Polos had gone as far northward as they 
 intended, and now turned their faces directly to- 
 wards the east. They entered a wild mountain 
 region, where there were but few human habita- 
 tions, but which was broken into jagged moun- 
 tain masses, in the defiles of which were the 
 fastnesses of robbers. They were often attacked 
 by these fierce bands, but so well armed were 
 they and their company, and so valiant, that they 
 escaped this frequent peril. They reached Balkh, 
 
54 MARCO POLO. 
 
 then still a stately city, many of whose buildings 
 were of marble, though much of it was in ruins. 
 Here, Marco was told, Alexander the Great had 
 married the Persian King Darius's daughter; 
 and he gazed with deep interest on a place which 
 was the scene of many thrilling events of which he 
 had read in history. 
 
 From Balkh Marco and his fellow-travellers 
 rapidly approached those lofty ranges of gigantic 
 mountains which rise in Eastern Turkistan, and 
 which divide Western Asia from China on one 
 side, and Hindoostan on the other. As he gazed 
 at these eminences, the peaks of which seemed to 
 cleave the very clouds, Marco was deeply impressed 
 by their rugged grandeur. He had never seen or 
 imagined mountains so high ; and he wondered 
 how it could be possible for the party to cross 
 them. Sometimes, at the end of a valley, they 
 seemed to close in the way completely. There 
 seemed to be no possible exit; no declivity or 
 pass seemed to open itself between them. Yet 
 when the travellers reached the foot of the moun- 
 tains, a narrow defile would be revealed and they 
 would pass through in single file, leading their 
 horses and camels, sometimes on a path so narrow 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. 55 
 
 and so high above the gorge by whose side it 
 ran, that it seemed inevitable that the travellers 
 would fall and break their necks. 
 
 All through these mountains, Marco observed 
 that the people were fierce and wild, and lived 
 wandering lives, subsisting on the game they 
 secured by hunting. They were, for the most part, 
 intemperate; and after a hunt, would resort to 
 the nearest village, and intoxicate themselves with 
 the fiery palm wine which was everywhere made 
 and drunk in that region. In some places, where 
 sheep were raised on the steep hill-sides, Marco 
 found that the shepherds lived in caves in the 
 mountains, so dug as to form dwellings, with 
 several rooms. Sometimes these caves were very 
 handsomely fitted up. 
 
 The next great town that the travellers reached, 
 after leaving Balkh, was Badakshan, still famous, 
 in our own day, as a centre of Oriental trade. It 
 was then ruled over by a powerful king, who 
 claimed to be a direct descendant of Alexander 
 the Great and of King Darius. The city was 
 situated in the midst of lofty and jagged emin- 
 ences ; and all around, perched on the tops of high 
 crags, Marco espied the strong castles and fortresses 
 
56 MARCO POLO. 
 
 which defended it from hostile attacks. Every 
 pass was thus stoutly guarded, and Marco saw 
 that the people were warlike m their tastes, being ^ 
 excellent archers and very skilful hunters. The 
 men wore the skins of beasts ; and the women 
 always clothed themselves in an immense quantity 
 of bombazine, wrapped in many folds around their 
 bodies. On Marco's asking why they did this, he 
 was told that it was because they wished to appear 
 very fat ; for this, in the eyes of the men, was re- 
 garded as a point of beauty. The women's heads 
 were covered with hoods, while from their ears long 
 sleeves hung to the ground, and swayed to and 
 fro as the stout-looking damsels waddled along. 
 
 While the wanderers were staying at Badak- 
 shan (for having been made welcome by the king, 
 they were in no great haste to depart) Marco fell 
 extremely ill with a fever. For a while his life was 
 despaired of; but the skill of the native doctors 
 at last set him on his feet again. As soon as he 
 was able to stir abroad, the doctors told him to 
 go to the summit of one of the neighboring moun- 
 tains and stay awhile. This he did ; and the air 
 was so pure and dry at that elevation, that he 
 very rapidly recovered. Leaving Badakshan, where 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. 57 
 
 the Venetians had much enjoyed their rest and 
 the hospitality of the monarch, they soon found 
 themselves passing along the banks of a wide and 
 swift river, the same that we now know as the 
 Oxus ; which, at the point that they reached it, 
 issued from a vast lake, fed by the eternal snows 
 of the surrounding eminences. 
 
 The river flowed in a vast and most picturesque 
 valley between two lofty ranges; and Marco was 
 fairly transported by the exceeding grandeur of the 
 river. Ascending then to the plateau beyond, the 
 travellers found themselves on a higher level than * 
 they had ever before reached, where the atmos- 
 phere was so rare that they actually found it 
 difficult to breathe. This was no other than the 
 famous Pamir Steppe, which extends, in a broad 
 tableland, for many miles between Turkistan and 
 Chinese Tartary. The views from this high alti- 
 tude were imposing in the extreme. In the dis- 
 tance rose the snowy summits of the Himalayas ; 
 while far below the travellers lay the sunny and 
 luxuriant valleys, creeping far under the moun- 
 tain shadows, in some of which was the birth-place 
 of that great Aryan tribe from which almost every 
 European nation has descended. 
 
58 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Many were the interesting sights that Marco 
 saw, as the party slowly wended its way over the 
 mighty steppe. There were sheep with horns 
 three or four feet long, out of which horns the 
 shepherds made knives and spoons. Every little 
 while, along the road, Marco saw piles of these 
 horns heaped up, and learned that they were 
 landmarks to guide the traveller on his way, when 
 the snows of winter concealed the road from 
 view. Marco was surprised to see no villages, or 
 even huts, on the great steppe , and found that 
 the shepherds, who were its only inhabitants, 
 dwelt in mountain caves. 
 
 Descending at last from the Pamir Steppe, the 
 party entered what was then the noble and 
 flourishing city of Samarcand. This place was 
 not many years after to be taken by the famous 
 Tartar warrior, Tim our Tamerlane, and to be 
 made the seat of his splendid empire in Central 
 Asia; and in our own day, the visitor to 
 Samarcand is taken to a mosque where, he 
 is told, repose Timour's remains. Marco was 
 greatly impressed with the wealth and splendor 
 of the city, its imposing temples and palaces, 
 and its bustling bazaars; but time was pass- 
 
TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. 59 
 
 ing, and the travellers were forced to hurry away 
 and continue their journey eastward. Beyond 
 Samarcand, they proceeded through fruitful 
 valleys and delightful scenes, across fields where 
 the cotton plant was growing luxuriantly, b> 
 orchards and vineyards, and through villages 
 where cloths of many kinds were being made. 
 They came to spots where they saw the people 
 searching, among the rocks and in the moun^ 
 tain sides, for rare jewels; and Marco saw the 
 men extracting rubies, jasper, and calcedony from 
 the hiding-places where nature had concealed 
 them. 
 
 So travelling, they came at last to a town on 
 the banks of a lake, called Lop. This town stood 
 on the borders of the great Gobi Desert, which 
 now alone separated the Polos from the western 
 confines of China; and before entering upon the 
 long tramp across this dreary waste, they resolved 
 to stay at Lop a week and rest. Meanwhile, 
 they made ample preparations for crossing the 
 great desert. It would take them a month, they 
 were told, to gain the other side; and they 
 therefore packed enough provisions to last them 
 that length of time. Happily, there was no 
 
60 MARCO POLO. 
 
 need that they should burden themselves with 
 water; for the desert, arid as it was, provided 
 streams that ran from the lofty ranges near by, 
 in sufficient abundance to supply all who crossed 
 its wide, expanse. 
 
MARCO POLO. 6l 
 
 CHAPTER V, 
 
 MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. 
 
 FTER passing across the great Gobi 
 Desert, where he endured many hardships, 
 and once came near being lost, by being 
 separated from his companions, Marco encoun- 
 tered a very different country and people from 
 those he had before seen. Before he had met 
 with Turcomans only ; for the most part fierce, 
 wandering tribes, given to plundering and mur- 
 der, and going from place to place, without any 
 settled home. Now he found himself among a 
 quiet, busy, and to a large degree civilized people, 
 the greater portion of whom seemed to be farmers, 
 devoted to the tilling of their fruitful and abund- 
 antly yielding lands. 
 
 Instead of the tall, large-featured, heavily- 
 bearded Turcomans, the people were short and 
 squat, with squinted eyes, high cheek bones, hair 
 
62 MARCO POLO. 
 
 braided in long queues behind, and a peculiar 
 
 yellow complexion. 
 
 They were, indeed, Chinese. Their loose cos- 
 tumes, their hats turned up at the brim, their 
 small shoes turned up at -the toes, their taste in 
 dress, marked them as a quite distinct race from 
 the inhabitants of the mountain regions Marco 
 had not long before traversed'. Instead of the 
 plain mosques, too, with their glaring white ex- 
 teriors, their bare interiors, and their big bulb- 
 like domes, Marco now saw gorgeous temples, 
 decked out both inside and out with the greatest 
 profusion of ornament, and containing huge idols 
 that fairly glittered with gilding and gems. The 
 towns, instead of consisting of low, plain buildings, 
 were full of variety and adornment in their archi- 
 tecture, and displayed the high degree to which 
 the arts had even then been carried by the 
 Chinese. 
 
 Everywhere the fields were aglow with rich 
 and plentiful crops. Marco could not but per- 
 ceive the air of home-like contentment that 
 everywhere prevailed, in contrast with the restless 
 and savage customs of the Turcomans ; and as he 
 passed through the Chinese villages towards 
 
MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. 63 
 
 evening, he was visibly reminded of home 
 when he saw the Chinese families cozily seated in 
 front of their doors, or in the little shaded balco- 
 nies over them, enjoying", after the day's labor, the 
 serenity and repose of the twilight hours, very 
 much as the Venetians were wont to do. 
 
 He was much struck by the great number of 
 temples and of monasteries which he saw as the 
 party penetrated the country. Instead of the 
 worship of Mohammed the Prophet, the people 
 were Buddhists, and paid their devotion to the 
 countless idols everywhere set up. Marco soon 
 learned a great deal about the manners and 
 habits of this race, which greatly excited his cu- 
 riosity. Every Chinese who had children was wont, 
 at a certain festival, to take them, with a sheep, to 
 one of the temples, where the sheep was cooked and 
 offered as a sacrifice to the chief idol. After the 
 meat had been left for some time at the feet of the 
 idol, it was taken away, and the man invited his 
 friends together to feast upon it. The bones were 
 then collected, and kept in the house with much 
 reverence and care. When a man or woman died 
 the body was burned. It was first carried to a sort 
 of pavilion, erected for the purpose, and placed 
 
64 MARCO POLO. 
 
 in it ; and then the friends brought wine and food, 
 and put it before the corpse. Arriving at the 
 funeral pyre, the mourners cut out of paper a num- 
 ber of little figures, representing men, horses, 
 camels and lions, which they threw upon the 
 flames as they enveloped the dead person ; be- 
 lieving that by so doing they insured their rela- 
 tion the possession of the realities thus represented, 
 in the other world. 
 
 One day, the Venetians arrived at a city called 
 Kamul, which struck Marco as a very gay and 
 lively place. The people here seemed to think of 
 nothing but having a perpetual good time. Their 
 main occupation was that of farming; but they 
 seemed to work very little, while their store- 
 houses were full to overflowing, and they evidently 
 had an abundance of good things. From morning 
 till night, while Marco staid at Kamul, he heard 
 nothing but sounds of music, singing, and danc- 
 ing. He was awakened by the playing of strange 
 loud musical instruments, and went to sleep with 
 their sounds still ringing in his ears. The people 
 were exceedingly hospitable, and vied with each 
 other to receive the strangers as their guests. 
 The master of the house where Marco lodged, 
 
MARCO POLO REACHES- CATHAY. 6$ 
 
 having seen to it that he was comfortably en- 
 sconced, went off to another house, leaving Marco 
 to do as he pleased, and for- the time master. 
 Marco could not fail to observe that the women 
 of Kamul were not only full of gayety and fond of 
 amusement, but were singularly handsome. Every 
 evening there were dancing and singing in the 
 open spaces in front of the houses, in which all 
 seemed to join with the heartiest gusto. 
 
 Marco found that sorcerers and magicians were 
 held in awe and high respect here, as in other 
 countries through which he had passed. The 
 Chinese sorcerers were very different looking 
 personages, however, from those he had so often 
 seen in Turkistan. They wore long moustaches, 
 that flowed down on their breasts ; but no beards 
 on their chins. Instead of long black gowns, 
 they appeared in tunics, blazoned all over with 
 the figures of dragons, dolphins and other fabu- 
 lous animals. They carried long wands, often of 
 silver or gold ; and on their heads they wore high 
 caps, richly fringed. Whenever a sorcerer passed 
 along the street, the people uncovered until he 
 had gone by. These mysterious men lived apart 
 from the rest of the world, often in monasteries 
 
66 MARCO POLO. 
 
 that stood on hills on the outskirts of the town ; 
 and it was the custom of the people, whenever 
 any special event occurred in their towns, such as 
 a birth, a death, a journey or a fire, to seek in 
 all haste their magicians to learn its significance 
 and bearing upon their lives. 
 
 The sorcerers, of course, charged a large round 
 sum for their prophecies ; and so were all rich, 
 and lived in much grandeur and luxury. As soon 
 as any one died, the sorcerer was applied to, and 
 informed of the exact date of the dead person's 
 death. He then went into his room and performed 
 a number of strange incantations ; after which he 
 was able to tell the relatives what day and hour 
 it would be lucky to bury the dead. He would 
 also inform them by what door the corpse should 
 be carried out of the house ; and sometimes told 
 them that it must be brought into the street 
 through a hole made in the wall, so as to give 
 good fortune to the living relatives. 
 
 Not far from Kamul, Marco and his party came 
 to a large mining district, where he had an oppor- 
 tunity to witness another instance of the skill and 
 intelligence of the Chinese. There were mines 
 gf copper and antimony* and also mines from 
 
MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. 6/ 
 
 which a very peculiar mineral, called asbestos, was 
 taken. The ore of this asbestos, it seems, was 
 taken from the mountains and broken up, and 
 then became a sort of stringy mass. It was dried 
 and crushed in a mortar, and then formed a rough, 
 strong thread. This thread was woven into cloth, 
 and being bleached by fire, became as white as 
 snow, and very strong. The idea of making a 
 cloth out of a mineral, dug from mountain gorges, 
 was a new and surprising one to our young trav- 
 eller. 
 
 As Marco advanced through the country, which 
 was that of Tangat, he observed that the temples 
 became larger and more magnificent, and that the 
 idols in them also increased in size and splendor 
 of decoration. He saw, at one of the more popu- 
 lous cities, idols ten or twelve feet high, of wood, 
 stone, and clay, completely covered with thick 
 plates of gold and ivory. In some of these tem- 
 ples, the priests, unlike those of other parts of 
 China, lived with great sobriety and even self- 
 denial. During one month in the year these 
 priests would not kill any animal, or even insect, 
 however small ; and in this month they only par- 
 took of flesh, and that of the plainest kind, once 
 
68 MARCO POLO. 
 
 in five days. The people of this region, on the 
 other hand, lived in a very gross and beastly way, 
 giving themselves up to self-indulgence and in- 
 dolence. The richer men had many wives, whom 
 they divorced as soon as they got sick of them ; 
 and often married their cousins and other near 
 relatives. They devoted a great deal of time to 
 eating, drinking and sleeping, and impressed 
 Marco as a much lower order of beings than the 
 other Chinese he had seen. 
 
 The travellers were about to resume their jour- 
 ney westward, when they heard news that greatly 
 disappointed them, and caused them to delay 
 their departure from Campicion, the chief town 
 of Tangat. This news was, that a great war had 
 broken out between two nations whose territories 
 were directly in their path to Cathay. Their way, 
 indeed, lay through the very region where the war 
 had already begun to rage. To attempt to reach 
 Cathay by any other road was impossible ; for the 
 countries north and south were unknown to their 
 guides, and they would probably get lost, or fall 
 into the hands of hostile races, if they tried an 
 unknown, roundabout road. 
 
 They were, therefore, forced to content them- 
 
MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. 69 
 
 selves with awaiting the return of peace at Cam- 
 picion ; an idea which was far from pleasant to 
 Marco, who did not think it an attractive place, 
 and was, moreover, very impatient to reach his 
 journey's end. He made the best of circumstances, 
 however, and finding that the war was likely to last 
 some time, resolved to spend the time of waiting 
 in making explorations in the neighboring regions. 
 He accordingly set out with a small company, and 
 made his way from place to place as best he 
 could, narrowly observing all the curious peoples 
 and customs that he encountered. 
 
 He soon founcl himself once more on the edge 
 of the great desert, and came to a large and 
 ancient city called Ezina, which was more than 
 half in ruins. He soon learned that it had once 
 been a thriving capital, and had been taken by 
 the famous Tartar warrior, Genghis Khan. Now it 
 was inhabited by a roving and sport-loving pop- 
 ulation, who only lived in it in summer, descend- 
 ing into the valleys and there dwelling in the 
 winter season. These people were much given 
 to the rearing of camels and horses, and were 
 exceedingly fond of hunting in the vast pine 
 forests that spread over the neighboring hills. 
 
yO MARCO POLO. 
 
 From Ezina Marco went to a still larger city of 
 Karakorum, which seemed to him at least three 
 miles in circumference, and which, as he heard, 
 had once been the capital of the Tartar conquer- 
 ors of China. It stood on a very picturesque 
 spot. A beautiful river flowed near its walls, on 
 the banks of which were numberless tents, occu- 
 pied by wandering Tartar tribes who preferred 
 this mode of life to dwelling in the city itself. 
 The mountains were not far off; and on many a 
 crag and spur Marco could espy the lordly cas- 
 tles where once had dwelt the proud Tartar 
 nobles. 
 
 It was at Karakorum that Marco for the first 
 time heard the wonderful story of the conquests 
 of Genghis Khan, the mighty Tartar chief whose 
 descendant, Kublai Khan, was then reigning in 
 Cathay. He listened with wrapt attention to 
 the accounts which some of the natives, whose 
 acquaintance he made, gave of the terrific battle 
 in which Genghis Khan had overthrown the 
 haughty tyrant, Prester John, and had himself 
 won sway over all the surrounding region. 
 Genghis Khan, it seemed, had asked Prester 
 John to give him his daughter to wife ; and 
 
MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. /I 
 
 Prester John had returned a haughty refusal. 
 "What is this Genghis Khan," Prester John had 
 exclaimed, " but my dog and slave ! Go and let 
 him know that I would burn my daughter to ashes 
 before I would give her to him. Tell him he is a dog 
 and a traitor !" Genghis Khan was beside himself 
 with rage when he heard thisinsulting message, and 
 swore that he would humble Prester John's pride 
 in the dust. He gathered in all haste a vast Tartar 
 army, and sent word to Prester John to defend 
 himself as best as he could. Then Genghis in- 
 vaded his foe's territory, and on the beautiful 
 plain of Tenduc met Prester John's forces in ter- 
 rible conflict. The battle raged furiously for two 
 days ; at the end of which the invader's victory 
 was complete. Prester John himself fell dead in 
 the midst of his host ; and Genghis Khan over- 
 ran his kingdom without resistance. Thus the 
 Tartars had come into the possession of all China, 
 from the great desert to the eastern seas ; and 
 everywhere, in the region where Marco now was, 
 he saw the vestiges of their wars and triumphs. 
 During his expeditions Marco saw and heard 
 much that was interesting about the Tartars. 
 He found that everywhere he went, they were 
 
J2 MARCO POLO. 
 
 in the habit of living on the sides of the moun- 
 tains in summer, and in the sunny and well- 
 watered valleys in the winter. They could move 
 their residence thus easily, as the tents they lived 
 in were made of felt, and being very light, could 
 readily be carried from place to place. They 
 were so superstitious that they always placed the 
 openings of their tents to the South, as to put 
 them in any other way was a bad omen. The 
 Tartar men did nothing but hunt and go to war; 
 their wives did all the home work, the trading, 
 and the cultivating of the fields. They lived 
 principally on milk and the game they brought 
 in from the forests and fields ; though sometimes 
 Marco found them feasting on the flesh of camels 
 and even dogs. 
 
 These Tartars had each many wives, but they 
 always held the wife they first married in the 
 highest esteem. Husbands and wives were strictly 
 faithful to each other, and a marriage was always 
 the occasion of a great deal of feasting and 
 merry-making. Each Tartar family had an idol 
 of its own, made, curiously enough, of cloth ; 
 and very queer-looking things, like rude dolls, 
 did these idols seem to Marco. The idol was 
 
.MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. ^3 
 
 placed in a little room apart, and by his side were 
 smaller idols, representing his wife and children. 
 Before the family ate, they smeared the idol's 
 mouth with some fat meat, and lay some pieces 
 of bread at his feet. 
 
 The richer Tartars, Marco observed, were often 
 very handsomely attired in robes of silk fringed 
 with gold, and in coats made of many beautiful 
 furs. The soldiers had clubs, swords, and bows 
 and arrows, in the use of the latter of which 
 they were very expert. When they went to war, 
 they wore heavy buffalo cloaks which served 
 as armor. 
 
 While Marco was away on one of his jaunts, 
 he one day received a message from his father, 
 saying that the war which had delayed them 
 was now over, and urging him to hasten back 
 to Campicion, that they might proceed on 
 their journey. He therefore hurried back, and as 
 soon as he had arrived, the party once more set 
 out. They had been detained at Campicion no 
 less than a year; no wonder that they were 
 tired of their long wanderings. 
 
 The travellers now passed through scenes 
 marked by the ravages of a ferocious war. In 
 
74 MARCO POLO. 
 
 some places the villages were entirely laid waste; 
 in others, half-burned cities betrayed the savage 
 nature of the contest. At last they emerged 
 again into a pleasant and thriving region, and 
 soon found themselves in the lovely plain of 
 Tenduc, where, long before, the great battle be- 
 tween Genghis Khan and Prester John had been 
 fought. Here Marco was surprised to learn that 
 most of the inhabitants were Christians ; and he 
 saw for himself that they were very industrious, 
 and were prosperous farmers and skilful artisans. 
 This was the country which, it was said, was 
 once upon a time ruled over by two mighty giants, 
 named Gog and Magog. Marco heard with de- 
 light that Tenduc was not many days' journey from 
 the place where at last, his eyes would be grati- 
 fied with the sight of Kublai, the great khan. 
 The travellers were already in Cathay, and the 
 end of their long wanderings was near. They 
 had learned that Kublai Khan was at his summer 
 palace at Shandu, in the northern part of his 
 dominions ; and they had accordingly directed 
 their course thither. Nicolo knew well that they 
 would be most warmly welcomed when they 
 came into the Tartar sovereign's presence ; 
 
MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. 75 
 
 for when he had been in Cathay before, he had 
 found it difficult to get away from the khan's 
 court. 
 
 As they approached the goal of their travels, 
 the Venetians passed through a more and more 
 thickly settled country, and larger and richer 
 cities ; until one morning they arrived at an im- 
 posing place called Cianganor, where were a 
 stately palace and a vast park belonging to the 
 khan. This was only a three day's journey from 
 Shandu ; and Nicolo resolved to stay here until 
 he had sent forward a messenger to Kublai Khan 
 to apprize him of their coming, and to receive 
 his reply. They had not long to wait ; for 
 within a week their messenger returned, with a 
 numerous and brilliant cavalcade which the khan 
 had dispatched to escort the Venetians to his 
 palace. At the same time, he sent word that 
 he was awaiting their arrival with great im- 
 patience. 
 
 No time was lost in setting out for Shandu, 
 the road to which lay through a smiling and 
 thickly settled country. On the third day, about 
 noon, they had arrived within sight of the vast 
 palace which served the khan as his summer 
 
j6 MARCO POLO. 
 
 residence, and beyond which stretched out, for 
 miles, the hunting grounds where he enjoyed the 
 rough pastimes of the chase. As the travellers 
 approached nearer, they perceived a great multi- 
 tude of horsemen coming towards them ; and 
 soon one of their escort exclaimed that the khan 
 himself was there. Marco eagerly strained his 
 eyes in the direction of those who were ap- 
 proaching ; and pretty soon was able to perceive 
 a huge elephant in the midst of the horsemen, 
 upon whose back appeared a glittering canopy of 
 silk and gold. It was indeed the khan, coming 
 out to welcome his guests. 
 
 As soon as he was near enough, the khan de- 
 scended from his elephant, and the Polos and their 
 party leaped from their horses upon the ground. 
 Nicolo, Maffeo and Marco advanced toward the 
 monarch with bowed heads, and fell at his feet. 
 Kublai gently raised the brothers, and warmly 
 embraced one, and then the other. 
 
 " Good Venetians," he said, " lam filled with 
 joy to see you. Welcome back to Cathay. You 
 have kept your promise to return, and I am grate- 
 ful to you. But who," he asked, turning to 
 Marco, " is this comely youth?" 
 
■ v ■ ■■ . ■ . .1 
 
MARCO FOLO REACHES CATHAY. *]7 
 
 "Sire," replied Nicolo. " He is your majesty's 
 servant, my son." 
 
 The khan looked at Marco from head to foot, 
 and advancing to him, smiled very pleasantly. 
 
 " Then," said he, " your son is also welcome. I 
 am much pleased with him." 
 
 Once more mounting, the three Polos rode by 
 the khan's side until they reached the palace. 
 That evening the khan gave a great feast in honor 
 of the travellers' arrival; and that night, the Polos 
 found themselves luxuriously lodged in some 
 of the best apartments ■ the imperial palace 
 afforded. 
 
78 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. 
 
 T had taken the Polos almost four long 
 years to reach the hunting grounds of the 
 great khan from Venice. Marco, who 
 was seventeen when he set out from home, was 
 now a tall and slender young man of twenty-one, 
 bronzed by the suns and hardships of many months, 
 and rejoicing in a slight moustache, which im- 
 parted a manly appearance to his features. 
 
 He had seen many strange sights in the lands 
 through which he had passed ; had witnessed 
 many singular peoples, gorgeous shows, and peril- 
 ous sports. But when he beheld the splendid es- 
 tablishment of Kublai Khan at Shandu,he thought 
 to himself that this far surpassed all that he had 
 before witnessed. Here, at the further end of 
 the world, at the remotest confines of Asia, was 
 a display of riches and magnificent luxury such 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. 79 
 
 as, probably, no European potentate, however 
 mighty, could maintain. 
 
 It was not long before he had ample opportuni- 
 ties to observe everything in the great summer 
 palace at Shandu and the vast hunting grounds, 
 stretching away for miles over forest, hill and dale, 
 which served as the scene of the hardy recrea- 
 tions of the Tartar monarch. Installed in the 
 palace, and finding himself surrounded on every 
 hand by its lavish decorations and its numberless 
 comforts, he eagerly scanned all the objects about 
 him. 
 
 The palace itself was a vast though not very 
 lofty edifice, constructed of marble, porphyry, 
 and other beautiful stones. It comprised long 
 series of spacious halls, and enclosed a number of 
 wide, sunny courts, in the midst of which rare 
 plants flourished and fountains forever played. 
 The walls of the apartments were painted with 
 figures of men, women, beasts and birds; and, 
 however rude these paintings seemed to Vene- 
 tians, accustomed to the most advanced art the 
 w r orld then knew, their colors were brilliant and 
 gorgeous, and they presented to Marco's eyes a 
 dazzling effect. They much resembled, indeed, 
 
80 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the pictures which we now see that come from 
 Japan. Between these pictures, the walls were 
 lavishly gilded, and shone wonderfully. In the 
 great hall was a raised dais, sheltered by a large 
 canopy of the richest cloth ; and upon the dais 
 was a gorgeous throne, which seemed ablaze with 
 gold, and upon which the khan sat when, as he 
 often did, he held his court at Shandu. 
 
 Besides this main palace there stood, in the 
 park beyond, another palace which was put up 
 when the khan went to Shandu, and was taken 
 down again when he departed from thence to his 
 southern capital. This building was quite as 
 large as the other, but was made of thick, long 
 canes, that grew plentifully in the neighboring 
 jungles. These were cut lengthwise from one 
 knot to the other, and formed the roof ; and the 
 structure was supported by stout silken cords. 
 It was, indeed, rather a kind of wooden tent than 
 a building, and was so arranged that it could be 
 taken apart and packed away ; and yet, when it 
 was set up, its walls appeared decorated with gay 
 pictures of hunting scenes, which were relieved by 
 broad stripes of gilt. The roof of the edifice was 
 so thickly varnished as to be perfectly water tight. 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. Ol 
 
 Surrounding these palaces were the vast hunt- 
 ing grounds devoted to the pastimes of the 
 khan and his pleasure-loving court. They were 
 enclosed by a wall which was no less than sixteen 
 miles around. The tract thus enclosed presented 
 the most attractive variety of Oriental scenery. 
 There were dense forests crowded with huge 
 trees, in which roamed not only stags, deer and 
 wild-goats, but lions, tigers, leopards and ele- 
 phants. There were enchanting dells, through 
 the midst of which flowed sparkling streams and 
 in which the hunters might rest and dine amid 
 their sport. There were broad spaces of lawn 
 and flower-garden, with many fountains playing 
 on the turf and flowers, and lovely groves that 
 gave grateful shelter from the blazing summer 
 sun of Tartary. There were delightful meadows, 
 stretching off from the slopes of verdant hills to 
 the borders of rivers, ponds and lakes ; and there 
 were carefully-tended parks where, in the open 
 air, the Tartar court held many of its solemn fes- 
 tivals and more joyous merry-makings. 
 
 But even all this did not suffice to content the 
 khan in his summer pleasures. Three days' 
 journey away there stood, at Cianganor, yet 
 
82 MARCO POLO. 
 
 another palace, whither he retreated when he 
 wearied of the delights of Shandu. This palace 
 was quite as large as the other two, and it had 
 the advantage of being situated on a very broad 
 and beautiful plain, and on.the borders of a charm- 
 ing lake. It was here that the khan found the 
 smaller game which it pleased him to hunt when 
 he had got tired of slaughtering tigers and wild- 
 goats; for the woods and lake-side about Cian- 
 ganor abounded in pheasants, partridges and 
 cranes. Marco, when he went with the khan 
 and his train to this retreat, was especially struck 
 with the cranes that he saw there. They were 
 far more beautiful in form and color than those 
 he had seen in Europe. Some were large, and of a 
 dense, glossy black ; others were white, with their 
 feathers " full of round gold eyes," like peacocks ; 
 yet others were red and black, and others, again, 
 were gray, with red and black heads. 
 
 Not far from this palace, in a little valley that 
 descended toward the lake, were a number 
 of small houses, where the khan kept large 
 flocks of partridges. When he went hunting at 
 Cianganor. he usually carried falcons and hawks 
 with him ; and many an exciting day did Marco 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. 83 
 
 spend there in the exciting sport of hawking. 
 
 Sometimes these royal hawking parties com- 
 prised an immense number of men, carrying 
 a perfect multitude of hawks and vultures. On 
 more than one occasion, when Marco attended 
 the khan, as many as ten thousand falconers 
 went along, carrying half that number of falcons. 
 When this army of sportsmen reached the hunt- 
 ing ground they dispersed themselves, by twos, 
 over a wide space. One of them, at one end, 
 would then let fly his falcon, which would be 
 watched by the others as it receded, and flew 
 for its prey; and it, with its prey, would be 
 caught by the attendant nearest where they came 
 in conflict. Each falcon had a silver label on its 
 feet, on which was engraved its name and that of 
 its owner; and thus, having done its work, it was 
 duly returned into the right hands again. 
 
 The great khan himself set out on these hawk- 
 ing expeditions in splendid array. He always 
 went with four enormous elephants, whose mag- 
 nificent trappings betrayed the imperial rank of 
 him they bore ; and on reaching the hunting 
 ground, he had a square tent, of gold cloth 
 and lions' skins, erected in a convenient place, 
 
84 MARCO POLO. 
 
 from an opening in which he witnessed and took 
 part in the sport. When the game was started 
 up, some of the falconers, riding to the royal 
 tent, would cry out, " Sire, the birds are passing ;'• 
 whereon the khan threw open the side of the 
 tent, let fly one of his favorite hawks, and then, 
 throwing himself back upon his luxurious couch, 
 watched the plunges- and whirlings of the birds in 
 the air, as the falcon swooped on its victims. 
 
 But exciting as was this sport, that which still 
 more fascinated Marco was the fiercer and more 
 dangerous hunting that he witnessed at Shandu. 
 There the khan possessed a most imposing 
 menagerie of wild beasts, which he used for at- 
 tacking the ferocious denizens of his forests. 
 
 Not far from the palace was a long line of low 
 buildings which, when Marco came to inspect 
 them, proved to be nothing less than enormous 
 cages. On peering within the massive bars, he 
 saw a number of wild animals. There were sleek 
 yellow and black-spotted leopards, pacing steathily 
 and watchfully up and down, and now and then 
 stopping and showing their sharp teeth ; there 
 were cunning looking lynxes, with their keen, 
 restless eyes; and in some of the cages were 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. 85 
 
 animals, the like of which Marco had never be- 
 fore seen. At first he took them for lions. He 
 had never seen a live lion, it is true, but he had 
 seen the bronze effigies of the lions of St. Marc, 
 which stood near the big cathedral at home, and 
 these animals appeared to resemble them. They 
 were not, however, lions, but tigers ; a beast not 
 then known in Europe. Marco gazed with in- 
 terest, not unmixed with terror, upon these 
 ferocious creatures, with their smooth striped skins 
 and their savage faces, with which he afterward 
 became familiar in the hunting field. In other 
 cages were stately eagles, sitting solemn and 
 still on their perches, and glaring steadily at their 
 visitor ; and in kennels near the cages were many 
 varieties of hunting dogs. Marco was soon to 
 learn that the khan took the tigers out hunting 
 with him and set them upon stags, wild oxen, 
 wild boars and wild goats ; and that the eagles 
 were used to hunt animals as large as foxes, 
 and even wolves. A fight between an eagle 
 and a wolf was one which aroused him to the 
 most intense excitement. It was with great in- 
 terest that, one day, he saw the khan mounted 
 and going to the hunt, with a sleek little leopard 
 
86 MARCO POLO. 
 
 squatted on the crupper of his horse, apparently 
 as tame and contented as possible. This leopard 
 the khan employed to run down and kill stags and 
 wild deer. 
 
 Nothing surprised Marco more than the great 
 establishment of dogs kept by the khan. Two of 
 his nobles, who were brothers, were the keepers of 
 the dogs ; and under them were no less than ten 
 thousand men, who took the dogs to the hunt. 
 These men were divided into two corps, one of 
 whom wore yellow costumes, and the other, blue; 
 and it was a grand sight to see this numerous 
 and brilliant company set out, on a sunny morn- 
 ing, with thousands of hounds and mastiffs, 
 growling and barking, leaping about, and when 
 let loose, running with the greatest speed, while 
 the trumpets sounded the calls, and the Tartar 
 monarch, mounted on his elephant, advanced in 
 the midst. 
 
 Besides his hunters, the khan had many pet 
 dogs of every breed, shape, size and color that 
 Asia afforded. Some of them had been brought 
 from the far north, from the bleak regions of Si- 
 beria ; and a few of them were European dogs, 
 such as Marco was already familiar with. These 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. Sy 
 
 dogs were highly trained, and the khan and his 
 court were often wont to spend long summer af- 
 ternoons lolling on couches, or stretched upon 
 the lawn, watching their funny antics. 
 
 Sometimes, when the khan went a considerable 
 distance from his palace in pursuit of the pleas- 
 ures of which he was fond, a large number of tents 
 was carried by his numerous attendants; and on 
 reaching a favorable spot, the tents were pitched 
 by some brawling river, or on a shaded plain, and 
 thus a canvas city suddenly made its appearance. 
 This " camping-out" of the Tartar court was on a 
 most elaborate scale. For the higher nobles an 
 enormous tent wa's spread, in which a thousand 
 men were lodged. The khan himself had a gor- 
 geous pavilion, sustained by columns of cedar 
 and other perfumed wood, and garnished, inside 
 and out, by a profusion of lions' and tigers' skins. 
 At the sides hung ermine and zibelline skins of 
 vast value, elaborately worked with great art and 
 skill. This royal tent, too, was supplied with 
 gilded and painted furniture of the most gaudy 
 description. Divans with huge silk-covered cush- 
 ions, beds into which one sank almost out of sight, 
 lounges and chairs of downy softness, hangings of 
 
88 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the heaviest texture and most brilliant colors, 
 enabled the khan to live in as luxurious comfort 
 in his pleasure camp as at his palace. 
 
 Around the royal tent were other smaller tents, 
 only less splendid than itself. Some of these 
 were occupied by his ladies, others by his astron- 
 omers, doctors and chief hunters, and still others 
 by his dogs and falcons. A strong guard was posted 
 night and day near the royal tent ; and in it, every 
 night, were held feasts in which every delicacy of 
 dish or fruit was partaken of, no matter how dis- 
 tant the camp might be from the nearest city. 
 
 All this was so new and strange to Marco, that 
 for the first few months of his stay with the khan 
 he did nothing but gaze and wonder. He seemed 
 to be in a new world ; to have been transported 
 from our globe to some distant planet, where 
 every scene and custom were wholly unfamiliar. 
 The khan, pleased with his appearance at first, 
 liked Marco more and more as he came to know 
 him better. He indulged the young Venetian in 
 many privileges from which even his own nobles 
 were excluded ; learned from him to speak Italian 
 pretty well ; and always insisted on his going with 
 the royal party on its expeditions. Marco might 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. 89 
 
 roam in the palace or through the hunting grounds 
 as he pleased ; the best that the palace afforded 
 was set before him when he dined or supped ; and 
 when he went abroad, he could, if he chose, call 
 a guard to attend and protect him. 
 
 Sometimes Marco, as well as his father and 
 uncle, was admitted to the royal table itself. The 
 first time that he enjoyed this privilege, he saw a 
 sight which deeply impressed him, and at first 
 completely deceived him. No sooner were the 
 khan and his company fairly seated, than the 
 magicians (who were solemn looking men, with 
 long beards and long black robes) rose and waved 
 their wands ; whereupon the cups of wine and 
 milk, intended for the khan, and which were on a 
 table apart, moved as of themselves, and placed 
 themselves before the monarch. . Marco found 
 that the Tartars, and even the khan himself, be- 
 lieved that. this was done by real magic; but he 
 soon suspected that the cups were moved by 
 mechanical contrivances, secretly arranged by the 
 magicians themselves. 
 
 The magicians of the court, indeed, greatly in- 
 terested Marco. They often dressed in more 
 splendid costumes than the nobles themselves ; 
 
90 MARCO POLO. 
 
 and they were not only magicians, but priests. 
 The religious festivals of the Tartars were held 
 very frequently, and were attended by much 
 pomp and ceremony. Fireworks, such as Marco 
 had never imagined, were let off at night ; and 
 troops of women filled the air with strange, wild 
 songs. The khan was always very anxious that 
 all due respect should be paid to his idols on 
 their feast days ; for the magicians threatened 
 him with* all sorts of misfortunes, as a result of 
 his neglect to celebrate these occasion and of 
 the wrath of the idols thereat. 
 
 Besides the magicians, there was a vast number 
 of monks in the vicinity of the imperial hunting 
 grounds, whose monasteries crowned the hills and 
 crags in every vicinity. Some of these monks 
 were married, and lived with their families in little 
 huts near the monasteries; but most of them, like 
 the European monks, remained unmarried. They 
 ate nothing but the boiled husks of corn, shaved 
 their heads and beards, wore a very coarse attire, 
 and slept either on rude mats or on the bare 
 ground. Marco was surprised to find an order of 
 men, in distant Cathay, so nearly resembling the 
 monks of his own country 
 
THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS. Cjl 
 
 Marco's first summer in Cathay, amid all these 
 scenes and excitements, passed very rapidly. The 
 month of August was fast drawing to an end ; and 
 from what he observed of the movements around 
 him, it was evident that the Tartar court would 
 soon leave Shandu, and proceed to the khan's 
 southern capital. He soon received confirmation 
 of this conjecture ; for, one day, the magicians an- 
 nounced to the khan that the 28th of August 
 was near, and reminded him that he must be 
 at Kambalu, his capital, on that day, " to sprinkle 
 the milk of the sacred mares." 
 
 On asking a young Tartar noble, who had been 
 very friendly to him, and of whom he had made 
 quite an intimate companion, what this meant, 
 the former replied : 
 
 "There is, in the south, a race of sacred mares 
 which are as white as the driven snow. Their 
 milk is also sacred, and must not be drunk by 
 any one who is not of imperial blood. It is said 
 to preserve life and to impart wisdom. Well, on 
 the 28th of August the great khan takes a large 
 quantity of this milk, and sprinkles it in the air, 
 in every direction. By his so doing the spirits 
 are able to drink in abundance of the sacred bev- 
 
92 MARCO POLO. 
 
 erage ; and in their gratitude to the khan, they 
 protect him and all things that are dear to him." 
 
 No sooner had the magicians announced the 
 approach of the time to sprinkle the sacred 
 milk, than the khan gave, orders to his court to 
 prepare for their return to Kambalu. All be- 
 came bustle and confusion in the palace and its 
 neighborhood. It was no small task to get ready 
 for a journey of several hundred miles, and to 
 provide, during its progress, for the luxurious 
 travelling of the monarch and his vast train of 
 nobles and ladies ; and thousands of servants 
 were busy night and day making the necessary 
 preparations. The khan meanwhile enjoyed for 
 the last times the hunting in his grounds, and 
 made the most of the brief interval that remained. 
 
 At last it was announced that everything had 
 been made ready for departure. Provision trains 
 and guards had started on ahead to post them- 
 selves at convenient distances on the route ; and 
 after a monster feast, in which all the great 
 people of the court took part, the khan set out 
 on his tour southward. 
 
MARCO POLO. 93 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. 
 
 T was a grand sight to see the vast multi- 
 tude of courtiers, soldiers, nobles, ladies, 
 and attendants, as it crowded the high- 
 way as far as eye could reach, and spread itself 
 out over the plain beyond Shandu. 
 
 As Marco gazed on the immense procession, 
 including thousands upon thousands of swarthy 
 Tartars, attired in every variety of gay and bril- 
 liant costume, it seemed to him as if a great city 
 of people were emptying itself, and had risen 
 bodily to move to a new site. On one side he 
 saw a long train of large elephants, so long that 
 he could not see the end of it in the distance ; 
 each elephant adorned with heavy embroidered 
 trappings and lofty palanquins, and some of 
 €^iem bearing huge bales of goods and provisions. 
 Near by was another train, composed entirely of 
 
94 MARCO POLO. 
 
 camels and dromedaries, which strode off in their 
 patient, sober way, bearing also their heavy- 
 burdens. 
 
 Of troops of horses, some mounted by the 
 fierce Tartar cavalry, with their long moustaches, 
 their rude helmets, their huge yataghans, and 
 their long, limber spears, others bearing packages, 
 others dragging heavy wagons, and yet others 
 strode by gorgeously dressed nobles, there seemed 
 to be no end ; in the midst of the great multi- 
 tude was the khan's corps of kennel-keepers, 
 holding dogs in the leash by the dozen ; and here 
 and there were to be seen the moving cages 
 containing the khan's big menagerie — his lions 
 and tigers, his leopards and foxes, his eagles, 
 hawks and falcons. * The din that arose from this 
 immense number of people was sometimes deaf- 
 ening. The departure was announced by much 
 blowing of shrill trumpets, and by the beating of 
 flat drums; and from the midst of the many 
 groups of women, the ladies and slaves of the 
 khan and his principal courtiers, proceeded the 
 wierd songs of Cathay, which had so startled 
 Marco when he first reached the khan's hunting 
 grounds. 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. 95 
 
 He wondered very much how it was that the 
 officers kept so innumerable a host in anything 
 like good order; for he observed that, in spite of 
 the apparent confusion, the vast caravanserai 
 advanced in regular sections, each body of men 
 and women keeping the place in the procession 
 in which it had set out. 
 
 In the very midst of his subjects, went, in mag- 
 nificent state, Kublai Khan himself. He was 
 perched on the back of an enormous white ele- 
 phant, down whose huge leathery sides hung dra- 
 peries of cloth of gold and silver, worked with the 
 symbols of the Buddhist faith in many dazzling 
 colors. Above these draperies appeared a splen- 
 did pavilion, supported by slender and beautifully 
 carved pillars of sandal-wood and other aromatic 
 woods. It was curtained in the richest silk ; above 
 it rose a little dome, plated with silver, and sur- 
 mounted by many brilliant plumes, that waved 
 and nodded high in the air. 
 
 Within the pavilion was a throne which was one 
 blaze of burnished gold, and which was supplied 
 with a large soft cushion, as large and soft as a 
 feather bed. Its arms were carved tiger's heads, 
 the eyes of the tigers being immense emeralds ; 
 
g6 MARCO POLO. 
 
 and upon this throne sat, or rather reclined, the 
 mighty monarch of Cathay. It was a fine oppor- 
 tunity to observe this famous warrior and king. 
 Of middle height and build, Kublai Khan's dark 
 complexion was yet clear and creamy, and on his 
 cheeks a faint flush lent a rich color to his ex- 
 pressive features. His form was perfect in its 
 proportions ; he seemed to have been cast in the 
 finest mould of men. He was at once lithe and 
 athletic ; strong of muscle, quick and nervous in 
 motion. 
 
 His large, dark eyes shone at once with energy 
 and kindliness ; his nose, not large and thick as 
 were those of most of his countrymen, was straight 
 and bold. His lips were thick and sensuous, but 
 beautifully outlined, and full of expression. A 
 short, shiny black beard, just tinged with gray, 
 depended from his round chin, and a narrow 
 black moustache adorned his upper lip. In his 
 ears hung long ear-rings of tear-shaped pearls, and 
 his robe and turban were of the heaviest and glos- 
 siest silk. 
 
 On a cushion, on one side of the khan, reposed 
 a beautiful young girl, one of the most recent and 
 well beloved of his many wives ; while on the 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. gj 
 
 other side of the throne, and chained to its leg, 
 sat a small but handsomely spotted leopard, the 
 khan's favorite pet. 
 
 All around the elephant that bore the khan, 
 were other elephants, which carried his wives and 
 principal courtiers, who were being constantly- 
 fanned by their dusky slaves with fans made of 
 peacock's feathers, and fastened to long poles that 
 reached from the ground to the palanquins on the 
 elephant's backs. 
 
 The journey from the imperial hunting grounds 
 to Kambalu, the capital of Cathay, occupied 
 several weeks ; for the two places were some 
 hundreds of miles apart. The khan and his cara- 
 vanserai went leisurely, for there was ample time 
 before them. They halted three or four times 
 each day, and timed their progress so as to reach 
 some large town at night-fall. No sooner did 
 they reach a town, than they found every prepara- 
 tion made to receive them. Vast tents were spread, 
 luxurious feasts loaded down long tables within 
 some of them, while in others beds were arranged 
 for the repose of all. The journey thus seemed 
 no hardship at all, but a delightful excursion. The 
 country through which Marco passed was, for the 
 
98 MARCO POLO. 
 
 most part, beautiful. Sometimes the caravanserai 
 passed across tedious deserts and plains, or rank 
 and dangerous jungles; but they usually found 
 themselves winding through lovely valleys, with 
 a rich vegetation all about-them, and wide spread- 
 ing trees that afforded a delicious shade from the 
 sun's rays. 
 
 As they approached Kambalu, one bright after- 
 noon, the whole population of the capital seemed 
 to empty itself out to receive them. There was 
 a commingling of two vast multitudes. Relatives 
 and friends greeted each other with the wildest 
 demonstrations of delight ; and as the khan passed 
 by, the people of the city prostrated themselves, 
 all along the road, in his august presence. 
 
 Nothing, thought Marco, could exceed the gran- 
 deur of the palace in which, by the invitation of 
 the khan, he now took up his quarters. That at 
 
 Shandu had amazed him ; but it seemed insignifl- 
 
 I 
 cant indeed, when he compared it with this noble ( 
 
 edifice, which was comprised in a square a mile, 
 
 on each side, and whose walls rose high above all 
 
 the surrounding houses. These walls themselves 
 
 supported buildings which, together, composed 
 
 a part of the imperial abode. 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. 99 
 
 At their four corners were spacious towers, in 
 which were kept the bows, arrows, yataghans and 
 spears, the bridles and saddles, the helmets and 
 breastplates which comprised the khan's imple- 
 ments of war. Midway between these were other 
 towers, which contained the enormous stores 
 needed for the support of the court. In the vast 
 space, a mile square, enclosed within the walls, 
 were several groups of spacious buildings, some 
 used for the wardrobes, others for the plate and 
 other movable articles; while in the midst of 
 these stood the imperial palace itself, its roof 
 rising high above the rest. 
 
 Marco found this palace, in its general appear- 
 ance, not unlike that at Shandu ; but far larger in 
 the size of its apartments, and far more magnifi- 
 cent in its decorations. The hall was reached by 
 a broad flight of porphyry steps ; and this room 
 was so long, that it held six thousand persons at 
 its banquet table. Its walls were fairly crusted 
 with gold and silver; and on them were emblaz- 
 oned enormous figures of dragons, horses, dol- 
 phins, tigers, suns and full moons. 
 
 The apartments within this palace seemed to 1 
 Marco fairly innumerable, and all the chambers 
 
IOO MARCO POLO. 
 
 were as gorgeously decorated as was the hall it- 
 self. The roof especially attracted his attention ; 
 for it was painted red, blue, and green, and so 
 thickly varnished that it glistened in the sun. 
 Quadrangle after quadrangle succeeded each 
 other, in the centre of which spurted fountains, 
 stood basins full of fish, and grew trees of rarest 
 bloom and verdure. 
 
 All the surroundings of the palace were fairly 
 delicious. Marco found, a large artificial lake a 
 few rods away, upon which barges so painted and 
 gilded as fairly to dazzle him, gayly floated. This 
 lake was alive with the greatest variety of fish, 
 which daily supplied the khan's table. Near the 
 lake rose an artificial hill, perhaps forty feet high, 
 even on every side, which the khan had had planted 
 completely over with evergreens that preserved 
 their soft and genial color the year round. This 
 was called "the green mountain," and on its sum- 
 mit was the prettiest pavilion imaginable, whence 
 a view of all the surrounding country might be 
 enjoyed. It was one of the khan's pet hobbies to 
 cover this eminence with the rarest trees, which he 
 caused to be brought thither from the remotest 
 parts of Tartary and planted. 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN IOI 
 
 " How my brother Maffeo and my uncle Marco 
 would wonder to see all this splendor!" mused 
 Marco. "When I get home, and tell them about 
 it, they will not believe me." 
 
 The palace stood on the banks of a river; and 
 it was on the other bank of this river that the city 
 of Kambalu (which means, "city of the khan") 
 stood. It was, Marco saw, a large city, some 
 twenty-four miles around, and built regularly in 
 squares ; and it stood on or near the site which 
 the great Chinese city of Pekin now occupies. It 
 was entirely surrounded by a thick and lofty 
 earthen wall, through which, on the several sides, 
 twelve gates gave admission to the streets. 
 
 On either side of these gates were square towers, 
 which were always filled with heavily-armed troops. 
 The streets were really broad, straight avenues, 
 and were lined with wide-spreading trees ; and 
 along them were to be seen many fine palaces and 
 temples. Marco saw a very high building in the 
 very centre of the city, on which was a steeple 
 containing a large bell. This bell, he learned, was 
 rung at nightfall three times ; this was a signal that 
 the great gates were closed, and that no one could 
 enter or go out of the city until the next day. 
 
102 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Kambalu was a very busy place. It was full 
 of rich merchants, who drove a thriving trade, and 
 its bazaars were every day crowded with eager 
 traders dealing in every imaginable kind of wares, 
 ^ame to the bazaar stalls precious 
 si : oii^ ana rich fabrics, and from the' Austral- 
 asian islands delicious spices and fruits ; while 
 
 -thay itself supplied them with an abundance of 
 food and cloths. The suburbs of the city 
 stretched away over the hills beyond the walls as 
 far as eye could reach on either side, and Marco's 
 head ached when he tried to guess how large the 
 population of Kambalu and its vicinity could be. 
 
 Marco had not long been at Kambalu, before 
 he learned that the khan had a large number of 
 wives. Of these four were held in higher honor 
 than the rest, and were called " Empresses." Each 
 of these empresses was entitled to take the khan's 
 name, and each had a. separate court of her own, 
 with a palace all to herself. Each empress was 
 attended by no less than ten thousand persons, 
 among whom were three hundred of the loveliest 
 maidens of Cathay. It was a great honor to be- 
 long to an empress's court, and all the young 
 girls of the country were anxious to be chosen 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. IO3 
 
 among this band. By his four empresses, the 
 khan had twenty-two sons, and by his other 
 wives, no less than twenty-five more; and this 
 numerous family lived, one and all, in the greatest 
 splendor and state. 
 
 The khan's court, as Marco had seen it at 
 Shandu, was as nothing compared with the court 
 he held at Kambalu. He was constantly guarded 
 by twelve thousand horsemen. After one body of 
 horsemen had served him three days and three 
 nights, they were replaced by another body of 
 the same number ; and wherever the khan went, 
 he was attended by this military array. 
 
 Marco marvelled at nothing more than at the 
 magnificent feasts which the khan gave on the 
 occasion of an imperial or religious festival. The 
 great banqueting hall of the palace served as the 
 scene of these feasts. At these times, the monarch 
 himself sat at a table at one end of the hall, 
 raised on a dais high above the rest, facing the 
 South. On his left sat his favorite wife, and on 
 his right, his sons and nephews. On a lower 
 platform were stationed the great nobles of the 
 state with their wives, and lower down still, on 
 the floor, were seated the lower dignitaries of 
 
104 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Kublai's court. In the very centre of the hall, 
 between the long rows of groaning tables, stood 
 an immense basin of solid gold, and on either 
 side two smaller ones, all filled to overflowing 
 with the choicest wine ; and from thence the at- 
 tendants took the beverage, in flagons, to the 
 feasters. 
 
 Two guards, of lofty stature, were stationed at 
 each door of the banqueting hall, with heavy 
 staves. These saw to it that no one who entered 
 or went out touched the threshold ; for this was 
 a serious offence in a royal apartment. 
 
 Marco observed that those who waited upon 
 the khan and his family, who were nobles of high 
 degree, had their mouths closely wrapped up in 
 silk and gold towels ; and soon learned that this 
 was to keep them from breathing upon the 
 dishes destined for the imperial palate. As soon 
 as the khan raised his goblet to drink, the 
 trumpets and drums made a great noise in every 
 part of the hall, and the nobles, leaving their 
 chairs, fell all at once on their knees and raised 
 their hands, in a sort of supplicating attitude, 
 above their heads ; and this happened every time 
 the khan quaffed his wine. 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. 105 
 
 While the feast was thus going forward in the 
 great hall, multitudes were eating and drinking to 
 their hearts' content in the smaller apartments 
 surrounding it. In all, it was said that forty 
 thousand people feasted at once within the palace 
 walls. Many of these were nobles or mer- 
 chants who came from distant parts of the em- 
 pire, and who had brought costly gifts to the 
 khan. 
 
 The eating and drinking over, the tables were 
 cleared and moved aside, the vast company 
 gathered in a semi-circle on the floor, a lofty 
 throne wae placed for the khan on the dais, and 
 forthwith in came a host of dancers, singers, 
 magicians, and jugglers; who, in the open space 
 below the monarch, entertained the multitude 
 with the exhibition of their various talents. 
 Marco was especially struck with the jugglers, 
 who performed seemingly impossible feats, and 
 tumbled about greatly to the risk, as he thought, 
 of breaking their necks. 
 
 Among the chief festivals that took place at 
 court, were those which celebrated the khan's 
 birthday, and the incoming of the new year, 
 which, in Cathay, began in February.; On his 
 
106 MARCO POLO. 
 
 birthday, the khan was wont to array himself in 
 a robe of beaten gold, and all his court wore their 
 most gorgeous apparel. The feast was preceded 
 by a solemn ceremony in the principal temple ; and 
 after this, presents were offered to the khan by a 
 multitude of his subjects, who came from every 
 part of the country ; and also by neighboring 
 princes. 
 
 A still more splendid festival was that, called 
 the " White Feast," which ushered in the new year. 
 On that day the entire population of the khan's 
 empire attired themselves in white, from head to 
 foot. It was customary on this occasion also to 
 offer gifts to the monarch ; indeed, these occa- 
 sions for making him presents came very often, 
 and served to enrich him beyond calculation. On 
 New Year's day, the presents usually consisted of 
 gold and silver ornaments, rare gems, and costly 
 white cloths, white horses, camels, and elephants, 
 these animals also bearing on their backs boxes 
 and packages of presents, and being habited in 
 the richest apparel. 
 
 The ceremony of receiving these offerings, and 
 of celebrating the day, was a most imposing one. 
 The khan and all his court repaired in splendid 
 
THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN. 10/ 
 
 attire to the great hall of the palace, and ranged 
 themselves in order of rank around the sides. As 
 soon as all had occupied their places, a high 
 priest advanced in the centre and said, in a loud 
 voice, " Kneel and adore !" whereupon all fell 
 upon their knees, struck their foreheads with 
 their hands, and turning to the khan, rendered 
 him homage as if he were a god. Then the crowd 
 advanced to an altar, where the priest poured out 
 incense in the khan's honor. 
 
 This ceremony over, the khan, followed by the 
 rest, went out upon the flight of steps leading up 
 to the principal portal of the palace ; and as he 
 stood there, beneath a glittering canopy, fanned by 
 peacock fans, and the centre of a dazzling galaxy of 
 silk and jewels, the elephants, camels and horses- 
 that bore his innumerable presents passed by in 
 slow procession. All the animals were taught 
 to kneel when they came opposite the khan ; 
 and it took several hours for the long train, bear- 
 ing its countless treasures, to pass. 
 
 After this the banquet took place ; and on New 
 Year's night, everyone at the khan's court felt at 
 liberty to become intoxicated, and to indulge 
 in such wild capers as the wine inspired them to 
 
108 MARCO POLO. 
 
 commit. The wine thus drunk was seasoned with 
 rice and rich spices, and was very strong. 
 
 At all these festivals and merry-makings, the 
 Polos were not only permitted to be present, but 
 were honored with places in the midst of the 
 nobles. The khan's favor, which was fully and 
 openly bestowed upon the Venetian strangers, 
 served to procure them the good will and friend- 
 ship of his courtiers. 
 
 All this while Marco was learning what seemed 
 to him the endless language of Cathay. He 
 found it a great deal harder than French, which 
 he had studied as a boy at home ; but in due 
 time he found that he could converse quite easily 
 with his Tartar companions, and heard every day 
 something new and strange about the land in 
 which he was sojourning. 
 
MARCO POLO. IO9 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. 
 
 EFORE Marco had lived in the khan's 
 palace a year, he had become quite used 
 to his novel surroundings ; and felt as much 
 at home as he could anywhere outside of his native 
 Italy. As soon as he learned the language so as 
 to talk readily, he learned a great deal that was 
 very curious about Cathay. He was never tired 
 of asking questions, and he found many learned 
 men about the court who were very willing to 
 satisfy his curiosity. 
 
 He had now thrown aside his Venetian attire, 
 and, like his father and uncle, wore the costume 
 which was imposed upon him by Tartar custom ; 
 and very oddly he looked, in loose tunic, small 
 turban, and turned-up shoes, his complexion being 
 many shades lighter than that of the dusky faces 
 around him. He had adopted, also, the Tartar 
 
riO MARCO ?Z-t,Q. 
 
 ways of living ; and instead of keeping himself 
 apart, made himself one among the courtiers. 
 
 The more he saw of Kublai Khan, and the more 
 he learned of his method of governing his vast 
 empire, the more ardently did he admire that ener- 
 getic and kindly monarch. He observed that 
 whenever there was a great storm, or flood, or 
 other calamity, the khan sent messengers into the 
 districts where it had occurred, to find out if the 
 crops had been destroyed ; and if they had been, 
 the khan not only relieved the sufferers of their 
 taxes for the year, but distributed food among 
 them out of his own abundant stores. 
 
 The khan, in times of plenty, always caused 
 his store-houses to be filled full of grain ; and 
 when a period of scarcity occurred, he ordered this 
 grain to be sold to the commonfolk at a third or 
 a fourth of its cost. The poor people of Kambalu 
 were constantly fed from the 'khan's generous 
 bounty ; even the humblest beggar was not turned 
 away empty from the palace doors. Not only 
 did the khan thus provide the hungry with food, 
 but the ragged with clothing. Of the silk, hemp, 
 and wool which he collected as a part of the trib- 
 utes due him, he caused cloths to be made in a 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. Ill 
 
 building within the palace walls ; and these cloths 
 were turned into comfortable garments, and given 
 freely to those who stood in need of them. The 
 good monarch also took care that there should be 
 spacious highways leading from every part of his 
 dominions to the capital. Nor was he content 
 with merely constructing these roads; he caused 
 them to be planted, on either side, with tall trees, 
 which served at once to afford the tired traveller 
 a grateful shade on his way, and to guide him 
 aright to his destination. When the soil was such 
 
 o 
 
 that trees could not be planted, the khan caused 
 mile-stones to be erected at convenient intervals. 
 On these highroads, at distances of five-and-twenty 
 miles, were stationed a kind of post houses, to 
 serve as resting-places both for the khan's mes- 
 sengers, and for travellers. These houses were 
 often spacious and luxuriously furnished, and 
 many horses were kept in the stables, so as to be 
 ready for use at any moment. 
 
 The khan, indeed, had no need to fear that his 
 treasure would ever become exhausted ; for he had 
 the power, and freely used it, to manufacture as 
 much money as he chose. This he did with the 
 rind beneath the bark of a certain tree. This was 
 
112 MARCO POLO. 
 
 cut up into small strips, and stamped with the royal 
 seal ; and thus the khan had an ample supply of 
 funds. This was, perhaps, the earliest known em- 
 ployment of paper money. It surprised Marco 
 very much to see the Tartars burning lumps of 
 " blackstone," instead of wood, in their fire-places ; 
 for he had never seen or heard of coal in Europe. 
 Nothing about the court was more interesting 
 to Marco than the many astrologers and magicians 
 whom he saw there, and who were held in high 
 honor by the khan and all his courtiers. These 
 grave men, who always wore very long beards and 
 had wise, solemn countenances, were supported at 
 the khan's expense, and were constantly engaged 
 in the exercise of their mysterious arts. They 
 studied the stars, and had many curious instru- 
 ments for this purpose ; and from the positions 
 and course of the heavenly bodies, they foretold 
 the weather and many other events. When they 
 made their prophecies, these were written down 
 on small tablets, and sold to all who wished to 
 peer into the future. When a noble courtier was 
 going to a distance, and desired to know whether 
 he would be overtaken by storms, or would suc- 
 ceed in the object of his journey, he went to an 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. II3 
 
 astrologer to be informed, and paid him roundly 
 for his service. 
 
 Marco often attended the religious rites in 
 the temples, and noted with curiosity the re- 
 ligious customs of the people. Each Tartar 
 had, he observed, a small tablet fixed in the 
 wall of one of his rooms, with the name of 
 Buddha engraved upon it in large letters. To 
 this tablet he and his family prayed every morn- 
 ing. They prostrated themselves on the ground, 
 raised their hands, frantically beat their foreheads, 
 and then burned incense in honor of their god. 
 On the floor below the tablet, stood a small statue 
 of an inferior god, who was supposed to have a 
 care of the earthly affairs of Buddha's worshippers, 
 and to whom prayers were offered for good 
 weather, full crops, and health. The Tartars 
 believed that as soon as a man died, his soul 
 inhabited a new body ; that a poor man who had 
 been good during this life, would be re-born a 
 gentleman, or perhaps a noble; but that on the 
 other hand a man of rank who had been wicked 
 would, after death, become a peasant, and after- 
 wards a dog or a wolf. 
 
 The more Marco saw of the Tartars the more 
 
114 MARCO POLO. 
 
 he respected and liked them. He was pleased 
 with their polite and gentle manners ; he was 
 attracted by their agreeable, smiling faces ; he 
 noticed with what cleanliness and care they ate ; 
 and he observed that children invariably treated 
 their parents with reverence and humility, and 
 that the punishment of a child who rebelled 
 against parental authority was very severe. 
 
 The khan was treated by his subjects with a 
 respect and awe which passed the bounds of 
 servility. When any one came within half a mile 
 of where the khan was, he at once assumed a 
 very sober face, advanced slowly and softly, and 
 talked in a subdued voice ; and on reaching the 
 portal of the palace, proceeded to produce from a 
 pocket a pair of soft leather buskins, with which 
 he replaced his shoes. On entering the royal 
 presence, he fell upon the carpet, and did not lift 
 his head until he had received the khan's permis- 
 sion to do so. 
 
 ' But the time was soon to come when Marco 
 must abandon the idle and luxurious life he had 
 so long led, and to engage in active and perilous 
 service for the khan. Everything about the court 
 and city had amused and interested him, and the 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. I I 5 
 
 days had passed quickly amid so many strange 
 scenes and so many brilliant shows and attrac- 
 tions. He could scarcely believe in the rapid 
 passage of time ; and he almost forgot that his 
 presence in Cathay was for more serious purposes 
 than to saunter and dream among those beauti- 
 ful and bewildering surroundings. Yet, when the 
 moment arrived for him to arouse himself, to 
 enter upon active pursuits, and do something to 
 show his gratitude for all the khan's generosity, 
 hospitality and kindness, he was by no means 
 sorry; for Marco had an adventurous disposition, 
 and was happiest when engaged in some stirring 
 task. 
 
 One afternoon, when he was lolling in his 
 apartment, an attendant entered and summoned 
 Marco into the khan's presence. Kublai was re- 
 posing by a fountain in one of the shady court- 
 yards of the palace. Dark-visaged slaves were 
 fanning him with peacock fans, as the monarch 
 reclined on soft pillows, and quaffed, every now 
 and then, a cooling beverage from a golden 
 goblet. By his side lay, in languid attitude, two 
 of his beautiful young wives, attired in light but 
 exceedingly rich costumes, their ears, necks and 
 
Il6 MARCO POLO. 
 
 arms sparkling with many gems. Around the 
 khan stood a group of courtiers and attendants ; 
 while in the corners of the courtyard, gigantic 
 and fierce-featured guards watched over his safety. 
 
 Marco approached and made the usual humble 
 obeisance to the monarch. Kublai, raising him- 
 self on his elbow, motioned to Marco to come 
 nearer and stand by him ; for he said he had 
 something to say to him. 
 
 "Venetian," began Kublai, "I have made you 
 very welcome at my court, and have found 
 pleasure in your presence. Your countenance 
 was agreeable to my eyes when I first saw you ; 
 and since, your conduct has been such as to win 
 my confidence and esteem. I trust you, and be- 
 lieve that you are devoted to me. Is it not so ?" 
 
 Marco replied that he longed for an occasion 
 to show the khan how grateful he was for all that 
 the khan had done for him. 
 
 "Such an occasion has now arisen," continued 
 the khan. " There is grave business to be done 
 in my western and southern provinces. They are 
 disturbed, and the people do not understand my 
 fatherly care over them. I must send thither some 
 one who will reason with them, and explain my 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. W/ 
 
 proceedings ; who will persuade them to be sub- 
 missive, and assure them that they may be certain 
 of justice and protection. This task, Venetian, 
 I have marked out for you." 
 
 " Nothing," declared Marco, "would please me 
 better than to undertake it. I thank your majesty 
 for the confidence you thus repose in me." 
 
 "Your journey will be long, and it may be 
 perilous. My subjects in those distant portions 
 of my empire are not easily governed. Some- 
 times they break out into rebellion. Besides, the 
 mountains are full of robbers, who dare to attack 
 even my royal messengers. But you are a brave 
 and active youth, and danger has no terrors for 
 you. You shall go well guarded ; I shall give 
 orders that you are attended as the chosen envoy 
 of the great khan should be." 
 
 Marco was far from dismayed by the prospect 
 before him. Now that it was decided upon, he 
 became impatient to enter on his travels, and en- 
 counter the possible perils of which the khan 
 had spoken. His father was at first loth to 
 have him go. He feared lest he should never 
 see his young son again. But Nicolo knew that 
 Kublai Khan's will was law; and that, however 
 
Il8 MARCO POLO. 
 
 kind he might be on ordinary occasions, he was 
 very resolute that his will, when expressed, 
 should be obeyed at once, and without a mur- 
 mur. 
 
 In no long time the preparations for Marco's 
 setting out were complete. He was to be .at- 
 tended by a considerable guard of soldiers, 
 armed to the teeth : and also by a large train of 
 attendants, as an indication of his rank and his 
 position near the khan. 
 
 The day of departure came ; and Marco, arrayed 
 in Tartar costume, his belt well armed with sword 
 and daggers, and his horse fresh and sleek from the 
 royal stables, bade the khan adieu in the midst 
 of his court. He received his last instructions 
 from one of the principal ministers, and then 
 retired to his father's apartment to embrace 
 Nicolo and Maffeo for the last time. This touch- 
 ing interview over, he mounted his horse, and 
 accompanied by his guard and attendants, emerged 
 from the palace gate, crossed the river, and 
 wended his way leisurely through the spacious 
 avenues of Kambalu. 
 
 Soon the open country beyond the suburbs was 
 reached, and now Marco pushed forward more 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. I 10, 
 
 rapidly. When he had gone about ten miles he 
 came to a river, much wider and more rapid than 
 that which flowed beneath the palace wall. On 
 approaching the banks, he espied before him the 
 finest bridge he had ever seen. It was built of 
 stone, and had four-and-twenty arches supported 
 by massive piers imbedded in the stream. At 
 one end was a lofty column of marble, around the 
 foot of which were several skilfully carved 
 figures of lions. As he rode across the bridge, 
 Marco found that ten horsemen could easily go 
 abreast upon it. In spite of all that he had al- 
 ready seen in Cathay, Marco was surprised to find 
 there as splendid a work of art as this bridge really 
 was. 
 
 Continuing his journey, Marco found himself 
 passing through a rich and thriving country, the 
 soil 'of which was fruitful, the landscapes charm- 
 ing, and the people industrious and busy. He 
 reached towns and villages all alive with bazaars, 
 and silk and linen factories ; he passed broad 
 fields of waving grain, and beneath avenues of 
 trees which stretched far away over the hills. 
 On eminences here and there he espied quite 
 stately castles, guarded by towers and high walls, 
 
120 MARCO POLO. 
 
 just as were the castles he used to see about 
 Venice ; and vineyards crept up the slopes to 
 their foundations. Once in a while Marco came 
 upon very large cities, teeming with dense popu- 
 lations, and all alive with manufacture and trade ; 
 processions of camels and carts going in and out 
 the lofty gateways, and many temples rising 
 high above the mass of dwellings. In the bazaars 
 great fairs were being held ; and Marco could 
 not but remark how intelligent and shrewd this 
 race of Tartar merchants seemed. He seized 
 every occasion to talk both with merchants and 
 the native soothsayers, and with the landlords of 
 the inns where he sojourned. He heard accounts 
 of the country through which he was passing, the 
 manners and customs of the people, and, as well, 
 many anecdotes of the events which had taken 
 place in the various neighborhoods. 
 
 One afternoon he stopped at a large town called 
 Pianfu, and was enjoying his ease after supper 
 and talking with one of the local gossips. On a 
 hill some two miles distant he observed a very- 
 spacious and hoary castle. He asked his com. 
 panion what castle it was. 
 
 " That is the castle of Cayafu," was the reply 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. 121 
 
 "and there is an interesting story about a good 
 king who once dwelt there." 
 
 Marco was fond of listening to the stories with 
 which all Tartar minds seemed stored, and begged 
 his companion to tell that of Cayafu. 
 
 "A long time ago," said the native, "the 
 king of this region, whose name was Dor, had a 
 war with the famous Prester John. The country 
 was invaded by Prester John, but Dor so stoutly 
 entrenched himself that his enemy could not get 
 at him. Prester John was exceedingly vexed, 
 for he supposed that it would be the easiest 
 matter in the world to conquer Dor; and did not 
 know what to do. Seven of his servants, seeing 
 their master's anger, went to him and told him 
 that, if he chose, they would bring Dor into his 
 tent alive. Prester John listened to them incred- 
 ulously, but gave them permission to attempt 
 the feat which they proposed. They disguised 
 themselves and got access to Dor's camp. Pre- 
 senting themselves before the king, they offered 
 him their services. Dor received them with a 
 hearty welcome, and gave them posts imme- 
 diately about his person. He soon became at- 
 tached to them, and learned to trust them com- 
 
122 MARCO POLO. 
 
 pletely. The traitors watched and waited for 
 their opportunity. After a while, it came. Dor set 
 out one day on a short excursion beyond his 
 camp ; and with him went these seven men. The 
 party crossed a wide river and entered a dense 
 forest. Perceiving that the king was now sepa- 
 rated from the main body of his followers, the 
 villains fell upon the few that remained, stretched 
 one after another dead on the ground, and rudely 
 seized their benefactor. 
 
 "'What means this, my children?' exclaimed 
 Dor, amazed. 'What would you do with me? 
 How have I offended you?' 
 
 " ' We are going to take you to our master — 
 Prester John !' 
 
 " Dor, on hearing this, covered his face with his 
 hands and exclaimed: 'How have I been de- 
 ceived ! Why, my children, have I not welcomed 
 and honored you like brothers? And will you, 
 like traitors, give me up to my bitterest foe ?' 
 
 They said nothing in reply, but putting him 
 bound upon a horse, hurriedly cleared the forest, 
 and galloped to Prester John's camp as fast as 
 they could go. Prester John was as surprised as 
 he was delighted to see his enemy in his power 
 
MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS. 123 
 
 at last. Turning to him roughly, he exclaimed : 
 
 "'Well, you are caught at last. Now confess 
 that you are not equal to making war with me.' 
 
 "Dor bowed with humility and replied: 
 
 1 " I know well, sire, that I am not as strong as 
 you. I repent of having taken up arms against 
 you, and in future I will act as your faithful friend.' 
 
 " Prester John, though a stout warrior, was not 
 obdurate of heart. On hearing these gentle words 
 fall from his royal prisoner's lips, he arose and 
 embraced him. 
 
 " ' Be of good cheer, brother,' said he ; ' I will 
 not humiliate you any further, but will give you 
 my esteem and friendship.' 
 
 "Whereupon Prester John provided Dor with a 
 splendid escort of cavalry, and after having 
 feasted him in a manner worthy of a king, sent 
 him rejoicing back to the castle of Cayafu. From 
 that time Dor and Prester John were the best of 
 friends, and fought side by side in many a furious 
 battle with their common foes." 
 
 Marco was deeply interested in this story, and 
 thought it sounded very much like the stories of 
 what sometimes had happened to European 
 kings. 
 
124 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 
 
 FTER leaving Pianfu Marco travelled 
 steadily westward, always seeing some- 
 thing new and curious that deeply im- 
 pressed itself on his memory. He was surprised 
 at the great size of many of the rivers he crossed, 
 some of which far exceeded in width any he 
 had ever seen in Europe, and which could not be 
 spanned by bridges. When he came to such a 
 stream, he and his train were transported to the 
 further bank on large rafts and barges. 
 
 He was especially struck, too, by the size, num- 
 bers and splendid plumage of the birds which 
 peopled the Tartar forests, and the plenteous and 
 luscious fruit that grew in the river valleys. 
 Sometimes his road led by zig-zags to the sum- 
 mits of lofty mountains, whence he had fine 
 views of all the country round, and where were 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 125 
 
 spacious inns and royal houses wherein he rested. 
 One bridge that he crossed was constructed 
 wholly of marble, and upon it were long ranges of 
 shops, where a lively trade was going on. This 
 much reminded him of the Rialto, at home in 
 Venice. 
 
 At last, after travelling many weeks, he reached 
 the important province of Thibet. As he crossed 
 the borders of this country, he found himself, con- 
 stantly in danger from the bold and barbarous 
 brigands that found safe retreats in its mountain 
 fastnesses. More than once Marco and his com- 
 panions had to fight these fierce robbers for their 
 lives. As an envoy of the khan, Marco would 
 have been a rich prize ; and the treasure he car- 
 ried with him, to be given as presents to the 
 vassal kings of the khan, would have been no 
 despicable booty. But every time that he en- 
 countered the Thibet robbers he repulsed them, 
 and got off with a few slight wounds which soon 
 healed. 
 
 Marco was very much struck with the wealth 
 and rich productions as well as the picturesque 
 aspect of Thibet. He found gold very plenty, so 
 plenty that many of the commonest people wore 
 
126 MARCO POLO. 
 
 golden ornaments on their arms and around their 
 necks. Cinnamon was one of the most valuable 
 resources of the country ; and the women dis- 
 played a great deal of coral on their persons. 
 Thibet was full of wizards and astrologers ; but 
 Marco thought them, unlike those of Kambalu, 
 wicked men, who served rather the devil than 
 mankind. 
 
 He saw many very large dogs in the country, 
 which seemed to him as big as donkeys, and 
 which were excellent hunters ; and he was amazed 
 at the height to which the canes grew in the jun- 
 gles. These canes were used by caravans who 
 passed through the jungles at night, to make fires 
 with, and thus to keep off the lions, tigers, and bears 
 that prowled in the dark, dismal swamps. 
 ; There was a long tract of country in Thibet 
 which was uninhabited ; and Marco and his com- 
 panions were obliged to take enough food with 
 them to last until they had crossed this tract. 
 Every night they camped in the dreary solitude, 
 making great roaring fires of the gigantic canes. 
 On reaching the limit of this waste, Marco found 
 a country that was inhabited, indeed, but by a 
 degraded and wicked people, who robbed every 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 12/ 
 
 one who came into their neighborhood without 
 scruple, and lived on the fruits and on what game 
 they could procure in the woods. They used 
 lumps of salt as money, and clad themselves in 
 the skins of wild beasts and in the coarsest 
 cloths. Marco saw cinnamon, cloves, and ginger 
 growing in this region, and examined them with 
 eager curiosity. 
 
 On crossing the wide river which formed the 
 frontier of Thibet, Marco reached a kingdom 
 ruled over by one of the great khan's sons. Here 
 again he saw plenty and prosperity, noble castles 
 and thriving cities. He paid a visit to the king, 
 the khan's son, from whom he received a very 
 gracious welcome, and who entertained him with 
 much honor in his palace. 
 
 Marco was glad to once more find himself in 
 a land which appeared thrifty and civilized. The 
 people seemed to him more like those of Kambalu 
 than any he had seen ; and he narrowly observed 
 their various customs and industries. He saw 
 a great deal of grain and rice growing, and 
 noticed that here the money was made of a kind 
 o£ porcelain, taken from the sea. Vast quantities 
 of salt were dug from pits near the principal 
 
128 MARCO POLO. 
 
 city; and not far off there was a great lake, a 
 hundred miles long, from which an abundance of 
 fish of many kinds were taken. The people ate 
 their meat and fish raw, in garlic sauce. 
 
 While Marco was in this country, he enjoyed 
 a strange sort of sport— that of snake-hunting. 
 It appeared that the region abounded in huge 
 reptiles, some of them twenty or more feet long, 
 with heads shaped like a loaf of bread, and big 
 mouths wide enough to swallow a man. These 
 snakes lay, in the daytime, in underground caves, 
 where it was dark and slimy ; crawling forth at 
 night in search of prey, and to drink in the rivers 
 and ponds. They thus made long tracks in the 
 sand. 
 
 Marco set out, late one afternoon, with a 
 party of snake-hunters, and soon came to a place 
 where these tracks were visible. 
 
 Some of the natives at once set to work, fixed 
 a kind of trap across the tracks, and covered it 
 all over with sand. They then lay in wait till a 
 snake should squirm out of his cavern, and make 
 his way toward the neighboring river. Presently 
 one was seen, slipping rapidly along through the 
 sand, straight towards the spot where the trap 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 120, 
 
 was concealed. In another moment the trap had 
 caught his huge body. The snake's head rose 
 high in air, his fangs shot out, and a sharp hissing 
 noise was heard. The natives rushed up, and 
 found that the teeth of the trap had nearly 
 severed the reptile in two ; and a few blows soon 
 settled him. The party returned in triumph, and 
 Marco was delighted to have seen so novel a 
 sport. 
 
 The huge snake's gall bladder was taken out ; 
 and, on asking why this was done, Marco learned 
 that it was an infallible remedy for the bite of a 
 mad dog. The snake's body was then cut up, 
 and sold for food ; the people regarding it as a 
 very delicate and palatable dish. 
 
 Marco saw in this land many magnificent 
 horses, in which the people took great pride. 
 The men were very skilful horsemen, and always 
 went to the hunt or to battle astride of their 
 steeds. Marco was very much pleased wnen, on 
 parting from the king, the latter presented him 
 with several of the finest of these horses. 
 
 The next province which Marco reached seemed 
 to him a very curious place, so strange were the 
 manners and customs of its people. He per- 
 
I30 MARCO POLO. 
 
 ceived that the first man and woman whom he 
 met on the road had their teeth completely 
 covered with plates of gold ; and he soon found 
 that this was the general custom. The money 
 of this people consisted both of porcelain, gold, 
 and silver. They had no idols or temples, but 
 each family worshipped its chief as a god. Nor 
 did they have any doctors ; but when any one 
 was ill, they sent for a magician, who performed 
 incantations over the invalid, and danced about 
 and howled in the most dismal manner. 
 
 Their way of making a bargain struck Marco 
 as singular. The two traders cut a piece of wood 
 into two equal halves, and each took one of the 
 halves ; and after the bargain had been completed, 
 and the money paid over, he who paid the money 
 also delivered up his piece of the wood. Another 
 strange custom was this. When a woman had 
 given birth to a child, instead of remaining in bed 
 and tending it, her husband took her place, while 
 she went about her household work; and the 
 man staid in bed with the child forty days, at the 
 end of which period he rose, and entertained his 
 relatives and friends with a bounteous feast. 
 
 From this place, which was situated high among 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. I3I 
 
 the mountains, Marco began what was called " the 
 great descent." He went down hill for nearly 
 three days, descending from the mountains into 
 the valley below. This valley had scarcely a 
 human habitation. It was nearly covered with 
 dense forests, where roamed elephants, leopards, 
 and rhinoceroses, at will. To cross these forests 
 was a perilous task ; happily a good road led 
 through them, and Marco found convenient open- 
 ings at night where to fix his camp. 
 
 But often, as he lay on his rude bed made of 
 branches, while the flames of the big fire his at- 
 tendants had built flickered through the opening 
 of his tent, he heard the terrible roar of the wild 
 beasts, which seemed only a few feet off. He half 
 expected to feel their hot breath against his 
 cheek, and their teeth burying themselves in his 
 flesh. The fires proved, however, an effectual 
 defence ; and ere many days the party emerged 
 safe and sound from the depths of the dreadful 
 forest into the open country again. 
 
 Marco was delighted to find, just beyond, a fine 
 and populous city, where he could see the faces 
 of men once more, and repose in a comfortable 
 bed. The most remarkable thing he observed in 
 
132 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the city was a magnificent tomb, erected in honor 
 of one of its kings. Above the tomb were two 
 towers, twenty feet high, one "of silver, and the 
 other of gold ; at their summits were round 
 cupolas hung with golden bells, which tinkled 
 merrily whenever they were stirred by the breeze. 
 The further Marco penetrated to the westward, 
 the more numerous and dangerous did he find the 
 wild beasts that infested the country. But 
 wherever they were most to be dreaded, the 
 natives were most skilful in hunting and destroy- 
 ing them. In one place Marco saw a lion-hunt 
 which greatly excited him. The party went out 
 on horseback, carrying a pack of large, ferocious, 
 but well-trained dogs. As soon as they found 
 a lion, prowling and roaring on the edge of the 
 jungle, the dogs were unleashed, and rushed for 
 the lion with loud, fierce barks. Dodging around 
 his shaggy head, they quick as lightning pounced 
 upon his hind legs and thighs, into which they 
 fixed their long sharp teeth. The lion whirled 
 around to seize them ; but the dogs were always 
 too quick for him, and kept their grip grimly on 
 the hind parts of his body. Then the lion ran 
 howling to a large tree, against which he set his 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 1 33 
 
 back. But this was of no avail, for the dogs kept 
 their hold, and made him keep turning round and 
 round in a circle. Meanwhile the hunters pierced 
 him through and through with arrows and javel- 
 ins in front, until he fell dead at their feet. 
 
 In course of time Marco came to the vast city 
 of Nankin, which is to-day second in size to the 
 Chinese capital of Pekin. He found it a very 
 busy place, all alive with manufactures, and the 
 country round about exceedingly fruitful. He 
 did not stay at Nankin long, however, but pressed 
 on still westward. 
 
 All this time he was faithfully fulfilling the 
 errand with which Kublai Khan entrusted him. 
 Whenever he reached a province where it was 
 necessary to reconcile the chiefs or the people to 
 the khan, Marco used his persuasions, accom- 
 panied by lavish presents ; and he so favorably 
 impressed the chiefs everywhere, that he was 
 usually successful in his aim. Now and then he 
 found a province which could not be persuaded 
 to yield to the khan's wishes; and such places 
 Marco left to be subdued by force of arms. 
 
 Marco had not for many a long month set eyes 
 upon the sea ; and born, as he had been, on the sea 
 
134 MARCO POLO. 
 
 coast, he had always been fond of the briny deep. 
 He was much rejoiced, therefore, when in the 
 course of his wanderings he reached one of the 
 Tartar sea-ports, and could gaze out once more 
 over the expanse of waters. This port was a very 
 thriving one ; Marco thought there must have 
 been no less than five thousand craft in its harbor ; 
 certainly there was a perfect forest of lateen sails 
 and curious sloops and brigs. It was at the mouth 
 of a very broad and deep river, whose waters were 
 in their turn fairly covered with vessels of all kinds, 
 which were drawn through the water with ropes 
 made of a limber sort of cane. 
 
 Not long after leaving this seaport and pro- 
 ceeding inland again, Marco came to a city the 
 size and beauty of which, although he had already 
 seen many beautiful cities, fairly astonished him. 
 This was called Kinsai, or the chief city, and was 
 the same place as that now called Hang-chou- 
 fou. He was told, and could almost believe it, 
 that the walls around Kinsai were no less than 
 one hundred miles in circumference ; as he neared 
 the gates, the buildings stretched out on every 
 side as far as the eye could reach, presenting the 
 same idea of vastness which London now does to 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 13$ 
 
 the eyes of the approaching traveller. He found 
 it harder to believe that there were at least twelve 
 thousand bridges within the limits of the city, all 
 built of stone, beneath many of which ships of 
 the largest size could pass. 
 
 As he passed through the streets of Kinsai, he 
 wondered more and more at the great wealth and 
 extreme beauty and activity of the place. Many 
 trades were evidently pursued there ; for great 
 warehouses and factories covered block after 
 block, and long lines of bazaars bordered the side- 
 walks, or ran though the centre of the broad 
 avenues ; while palatial residences, belonging to 
 the merchants, crowned the hills above the busi- 
 ness quarter. 
 
 Marco, a comely young man of twenty-three or 
 four, could not fail to remark that the women of 
 Kinsai were " of angelic beauty," and that in their 
 apparel they were as elegant and showy as the 
 ladies of the European courts. The men were 
 tall and stalwart, and full of vigor and enterprise 
 in their movements. The streets, in whatever 
 direction Marco turned, were well paved with 
 large stones ; and he observed, at brief intervals, 
 large square buildings which, he learned, were the 
 
I36 MARCO POLO. 
 
 public baths. Of these he was told there were 
 no less than four thousand in the city, in each of 
 which a hundred people could bathe at once ; and 
 now Marco was at no loss to account for the 
 very neat appearance that all the natives made. 
 Marco had the curiosity, one day soon after reach- 
 ing Kinsai, to go into one of these large bath- 
 houses. He found a wide square pool of clear, 
 cold water in the centre, with broad flights of 
 stone steps leading down into it ; and there was 
 a crowd of forty or fifty men, women and children, 
 of all ages and sizes, with only a cloth band 
 about their waists, floundering about in the water, 
 and evidently much enjoying themselves. 
 
 In the very centre of the city Marco found the 
 royal palace, which had been occupied by the an- 
 cient kings of the country before it was con- 
 quered by Kublai Khan. It was scarcely less 
 magnificent than Kublai's palace itself. Like the 
 latter, it was surrounded by vast, high walls; 
 and between these walls were orchards, lawns, 
 parks, sparkling fountains, glossy little lakes, and 
 artifical hillocks thickly planted with rare trees 
 and shrubs. The great hall of the palace was 
 decorated in gold and azure, and covered with 
 
TRAVELS IN CATHAY. I37 
 
 pictures of beasts, birds, knights, beautiful women, 
 and enchanting landscapes. Other buildings 
 stood around the palace, and in all, Marco was 
 told, there was ample room to seat ten thousand 
 men at table. In the palace were no less than 
 one thousand bed chambers. 
 
 Not far from this right royal edifice was a high 
 mound, on which was placed a large wooden 
 table ; and upon this, when there was a fire in 
 any part of the city, a man struck heavy blows 
 with a hammer, which resounded sharply to a con- 
 siderable distance. In another part of the city 
 was a large stone tower, whither people whose 
 houses were on fire carried their household effects 
 for safe-keeping, until they could procure a new 
 abode. 
 
 Marco made quite a long stay at Kinsai, for 
 it was by far the most important place he was to 
 visit in the western portion of the khan's domin- 
 ions. Many of the customs of the people inter- 
 ested and amused him. It appeared that every 
 dweller in the city caused his own name and those 
 of his wife, children and servants, to be written 
 on his front door ; and whenever a^ child was born, 
 his or her name was added. When any one of 
 
I38 MAHCO POLO. 
 
 the family died, the name of the deceased was 
 erased from the door. There was a beautiful lake 
 at a short , distance out of Kinsai, in which were 
 two very picturesque islands. On one of these 
 stood a splendid palace ; and whenever a couple 
 of the higher class were married, they always 
 went to this island palace, with their relations and 
 friends, there to celebrate, amid lovely scenes and 
 on embowered terraces overlooking the lake, 
 their wedding feast. At funerals, the friends of 
 the departed made images of horses, camels, 
 cloths, money, and other things that mortals 
 enjoy on earth, out of stiff cards ; and when the 
 funeral pyre was lighted, threw these images into 
 the flames, saying that in the other world the 
 deceased one would enjoy the realities which 
 these represented. 
 
MARCO POLO. I39 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 MARCO POLO'S RETURN. 
 
 ARCO was very reluctant to leave Kinsai. 
 Every day that he tarried there, he saw 
 something new and curious; he thought 
 it a far more interesting city than Kambalu. At- 
 tended by one or two of the Tartars who had ac- 
 companied him on 1 his journey, and by an old 
 merchant whom he had attached to him, he went 
 about the streets, marvelling at the vastness of 
 the place and its population, at the immense col- 
 lection of goods displayed in the warehouses and 
 shops, and especially at the great public works, 
 comforts and conveniences, which gave evidence 
 of a civilization in many respects as high as that 
 of Europe itself. 
 
 He found ten or twelve vast squares, half a 
 mile long, succeeding each other in regular order 
 and in a straight line, from one end of the city to 
 
140 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the other. On these squares were lofty ware- 
 houses, filled to overflowing with goods from India 
 and Arabia, from Africa, Java and Ceylon. Par- 
 allel to this series of squares ran a broad canal, 
 crossed, at the intersection of the streets, by 
 dainty little bridges ; and on either side of the 
 canal, rows of stone warehouses. There were 
 certain days in the week when these business 
 quarters were thronged by thousands of mer- 
 chants from every Eastern clime, and in all the 
 picturesque costumes of the Orient. 
 
 In the markets Marco saw the greatest variety 
 of game and fruit. There were partridges and 
 pheasants, fowl, ducks and geese. On the stalls 
 of the fruiterers were immense pears, some of 
 which seemed to Marco to weigh ten pounds, and 
 which were delicious to eat ; large luscious 
 peaches, yellow and white ; and grapes of many 
 hues and flavors. 
 
 Each avocation, rank and profession of the 
 people seemed to have a quarter of its own in 
 which to reside. In one quarter lived, in spacious 
 mansions, often richly frescoed on the exterior, 
 the prosperous merchants. There were streets on 
 which you could find no one but astrologers and 
 
MARCO POLOS RETURN. I4I 
 
 seers ; others devoted to doctors and teachers ; 
 yet others where all the residents were artisans. 
 Many of the wealthier mansions had lovely gar- 
 dens, with marble fountains and blooming flower 
 beds attached to them. The interiors displayed 
 very rich carvings, and luxurious furniture. 
 
 The lake which has been spoken of, where the 
 wedding parties of the rich and noble were held, 
 was full of pretty barges with banners and stream- 
 ers, which, on pleasant afternoons, fairly dotted its 
 placid waters, crowded with gay pleasure-seekers. 
 They were pushed along by means of long poles ; 
 and each barge had its elegantly fitted cabin, with 
 every arrangement for eating and drinking. Sail- 
 ing in these barges was, indeed, the favorite amuse- 
 ment of the people after the labors of the day 
 were over. Another pastime was driving along 
 the spacious shady avenues in their handsome 
 carriages, which were long, covered at the top, 
 and supplied with elegant silk curtains and cush- 
 ions. No European dame, however high her 
 degree, would have disdained to ride in one of 
 these luxurious conveyances. 
 
 Indeed, Marco found that the people of Kinsai 
 liked very much the same recreations as did the 
 
142 MARCO PCXLO. 
 
 r . 
 
 Venetians. What with boating, driving, and saun- 
 tering in beautiful gardens, where they drank tea 
 and listened to music, their habits of pleasure 
 closely resembled those of his own countrymen. 
 
 The people themselves seemed to him not only 
 highly civilized, but very amiable and agreeable. 
 They lived peaceably, and seemed to hate dis- 
 turbance and war; and the only class generally 
 disliked in the city were the royal guard placed 
 there by the khan, who kept careful watch over 
 the walls and the palace, and also acted as police- 
 men. The people did not even go armed, and 
 seemed to have but little knowledge of the use of 
 warlike weapons. Their business dealings with 
 each other were frank and honest, and they treated 
 each other with a familiar courtesy very pleasing 
 to see. The men held their wives in high respect, 
 and confided implicitly in them ; and all strangers 
 who came to Kinsai were received with the most 
 generous and genial hospitality. 
 
 Ruling over Kinsai, before the conquest of the 
 khan, had been a native king, named Facfur. 
 He lived in gorgeous style in the palace, and had 
 had everything for his enjoyment that heart 
 could wish. In the inner part of the palace, 
 
MARCO POL0 7 S RETURN. I43 
 
 beyond the sight of men, and most jealously- 
 guarded, were ten courts which contained fifty 
 beautifully fitted apartments, and which were 
 reached by a long, dark corridor. These apart- 
 ments were occupied by a thousand beautiful 
 girls, who were the king's slaves, and whom he 
 daily visited. Beyond this seraglio was a lake, 
 on the banks of which were pretty groves, 
 orchards, and enclosures; and to this spot the 
 king with his multitude of lovely damsels often 
 repaired, sometimes driving with them in car- 
 riages, at other times on horseback. The groves 
 were full of deer, antelopes and rabbits, and the 
 damsels joined their master in the hunt with 
 great zest and skill. Sometimes breakfast or 
 dinner was spread beneath the wide spreading 
 trees of the grove, and the king and his seraglio 
 enjoyed their meals in the open air. 
 
 But all this had passed away when Marco was 
 at Kinsai; for some years before Kublai Khan 
 had besieged and taken the city, and had driven 
 Facfur from the throne of his ancestors, and now 
 the palace and its pleasure grounds were fast 
 falling into decay. Instead of their king, the 
 people were ruled over by a Tartar governor 
 
144 MARCO POLO. 
 
 sent by the khan ; and peaceably as they were 
 disposed, they were far from contented with the 
 dominion of a foreign despot. 
 
 Marco, however, was treated with kindness as 
 long as he stayed, though the envoy of the 
 khan ; and at last, having accomplished his 
 mission there, departed with his train, being 
 followed beyond the walls by the governor and a 
 great concourse of the people. 
 
 Continuing his journey, Marco passed through 
 many thriving cities and pretty towns, which 
 favorably impressed him with the value of this part 
 of the khan's dominions, all of which had been 
 acquired by conquest. The inhabitants were no 
 longer Tartars, but almond-eyed Chinese; and 
 Marco gazed upon them, with their yellow skins, 
 their long pig-tails, their little shoes and loose 
 dress, with much interest. 
 
 Everywhere the people seemed a most peace- 
 ful, harmless, industrious race ; until Marco 
 came to a place called Fugui, where the inhabit- 
 ants were rude and ferocious, and lived apart 
 from all the surrounding population. They were 
 always fighting, and when they went to war, 
 they cut their hair close to their heads, and 
 
MARCO POLO S RETURN. 14$ 
 
 painted their faces a deep blue, which gave them 
 a horrible, ghastly expression. They always 
 fought on foot, the only mounted person in the 
 army being its chief. The prisoners they- took 
 they cooked and ate, and seemed to exceedingly 
 relish this human food. Marco stayed in this 
 place as short a time as, possible; for his escort 
 was not a large one, and the natives were so 
 hostile to the rule of the khan, that he feared 
 they might suddenly attack him. 
 
 It was time for Marco to think of returning to 
 the khan's court, and reporting the result of his 
 errand to the western provinces. As he reflected 
 on all that he had seen and heard, he could not 
 but be astounded at the wonderful civilization, 
 riches, and activity of these far Eastern peoples, 
 of which Europe had scarcely heard, and certainly 
 of whose great skill in the arts and industries 
 Europeans had not the faintest idea. He cast 
 his eyes into the future, and foresaw the time when 
 all these marvels would become known to the 
 Western world ; he pictured to himself the im- 
 mense trade which would grow up between the 
 West and the East — what luxuries, comforts and 
 adornments Europe would sooner or later derive 
 
I46 MARCO POLO. 
 
 from Asia. In his heart he was glad that he had 
 seen all these things, and that, when he returned to 
 Venice, he should have so thrilling a story to tell. 
 
 He took the journey back to Kambalu leisurely, 
 pursuing much the same route as that by which he 
 had come, and meeting with many adventures on 
 the way. He encountered the same perils and 
 witnessed the same wild sports, as those of his 
 outward progress ; loitered in the pleasant places, 
 and hurried through those the memory of which 
 was not agreeable, or the dangers of which were 
 to be avoided. 
 
 More than a year had passed since his setting- 
 out, when, one cloudy morning, the domes and 
 roofs of Kambalu once more met his view. He 
 was not sorry to see them, for he should embrace 
 his father and uncle once more, and he had news 
 for the khan which could not fail to please his 
 royal friend. A messenger, gone on before, had 
 carried the tidings of his return ; and when he 
 was within a few miles of the city, he was met by 
 his father and uncle, who had galloped out on 
 horseback to greet him. Father and son leaped 
 off their steeds, and were locked in each other's 
 fond embrace. They eagerly questioned each 
 
MARCO POLO S RETURN. I47 
 
 other as to what had happened while they had 
 parted ; Nicolo remarked how stalwart, brown and 
 sinewy Marco had grown, and how long his beard 
 was; and Marco perceived that his father bore 
 more wrinkles, and that his hair was more plenti- 
 fully sprinkled with streaks of gray. 
 
 The khan's welcome of his faithful envoy was 
 most cordial. He warmly embraced him, and 
 heard his account of what he had seen and done 
 with emphatic tokens of his pleasure. That 
 night a noble feast was held in the great hall of 
 the palace in honor of the wanderer's return, 
 after which the khan ordered his jugglers and 
 clowns to perform their most perilous and amus- 
 ing feats for the entertainment of the court. 
 
 Marco now enjoyed a long period of repose 
 from his wanderings. He found himself more 
 firmly fixed than ever in the khan's favor, and 
 that his position at court was more privileged 
 and prominent than before. But having had a 
 taste of adventure, he soon wearied of the luxu- 
 rious indolence and ease that marked life at the 
 palace ; and when the khan proposed another 
 expedition to him, he eagerly caught at the chance 
 for a more stirring career. 
 
I48 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Thus it came about that Marco often went on 
 embassies to distant parts of the monarch's do- 
 minions. Sometimes he was accompanied by his 
 father and uncle ; sometimes they went, while he 
 staid at home. After a time, he was oftener on 
 his travels than idly loitering about the court. 
 He became acquainted with all the khan's prov- 
 inces, even the remotest ; and was soon known 
 and honored by all the governors and vassal kings 
 who were subject to the khan, and even by the 
 populations of the cities and towns. 
 
 Happily for the world, Marco had a wonder- 
 fully good memory ; and he took care to 
 make notes of the curious things he observed. 
 So that, years after, when he was cast into prison 
 (as we shall find), he was able to give a full nar- 
 rative of all that he had seen and all that had 
 befallen him in the romantic East. 
 
 The khan was pursuing his military operations 
 all the time that the Polos were at his court. He 
 was a warlike potentate, loved the din of battle, 
 and was insatiably ambitious of adding new ter- 
 ritory to his already vast dominions. It was 
 rarely that a neighbor whom he had resolved to 
 subdue could withstand him for any length of 
 
MARCO POLOS RETURN. I49 
 
 time ; for so numerous and well-appointed were his 
 armies, such was his own skill and perseverance, 
 and such was the fierce courage of his troops 
 that he was well nigh irresistible. 
 
 There was one large and prosperous city on the 
 western borders of his empire, however, which 
 defied every assault that he could make upon it. 
 It was a valuable prize, for it was not only a 
 good military stronghold, but also a seat of busy 
 manufacture and highly profitable arts. To sub- 
 due this city would be to add largely to the 
 khan's revenues ; but to this advantage he was 
 more indifferent than to the others it possessed. 
 He would also acquire a most thrifty population, 
 a stout defence against his enemies beyond, and 
 a large addition to his armies. Besides, Kublai 
 Khan was unwilling that any foreign city should 
 rival his own in power and prosperity; he wished 
 to rule supreme in Asia. 
 
 For three years this brave city, the name of 
 which was Sayanfu, had held out against the im- 
 perial forces, though the khan had sent a mighty 
 army to besiege it. The army could only ap- 
 proach it on one side, because on every other side 
 the city was bounded by a wide lake. Across 
 
I50 MARCO POLO. 
 
 this lake came the provisions which enabled the 
 garrison to hold out. The khan's troops were 
 therefore obliged to give up the siege, and return 
 to Cathay. 
 
 This discomfiture irritated the khan, whose will 
 was seldom thwarted in anything he undertook ; 
 and he became "morose and despondent. Not 
 long after the return of -the troops, Marco Polo 
 sought an audience of the khan ; and having been 
 admitted to his presence, as he always was freely 
 when he asked it, addressed the downcast monarch 
 as follows : 
 
 " Sire, I think, if you will intrust an expedi- 
 tion against Sayanfu to my father, my uncle and 
 myself, we can subdue the city, and deliver it 
 into your hands." 
 
 The khan looked up surprised, and a new hope 
 glowed in his eyes. He had unlimited confidence 
 in the wisdom and capacity of the Polos, and 
 Marco's words at once aroused him from his gloom. 
 
 "And how will you do this, Venetian, when 
 my greatest generals and bravest troops have 
 failed ?" 
 
 " We will assail the walls, sire, and batter them 
 down. We have certain skilful men in our train. 
 
MARCO POLO'S RETURN. I5I 
 
 One of them, a German and a Christian, can build 
 a powerful engine which no wall can resist ; and 
 other engines, which will hurl enormous stones 
 to a great distance, and will thus bring the city to 
 terms." 
 
 " Go speedily, then," cried the khan ; " take 
 such troops as you choose, and assume their com- 
 mand. Once more lay siege to this audacious 
 city; and if you can take it with your engines, 
 my gratitude will be boundless." 
 
 The Polos started forth with a numerous force. 
 The German and his companions were as good as 
 Marco's word. The march was along and dreary 
 one ; but both the Polos and the cohorts they 
 commanded were used to hard tramping, and in a 
 shorter time than might be believed found them- 
 selves confronting the frowning walls of Sayanfu. 
 The machines made by the German and transported 
 to the scene of action were soon placed in position ; 
 and ere long the people of Sayanfu found their 
 houses pelted with huge rocks, which came crash- 
 ing through the roofs and spreading devastation 
 in the streets. At the same time great battering- 
 rams were brought near the walls, and being set 
 in motion, made terrible breaches in them. This 
 
152 MARCO POLO. 
 
 was a kind of warfare which the people of Sayanfu 
 had never before seen. They soon became panic- 
 stricken, and began to clamor to thefr governor 
 and generals to give up the city. The chiefs met 
 in council ; meanwhile building after building was 
 falling headlong, crushed by the missiles of the 
 Tartars. At last, it was resolved to send out 
 messengers to plead for terms of peace. 
 
 The Polos received the envoys in their camp. 
 They told them that there was only one condition 
 on which they would cease bombarding the city. 
 This was, that it should submit to the dominion 
 of the khan. There was no time to waste in par- 
 leying. The harsh terms were agreed to, and the 
 Tartar army entered Sayanfu in triumph, and took 
 possession of it in the name of their sovereign. 
 
 Their return to Kambalu was signalized by the 
 wildest rejoicings. The khan was beside himself 
 with delight, and showered honors and gifts 
 upon the Venetians, who had so valiantly suc- 
 ceeded where his oldest and ablest generals had 
 failed. 
 
 The triumph of the Polos, however, gave rise 
 to much jealousy on the part of these generals, 
 and other nobles of the khan's court ; and it was , 
 
MARCO POLO S RETURN. I53 
 
 not long before Marco heard of a plot to entice 
 himself, his father and his uncle, out of the city 
 to a lonely spot, and there to murder them. He 
 divulged this plot to the khan, who instantly 
 banished those who were concerned in it ; and 
 after that it was long before Marco heard of any 
 further jealousy or ill will towards him and his 
 kinsmen. 
 
 Many years had now elapsed since the arrival 
 of the Polos in Cathay. Marco, amid all the ex- 
 citements and luxury of his life there, had often 
 sighed for home and the friends left behind, so 
 long ago, in Venice. But when he or his father 
 spoke to the khan of their desire to turn their 
 steps westward towards Europe again, the 
 swarthy potentate would not listen to such a 
 thing. The Polos knew well that, if he had set 
 his heart on their remaining, he could, if neces- 
 sary, prevent their departure by force ; nor could 
 they hope to escape secretly from his court and 
 country. They were forced, therefore, to bide 
 their time, and await a favorable opportunity to 
 return to Europe. 
 
 Meanwhile, Marco was destined to have many 
 adventures, and see other peoples, as strange and 
 
154 MARCO POLO. 
 
 interesting as those he had already visited. It 
 was not long after their unsuccessful attempt to get 
 away, that the khan sent him upon a longer and 
 more interesting expedition than he had before 
 undertaken. 
 
MARCO POLO. 155 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 MARCO POLO IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 
 
 N a hot summer morning, Marco set foot 
 for the first time on an Oriental ship. 
 Once more he was on his travels ; and 
 this time the greater part of his journey was to 
 be by sea. The ship on whose deck he found 
 himself was, to his eyes, a very curious affair; 
 rude, when compared with European craft, yet 
 not without its features of comfort,' safety, and 
 convenience. It was evidently constructed of fir 
 wood, and it had but a single deck. 
 
 Marco wandered over the vessel, eager to ex- 
 amine its every part. He observed that the space 
 below the deck was divided into no less than sixty 
 cabins, very cozily fitted and furnished, most of 
 them being used for sleeping purposes. The ship 
 had one rudder and four masts. In the hold 
 was a number of compartments made of very 
 
I56 MARCO POLO. 
 
 thick planks, and water-tight, so that if the vessel 
 sprang aleak in one of them the goods might be 
 removed to another, into which the water from 
 the first could not penetrate. He was told that 
 not seldom vessels were struck so hard by whales 
 as to force in the bottom. If a leak followed 
 the water ran on to a well, and passed out again. 
 The ship was very strongly built. The planks 
 were thick, held together with stout nails, and 
 were thickly plastered ; but not with pitch, of the 
 use of which the Tartars appeared to be quite 
 ignorant. The vessel was propelled by oars, each 
 of which required four sailors, In all the crew 
 numbered two hundred men. A number of small 
 boats, for fishing and other purposes, were hung 
 at the sides. Marco's first destination was to the 
 large group of flourishing islands, which lay several 
 hundred miles off the coast of Cathay, and with 
 which we are now familiar as Japan. It was a 
 long and wearisome voyage, and for the first few 
 days Marco felt all the discomforts of seasickness. 
 After recovering from this, he began to enjoy the 
 sea transit and gazed with much interest at the 
 many strange-looking craft that passed and re- 
 passed within sight of his ship. 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 1 5/ 
 
 It appeared that, not many years before, the 
 khan had attacked the Japanese islands with a large 
 fleet and a strong army under two of his ablest 
 generals. They landed on one of the islands, but 
 were forced to embark from it again, on account 
 of dangerous storms and winds that threatened 
 the destruction of their vessels. They repaired 
 to another island, where they sought refuge from 
 the fury of the elements. Soon after some of 
 their ships sailed for home, and others were de- 
 stroyed by the tempests. The Japanese now de- 
 scended with a large fleet upon the island to make 
 an end of the invaders ; and desembarking, ad- 
 vanced to attack them. The Tartars, perceiving 
 that the enemy had left their ships, ran down to 
 the coast and, boarding them, set sail for the 
 largest island, leaving the Japanese in dismay and 
 helplessness behind. 
 
 The inhabitants of the large island, seeing their 
 own ships return, thought of course that they 
 brought back the Japanese army. They therefore 
 left their principal city undefended, and the Tar- 
 tars entered it and held it. But soon the Japanese 
 who had been left on the smaller island recovered 
 their senses. They collected other ships, be- 
 
158 MARCO POLO. 
 
 sieged their city, held as it was by the Tartars, 
 and at last compelled the khan's forces to sur- 
 render. Thus the khan's, expedition had failed, 
 and the Japanese were still, when Marco made this 
 voyage, independent of his rule. Satisfied to re- 
 cover their natural liberty, the Japanese had been 
 willing to live ever since on terms of peace and 
 friendship with the khan and his subjects; and 
 when Marco arrived at their islands, he found 
 himself free to land and wander in their towns at 
 will. 
 
 He found them a people with lighter complex- 
 ions than those who dwelt on the main land, and 
 better looking. Their pleasant manners, too, 
 pleased him. Like the Tartars and the Chinese, 
 they seemed very rich, and especially to have an 
 abundance of gold. He saw a palace on the 
 first island at which he landed which- appeared 
 to be fairly plated with gold. Even the pave- 
 ments of the palace blazed with the rich metal. 
 The Japanese also had plenty of precious stones ; 
 and among them Marco saw for the first time 
 red pearls, which struck him as very beautiful. 
 
 Marco observed that the Japanese were idol- 
 aters, and tha f they worshipped idols having the 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. • I$Q 
 
 heads of dogs, sheep, and pigs, and an immense 
 number of arms and hands, spreading out from 
 the bodies in every direction. On his asking one of 
 them why his countrymen had such strange idols, 
 the reply was that " our ancestors left them to 
 us, and we shall leave them to our children." 
 
 Marco's stay in Japan was brief, for he had 
 still a long voyage to take. His ship sailed thence 
 southward into the sea of China, and stopped at 
 many groups of islands, on which the young trav- 
 eller landed, and where he saw many novel 
 sights. 
 
 He was greatly struck with the number and de- 
 licious fragrance of the spice trees and shrubs that 
 grew on these islands ; and also with the abundance 
 of gold and other precious metals which seemed 
 to exist everywhere. At last he reached a large 
 island called Ciampa, which was ruled over by a 
 king who paid tribute to the khan, and who there- 
 fore welcomed Marco with such semi-barbarous 
 hospitality as he could. The khan had some years 
 before invaded Ciampa with a large army, and 
 had laid waste the territory ; whereupon the king 
 had agreed to pay yearly a tribute, in the shape 
 a number ot large elephants. Every year, there- 
 
l6o MARCO POLO. 
 
 fore, there arrived at the khan's court a group of 
 these lordly beasts, which he valued more than 
 any others he had, 
 
 Marco was amused with some of the customs 
 of Ciampa. One was, that before any young girl 
 on the island could be" married, she must be 
 brought before the king ; and if he chose to take 
 her for one of his wives, she must be given up 
 to him. Thus his sable majesty had a multi- 
 tude of wives, the greatest beauties in his 
 realm ; and more than a hundred sons and 
 daughters. 
 
 After a long voyage Marco found himself 
 among that famous group of islands that lies in 
 a long, almost parallel line, along the southern 
 coast of Asia. He landed on Java, which was 
 then a powerful and independent kingdom, with 
 a prosperous trade with India and China. The 
 Java merchants sent their pepper, nutmegs, 
 cloves and other rich spices to the continent, 
 and received back grain and silks. Marco was 
 amazed at the busy aspect of its towns and the 
 wealth of its people. He was still more deeply 
 interested in Sumatra, which he soon afterwards 
 visited, and which seemed to him even richer in 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. l6l 
 
 commerce and in natural productions. In some 
 parts of the island he found the people very wild 
 and barbarous ; and while sojourning in one of 
 the interior towns, he amused himself by wit- 
 nessing a wild elephant hunt. The rhinoceroses 
 there were the largest and most ferocious he had 
 ever seen, with big black horns in the middle of 
 their foreheads, and a most forbidding aspect. 
 There, too, he saw the greatest multitude of 
 •monkeys of all shapes, sizes and colors, whose 
 antics among the branches of the forest trees 
 he watched with much glee. 
 
 Marco observed in Sumatra some mummies 
 which, it was said, were those of a race of pig- 
 mies that dwelt in India. On examining them 
 closely, however, he was able to detect that they 
 were really preserved monkeys. These monkeys 
 it appeared, were taken, skinned and shaved, and 
 their limbs pressed so as to resemble human 
 bodies as much as possible ; and were then put 
 in jars and sold to credulous people as dwarfs. 
 
 Among the tribes inhabiting Sumatra, Marco 
 found some who were cannibals ; and so much 
 afraid were the Tartars who came with him that 
 these cannibals would catch and roast them, that 
 
l62 MARCO POLO. 
 
 they built huts of wood and twigs on the sea- 
 shore, so as to defend themselves from them if 
 attacked. In one of the tribes, if a man fell 
 sick, his family sent for a magician and asked 
 him if the invalid could recover. The magician, 
 after performing incantations over him, pretended 
 to be able to predict this. If he foretold that the 
 man would die, the relatives made haste to 
 strangle the sufferer, to cook his body, and invite 
 all their friends to feast upon it. They were very 
 careful to eat him completely up, for they be- 
 lieved that otherwise his soul would be in tor- 
 ment ; and having collected the bones, they 
 placed them in a large, beautifully ornamented 
 coffin, which they hid away in a cavern in the 
 mountains. 
 
 On another island, which Marco visited after 
 leaving Sumatra, he saw some huge orang- 
 outangs, which, it seemed, the natives believed to 
 be hairy wild men who dwelt in the woods. 
 
 After leisurely cruising for some time among 
 the islands in this vicinity, Marco at last came to 
 that famous and lovely island which we know as 
 Ceylon. The loveliness of the place was in striking 
 contrast with the barbarous aspectand character of 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 163 
 
 the natives, who, Marco noticed, went almost 
 naked, and roamed about their picturesque moun- 
 tains and forests just as if they were wild beasts. 
 They raised no grain except rice, on which, and the 
 flesh of the game they caught in the woods, 
 they wholly subsisted. But savage as these 
 people were, Marco was amazed at the number and 
 beauty of the gems they possessed. Chief among 
 these were the rubies, which were very large and 
 brilliant. The king of the country had a ruby 
 which Marco was sure was the largest in the 
 world. Sapphires, topazes, amethysts and dia- 
 monds were also abundant. 
 
 While in Ceylon, Marco saw a lofty and jagged 
 mountain rising from the midst of verdant hills, 
 which it seemed impossible to ascend; Its crags 
 rose among the clouds, and were often lost to view 
 amid the shrouds the clouds spread about them. 
 This, he was told, was "Adam's Peak;" and upon 
 it was said to be the tomb of the founder of the 
 Buddhist religion, being situated near the place 
 where he had departed from earth. Kublai Khan 
 had, indeed, sent thither some years before and 
 had obtained two of the teeth, and some of the 
 hair, supposed to belong to the god of his faith. 
 
I64 MARCO POLO. 
 
 He had also obtained a miraculous cup which 
 had been used by this god, and which when filled 
 with food for one man, speedily contained, it was 
 said, enough for five. 
 
 Marco spent a long time in Ceylon, for it was 
 the loveliest island he had yet seen in the eastern 
 seas, and the people, though wild and almost 
 bestial in their habits, were not quarrelsome or 
 unfriendly. He found them, indeed, to be great 
 cowards, who seemed afraid of the weapons which 
 the Tartars carried in their belts; and Marco 
 wondered why, with all their riches, they had 
 not long since been conquered by some ambitious 
 potentate from the mainland. He loved to wander 
 in their beautiful groves, and to loiter under the 
 natural avenues of wide spreading palms; to eat 
 of the delicious fruit which grew there in richest 
 profusion, and some kinds of which were quite 
 new to him ; or to ascend some sloping hill, and 
 gaze out upon the sparkling sea. 
 
 It was a very short transit — only about sixty 
 miles — from Ceylon to the nearest point on the 
 great peninsula of India ; and it was with deep 
 emotion that Marco for the first time caught 
 sight of that famous and mighty empire. People 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 165 
 
 in Europe already knew something about India; 
 although three centuries were to elapse before 
 Vasco da Gama found a way to it by sea, around 
 the Cape of Good Hope. Travellers from Italy 
 had visited its wonderful cities, and had brought 
 back thrilling accounts, which had reached Marco 
 Polo's ears in his boyhood. Of India he had learned 
 still more at the khan's court, for a prosperous 
 trade existed between India and Cathay; and all 
 that he had heard of the Hindoo Empire made 
 him very impatient to observe it for himself. 
 
 As he approached the coast, he saw a sight 
 which he afterwards remembered with much in- 
 terest. This was the vast fleet of boats that were 
 engaged in the pearl fishery. Many large vessels 
 were anchored in the sea for miles around, and 
 from these the boats with the divers went out. 
 Marco saw the divers, with their strange gear, 
 plunging into the water, and, after a few moments, 
 drawn up again by their comrades, holding the 
 large shells which they had grasped on the bot- 
 tom, and in which the pearls were fixed in rows. 
 
 Marco landed on the coast of India, which at 
 this point was full of sand banks and coral reefs; 
 and went into the interior, guarded by the train 
 
l66 MARCO POLO. 
 
 of attendants whom Kublai Khan had sent with 
 him. Ere long he reached the chief town of the 
 province of Maabar, where he rested from his 
 voyage, and employed himself in observing the 
 country and the manners and customs of the 
 people. The king of Maabar, learning that he 
 was from the mighty monarch of Cathay, received 
 him with all honor, and permitted him to wander 
 everywhere at full liberty. 
 
 The people, he perceived, went naked, except 
 that they wore a piece of cloth about their middle. 
 The same was true of the king himself ; but to 
 make up for want of clothes, the dusky potentate 
 fairly glittered with rich jewelry. He wore an 
 enormous necklace of rubies, sapphires and 
 emeralds ; and from this was suspended a long 
 silk cord, on which very large pearls were strung. 
 On both his arms and legs were heavy jewelled 
 and golden bracelets. 
 
 This king had no less than five hundred wives, 
 and freely appropriated the wives of any of his sub- 
 jects when he happened to take a fancy to them; 
 and the despoiled husbands were obliged to sub- 
 mit to their loss with a good grace. The king 
 had a numerous body guard, armed to the teeth, 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. l6j 
 
 who attended him wherever he went, and pro- 
 tected his palace at night. Marco was told that 
 when a king of Maabar died, a huge funeral pyre 
 was erected, upon which the royal corpse was 
 placed ; and that as soon as the priests set fire to 
 it, his guards threw themselves upon it, and were 
 burned with their master. 
 
 Marco was one day loitering in the streets of 
 the town (which was quite a populous one) when 
 he saw a crowd approaching, and in their midst 
 a wagon drawn by natives. The crowd were 
 shouting in an excited manner ; and as soon as 
 the wagon came near, he perceived a man standing 
 bolt upright in it, holding some long sharp knives. 
 On asking what this meant, he was told that the 
 man had committed some grave crime, and was 
 being carried to the place of execution. The crowd 
 were calling out, " This brave man is about to kill 
 himself, for the love of the great idol !" Marco 
 followed the crowd, which stopped in an open 
 space in the centre of the town. Then the man in 
 the cart began to stab himself with the knives, first 
 in the arms, then in the legs, and lastly in the 
 stomach, crying the while, " I kill myself for love 
 of the idol ;" until, pierced by many self-inflicted 
 
l68 MARCO POLO. 
 
 wounds, he fell expiring in the bottom of the cart. 
 It was supposed that thus he saved his soul. 
 
 Soon after, Marco had occasion to witness 
 another ghastly custom of the Hindoos, in which 
 the wife was thrown alive upon the burning pyre 
 with her dead husband. The natives, besides 
 their idols, worshipped oxen and cows, and no 
 power on earth could have induced them to eat 
 beef. 
 
 Everybody in Maabar, from the king to his 
 meanest subject, always sat upon the ground; 
 and when Marco asked a Hindoo why they did 
 not sit on chairs or benches, the latter replied, 
 solemnly, " We came from earth, and must return 
 to earth; and we cannot too much honor this 
 common mother." Though barbarous in many 
 of their ways, this people were at least exceed- 
 ingly neat. In this respect, there were some 
 European nations that might have taken pattern 
 from them. They never would eat until they 
 had washed all over; and every Hindoo took two 
 baths each day. They were also very temperate, 
 rarely or never partaking of wine. 
 
 Crimes or offences against their laws were 
 very severely punished. When a Hindoo owed 
 
IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 169 
 
 another a debt and would not pay it, the creditor 
 watched his opportunity, and drew a wide circle 
 around the debtor with a pointed stick. If the 
 debtor moved out of this circle without pay- 
 ing what he owed, he condemned himself to 
 death. In consequence of this curious method, 
 there were but few debtors in Maabar. Once 
 while Marco was there, the king himself became 
 subject to the custom. A foreign merchant, 
 to whom the king owed a large sum, was bold 
 enough to draw a circle around his majesty; 
 who finding himself fairly caught by his own 
 law, made haste to pay the debt. 
 
 After staying for some time at Maabar, Marco 
 pursued his journey into the interior of Hin- 
 doostan, his mind full of the singular sights he 
 had seen, and eager to observe the Hindoo races 
 who dwelt beyond. 
 
170 
 
 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 MARCO POLO AMONG THE HINDOOS. 
 
 NDIA, at the time that Marco visited it, 
 was divided into a great many independ- 
 ent states, some Hindoo and some Mo- 
 hammedan, each ruled over by its own sovereign. 
 It was not, as now, the dependency of a great 
 foreign power. But as India was six centuries 
 ago, in its faith, manners and customs, and the 
 character of its people, so it is very much to-day. 
 Many of the manners and customs which Marco 
 observed, still exist ; and we find in the Hindoos 
 of the present very much the same peculiar vices 
 and virtues as those he described. Marco found 
 the Hindoos, like most of the Orientals he had 
 seen, very much under the influence of magicians 
 and astrologers. They were very superstitious, 
 and there were many omens the warnings of which 
 they always took care to obey, believing that if 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. l*]\ 
 
 they did not do so, misfortune would fall upon 
 them. A man who set out on a journey, if he 
 met with what he considered an evil omen, 
 would turn back and go straight home again, 
 no matter how near he might be to his destina- 
 tion, or how pressing his business. The day, 
 hour and minute of the birth of every child were 
 recorded, simply to enable the magicians to make 
 predictions concerning his future life. 
 
 As soon as a boy reached his thirteenth birth- 
 day he became independent of his parents, and 
 went out into the world to make his own living; 
 having received a small sum of money from his 
 father with which to make a start. They did 
 very much as poor boys, dependent on themselves, 
 do in our day ; found something to hawk about 
 the streets and sell, on which they could make a 
 little profit. Near the seashore they were in the 
 habit of watching on the beach for the pearl- 
 boats to come in, and would buy a few small 
 pearls of a fisherman, and carry them into the in- 
 terior and sell them to the merchants. Having 
 made a little money, they would go and buy some 
 provisions for their mothers, who still prepared 
 their food for them. 
 
172 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Marco saw many monasteries, nestling amid 
 the mountains and hills, as he progressed through 
 the country ; and learned that these monasteries 
 were full of idols, adorned with gold and precious 
 stones. To the care and worship of these idols 
 large numbers of lovely young girls were sacrificed 
 by their parents ; and these girls were in the 
 habit, every day, of cooking very savory dishes, 
 and placing them, with great reverence, before 
 the hideous idols. As the idols did not descend 
 from their pedestals and partake of the food, 
 Marco wondered what became of it. He soon 
 found out ; for, having been admitted to one of the 
 monasteries as a great favor, he saw the girls offer 
 the idols their daily meal : after which they began 
 to dance some very quick and graceful dances, sing- 
 ing the while a loud, wild, joyous chorus. When 
 they ceased dancing and singing, they went up to 
 the dishes ; and, supposing the idols had eaten 
 as much as they desired, the girls themselves de- 
 voured the contents of the plates. Marco was 
 told that these girls remained in the monasteries 
 until the very day of their marriage. 
 
 The priests of the monasteries at once attracted 
 Marco's attention, so singular was their aspect, 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. 1 73 
 
 and so strange their mode of living. Many of 
 them seemed to be very old men, with long 
 snowy beards and bent forms ; yet they had fresh, 
 dark complexions, and were very active in their 
 movements. Marco was told that they often 
 lived to be a hundred and fifty or even two hun- 
 dred years old; but he had now been in India 
 long enough not to believe everything he heard. 
 The priests lived on nothing but rice, apples and 
 milk, and for a beverage drank a curious mixture 
 of quicksilver and sulphur. In some of the mon- 
 asteries the priests always went perfectly naked, 
 even in winter, and slept in the open air ; and 
 led a very severe and self-denying life. The 
 only symbol of their sacred office was a little 
 copper or bronze ox (an animal they worshipped) 
 which they wore on their foreheads. 
 
 These priests were always very careful not to 
 kill any living thing; for they thought that not only 
 animals and insects, but even fruits and flowers, 
 had souls. They would not harm so much as a fly 
 or a worm ; and would not eat apples until they 
 were all dried up, for they supposed them when 
 fresh to be alive, and only dead when they were 
 shrivelled. 
 
174 MARCO POLO. 
 
 When a young man sought to become a priest 
 in the monasteries, he underwent what seemed 
 to Marco a very amusing trial. On arriving at 
 the monasteries, the fairest young girls belonging 
 to it came forth to meet him; and gathering 
 around him, overwhelmed him with kisses and 
 embraces. The old priests, meanwhile, stood by 
 and keenly watched him. If he betrayed any 
 pleasure at the caresses of the girls, he was at 
 once rejected and sent into the outer world 
 again ; but if he submitted to them coldly, and 
 with unmoved countenance, he was admitted to 
 the priesthood. 
 
 As the envoy of the khan, Marco was admitted 
 into " the best society" of the places that he 
 visited ; and he was much struck with the 
 manners and virtues of the higher class of Hindoos. 
 These comprised the class which we know as Brah- 
 mins. He could not fail to notice their high sense 
 of honor in their dealings with each other; their 
 truthfulness and probity ; the temperance and 
 purity of their lives. They ate no flesh and 
 drank no wine, and as husbands were models 
 of fidelity. The Brahmins, to designate their 
 rank, wore a long silk thread over the shoulder, 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. 175 
 
 and across the breast ; and so do the Brahmins of 
 our own time. The only habit they had which 
 Marco did not like, was that of chewing betel 
 leaves. This made their gums very red, and was 
 thought to be healthy ; but it caused them to be 
 constantly spitting. 
 
 Intelligent as the Brahmins seemed, they were 
 as completely under the influence of superstition 
 and magic as the lowest and most ignorant of 
 their country folk. When a Brahmin merchant 
 was about to make a bargain for some goods, he 
 rose at sunlight, went out, and caused his shadow 
 to be measured. If it was of a certain length, he 
 went on with the trade ; if not he postponed it to 
 another day. This is perhaps the origin of the 
 Eastern greeting, " May your shadow never be 
 less!" If a Brahmin proposed to buy an animal, 
 he went where it was, and observed whether the 
 animal approached him from a lucky direction. 
 If so, he bought it ; but if not, he would have 
 nothing to do with it. If, when a Brahmin issued 
 from his house, he heard a man sneeze in a way 
 which seemed to him of bad omen, he turned 
 around, went into his house again, and waited 
 till the man who had sneezed unluckily was quite 
 
176" MARCO POLO. 
 
 out of sight. In the same way a Brahmin who, 
 walking along a road, saw a bird approaching 
 from the left, at once turned on his heel and 
 went the other way. 
 
 On his journey northward, Marco passed through 
 the famous valley of Golconda, from whence 
 came, and still come, the largest and most beauti- 
 ful diamonds in the world. He found an aged 
 queen reigning there who, though she had been 
 a widow for forty years, was still mourning for 
 her husband. She received Marco with a cordial 
 welcome, and entertained him with feasts, dances 
 and music in her palace. He delighted to wander 
 in the picturesque valleys from which the most 
 beautiful gems in the world were procured ; to 
 see the swift mountain torrents, as, after a storm, 
 they swept through the declivities ; and to watch 
 the diamond-hunters who, when the freshet was 
 over, hunted for their precious merchandise in 
 the valleys through which the waters had passed. 
 He was told, at Golconda, the same story 
 about the eagles and the diamonds, that we 
 read in Sinbad the Sailor's adventures in the 
 "Arabian Nights ;" how the people threw huge 
 pieces of meat into the deep, inaccessible pits, to 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. \JJ 
 
 which the diamonds lying on the bottom stuck; 
 how the eagles swooped down, caught the 
 jewelled flesh in their talons, and on rising 
 again were so frightened by the cries and frantic 
 gestures of the men, that they let their precious 
 prey drop; and how the men thus secured the 
 diamonds which they could not otherwise reach. 
 But Marco knew how fond the Hindoos were of 
 telling marvellous tales ; and did not give too 
 easy a belief to what he heard. 
 
 Marco saw some of the white eagles that were 
 said to render this great service to the diamond- 
 hunters ; but observed that most of the eagles in 
 India were black as jet, like crows, and were much 
 larger than those he had seen in Europe. He, 
 also saw some curious bald owls, with neither 
 wings nor feathers ; peacocks, larger than he had 
 ever before seen ; parrots of every hue and size, 
 which he greatly admired, especially some very 
 small red and white ones ; and chickens, altogether 
 different from European fowl. 
 
 On reaching the province of Coilon, where he 
 found many Christians and Jews, as well as Mo- 
 hammedans and Hindoos, he was deeply inter- 
 ested in seeing -the growth of pepper, and es- 
 
I78 MARCO POLO. 
 
 pecially of indigo, the latter being very plentiful. 
 It was made, he observed, of an herb, which was 
 soaked a long time in water; after which, being 
 exposed to the hot sun, it boiled, grew solid, 
 and thus became the indigo which everybody 
 knows. The people of this province were very 
 black, many shades darker than most of the 
 Hindoos ; and were less civilized than the natives 
 Marco had hitherto seen. As he passed through 
 the vast forests of this part of India, he espied in- 
 numerable herds of monkeys of every shape and 
 hue, which threw down branches and nuts at him 
 as he went along ; and now and then he saw leop- 
 ards, enormous wildcats, and even lions, prowl- 
 ing about on the edge of the woods, and in the 
 neighboring jungles. 
 
 After travelling for many weeks in the interior 
 of India, Marco at last reached the seashore 
 again, and found himself on the western coast of 
 the continent. He then went on shipboard, and 
 passed from place to place by water, thus travers- 
 ing the same coast along which, two hundred 
 years later, Vasco da Gama sailed, and established 
 the dominion of Portugal. 
 
 Marco soon became aware that he was in 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. I79 
 
 a dangerous part of the world ; for the coast of 
 Malabar was swarmed, at that time, with pirates, 
 who had it pretty much their own way with 
 strange vessels. Once or twice the ship in which 
 Marco sailed was hotly pursued by these free- 
 booters of the sea ; but happily she was able to 
 make port safely each time. Marco learned that 
 the pirates were in the habit of signalling to each 
 other, when a merchant vessel appeared, all along 
 the coast, by means of brilliant lights. They were 
 stationed five miles apart, on a line a hundred 
 miles long ; and these lights, appearing first on 
 one corsair ship, and then on the next, tele- 
 graphed the news of a coming prize throughout 
 this distance ; so that the poor merchantman had 
 usually but little chance of escape. The mer- 
 chantmen, therefore, always went strongly manned 
 and armed ; and more than one desperate sea- 
 fight did Marco witness on his way northward to 
 Bombay. He was told that the pirates, on seizing 
 a ship, took all her goods, but did not harm th,e 
 crew ; saying to them, " Go and get another 
 cargo, so that we may catch you again and rid 
 you of it." 
 
 Despite the pirates, Marco found the west 
 
180 MARCO POLO. 
 
 coast of India fairly bustling with commerce. 
 Every harbor seemed full of ships, and every 
 port full of store-houses ; the trade of the coast 
 extended to Arabia and Egypt, to Africa, Austral- 
 asia and Cathay. On the wharves of the sea- 
 port towns he saw the greatest variety of cos_ 
 tumes and features, from the sober Parsee in his 
 long flowing robe, to the heavy-turbaned Arab 
 and the Persian with his gorgeously embroidered 
 sack. 
 
 Even used as he was to the great warehouses 
 of China and Cathay, he was astonished at the 
 beautiful cloths and articles of skilful workman- 
 ship that he saw at Malabar and Bombay ; the 
 finely dressed leather, the rich embroideries, and 
 the luxurious trappings for men, horses, and ele- 
 phants ; the ornaments and knicknacks of brass, 
 gold, silver and precious gems ; and he was forced 
 to confess that the bazaars of India out-rivalled 
 those of any Oriental land he had yet visited. 
 
 Marco again set sail, and his ship now took its 
 course across the Indian Ocean towards the coast 
 of Africa; for his mission would not be wholly 
 fulfilled until he had been to certain islands and 
 kingdoms of that continent. He had already been 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. l8l 
 
 absent from Cathay for more than a year; and 
 found himself now quite as near his Venetian 
 home as to the court of the great khan. There 
 were moments, as he sped across the Indian 
 Ocean, when he was sorely tempted to order the 
 sailors to turn northward, to land in Egypt and 
 make his way across that country to Alexandria, 
 and there watch the opportunity to take pas- 
 sage in a Venetian galley to the city of his birth. 
 
 But his father and uncle were far away in Cathay, 
 and Marco could not desert them. He knew 
 that if he did, the khan would revenge himself 
 for such a desertion upon his kinsmen. Besides, 
 Marco had been overwhelmed with favors, wealth 
 and power by Kublai Khan ; and to prove false 
 to his pledge that he would faithfully return, was 
 an act of baseness of which the high-souled young 
 Venetian was incapable. 
 
 So he kept on his course across the ocean, re- 
 solved to see all of the world that he could ; and, 
 having accomplished all the objects for which he 
 had set out, to return with his report to Cathay. 
 On the way he stopped at two islands, called the 
 " Male" and "Female," whose dusky inhabitants he 
 found to be Christians ; but they were very differ- 
 
182 MARCO POLO. 
 
 ent Christians from those to whom Marco had been 
 used in Europe. It appeared that all the men 
 dwelt on the " Male" island, and ail the women 
 on the " Female," thirty miles away, and that the 
 men crossed over and visited their wives and 
 daughters once a year, remaining with them for 
 three months and then returning to their own 
 abode. The sons lived with their mothers until 
 they were fourteen years of age, when they were 
 thought to be old enough to join the community 
 of their own sex. The two islands were ruled 
 over, not by a king, but by a bishop ; and Marco 
 was much amused to observe that this holy potent- 
 ate, instead of wearing a mitre and embroidered 
 robes, went almost naked. 
 
 Marco landed at another island, several hundred 
 miles south of the " Male" and " Female" i'slands 
 where the people were also Christians. They 
 claimed to have all sorts of miraculous powers, 
 such as the power to change the direction of the 
 wind by their enchantments. The island was a 
 very remote, solitary, dismal place, frequented by 
 pirates, and Marco was very glad to get away 
 from it after making as brief a sojourn as possible. 
 v His next stopping place was the great island of 
 
AMONG THE HINDOOS. 1 83 
 
 Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, which 
 he found inhabited by two races. One of these 
 was Arab, and they were men of light complex- 
 ions and were well dressed ; the other was Negro, 
 as black as Erebus. Marco saw in Madagascar 
 a large variety of animals, wild and domestic, and 
 learned that the favorite food of the people was 
 the flesh of camels, which he had never known to 
 be eaten elsewhere. One species of bird he saw, 
 enormous in size, and formidable to men and 
 beasts, which, it was said, could lift an elephant 
 high in the air. Marco was told that when one 
 of these birds — they were probably what we know 
 as condors — was hungry, he seized an elephant, 
 and raising him in the air, let him fall to the earth, 
 crushing him to death; and then fed upon his 
 carcass. 
 
 Crossing to the main coast of Africa, Marco 
 passed through the country of Zanzibar, where 
 he saw negroes of gigantic size, quite terrible to 
 behold, who could carry as much in their arms or 
 on their shoulders as any four common men % 
 They were very black and savage, and went quite 
 naked ; their mouths were huge, their teeth very 
 regular and glistening white. The women struck 
 
I84 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Marco as singularly hideous, with their big eyes 
 and mouths, and their coarse, clumsy shapes. He 
 heard that this people were very warlike, and 
 fought on the backs of elephants and camels, 
 fifteen or twenty men being mounted on each 
 animal ; and that their weapons consisted of staves, 
 spears, and rude swords. As they went into 
 battle, they drank a very strong liquor, which they 
 also gave to their elephants and camels, rendering 
 both the beasts and their riders extremely fierce 
 and bloodthirsty. 
 
 Marco saw in Zanzibar, for the first time in his 
 life, an animal with^which we are all now quite 
 familiar — the giraffe ; and admired exceedingly 
 its beautiful stripes, graceful motions, and gentle 
 actions. He also saw white sheep with black 
 heads, and very large elephants; the latter were 
 hunted for their tusks, which, as ivory, found its 
 way to the remote marts of the world. 
 
MARCO POLO. l85 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 MARCO POLO IN AFRICA. 
 
 ROM Zanzibar, Marco ventured into a 
 famous African country, very ancient in 
 its history, and remarkable as the early 
 seat of Christianity on the " dark continent." 
 This was Abyssinia ; a land which, in our own 
 time, has attracted a great deal of attention, as 
 the scene of a war between the English and the 
 savage King Theodore. 
 
 In Marco's time, Abyssinia was called " Middle 
 India," and was renowned as a great kingdom, 
 inhabited by a bold and warlike race. He was 
 therefore naturally very anxious to visit it, es- 
 pecially as he knew the Abyssinians to be 
 Christians. 
 
 The journey thither from Zanzibar was long, 
 difficult and dangerous. The wild, black tribes 
 of the coast constantly menaced him and his 
 
186 MARCO POLO. 
 
 party; and sometimes, as he proceeded up the 
 rivers in the rude canoes furnished to him by- 
 friendly natives, he was assailed by showers of 
 arrows and javelins, some of which did fatal 
 work among his escort. 
 
 Nor were the menaces of the wild beasts to be 
 despised. In the night, especially, the deep and 
 awful stillness of the misty African jungle was 
 roughly broken by the roaring of hungry lions, 
 and the bellowing of hippopotami and rhinocer- 
 oses. A constant watch was the only safety 
 from the fell assaults of these half-famished 
 monsters. 
 
 But Marco and his companions had now be- 
 come quite used to " roughing it." His experi- 
 ence in the remotest parts of Tartary and China, 
 his adventures in the islands and in the depths of 
 Hindoostan, had not only hardened his sense of 
 peril, but had taught him how to pass through 
 the dangers of the jungle and the forest. In due 
 time, the Tartar train crossed the confines of 
 Abyssinia, and found themselves on the way to 
 its capital. 
 
 Marco at once made himself known as an 
 European and a Christian; and his light complexion 
 
p 
 
 crej 
 
IN AFRICA. I87 
 
 I 
 
 and regular features showed the Abyssinians that 
 he was not deceiving them, in spite of his Oriental 
 dress and company, No sooner did they recog- 
 nize him as a brother in religion, than the natives 
 overwhelmed him with the warmth of their 
 welcome. They entertained him on such rude 
 fare as their huts provided ; they guided him, in 
 strong companies, through dangerous parts of the 
 country ; and they paddled him in their biggest 
 canoes across the lakes and up the reed-bordered 
 rivers. 
 
 The young traveller observed all that he saw 
 and heard with the keenest interest ; for he 
 wished to carry back as minute an account as 
 possible of this land of sable Christians. He 
 soon learned that it was ruled over by a power- 
 ful emperor, under whom there were six kings, 
 each of whom reigned over the six large prov- 
 inces into which Abyssinia was divided. Three 
 of these kings were Christians, and three were 
 Mohammedans, the subjects of each being of the 
 same faith as their sovereign. The emperor 
 himself was a Christian. Marco also found that 
 there were many Jews in Abyssinia : but they 
 were not at all like the long-nosed, keen-eyed, 
 
188 MARCO POLO. 
 
 heavily-bearded Jews whom he remembered at 
 Venice. 
 
 Very different, too, were the Christian customs 
 of this half-savage country from those to which 
 he was accustomed at home. The Christians 
 distinguished themselves from the Mohamme- 
 dans and Jews, by having three marks branded 
 on their faces ; one from the forehead to the 
 middle of the nose, and one on each cheek; and 
 it was the branding of these marks with a red- 
 hot iron which constituted their baptism. 
 
 It was soon evident to Marco that he was in 
 the midst of a very warlike people. Everywhere 
 there appeared troops of soldiers; and very 
 often he passed large camps teeming with 
 warriors. Nearly the whole male population 
 seemed to be expert in the use of arms, and 
 ready at a moment's warning to obey a summons 
 to the battle-field. On the Abyssinian frontier 
 were two other warlike nations, Ad el and Nubia; 
 and the emperor was almost constantly at war 
 with one or the other. 
 
 Not many years before Marco's visit, the 
 Abyssinian monarch had engaged in a terrific 
 contest with the king of Adel. The cause of 
 
IN AFRICA. IQ9 
 
 this war was a singular one ; but it showed 
 Marco, when he heard it related, how devoted the 
 Abyssinians were to their religion. A Christian 
 bishop was sent by the emperor on a pilgrimage 
 to Christ's Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Having 
 safely performed his errand at the Holy City, 
 the bishop set out on his return. His way 
 lay through Adel. Now it happened that the 
 king and people of that country were intense 
 Mohammedans, and bitterly hated the Christians; 
 so when the bishop came along, he was seized 
 and brought before the governor of the province. 
 The latter urged him to desert his religion, and 
 become a follower of the prophet. But the 
 bishop stuck firmly to his faith. Then the 
 governor ordered that he should be taken out 
 and circumcised. Thus cruelly outraged, the 
 venerable prelate returned to Abyssinia, and lost 
 no time in apprizing the emperor of what had 
 happened. 
 
 The Abyssinian monarch was so enraged at the 
 bishop's sad tale, that he wept and gnashed his 
 teeth ; and calling out to his courtiers, swore 
 that the bishop should be avenged as never in- 
 jured man was before. Collecting an immense 
 
I9O MARCO POLO. 
 
 army he advanced at the head of it into the 
 heart of Adel, where he met the opposing forces 
 of his mortal foe. The battle was long and 
 terrific ; but it ended in a sweeping victory for 
 the invaders. The army of Adel broke and fled ; 
 and the Abyssinians, infuriated and intoxicated 
 by their triumph, laid waste and destroyed the 
 largest towns and fairest fields of Adel, and put 
 many of the people to the sword. Having thus 
 wreaked his vengeance for the bishop's wrong, the 
 emperor returned to his own country. 
 
 Marco found in Abyssinia the greatest abund- 
 ance and variety of production, and the richest 
 and most profuse vegetation. The natives lived 
 on rice, wild game, milk and sesame. Among the 
 animals he saw giraffes, lions, leopards and 
 huge apes, the largest and most intelligent he 
 had yet encountered. The feathered creation, 
 as it appeared in Abyssinia, struck him with 
 wonder and admiration. The domestic fowls he 
 thought the most beautiful in the world ; the 
 ostriches seemed " as large as asses ;" and the 
 parrots exceeded in variety of color and splendor 
 of plumage anything he had ever imagined. He 
 passed through many thriving towns, in some of 
 
IN AFRICA. I9I 
 
 which he observed manufactories of cotton and 
 other cloths; and by many lofty, though rudely 
 built castles, perched on high cliffs, or on the 
 slopes of wooded hills. 
 
 Marco would have liked to linger long in Abys- 
 sinia, which was a country that greatly attracted 
 him on many accounts. He would have liked, 
 also, to push on further, and explore all the 
 wonders of Egypt and the Nile. But he had 
 now been away from the court of the khan much 
 longer than he had intended; and he knew that 
 both the khan, and his father and uncle, must by 
 this time be looking anxiously for his return. 
 
 He was forced, therefore, reluctantly, to turn 
 his face eastward again. During his travels, he 
 had gathered many curiosities of the strange places 
 he had visited ; and he had lost a number of the 
 Tartars who had formed a part of his train. He 
 had now with him only enough men to bear his 
 baggage, and to act as a guard. Seeking a port 
 whence to embark, he found it necessary to pro- 
 ceed to the great and flourishing city of Aden, the 
 port which was the centre of all the commerce of 
 the African and Indian seas. Arriving at Aden, 
 Marco was surprised at its wealth and the vast 
 
192 MARCO POLO. 
 
 amount of shipping that lay in its harbor; and at 
 the magnificence of the sultan who ruled the city 
 and the country round about. He had no diffi- 
 culty, in so busy a place, in chartering a vessel 
 to take him and his company back to Tartary; 
 and ere many days once more found himself 
 on the great deep, full on the way to Kambalu. 
 
 The voyage was a long, tedious, and stormy 
 one. Sometimes Marco despaired of ever seeing 
 the land again, so furious were the cyclones and 
 tempests of wind and rain ; sometimes they were 
 becalmed for days and weeks. Marco landed at 
 many of the islands he had visited on his out- 
 ward voyage, and saw some which he had before 
 passed by ; but he did not, throughout the long 
 transit, often touch at points on the mainland. 
 
 At last, however, the long voyage was over. 
 The coast of Cathay appeared in a long, dim line 
 at the horizon ; then familiar cities and towns 
 came into view ; finally, the good ship neared 
 the port whence Marco had set out ; and it was 
 with a full heart that he jumped upon the shore, 
 and knew that ere long he would be clasped in 
 his father's arms, and receive the welcome and 
 the praises of the great khan. 
 
IN AFRICA. 193 
 
 His return to Kambalu was celebrated by re- 
 joicings in which the whole court took part ; for 
 the Tartar nobles had never known of so great 
 and indefatigable a traveller as Marco had proved 
 himself to be. His exploits, the dangers by sea, 
 savages and beasts through which he had passed, 
 the wonderful countries and curious customs he 
 had witnessed, and the valuable services he had 
 rendered to the khan, made him a real hero, even 
 among generals who had fought great battles, and 
 nobles who wielded powers inferior only to those 
 of Kublai Khan himself. 
 
 Nicolo was proud of his son's achievements, and 
 was never done praising him. The khan grew 
 fonder than ever of Marco, and lavished the cost- 
 liest gifts and the rarest favors upon him. He 
 made him a noble of his empire; he called him 
 almost daily to sup with him ; he offerred to marry 
 him to one of the most beautiful, rich and high- 
 born maidens of his realm ; he gave him a stable 
 full of beautiful horses; and consulted him upon 
 the most important affairs of state. 
 
 By and by the warmth of the khan's affection 
 for Marco began to fill the proud and fierce 
 breasts of the Tartar barons with jealousy ; and 
 
1(^4 MARCO POLO - ^ 
 
 now Marco had to feel the bitterness as well as 
 the sweets of good fortune. He was constantly 
 threatened with snares and assassination. He 
 was forced to go armed, and protected by a strong 
 guard, lest a secret attack should be made upon 
 him. So his life at the court, surrounded as it 
 was with every luxury and privilege that heart 
 could wish, became anything but a comfortable 
 one. 
 
 Nicolo and Maffeo Polo, as well as Marco, 
 aroused the hostility of many of the barons ; and 
 so unpleasant did their position at the court begin 
 to be, despite the fondness and favor of the mon- 
 arch, that they often talked together anxiously 
 about the prospect of their being able to return 
 to Venice. 
 
 Sixteen years had elapsed since the day on 
 which they had bidden farewell to their native 
 city. The two elder Polos were growing old ; 
 their hair was gray, their faces were wrinkled, and 
 their strength was waning. Marco himself, who 
 had departed from Venice a stripling, was now a 
 stalwart, broad-shouldered man, between thirty 
 and forty, with a heavy brown beard and the 
 strength of a lion. Their mission in Cathay had 
 
IN AFRICA. 195 
 
 been accomplished ; for they had persuaded the 
 khan to be a Christian, had converted many of his 
 subjects, and had acquired great wealth for 
 themselves. 
 
 They finally resolved to make a vigorous at- 
 tempt to persuade Kublai Khan to allow them to 
 depart, and to provide them with the means of 
 doing so safely. The first day, they said to each 
 other, that Kublai seemed in a particularly good 
 and indulgent humor, they would proffer their 
 petition. 
 
 Not long after this, the khan gave a great 
 feast ; and afterwards witnessed, with his court, 
 the exciting sports with which he was wont to be- 
 guile the pleasant afternoon hours, after he had 
 eaten and drunk his fill. 
 
 Retiring, then, to the shade of his park, Kublai 
 Khan reclined under the trees, and called about 
 him his favorite courtiers and wives. Near him 
 were the three Polos, who observed that the mon- 
 arch was in high spirits. He jested pleasantly 
 with his companions, and lolled luxuriously on his 
 cushions. 
 
 The Polos gave each other significant giances ; 
 and at a favorable moment, Nicolo advanced 
 
I96 MARCO POLO. 
 
 and prostrated himself at the monarch's feet. 
 
 " I have an immense favor to ask of your 
 majesty," he said, clasping his hands, and raising 
 his eyes to Kublai's face, " and implore you to 
 listen kindly to it." 
 
 " And what favor can you ask, good Venetian, 
 that I will not grant ? You and your brother, 
 and your brave, stout son, have served me nobly 
 these many years; how can I refuse what you 
 ask?" 
 
 " But I fear to offend your majesty, by asking 
 for more than you are willing to give. We beg for 
 no more riches, no more honors. These your 
 majesty has lavished upon us far beyond our de- 
 serts. You have loaded us with your favors and 
 your gold. It is, indeed, many, many years that 
 we have lived in the sunshine of your royal 
 countenance ; so many, that my brother and I 
 have waxed old in your service. And after this 
 long time, sire, our hearts yearn for our native 
 land, for those beloved ones of whom we have not 
 heard a word ; and we would fain return, to tell 
 Europe of the wonders of your vast realm, and 
 the lofty virtues that dwell in your royal breast. 
 Pray, your majesty, give us permission to go back 
 
IN AFRICA, 197 
 
 to Venice ; that is the petition we would lay at 
 your feet." 
 
 The khan at first frowned, and impatiently shook 
 his head ; then smiled, and said : 
 
 " Venetian, I cannot let you go. You are too 
 useful to me. Whom could I send as an envoy 
 to my remote provinces, if Marco were not here? 
 Who could teach my people how to be Christians, 
 if you departed ? No, no, stay in content, Vene- 
 tians ; and whatever your present possessions may 
 be, they shall be doubled from my treasure-house. 
 Whatever you desire to make you rich, to give 
 you pastime, to afford you ease and content in 
 Cathay, shall be yours. Choose your dwelling, 
 your horses, your servants, your guards, and they 
 shall be granted to you. But think not of going 
 hence ; it cannot be." 
 
 Nicolo continued to plead with all the eloquence 
 he could command ; but his prayers were quite in 
 vain. The khan was good-naturedly deaf to his 
 entreaties. He then tried another way of gaining 
 his object. 
 
 "Sire," said Nicolo, "Our good fortune here, 
 and your bounteous favor, have made us bitter 
 enemies among your barons and courtiers. They 
 
I98 MARCO POLO. 
 
 are jealous to see the affection of their monarch 
 bestowed upon foreigners ; and they hate to per- 
 ceive all your most secret trusts and counsels 
 confided to us, who are of strange birth and 
 blood. Should we depart, these nobles would no 
 longer entertain feelings so" angry, and would 
 once more gather, a united band, about your 
 throne. For the sake, then, of peace in your 
 court and palace, grant our prayer." 
 
 The khan looked around among his courtiers 
 with lowering and threatening brow. 
 
 "Who dares," he cried, "to murmur at my 
 sovereign will ; who would forbid my choice of 
 such counsellors as I please to have? Point out, 
 Venetian, the men of whom you speak!" 
 
 " Sire, I see none among those who are present ; 
 nor do I wish to breed further discontent and 
 quarrels in your palace, by naming those who are 
 jealous of us. But I assure you, there are such ; 
 nor will they ever be at rest until we have for- 
 ever set our faces towards the west." 
 
 The khan, however, was obdurate; and although 
 the Polos again and again besought him to let 
 them go, he would not budge an inch from his 
 resolution to keep them with him. There seemed 
 
IN AFRICA. IO9 
 
 to be no help for them. The Polos could not hope 
 to escape by stealth from Cathay ; for every high- 
 road was guarded by faithful troops of the khan, 
 and his couriers, with their relays of horses, could 
 travel much more swiftly than they could hope 
 to do. 
 
 They once more reluctantly gave up the hope 
 of returning home, and began to say to each other 
 that, in all probability, they were destined never 
 to set eyes on Venice more, but to live and die in 
 Cathay. Marco resumed his idle life at court, find- 
 ing a relief from its pleasures in writing out an ac- 
 count of his travels. In the early summer, he went 
 in the khan's innumerable train to the imperial 
 hunting grounds in the north ; and as he had now 
 become one of the most stalwart and skilful hunts- 
 men of the court, he plunged with new ardor into 
 the lusty sports of the forest and the jungle. 
 
 Marco little thought as, the summer over, he 
 was returning again, in the wake of the imperial 
 caravanserai, to Kambalu, that events had hap- 
 pened in his absence which would hasten the re- 
 turn of himself, his father and his uncle to 
 Venice ; and on arriving at the palace, was over- 
 joyed to find that good fortune had suddenly 
 opened a way for their final departure. 
 
200 MARCO. POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 HILE the khan had been away with his 
 court at the hunting grounds, three Per- 
 sian ambassadors, with a gorgeous train, 
 had arrived at Kambalu. Finding the khan 
 away, they resolved to await his return, and were 
 therefore sumptuously lodged in his palace. No 
 sooner had the khan heard of their arrival, than 
 he gave a splendid banquet in their honor ; and, 
 having feasted on the bounteous good things that 
 his stewards set before them, the ambassadors 
 were summoned into the garden, where the khan 
 reclined in the midst of his women, to inform him 
 of the object of their visit. The three Polos, as 
 usual, had their places near the monarch. They 
 watched with no little interest the appearance of 
 the Persians, and listened intently to what they 
 had to say. 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 201 
 
 The chief ambassador, making low salaams, ad- 
 vanced to Kublai Khan, and kneeling at his feet, 
 spoke : 
 
 " Your majesty knows that our great sovereign, 
 King Argon of Persia, married a lady of Cathay 
 for his wife. With much grief I have to announce 
 that the good Queen Bolgana is no more. She 
 was a most gracious queen, beloved of all her 
 lord's subjects ; and the king himself loved her 
 most faithfully. When she died, with her last 
 words she implored King Argon on no account 
 to take to himself a Persian as his second wife, 
 but to send hither for a maiden of her own 
 family, and make this maiden her successor. 
 King Argon paid heed to the dying prayer of the 
 queen ; and hath, in compliance with it, sent us 
 here to Cathay, to seek for a second wife." 
 
 " You are very welcome, noble Persians," re- 
 plied Kublai Khan, " and I shall give orders that 
 you be entertained at my court, as long as you 
 choose to tarry, in a manner befitting your rank 
 and my love for King Argon, your master. You 
 and your gallant company shall be lodged within 
 my palace, and all things in it shall be at your 
 service. Meanwhile, I will send messengers with- 
 
202 MARCO POLO. 
 
 out delay to the province whence Queen Argon 
 came, and will demand of her family a maiden 
 who shall return with you to Persia." 
 
 The Persians then retired, and the khan and 
 his courtiers resumed their recreations. The 
 Polos soon made the acquaintance of these envoys 
 of King Argon. Nicolo and Maffeo had twice 
 travelled in Persia, and had already been received 
 at the sovereign's court, and they well understood 
 the native language of the envoys ; while the 
 latter were delighted to find accomplished Euro- 
 peans, with whom they could freely talk, and who 
 were familiar with their own country. Marco 
 busied himself with providing amusements for 
 the Persians, and acted as their guide about the 
 palace park and the city of Kambalu. Occasion- 
 ally he went with them on hunting parties ; and 
 soon became very intimate and confidential with 
 them. He did not conceal from his new friends 
 how long and eagerly he and his father had de- 
 sired to return to Venice, and how resolutely 
 Kublai Khan had forbidden them to think of 
 doing so. The Persians sympathized with him 
 in his longing, and encouraged him to hope that 
 his deliverance might not be far off. But Marco 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 203 
 
 drew little comfort from their words, and did not 
 once suspect that they would themselves be the 
 means of opening the way to his return home. 
 Kublai Khan was as good as his word to the Per- 
 sian envoys. He lost no time in sending to the 
 native province of Queen Bolgana to demand a 
 new bride for the Persian monarch, giving orders 
 that the youngest and fairest daughter of the 
 family should be sent. In due time his messengers 
 returned, and with them the newly destined bride. 
 Marco was at the court when she entered the 
 palace, and was brought into the presence of the 
 khan and of the Persian ambassadors ; and, ac- 
 customed as he was to the beauty of many of the 
 Tartar ladies, he was amazed at the exceeding 
 loveliness of this young girl, whose fate it was to 
 be sent to a far-off strange land, and to become the 
 wife of a king more than double her own age. 
 She was very young and girlish, being scarcely 
 seventeen ; her graceful and slender form 
 was attired in robes of the richest silk. The 
 khan presented her to the Persian envoys, who did 
 not conceal their admiration of her beauty, and 
 declared that she could not fail to greatly please 
 their lord and master. 
 
204 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Preparations were now hastened for the de- 
 parture of the embassy. Kublai Khan had re- 
 solved that the bride should be attended with 
 great state on her journey to her new home. 
 He provided a brilliant escort of courtiers and 
 guards, and selected some-of the choicest gems 
 and gold and silver ornaments that his treasure- 
 houses provided, as presents for King Argon and 
 his youthful bride. Upon the latter he showered 
 necklaces, bracelets, and rings enough to dazzle 
 even a queen ; and he also gave the ambassadors 
 solid proofs of his esteem. 
 
 The time had nearly arrived for their depart- 
 ure, when, one day, the-chief of the ambassadors 
 sought an audience of the khan, and told him 
 that he was about to ask a still greater favor than 
 the khan had as yet conferred upon him. 
 
 " At your majesty's court," said the Persian, 
 " are three noble and learned Venetians, who have 
 been here, as I learn, some seventeen years. 
 Sire, they are most anxious to return to their 
 own land. They have served you faithfully and 
 they seek the reward of their fidelity in your 
 gracious permission that they shall again behold 
 the scenes of their youth. These Venetians have 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 205 
 
 much knowledge of the Indian seas, by which we 
 are about to return to Persia ; and we are bold 
 enough to beg your majesty's leave to take them 
 with us." 
 
 Kublai Khan frowned, and at first seemed on 
 the point of breaking out in a fit of passion ; but 
 governing his temper, turned abruptly around, 
 and said that he would think of. the Persian's re- 
 quest and give him his answer on the morrow. 
 The next day he called the Persian to him and 
 said: 
 
 " The Venetians have attached themselves 
 strongly to me, and have been, for many years, 
 my wisest and most trusted counsellors. I am 
 most loth to part with them. But I clearly see 
 that they are fully resolved to go back to Venice, 
 and that they cannot possibly reconcile them- 
 selves to remaining in Cathay. I perceive that 
 they have begged you Persians to intercede for 
 them ; nor, methinks, will they leave any stone 
 unturned to break away from me. I have there- 
 fore resolved, at last, to grant your request, and 
 to set them free to go back with you, if so it 
 pleases them." 
 
 The Persian bent low before the khan, in abject 
 
206 MARCO POLO. 
 
 token of his gratitude ; and then hastened off to 
 impart his good news to Marco, who could 
 scarcely believe that the obdurate khan had really 
 yielded. He soon, however, received from the 
 khan's own lips the assurance of the truth ; and 
 his heart thrilled with joy to think that, after all, 
 he would see dear old Venice once more. 
 
 So it was decided that the Polos should go with 
 the party of the young bride to Persia, and make 
 their way from thence, as they could, to Europe. 
 They soon made ready for the voyage (for the 
 party were to travel by sea, the land journey 
 being too long and too perilous for the frail 
 young princess and her female companions); and 
 the day quickly came for them to bid adieu to 
 the good khan who had treated them so gener- 
 ously, and to the host of Tartar friends whom they 
 were about to leave forever. 
 
 The khan had not only loaded down the Polos, 
 the envoys and the princess with costly gifts, and 
 provided them with a brilliant Tartar escort, but 
 had caused thirteen of his largest and finest four- 
 masted ships to be especially fitted up for their 
 use, and to be manned by ample crews of from one 
 to two hundred sailors each. Everything on these 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 20/ 
 
 ships was arranged for the luxury of the travellers. 
 The furniture was elegant and comfortable, and 
 the stock of provisions was choice and abundant. 
 In all, the company that attended the party 
 comprised, besides the sailors, six hundred per- 
 sons. 
 
 Just before they set out, Kublai Khan sum- 
 moned the Polos before him, in the presence of 
 the whole court ; and tenderly embracing each of 
 them, with tears in his eyes, he handed Nicolo 
 two golden tablets, which were to serve them as 
 passports. On these tablets the khan had caused 
 to be written his command to all his governors 
 and subjects, not only to permit the Polos a safe 
 passage, but to provide them with all things of 
 which they might be in need. 
 
 When the travellers repaired to the port where 
 lay their ships, Kublai Khan, with a great multi- 
 tude of courtiers and soldiers, proceeded with 
 them some miles on the road, and parted from 
 them with the warmest demonstrations of 
 affection at a village where all halted for the 
 leave-taking. The khan fairly wept as he em- 
 braced Marco, who was his chief favorite ; while 
 Marco himself was overcome with emotion at 
 
208 MARCO POLO. 
 
 separating from a monarch who had overwhelmed 
 him with favor and kindness. 
 
 The ambassadors, the princess and the Polos, 
 having arrived at the port of embarkation, re- 
 paired on board the flag-ship, in which they were 
 all to sail together ; their escort and attendants 
 entered the other ships ; and, while an enormous 
 multitude roared its good-bye from the shore, the 
 fleet set forth on its southward voyage. 
 
 Marco had already traversed these Eastern 
 seas, and was quite familiar with the various 
 islands and headlands as they were passed. He 
 took command of the fleet, and under his direc- 
 tions the ships sailed by the nearest route into 
 the Australian waters. They did not deem it wise 
 or necessary to put in at any of the islands, as they 
 had already on board provisions and water enough 
 to last them two years, and it was needless to, 
 risk an attack from the savage inhabitants. 
 
 It took the fleet fully three months to reach the 
 long and lovely island of Sumatra. On the voy- 
 age, Marco greatly enjoyed the companionship of 
 the three Persians, who were men of high birth 
 and remarkable intelligence. On making the 
 acquaintance of the young princess, (whose 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 200, 
 
 name was Cocachin), he found her as lively and 
 amiable as she was lovely in face and person. 
 She was soon able to converse with her protectors, 
 and spent much of her time on deck, gazing 
 amazed at the myriad wonders of the sea, which 
 she had never before beheld. At first she had 
 been homesick, and melancholy; but the excite- 
 ments of the voyage had restored the rosy color 
 to her cheeks, and gayety to her heart. 
 
 After staying a short while at Sumatra, the 
 ships resumed their voyage, their stores replen- 
 ished, and their company refreshed by the brief 
 sojourn on land. Sailing southwestward, they 
 skirted the coast of India as far as Ceylon ; and 
 then, turning their prows northwestward, traversed 
 the Indian ocean, thus in due time reaching the 
 Persian Gulf. By the time they reached the 
 port of Hormuz, however, they had been more 
 than two years away from Kambalu, during 
 which period they had only landed once, at 
 Sumatra. Two of the Persian envoys had died 
 on the voyage. 
 
 The brilliant company landed on Persian soil 
 with great pomp and display, for they were 
 escorting the future queen of the country, and 
 
2IO MARCO POLO. 
 
 the envoy who survived deemed that she should 
 make her first appearance among her future sub- 
 jects in all proper state. But no sooner had 
 they landed than they learned that the good 
 King Argon had in their absence followed his 
 first queen to the grave. The country was in a 
 state of civil war, and the young Princess Cocachin 
 had arrived to find herself widowed before she 
 was a wife. 
 
 The party lost no time in repairing to the prince 
 who was then ruling in Southern Persia, Kiacatu, 
 the brother of Argon ; to whom they presented 
 their lovely charge. But Kiacatu, though engaged 
 in a struggle with King Argon's son, Casan, for 
 the crown, was too honorable to detain the 
 young girl ; and directed her escort to proceed 
 with her to Casan's camp in the north, providing 
 the party with two hundred horsemen to protect 
 them. 
 
 Marco now found himself traversing the same 
 road as that by which he had travelled to Cathay. 
 Many objects were familiar to him as he ad- 
 vanced ; and now and then, on stopping at a 
 town or village, he found old men who remem- 
 bered his journey more than twenty years before. 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 211 
 
 It was a long jaunt from Hormuz to Khorassan, 
 where the young King Casan was posted with 
 his army ; and their progress was often interrupted 
 by the operations of war. But everywhere the 
 soldiers and the people respected the cavalcade, 
 on account of the fair young princess whom they 
 were conducting to the northern camp. Marco 
 always rode at her side, with the ambassador; 
 and had she not been of rank so much above his 
 own, and the destined bride of another, he might 
 easily have fallen head over ears in love with her. 
 As it was, she became very much attached to 
 her handsome and sturdy cavalier ; and looked 
 forward with real sorrow to parting from 
 him. 
 
 It was towards evening that the company ap- 
 proached the camp of the gallant young prince 
 who was fighting for the crown which was his due. 
 The tents were spread over a wide space in a 
 beautiful valley, watered by a swiftly-flowing 
 stream; and from a hill top Marco surveyed the 
 bustling scene. The soldiers were loitering about 
 their tents in groups ; and above the tents 
 floated the banners of the royal house of Persia. 
 In their centre was a lofty and handsome pa- 
 
212 MARCO POLO. 
 
 vilion ; and this the travellers rightly guessed to be 
 the headquarters of the prince himself. 
 
 With the passports they had, it was no difficult 
 matter to penetrate the out-posts, and advance 
 to the royal pavilion. On reaching it, the prin- 
 cess, ambassador, and three Polos dismounted 
 and approached the door. Presently Prince 
 Casan, apprized of the arrival of the party, 
 emerged from the pavilion. He was a fine- 
 looking young man, tall and straight, with broad 
 shoulders, a fresh rosy complexion, and a soft 
 brown beard. He was splendidly dressed in silk 
 and jewels, and altogether presented a noble and 
 attractive appearance. He stepped forward and 
 welcomed the party to his camp. Then the 
 ambassador, standing with bowed head, informed 
 Casan that this was the young princess of Cathay, 
 whom his father Argon had sent for, in order to 
 make* her his wife. But now that Argon was 
 dead, he knew nothing else to do with her, than 
 to bring her to Argon's son and heir, Casan 
 himself. The prince was already glancing with 
 tender eyes at the lovely young maiden; and no 
 sooner had the ambassador done speaking than 
 he exclaimed: "You have done well, my lord. 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 213 
 
 The fair princess shall receive all honor and pro- 
 tection from me. Nay, I am happily still un- 
 married ; and the bride whom my august father 
 destined as his queen, I will receive as mine." 
 
 So saying, he took the blushing Cocachin by 
 the hand and led her to a tent near by, sending her 
 Women after her to keep her company. It may 
 well be believed that she did not much regret, 
 after all, finding that her destined spouse was no 
 more ; for he was an old man, and now she was 
 to be married to one as young, handsome, 
 and powerful as the proudest princess could 
 wish. 
 
 Meanwhile, Casan busied himself with offering 
 such hospitalities as his camp afforded to his 
 visitors. The ambassador and the Polos were 
 provided with luxurious tents, and at night were 
 feasted by the prince to their hearts' content ; 
 and the next day a great review of the troops 
 was held, at which they rode beside the prince 
 himself. 
 
 Eager as Marco was to see Venice once more, 
 it was with much reluctance and sorrow that he 
 parted from the good friends with whom he had 
 travelled so far, and whose friendship he had so 
 
214 MARCO POLO. 
 
 keenly enjoyed. The Polos resolved to tarry at 
 the camp at least until Casan and Cocachin 
 were married, after which event they would hasten 
 towards home. The more Casan saw of the 
 young girl, the fonder he grew of her; and he 
 soon became impatient to be wedded to her as 
 soon as possible. Cocachin was nothing loth ; 
 and so within a week of her arrival in the camp, 
 they were duly married according to the rites of 
 the faith to which they belonged. 
 
 The next day, the Polos prepared to set out 
 for Trebizond, which was the nearest port where 
 they could hope to find a ship to take them to 
 Constantinople, from whence their way home 
 would be easy. When the moment for bidding 
 farewell came, Marco could not restrain his tears. 
 He warmly embraced his Persian friends, and 
 kneeling at the feet of the Princess Cocachin, 
 fervidly kissed her hand. She, also, was much 
 touched at parting from so good and faithful a 
 friend, and tears of regret coursed down her 
 cheeks. 
 
 The Polos here bade good-bye also to the 
 larger part of the escort who had accompanied 
 them on their travels, and only took with them a 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 21$ 
 
 few guides and attendants, and a body of Persian 
 cavalry, whom Prince Casan detailed to guard 
 them as far as Trebizond. They then set out, 
 followed by the friendly cries of the Persian 
 soldiers. 
 
2l6 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A STRANGE WELCOME. 
 
 ARCO and his party reached Trebizond in 
 safety, having crossed the Armenian 
 mountains, and seen with great interest 
 still another phase of Oriental life. Trebizond 
 was then a very thriving, port of the Black Sea, 
 and Marco was delighted when his eyes greeted, 
 among the crowded shipping in the harbor, 
 several vessels from which floated the once so 
 familiar Venetian flag. There were also Cossack, 
 Circassian, Greek and Moorish vessels, each 
 with its peculiar and striking characteristics. 
 
 It was not long before an opportunity occurred 
 of procuring a passage across the Black Sea to 
 Constantinople ; and the weary travellers, worn 
 and bronzed by long wanderings, at last found 
 themselves snugly ensconced in a European 
 cabin. The passage across the Black Sea was a 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 21/ 
 
 rapid and pleasant one. Soft winds blew, and 
 the sky remained serene throughout the voyage. 
 Yet it seemed a long voyage to Marco, who, now 
 that he once more found himself among Euro- 
 peans, was doubly eager to reach home. 
 
 One morning he awoke to find the vessel enter- 
 ing the narrow strait of the Bosphorus, its high 
 banks on either side crowned with fortresses, and 
 with the stately residences of the Greek nobles 
 who chose to live near the metropolis of the em- 
 pire. A brief sail brought them within sight of 
 the domes and minarets of Constantinople itself; 
 and soon Marco once more put foot upon dry land, 
 and was threading the narrow winding streets 
 of the famous city. 
 
 The stay of the Polos at Constantinople was 
 not a long one. Nicolo had some business to 
 transact with Levantine merchants, whose large 
 warehouses stood upon the quay, and who only 
 recognized their old acquaintance with difficulty, 
 so entirely had he changed during his twenty 
 years' residence at Cathay. Happily, there were 
 Venetian galleys in port ; and on one of these, 
 bound for home, the party was able to procure 
 a passage. Setting sail once more, they swiftlv 
 
2l8 MARCO POLO. 
 
 sped through the picturesque Sea of Marmora and 
 then entered the channel of the Hellespont, of 
 which Marco had read much in his ancient his- 
 tories. From the Hellespont they issued into 
 the ^Egean Sea, and were now full on the way to 
 Venice. The galley stopped at several Greek 
 ports on the way ; and Marco had an opportunity 
 which he eagerly seized,, to observe the monu- 
 ments and traits of that noble race, which had 
 now reached its period of rapid decline. 
 
 Ere many days had passed, Marco found him- 
 self sailing up the Adriatic, and so vivid had been 
 his first impressions of his outward voyage, that 
 at twenty years' distance he easily recognized 
 many of the objects he espied along the shores. 
 The weather continued propitious from the 
 time they left Constantinople ; it seemed as if 
 the elements were giving the travellers a smiling 
 and sunny welcome back to Europe again. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon of a mellow 
 autumn day, that, far off in the northern haze, 
 Marco saw dimly rising from the waters the well- 
 known domes and palaces of his beloved Venice. 
 He could with difficulty contain himself for joy. 
 He could scarcely speak, so deep were his 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 219 
 
 emotions at beholding the longed-for sight. The 
 three travellers stood on the deck of the galley, 
 and, shading their eyes from the sun's rays with 
 their hands, strained their eyes towards their 
 native city. 
 
 Nearer and nearer they approached it ; each 
 object became every moment more distinct. The 
 big dome of St. Mark's, the column of the lion, the 
 spires of many churches, the broad, ornate facade 
 of the doge's palace, came, one by one, into 
 view ; and now gondolas began to appear, gliding 
 swiftly and noiselessly in every direction across 
 the glassy bay. Then the mouth of the Grand 
 Canal, flanked on either side by its palaces and 
 churches, was easily recognized ; and, before the 
 Polos had done pointing out to each other, with 
 eager delight, the familiar points, they found the 
 galley drawing up to the quay. It was soon 
 moored, and the Polos tremblingly prepared to 
 disembark. 
 
 What had become of all their relatives and 
 friends, whom they had left behind so many years 
 before ? It could not be but they would find 
 many of them dead, and it was certain that all 
 would have, like themselves, greatly changed. 
 
220 MARCO POLO. 
 
 To land once more at Venice, therefore, after such 
 an absence, was to encounter pain, and to exist 
 for a time in feverish suspense. 
 
 The galley in which they had come was to re- 
 main at Venice for some time ; and the three 
 travellers left such baggage as they had brought 
 with them from the east on board of her, 
 while they landed and visited home once 
 more. 
 
 It happened that all three of the Polos wore 
 the rough travelling costumes which they brought 
 from Cathay. Their clothes were not only rough 
 and shabby, but were of Tartar make; so that 
 they looked much more like Tartars than Ven- 
 etians. The two elders wore long pointed caps 
 of fur, and coats that fell to the ground. About 
 their waists were belts, from which hung yata- 
 ghans and scimitars such as those used by Tartar 
 soldiers. Marco had a flat fur cap, with a long tas- 
 sel ; very much such a head-gear as some Chinese 
 mandarins wear at the present day. Maffeo Polo 
 led with him, by a stout chain, a great shaggy 
 dog that he had brought with him from Tartary. 
 All three, moreover, were very dark, their skins 
 having been tanned almost to the color of their 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 221 
 
 Tartar friends, by long residence in a tropical 
 clime, and long journeyings through rude and 
 difficult lands. They wore long, shaggy, beards, 
 those of Maffeo and Nicolo being quite gray; 
 and their hair fell in tangled mats down 
 over their shoulders. On their feet were the 
 short, thick shoes, turned up at the ends, which 
 every one wore in Cathay. 
 
 They thus presented, as they tramped across 
 the square of Saint Mark, a very strange and 
 striking appearance to the good folk of Venice 
 whom they met ; and many turned around and 
 stared after them with no little astonishment. 
 Not far from the square, they took a gondola, 
 and, as well as they could, directed the gondolier 
 to row them to Nicolo's house. They found that, 
 in so long an absence, they had actually almost 
 forgotten their native tongue. It was as much as 
 they could do to make the gondolier understand 
 them; they had to stop, and scratch their heads, 
 and search their memories, for the simplest word ; 
 for they had got accustomed at the khan's court, 
 to talk with each other, as well as with the 
 Tartars, in the Tartar language, and had long 
 ceased to speak Italian altogether. 
 
222 MARCO POLO. 
 
 The street of San Giovanni Chrysostomo, on 
 which stood the home of the Polos, was not far dis- 
 tant from the Square of St. Mark ; and the swift 
 gondola soon brought them to the broad flight of 
 steps which led up to it. Marco felt a curious 
 emotion at finding himself once more speeding 
 across the canals in one of the boats familiar to his 
 youth ; while Nicolo and Maffeo could not but call 
 to mind their former return from Cathay. 
 
 Everything in the street where their home 
 stood looked much as they remembered it. 
 Neither fire nor improvements had done away 
 with any of the neighboring buildings. There 
 were the same stair-ways, the same ornamental 
 portals, the same snug balconies, the same pretty 
 cupolas, the same air of indolent quiet and re- 
 pose, which they so well remembered. There, 
 too, stood the old home, as stately and silent 
 as of old, with the dainty carving around the 
 arch of the door, the same handsome cross set in 
 the wall just above it, and the samecoat-of-arms, 
 with its bars and initials, on the wall at the side. 
 It looked just as if everything had gone on as 
 usual for twenty years ; as if it were but the 
 other day that the travellers had set out from 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 223 
 
 that spot, followed by the tearful farewells of 
 their families and friends. 
 
 No sooner had they landed and advanced to- 
 ward the door, than a group of curious neighbors, 
 mostly women and children, gathered closely 
 around them, staring at them with all their 
 might. Such strange, uncouth figures, surely, 
 they had never seen; nor could those good 
 people imagine what the foreign looking men 
 were doing at the door of the big Polo house. 
 
 Marco knocked loudly upon the portal. At 
 first, no response came to his summons ; but pres- 
 ently several women leaned out of the windows 
 above, glared at the strangers, and somewhat 
 curtly demanded what they wanted. They were 
 evidently taken for foreign vagabonds and tramps ; 
 their rough, shabby coats, and bronzed and 
 bearded faces, confirmed this idea. Nor were 
 the suspicions of the women at the windows 
 diminished when Marco tried in vain — so hard did 
 he find it to speak his native tongue — to explain 
 who they were, and what they were there for. 
 
 At last, however, the people consented to open 
 the door, and admit the three men into the 
 courtyard, where the entire household gathered 
 
224 MARCO POLO. 
 
 around them. Marco addressed himself to the 
 butler, a stout, pompous person, who had entered 
 the family service long after the departure of the 
 travellers; and at last made him understand that 
 they were really Nicolo, Maffeo and Marco Polo. 
 The butler stared at him as if he did not believe a 
 word he said ; and then called two old women 
 who were in the group to come forth and see if 
 they could recognize the strangers. The old 
 dames placed ther hands on their hips, stooped 
 down, and narrowly scanned the countenances of 
 all three. 
 
 " Pooh, pooh/' exclaimed one of them, in a 
 shrill voice, " We know you not. You are a set 
 of impostors/' 
 
 " Besides," added the other, " Messer Nicolo 
 and Messer Marco are dead long ago. It is years 
 since we heard that they were killed by a band of 
 robbers, away off there in the East." 
 
 By this time a crowd of neighbors had pene- 
 trated the court-yard, and were gathered in a 
 close group about the travellers. Among them 
 were several old men and women, who had seen 
 the Polos before they went to Cathay. To these 
 the butler appealed ; but one and all shook their 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 225 
 
 heads. Stare as hard as they might, no one could 
 recognize their old acquaintances in these rugged 
 features. 
 
 "But where is Messer Marco the elder?" 
 Nicolo asked, anxiously, in broken Italian, look- 
 ing about him. " And young Maffeo, the son of 
 Nicolo?" 
 
 " Messer Maffeo," responded the butler, pomp- 
 ously, " is away in the country, on a hunt. Messer 
 Marco is dead long ago." 
 
 "Alas, poor Marco !" exclaimed Nicolo, with a 
 deep sigh. Then, turning to the group, he added, 
 " Very well, good friends, since you deny me in 
 my own house, and my son is at a distance, 
 we will repair to an inn, and await an op- 
 portunity to prove to all that we are the persons 
 we represent ourselves to be." 
 
 With this Nicolo walked out of the court-yard 
 of his own house, followed by Maffeo and Marco, 
 and all three betook themselves to an inn not far 
 distant. 
 
 The rumor of the arrival of the three strangers 
 was soon spread through the neighborhood 
 and the city ; and a large number of their old 
 friends and acquaintances came to see them at 
 
226 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the inn. But, though there were some who 
 thought they saw a dim likeness in the strangers' 
 faces to the old friends they asserted themselves 
 to be, nearly all denied that they perceived the 
 least likeness whatever. Besides, the fact that the 
 Polos were so shabby, and looked and appeared 
 so destitute, gave a general impression that they 
 were impudent pretenders, who were trying, by 
 this device, to obtain the Polo property. 
 
 The affair was getting to be serious ; for some 
 time must elapse before young Maffeo and other 
 relatives at a distance could be apprized of their 
 arrival, and return to recognize and welcome 
 them. 
 
 At last Nicolo hit upon a plan by which he 
 thought they would be able to prove their iden- 
 tity, and win the recognition of all ; and without 
 delay the three set about putting the plan into 
 execution. 
 
 They sent forth and invited all the old friends 
 and acquaintances whom they could find to be 
 living, and in Venice, to meet them at a grand 
 banquet at Nicolo's house on a certain evening ; 
 and so earnest were they in asserting their ability 
 to prove themselves what they claimed, that 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 227 
 
 those left in charge of the house reluctantly con- 
 sented that the banquet should be held there. 
 They did not believe there would beany banquet 
 at all, and suspected that before the appointed 
 time, the strange men would slip away from the 
 city, and be well rid of. 
 
 The night of the banquet, warm and serene, 
 came ; and about an hour before the guests were 
 expected to arrive, the three Polos came to the 
 house accompanied by porters bearing large 
 boxes, and asked to have an apartment set aside 
 for them, where they might make their toilet*for 
 the festivity. This request was grudgingly 
 granted to them, and they entered the room 
 where their boxes had been deposited and locked 
 themselves in. 
 
 The banquet was prepared with great splendor 
 and expense ; and in due time the invited friends 
 began to flock in, and gazed with astonishment 
 at the bounteous feast that was spread in the great 
 hall. They assembled in a large apartment just 
 beyond, and there awaited the entrance of their 
 singular hosts. 
 
 They had not long to wait ; for in a few mo- 
 ments the doors of the apartment were thrown 
 
228 MARCO POLO. 
 
 open, and the three men entered. As soon as 
 they appeared, there was a general exclamation 
 of surprise and admiration. No longer attired in 
 the uncouth costume of Tartars, no longer shaggy 
 of hair and ragged of aspect, the three Polos pre- 
 sented themselves in gorgeous robes o£ crimson 
 satin, that reached to the floor. Their hair and 
 beards had been cut to the prevailing fashion in 
 Venice; and on their necks and fingers sparkled 
 jewels of dazzling brightness and enormous size. 
 
 The guests gathered around them, and some 
 cried out at once that they recognized the strangers 
 as the three Polos who had been supposed to be 
 long ago dead. Others hung back, and still sus- 
 pected, that the company were being made the 
 victims of a trick. 
 
 With graceful courtesy, however, the Polos con- 
 ducted their guests to the groaning tables, and 
 the feasting began. They talked to those who 
 sat next to them in a free, easy strain, and with 
 a manner as if they were the undoubted lords of 
 the house. After the first course, the three Polos 
 rose from the table, and, while the company mois- 
 tened their hands — a custom practised in Venice 
 after each course — retired to their apartment. 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME.. 229 
 
 By the time the second course was served, they 
 had reappeared, this time in fresh and still more 
 brilliant costumes of crimson damask, with new 
 bracelets and rings on their necks and fingers. 
 Behind them came attendants, bearing the satin 
 robes they had just taken off; and these they 
 ordered to be cut up on the spot, and divided 
 among the servants. They then resumed their 
 seats, and once more made merry with their guests. 
 
 In due time all the courses had been served, 
 and the company had grown gay and boisterous 
 with the meat and wine. The cloth was removed 
 and the servants were ordered to leave the 
 banqueting room ; and then Marco rose, and turn- 
 ing to the guests, said, 
 
 " My friends, you have doubted that we are the 
 Polos, and have denied us with much scorn and 
 scoffing. You did this because, when we arrived 
 from our long journey, our hair and beards were 
 long and straggling, our faces scarred and sun- 
 burnt ; and also because, ragged and miserable as 
 we looked, you took us to be poor, scheming 
 beggars. Now you see us trim and kempt, and 
 some of you recognize in our faces, thus restored, 
 something of the Polo look. It still remains to 
 
23O MARCO POLO. 
 
 prove to you that we are not beggars, forced by- 
 want to make false pretensions to a name that 
 is not ours." 
 
 So saying, he strode through the room, and 
 for a moment disappeared. He soon returned, 
 bringing on his arm the shabby Tartar coats in 
 which they had made their appearance in Venice. 
 
 Laying them upon the table, while the guests 
 gathered curiously around him, Marco began to 
 rip open the seams of the rough coats. Presently 
 out from between the seams rolled a great num- 
 ber of large and beautiful diamonds and emeralds, 
 pearls, torquoises, rubies and sapphires ! Seam 
 after seam was torn open, and more and more 
 jewels fell upon the table; until there was a pile 
 of them equal in value to a very considerable 
 fortune. 
 
 "You see, my good friends," said Marco, 
 "that we have not returned from Cathay quite 
 penniless. Before leaving the court of the great 
 khan, we turned all our property into these 
 jewels, which might be easily carried ; and in 
 order both to carry and to conceal them safely, 
 we had them sewed up as you see, in these rude 
 garments." 
 
A STRANGE WELCOME. 23I 
 
 The company could no longer doubt that the 
 three men before them were really the long-ab- 
 sent Polos ; and one and all crowded around 
 them, eager to be forgiven for having at first 
 denied them. 
 
 Ere many days had passed, young Maffeo, 
 hearing of the return of his relatives, reached 
 home, and was locked in the embrace of his father 
 and brother ; and now the wanderers heard the 
 news of all that had happened during their ab- 
 sence of nearly a quarter of a century. The 
 elder Maffeo's wife had also died, and this intelli- 
 gence for a while filled him with grief: but 
 happily his children still lived, though they had 
 grown up, and were scattered in different parts of 
 Italy. 
 
 The Polos were soon cozily settled once more 
 in their old home ; and enjoyed, it may well be 
 believed, the rest and luxury which it afforded 
 after their weary travels. 
 
232 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 MARCO POLO GOES TO THE WARS. 
 
 T the time of his return to Venice, Marco 
 Polo was forty-one years of age, and in the 
 full vigor and prime of life. His wander- 
 ings and rough career had given him a powerful 
 frame, and great bodily strength, and had im- 
 planted in him a taste for adventure and action 
 which ill-suited him for the tranquillity of city and 
 commercial life. 
 
 No sooner had his identity been fully recog- 
 nized, than all Venice hastened to do him, as well 
 as his father and uncle, all honor. Every day 
 their house was thronged by nobles and great 
 ladies, by hosts of old friends and new, anxious 
 to pay their homage to the heroic travellers. 
 An office of high rank was conferred on the elder 
 Maffeo ; Nicolo became one of the chief gentle- 
 men of the doge's court ; and Marco was over- 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 233 
 
 whelmed with favors, honors and attentions by 
 the ruler of Venice. Fetes were given in celebra- 
 tion of their happy return ; and it was with diffi- 
 culty that they could escape the profuse atten- 
 tions which were showered upon them. 
 
 Marco became a special hero and favorite with 
 the young Venetians, who vied with each other 
 in seeking his friendship and companionship. 
 Scarcely a day passed that Marco did not receive, 
 at his father's house, a company of young men, 
 who sat eagerly listening to the wonderful stories 
 he had to tell them of the East. They plied him 
 with a multitude of questions about Cathay and 
 the great khan, and he pleased them all by the 
 willingness and pleasant manner with which he 
 replied to every one. 
 
 It happened that Marco, in describing the mag- 
 nificence of Kublai Khan's palace and court, un- 
 consciously gave the name to his house, by which 
 it was long after known. He constantly repeated 
 the word " millions" in speaking of the khan's 
 treasure and possessions. The khan had, he 
 said, millions of money, millions of subjects, mil- 
 lions of jewels, and so on ; so that the young men 
 laughingly called him " Messer Marco Millions ;" 
 
234 MARCO POLO. 
 
 and from this the Polo house became known as 
 the " Court of the Millions." 
 
 When the excitement and rejoicings attending 
 their return home were over, Marco looked about 
 him to see what he could do with himself. After 
 such a life as his had been, he did not -look for- 
 ward with pleasure to a career of mere indolence. 
 Amply rich by reason of the treasures he had 
 brought with him from Cathay, he was not 
 compelled to contemplate entering into business. 
 He desired some active, and if possible, adven- 
 turous occupation. Meanwhile, he now bethought 
 him of a desire he had long had, to take to him- 
 self a life partner, in the person of some young 
 and noble-born Venetian lady. Before leaving 
 Cathay, he had told his father that, on their re- 
 turn, he would marry, and thus perpetuate the 
 name and wealth of the family ; and now 
 seemed a favorable time to put this design into 
 execution. 
 
 He began to look about him with a view to 
 selecting some fair companion. There were 
 many beauties at the Venetian court, and a man of 
 Marco's handsome, manly appearance and great 
 fame might be sure of a favorable hearing, to 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 235 
 
 whichever of them he chose to address himself. 
 But before he had been able to make his 
 choice amid such a bevy of pretty women, an 
 event occurred which drew him away, for a time, 
 from all thoughts of marriage. During the year 
 before the return of the Polos from the East, a 
 frerce war had broken out between Venice and 
 her ancient and bitter rival, the city of Genoa. 
 These two cities, both boasting of a most thriving 
 commerce, and both powerful and warlike, had 
 long contested with each other the supremacy of 
 the seas. Nearly a hundred years before, Venice 
 had performed the feat of capturing Constanti- 
 nople, and had thus won the alliance of the 
 Eastern Roman Empire. After that period, 
 both Venice and Genoa had established many 
 colonies in the Levant, on the shores of Asia 
 Minor and Greece, and on the islands that dotted 
 the ^Egean. Fifty years after the taking of Con- 
 stantinople by Venice, a fierce war had broken 
 out between her and Genoa, in Asia Minor, re- 
 sulting in a brilliant triumph by Venice. Then 
 came a time when Genoa in turn was victorious, 
 and drove her rival from many places which 
 Venice had taken from her. 
 
236 MARCO POLO. 
 
 The new war, begun in 1294, when Marco and 
 his party were sailing on the Indian ocean, home- 
 ward bound, had at first been favorable to the 
 Genoese, who had defeated the Venetians in a 
 great sea battle off the coast of Palestine, taking 
 almost their entire fleet ; and this war _was still 
 going on when Marco returned to Venice. 
 
 News had now come that the Genoese had 
 fitted out a formidable squadron, and were re- 
 solved to attack the proud old city of Venice 
 itself. They had won so many victories, that they 
 arrogantly believed that, by a great effort, they 
 might capture even the famed capital of the doges. 
 The news of this approaching peril filled Venice 
 with excitement and fury. The haughty Ven- 
 etians were beside themselves with rage to think 
 that- so audacious a plan should be thought of by 
 their ancient foes ; and every preparation was 
 made in all haste to give them a hot reception. 
 
 The doge called upon every Venetian cavalier 
 to aid in saving their beloved city from a crowning 
 disgrace ; and his call was promptly obeyed by all 
 the flower of Venetian chivalry. Marco Polo's 
 heart was fired with patriotic ardor among the 
 foremost. He saw with delight a chance to return 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 2^J 
 
 to a life of action and peril, and to win new laurels 
 by his prowess ; and he was one of the first to 
 offer his sword and his life to the doge. No 
 sooner had he done so, than he was appointed to 
 the command of one of the galleys in the fleet 
 which was being rapidly prepared to resist that of 
 the Genoese. 
 
 The enemy's expedition, comprising nearly one 
 hundred war galleys, was commanded by a famous 
 admiral, named Doria. Soon the news reached 
 Venice that this fleet had assembled at the Gulf 
 of Spezia, near Genoa, and had thence set sail 
 around the Italian peninsula for the Adriatic. 
 Then couriers arrived with the startling intelli- 
 gence that the Genoese galleys were actually in 
 the Adriatic, and were rapidly approaching Venice 
 itself. 
 
 But at this moment the elements served as the 
 ally of the Venetians. A furious storm of wind 
 and rain broke over the Genoese fleet ; Doria 
 hastened to put into a port on the Dalmatian 
 coast, with such galleys as he could gather ; while 
 some sixteen of his galleys were swept far away 
 from him by the tempest. 
 
 When the storm abated, Doria was forced to 
 
238 MARCO POLO. 
 
 pursue his design with about eighty galleys. 
 After ravaging the Dalmatian coast, the greater 
 part of which belonged to Venice, the Genoese 
 advanced to the island of Curzola, the same that 
 the ancient Greeks called Corcyra. Here he put 
 in at the harbor of the chief town, which, as it 
 belonged to the Venetians, Doria ruthlessly sacked 
 and burned. All these events were learned by the 
 doge soon after they had occurred ; and now a 
 Venetian fleet had been collected, comprising 
 ninety-five galleys, and put under the command 
 of a veteran sea-warrior named Dandolo. 
 
 The Genoese fleet were riding confidently at 
 anchor in the bay of Curzola, when, one hazy 
 afternoon in early September, they perceived the 
 Venetian galleys in close ranks, approaching from 
 the southern side of the island. They came to 
 anchor in sight of the Genoese, and the sun went 
 down upon the two fleets confronting each other, 
 and only waiting for the morning light to engage 
 in a deadly conflict. 
 
 Both side's were very sure of victory. After 
 the night had fallen Doria, the Genoese admiral, 
 called a council of war, and put the question 
 whether they should attack the enemy in the 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 239 
 
 morning, or stand on the defensive and await his 
 assault where they were. It was decided to at- 
 tack. At the same time the Venetian commander, 
 Dandolo, was so confident of beating the Genoese, 
 that he was sending out boats to watch that 
 the Genoese did not sneak away under cover of 
 night. Marco Polo was in command of his 
 galley in Dandolo's fleet ; and no warrior in it 
 was more passionately eager than he for the 
 fray. 
 
 The sun rose bright and clear on the next 
 morning, which was a Sunday. From earliest 
 dawn the greatest activity prevailed in both 
 fleets. The long galleys, with their multitudes 
 of slim oars, their many flags flying and flutter- 
 ing in the fresh breeze, their warriors, with shield,, 
 sword and lance, crowded not only on the deck, 
 but on platforms raised above it, and in basket- 
 like boxes hoisted nearly to the tops of the 
 masts, their trumpeters blowing martial blasts in 
 raised enclosures near the stern, their captains 
 shouting hoarsely the words of command, pre- 
 sented a gay and bold appearance as they ad- 
 vanced to meet the foe. Marco's galley was one 
 of the largest and best-manned in Dandolo's 
 
24O MARCO POLO. 
 
 fleet ; and as the vessels sped forward, was one 
 of those which led the way. 
 
 The Genoese had resolved to make the attack: 
 but to their surprise, the Venetians appeared 
 coming down upon them the first thing in the 
 morning. The Venetian galleys had_ full sail 
 on, for the wind was in their favor. On the other 
 hand, as they were proceeding eastward, the sun 
 shone directly in their eyes. The air was filled 
 with the noise of their trumpets and the shout- 
 ing of the warriors ; and there was a moment 
 when Doria, seeing his enemy's brave array and 
 bold advance, trembled lest they should overcome 
 him. 
 
 The first shock of the battle seemed to give 
 reason to his fears. The Venetian galleys came 
 on with an impetuous rush, and plunged pellmell 
 among those of Genoa. Before Horia was able 
 to make a single stroke,, no less than ten of his 
 galleys had been captured and sunk, Marco Polo 
 having been one of the capturers. But the Vene- 
 tians had advanced too rapidly, as the event soon 
 showed ; for scarcely had Dandolo heard with 
 joy of the taking of the ten galleys, when word 
 came to him that several of his own boats had 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 2/J.I 
 
 run aground. This was a great misfortune. It 
 was soon to be followed by the capture of one of 
 his largest galleys, the soldiers in which were 
 thrown by the Genoese into the water ; and the 
 galley itself was turned against Dandolo. The tide 
 of battle, raging fiercely, had seemed at first to 
 run decidely in favor of the Venetians. But now 
 it turned. The Venetians became confused and 
 desperate by these mishaps ; while the Genoese 
 were filled with new hope and courage. Never- 
 theless, the conflict went on desperately for hours, 
 victory inclining now to one side and now to the 
 other. 
 
 Marco, with his galley, fought like a lion. He 
 stood on a platform above his men, and kept 
 encouraging them by his shouts and his own 
 example. Every now and then, fired by the ex- 
 citement of the fray, he would descend from the 
 platform, and drawing his- long sword, would rush 
 into the midst, and rain sturdy blows upon the 
 heads of the Genoese in reach of it. 
 
 The contest had gone on till the sun was far in 
 the west, when the Genoese fleet, rallying to- 
 gether for a 'desperate rush, formed a close rank 
 of galleys, and plunged straight down upon 
 
242 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Dandolo's boats. So impetuous was the assault 
 that it scattered the Venetian galleys right and 
 left. At this critical moment, an event occurred 
 that completed the defeat and destruction of the 
 brave Venetians. Sixteen Genoese galleys, 
 which had been driven away from the rest of the 
 Genoese fleet, in the storm which had assailed 
 it on entering the Adriatic, now came up, and fell 
 upon the Venetian vessels with crushing force. 
 
 This decided the battle. Venetian galleys, one 
 after another, were sunk or captured, the men 
 resisting heroically to the last ; until nearly every 
 galley which still floated fell into the hands of 
 the victorious Genoese. A few escaped, and 
 made all sail for Venice ; but among the captive 
 vessels was the admiral's ship, in which Dandolo 
 himself was taken. 
 
 One of the very last galleys to yield to the 
 conqueror was that of Marco Polo. He contested 
 every inch with the foe, and it was only after his 
 masts had gone, his men had been dreadfully 
 thinned out, and all the other Venetian galleys 
 around him had fallen into the hands of the 
 Genoese, that he sadly surrendered and shared 
 the humiliating fate of his brave commander. 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 243 
 
 The prisoners were all taken into port, where 
 they were forced to witness the exultant re- 
 joicing of their enemies. The commanders of the 
 captured galleys were confined in a house to-, 
 gether, and Marco found himself in company with 
 Dandolo. The Venetian admiral was over- 
 whelmed with grief at his defeat. InSpite of the 
 entreaties of his guard and of Marco himself, 
 Dandolo utterly refused to take any food ; and 
 one day, in utter despair, he threw himself down, 
 violently struck his head against a bench, and 
 thus killed himself. He preferred to die thus, 
 rather than be carried a prisoner to hated Genoa. 
 
 Doria heard with grief of the violent death of 
 his gallant enemy, and ordered that Dandolo's 
 body should be embalmed and carried to Genoa, 
 where a funeral worthy of his fame should be 
 given him. Having rested his army and repaired 
 his galleys, Doria, ordering his prisoners to be 
 chained and put on board, set sail for his own 
 city. 
 
 This was a dreary moment, indeed, for Marco ; 
 a sad ending to his ambition for military glory. 
 Instead of returning home bearing the honors of 
 his prowess, he was a captive, loaded with chains, 
 
244 MARCO POLO. 
 
 and on the way to prison in a strange and hostile 
 country. Here was a sorrowful termination to 
 his plans of marriage, and his hope of sitting in 
 the midst of a family of blooming children. In- 
 stead of his luxurious home in the Court of the 
 Millions, a bare dark cell was destined to be his 
 lot. But he bore up bravely in the midst of his 
 misfortunes. His nature was so cheerful a one, 
 that instead of brooding, he tried to encourage 
 and enliven his fellow prisoners; and won the 
 liking of the Genoese soldiers whose duty it was 
 to guard and serve him. 
 
 In due time the victorious fleet reached Genoa, 
 and was received with the wildest demonstrations 
 of delight. The ships in the beautiful bay dis- 
 played their flags and banners ; the great nobles 
 vied with each other in paying honor to Doria ; 
 and a splendid funeral was awarded to the dead 
 Venetian admiral. The prisoners, still in chains, 
 were marched through the streets, bounded on 
 either side by stately palaces, and were jeered at 
 by the multitude as they passed along. Finally, 
 to Marco's great relief, they reached a massive and 
 gloomy edifice, not far from the quays, into which 
 they were taken, and distributed in narrow cells. 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 245 
 
 For some time, at first, Marco feared that his 
 captors had doomed him to all the horrors of soli- 
 tary imprisonment. He was aghast at the idea 
 of spending months, perhaps years, shut up in 
 darkness and dampness, utterly alone, with no 
 companion, however humble, to share his solitude. 
 He was greatly relieved, therefore, when one day 
 after he had been in prison about a week, the 
 governor of the jail entered his cell, followed by 
 a grave, scholarly- looking man, to whom the 
 governor introduced Marco as his future prison- 
 mate. 
 
 As soon as the governor had retired, Marco 
 rushed forward and grasped the new-comer by 
 the hand, eagerly asking him who he was and 
 whence he came. 
 
 " I am Rustician, a gentleman of Pisa," replied 
 the stranger; " and was taken prisoner by the 
 Genoese several years ago. Ever since, I have 
 languished in one prison or another ; but now, 
 since such large numbers of you Venetians have 
 been taken, the prisons of Genoa are full, and 
 they are obliged to put two men in each cell. 
 And who, pray, are you?" 
 
 Marco told the Pisan who he was, and gave him 
 
246 MARCO POLO. 
 
 a full account of his wanderings ; and speedily 
 they found themselves fast friends. 
 
 The Pisan proved to be a scholar and writer 
 of rare accomplishments, and he, in turn, was 
 delighted to find, in his fellow-prisoner, a man 
 who had seen so much of a continent almost 
 wholly unknown to Europeans. The companion- 
 ship of Rustician, indeed, made Marco's prison 
 life almost cheerful. They talked to each other 
 by the hour, Marco listening to Rustician's 
 learned conversation, and Rustician eagerly ab- 
 sorbing Marco's stories of the marvels of the East. 
 Meanwhile, the severity of their prison life was 
 gradually relaxed, until at last they were allowed 
 comfortable couches to sleep on, and an abun- 
 dance of palatable food at their daily meals. 
 
 The prison was a large one, and contained 
 several hundred prisoners ; these were for the 
 most part Venetians who, like Marco, had been 
 taken in the battle of Curzola. After a time, the 
 prisoners were allowed to see and talk with each 
 other at certain hours of the day ; a permission of 
 which Marco eagerly availed himself. He found 
 many of his friends among the prisoners, as well 
 as a number of the men who had served on board 
 
MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 247 
 
 his own galley. Among other privileges which 
 were now allowed the captives, were those of 
 having books and writing materials in their cells, 
 and of writing to and receiving letters from their 
 friends at home ; and Marco took good care to 
 send his father a full account of all that happened 
 to him in prison. 
 
 But his chief pleasure was to talk with his room- 
 mate, the gentle and learned Rustician. They 
 had speedily become close and loving friends ; and 
 Rustician, as soon as they were allowed pen and 
 ink, bethought him of a way to pass the weary 
 hours, for which the world owes him a deep debt 
 of gratitude. He proposed to Marco that he 
 should sit down day after day, and relate, in due 
 order, all his travels and what befel him in the 
 East, describing the countries and peoples he had 
 seen, and trie many adventures which had hap- 
 pened to him ; while Rustician himself, sitting 
 at the little prison table, should carefully write 
 off Marco's thrilling story. To this Marco readily 
 consented ; and the next day the two captives 
 set to work upon their new labor in good earnest. 
 
248 MARCO POLO. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 MARCO POLO A PRISONER. 
 
 ARCO POLO had accepted Rusticiano's 
 proposition, to dictate to him an account 
 of his travels, with pleasure. It afforded 
 a grateful relief from the monotony of prison 
 life; and, besides, Marco well knew that the 
 wonderful narrative would perpetuate his fame 
 loner after he himself was dead. 
 
 We may picture to ourselves the two men, 
 seated on the rude chairs of their cell ; Marco 
 leaning against the wall, and leisurely recount- 
 ing his adventures, while the grave Rusticiano 
 slowly wrote at the table. Sometimes the 
 scholar would stop, and look at Marco with in- 
 credulous amazement, as he related some story 
 that seemed to Rusticiano beyond belief; but 
 Marco would nod his head emphatically, and 
 assert that what he told was not half the truth. 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 249 
 
 Then Rusticiano would quietly shrug his 
 shoulders, and go on writing. 
 
 Thus sped quickly the hours, days, and weeks. 
 The imprisonment of both seemed the shorter 
 for this pleasant labor; and Rusticiano was very 
 careful, when the day's work was over, to deposit 
 the precious manuscript where it would be safe. 
 
 Meanwhile, the rules of the prison were 
 gradually relaxed in Marco's favor. He was 
 allowed to roam about the gloomy old edifice 
 pretty much as he pleased, and to take ample 
 exercise in the courtyard. Gradually it became 
 known in Genoa and the country round about, 
 that a famous Venetian traveller occupied the 
 prison, and then Marco began to receive many 
 visits from the principal personages of the city. 
 Crowds gathered at the prison gate to catch a 
 glimpse of him ; dames of noble rank sent him 
 presents of books and rare wines. The carriages 
 of noblemen jostled each other at the prison 
 gates, as their occupants waited for an oppor- 
 tunity of talking with the traveller. The governor 
 of the prison invited Marco and his companion 
 Rusticiano, to dine at his table; and finally, they 
 were transferred to another cell which was large, 
 
250 MARCO POLO. 
 
 well lighted and ventilated, and handsomely and 
 luxuriously furnished ; while the food placed 
 before them was as rich and various as that 
 supplied to a nobleman's family. 
 
 The prisoners now lived in the greatest com- 
 fort. The walls were lined with book shelves ; 
 they slept on soft couches at night ; and, had it 
 not been for the heavy bars across the windows, 
 they would have scarcely known that they were 
 prisoners at all. Every day their apartment — for 
 it could no longer be called a cell — was thronged 
 with visitors ; and every little while Marco gave 
 dinners and suppers to his visitors, and made 
 very merry with them. Months thus passed, not 
 wholly without their pleasures and consolations. 
 But Marco often grieved at his situation, and be- 
 came impatient to regain, his freedom. It seemed 
 cruel that, no sooner had he found himself at home 
 after his long sojourn in the east, he should have 
 been captured and doomed to suffer exile and the 
 grim slavery of dungeon walls. He longed to 
 breathe once more the free air of Venice, to 
 settle down among his kindred, and to reap the 
 reward of all his toils, in the establishment of a 
 family and the enjoyment of his well-earned 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 25 I 
 
 riches. Yet there seemed no prospect of his 
 captivity coming to an end. He knew that 
 Venetians were often kept prisoners at Genoa 
 for many years, and he saw no reason to hope 
 that he would be set at liberty sooner than the 
 rest. 
 
 One day, after he had been at Genoa about five 
 months, Marco was sitting at his table with 
 Rusticiano, reading, when the door of his room 
 was thrown open, and two men entered. At first 
 Marco did not recognize them; but when one of 
 them advanced, and took off his cap, he saw that 
 it was his father, Nicolo, and that his com- 
 panion was Marco's brother, Maffeo. In a 
 moment Marco was locked in his father's close 
 embrace. The emotion of all three at meeting 
 was so great, that for a while neither could 
 speak. At last Marco exclaimed : 
 
 " You have filled me with joy, father and 
 brother, by coming to me ! How did you ven- 
 ture into the territory of our enemies ?" 
 
 " I could bear no longer the thought of your 
 imprisonment," answered Nicolo, wiping his 
 eyes ; " and so I sought and procured the consent 
 of the Geneose to come hither, and see you, 
 
252 MARCO POLO. 
 
 my dear son, and to try to obtain your liberty." 
 "Alas, father," returned Marco, shaking his 
 head mournfully, " I fear it will be of no avail. 
 The Genoese treat me with the most generous 
 kindness, but they have no idea of setting me 
 free." 
 
 Nicolo groaned as he heard these words; but 
 Maffeo with cheerful voice, said, " Do not des- 
 pair, father. We come with 'the offer of a heavy 
 ransom. Perhaps the Genoese will yield to a 
 golden argument." 
 
 " We can but try," replied Nicolo. Then all 
 three sat down, and began to talk of all that had 
 happened to them since the time they had parted 
 at Venice. Marco told his father and brother the 
 history of his prison life, the indulgence shown 
 him by his captors, and the consolation he had 
 had in the friendship of the learned and warm- 
 hearted Rusticiano. Of home news that Nicolo 
 gave him in return, there was little that was in- 
 teresting. This friend had married and that 
 friend had died, but the course of life at their own 
 home had gone smoothly on. Marco observed 
 that his father was more bent, gray and feeble 
 than when he had seen him last; and knew that 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 253 
 
 grief at his own misfortunes was, in part at least, 
 the cause of Nicolo's altered appearance. 
 
 The effort to secure his liberty proved, as 
 Marco had predicted, unsuccessful. In vain 
 Nicolo offered the Genoese a large sum as a ran- 
 som ; they refused to think of setting Marco free. 
 But Nicolo at least procured one privilege for his 
 son. The government consented that Marco 
 should be released from prison and live as he 
 pleased in the city, on condition that he would 
 give his word of honor that he would not attempt 
 to escape from it. 
 
 Nicolo hastened to the prison with the news of 
 this fresh favor, and Marco was delighted at least 
 to bid adieu to the gloomy walls which had so 
 long confined him. His effects were soon packed, 
 and he took up his residence in one of the best 
 inns in Genoa. He parted from Rusticiano with 
 much regret, and promised that he would come 
 to the prison very often and see him, and would 
 try to procure the same favor for his friend that 
 he himself had just secured. This he soon after 
 succeeded in accomplishing. 
 
 It was with keen sorrow that Marco parted 
 from his father and brother. It seemed very 
 
254 MARCO POLO. 
 
 doubtful whether he should ever see Nicolo 
 again ; he himself might be kept at Genoa for 
 the rest of his life, and he felt very unhappy to 
 be left behind, while his father and brother were 
 free to return to Venice. 
 
 But in his new situation Marco soon recovered 
 his buoyant spirits. No longer treated as a pris- 
 oner, he lived like a Genoese gentleman, and had 
 as his friends and companions men of wealth and 
 rank. Wherever he went he was treated with great 
 honor and respect. He was invited to all the 
 fashionable balls and fetes, and often attended 
 them ; and with his ample means, was able to in- 
 dulge his desires and tastes as he pleased. 
 
 It has already been said that, before leaving the 
 court of the great khan, Marco had made up his 
 mind that on reaching home, he would marry, 
 and rear a family of children. His departure for 
 the war had postponed the executionof this design, 
 and now there seemed no prospect that he could 
 carry it out. He desired to perpetuate his name, 
 family, and property ; yet now, when he was over 
 forty years old, he found himself still a bachelor. 
 
 But though Marco could not, situated as he 
 was, think of marriage, his father Nicolo had not 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 255 
 
 experienced the same difficulty ; for, old as he 
 was, Nicolo, some time before Marco had been 
 taken prisoner, had taken to himself a new- 
 wife. Marco's new step-mother was considerably- 
 younger than himself; and he was rejoiced to 
 think that now, in all probability, the family 
 name and fame was in no danger of dying out. 
 
 In course of time the news came to him of the 
 birth of a little step-brother ; and Marco was 
 greatly amused to think of being the brother at 
 over forty, of a little fellow just come into the 
 world. Then he heard the sad intelligence that his 
 father Nicolo had suddenly died, leaving his young 
 widow and child. Marco grieved much that he 
 could not have been at the old man's bedside in 
 his last hours. He -sent word to Venice that a 
 splendid tomb should be erected in Nicolo's 
 honored memory, in the Church of San Lorenzo, 
 at his own expense. This tomb, consisting of a 
 sarcophagus of solid stone, upon which was en- 
 graved the coat-of-arms of the Polos, long stood 
 under the portico of that venerable edifice. 
 
 The quarrel between Venice and Genoa, which 
 had now lasted for many years, and still continued, 
 was the cause why Marco and his comrades in 
 
 I 
 
256 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the war were yet retained as prisoners. Many 
 attempts had been made to bring about peace 
 between the rival cities, each of whom proudly 
 claimed to be queen of the sea. After Marco had 
 been at Genoa about a year, he heard one day 
 with great delight that the Prince of Milan had 
 become a mediator between the two foes, and 
 was making every effort to induce them to come 
 to terms. Both Venice and Genoa, indeed, were 
 tired of the long strife, which had not resulted in 
 any very important gain on either side ; and the 
 Prince of Milan did not find it very difficult to 
 make them listen to reason. Envoys from 
 Venice and Genoa went to Milan, and after they 
 had talked the matter over with each other, 
 finally agreed upon terms of peace. Among 
 these terms were, that when the treaty was signed 
 the prisoners on both sides should be released and 
 returned to their homes. In due time the news 
 came that the doge of Venice and duke of 
 Genoa had both signed the treaty, and that the 
 two cities were friends again. 
 
 Marco was entertaining a number of friends at 
 supper when it was announced to him that he 
 was at last free to return to Venice. Among his 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 257 
 
 guests were some Venetians, who like himself 
 were prisoners, and who had been allowed to re- 
 side outside the prison walls. These rose from 
 the table and, with tears in their eyes, embraced 
 each other and Marco. The Genoese gentlemen 
 who were present exclaimed that now the Vene- 
 tians were their brothers, and a scene of great hi- 
 larity and rejoicing followed, and was continued 
 far into the night. 
 
 But Marco, though free, was not allowed to 
 depart at once. His many Genoese friends, who 
 had already become strongly attached to him, 
 insisted that he should attend the banquets and 
 fetes which were to celebrate the return of peace, 
 and some of which were to be given in his own 
 honor. The duke of Genoa invited all the high 
 nobility of the " City of Palaces" to his own pal- 
 ace, where night was turned into day by gorgeous 
 illuminations, and from whose towers floated 
 the flags of the sister cities between whom con- 
 cord once more reigned. Among the brilliant 
 throng, Marco's stalwart form and handsome 
 face were conspicuous, and everywhere he went 
 he was surrounded by admiring groups. The 
 duke himself invited Marco to walk beside him to 
 
258 MARCO POLO. 
 
 the banqueting hall, where he was placed at the 
 sovereign's right hand. At the duke's fete, too, 
 were very many of the gallant Venetians who 
 had fought with Marco at Curzola, and had since 
 shared his captivity. 
 
 Now that friendship was restored between the 
 two cities, the Genoese were resolved to treat 
 their late prisoners with all honor and attention. 
 A fleet of galleys was ordered to anchor in the 
 picturesque bay, for the purpose of transporting 
 the Venetians home. These were fitted up with 
 every luxury and comfort, that the voyage might 
 be as pleasant as possible ; and a store of pro- 
 visions was stored away in them, comprising good 
 things enough to supply the travellers with boun- 
 teous meals throughout the transit. 
 
 Before Marco took his departure, he paid a visit 
 to his old prison comrade, the worthy Rusticiano. 
 Rusticiano was still a prisoner, though Genoa 
 had just made peace with Pisa, and he was look- 
 ing forward to a speedy release. The interview be- 
 tween the two friends was therefore a very happy 
 one ; and Marco made Rusticiano promise that, 
 ere long, he would pay him a visit in Venice. 
 
 On a hot morning in the midsummer of 1299, 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 259 
 
 the Venetians embarked on the galleys, home- 
 ward bound. A vast crowd of Genoese thronged 
 the quays to see them off and bid them God 
 speed on their voyage. Marco, on reaching the 
 scene of departure, was almost suffocated by the 
 warm reception given him by his Genoese friends. 
 They pressed close around him and embraced 
 him, and would scarcely let htm go to proceed on 
 board his galley. 
 
 At last he found himself standing upon the 
 deck, and gazing for the last time at the noble 
 and stately city which had dealt so gently with 
 him as a captive, and where, in spite of his cap- 
 tivity, he had formed so many pleasant ties and 
 passed so many happy hours. The signal was 
 given ; the fleet of galleys, gay with flags and 
 pennons, and alive with the quick movements of 
 the many long oars, glided away from the quays ; 
 the multitude on shore gave a great shout of 
 farewell, the Genoese ladies waving their veils, 
 and the men their plumed hats ; and soon the 
 vineclad eminences and long lines of palaces dis- 
 appeared from view. 
 
 Meanwhile word had gone to Venice that the 
 prisoners had been released, and were on their 
 
26o MARCO POLO. 
 
 way home by sea. Immediately the city was 
 thrown into a great commotion. It was resolved 
 that the heroes of Curzola should have a reception 
 worthy of their bravery and their misfortunes ; 
 and every preparation was made to greet them 
 with the most distinguished honors. Among the 
 prisoners, who numbered more than a thousand, 
 were many Venetian youths of noble birth, the 
 hopes of haughty houses, the beloved of many 
 a fair damsel of rank and beauty. It seemed, in- 
 deed, as if there were scarcely a noble family in 
 Venice who had not been bereft of a son in the 
 heroic but disastrous sea-fight. 
 
 Had there been powder in these times, no doubt 
 the cannon would have boomed forth a deafening 
 roar of boisterous welcome as, on the misty Au- 
 gust afternoon, the fleet of Genoese galleys made 
 its appearance in the Gulf of Venice. As it was, 
 the whole city seemed fluttering with flags and 
 banners ; from the doge's palace and the lofty 
 Campanile, from the Byzantine domes and pina- 
 cles of St. Mark's, from the spires of churches and 
 the summits of bell towers, waved innumerable 
 standards, bearing the national device of the 
 winged lion. Towards the quays, every balcony 
 
MARCO A PRISONER. 26l 
 
 of the ducal palace and the council houses, the 
 palaces of the proud nobles of Venice, and the 
 terraces on the edge of the grand canal, were 
 thronged with a gay and excited multitude. 
 The doge himself, with his long, pointed cap, his 
 rich robes sweeping the ground, and his white 
 beard flowing over his breast, stood, surrounded 
 by his brilliant court, on the quay in front of his 
 palace ; while on every side of the square was 
 drawn up the flower of the Venetian army, the 
 lancers and cross-bow-men being conspicuous. In 
 the bay and canal, countless gondolas awaited the 
 arrival. As the fleet of galleys came nearer, they 
 were greeted by the long and loud applause of 
 the multitude on shore ; and it was with diffi- 
 culty that the soldiers prevented the crowd from 
 invading the quay where the prisoners were to 
 land. At last the galleys were safely moored. 
 The oarsmen raised their oars, and held thern 
 upright in long lines along the decks. Then the 
 prisoners, in groups of twos and threes, advanced 
 up the planks, and sprang on shore. First they ad- 
 vanced to the doge, who welcomed them with cor- 
 dial words of affection and praise. Then each 
 sought his parents, sweethearts or friends, in the 
 swaying crowd or on the overflowing balconies. 
 
262 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Marco soon found himself in the arms of his 
 brother and uncle, while other relatives and friends 
 huddled excitedly around him. They talked to 
 each other rapidly and earnestly ; and as soon 
 as they could make their way through the crowd, 
 they hastened across the square of St. Mark, and 
 taking a gondola, were soon speeding towards 
 the street of San Giovanni Chrysostomo. The 
 retainers of the household were waiting in a group 
 in front of the " Court of the Millions" to wel- 
 come their master home; and as he landed from 
 the gondola, formed in a line on either side, and 
 bowed low while he passed, with brother and 
 friends, through the archway. 
 
 That night, as may well be believed, there 
 were sounds of revelry and rejoicing in the spa- 
 cious mansion of the Polos. Marco thought of 
 his return, with his father and uncle, from Cathay : 
 and could not restrain himself from shedding a 
 tear when he saw his father's vacant seat at the 
 groaning board. He was now to take the old 
 man's place ; his voyages, travels and adventures 
 over, he would henceforth live quietly at home, 
 and devote himself to the service of his family and 
 of the state, reaping the reward of the perils he 
 had passed and the fame he had won. 
 
MARCO POLO. 263 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 
 
 fife2jt^SH|T the time of Marco Polo's return to 
 l&\3 Venice, ^ e was about forty-six years old, 
 that is, in the prime of manhood. He 
 might yet look forward to many years of health 
 and vigor; and might, had he so chosen, have 
 undertaken new expeditions to remote lands. But 
 he had at last grown tired of wandering. In his 
 prison life at Genoa, he had often thought how 
 happy he might be in a home of his own, with a 
 loving wife by his side, and children playing 
 about his knees ; and had felt that with such a 
 home he would be quite content to settle down 
 for the rest of his life. 
 
 On finding himself at Venice once more, he 
 arranged his affairs as if he were now resolved to 
 settle down there. He fitted up his house 
 anew; and now for the first time took part in the 
 
264 MARCO POLO. 
 
 affairs of commerce which his family had long 
 pursued. He owned a large share in the trade 
 which they carried on; and soon was busily 
 engaged as a merchant. 
 
 Then he began to look about him for a wife. 
 As a nobleman and a traveller of the greatest dis- 
 tinction, Marco Polo was a welcome guest in the 
 best houses in Venice. He was invited every- 
 where, and, had he chosen, he might have gone 
 every night to some feast or ball. His friends 
 were countless, and belonged to the highest 
 social rank; while his own hospitable nature 
 continually filled his house with merry parties, 
 gay masqueraders, and hilarious feasters. His 
 tall, stalwart person, his courteous bearing, his 
 fine, expressive features, and his wide renown, 
 made him a special favorite with the noble 
 dames and demoiselles of Venice, who loved to 
 hear him recount his adventures, and showed 
 him, in many coquettish ways, their admiration 
 of his exploits. To them he was a brave hero, 
 who had fearlessly encountered many perils, and 
 had survived the most bitter hardships and 
 hairbreadth escapes. 
 
 Marco therefore had ample opportunities to 
 
LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 265 
 
 make choice of a life partner; it seemed certain 
 that wherever he paid his court, he was sure of 
 being kindly received. 
 
 Among the noble families whose acquaintance 
 he had made after his return from Cathay, was 
 that of the Loredanos. The head of the family 
 was a wealthy nobleman, a member of the doge's 
 council, and a man of mark in Venice, Loredano 
 had two lovely daughters. One, Donata, was a tall, 
 stately brunette, about twenty-five; the younger, 
 Maria, was a delicate blonde, with rich auburn 
 hair, Marco Polo was soon attracted to the 
 beauty and graces of Donata, To be sure, he 
 was twenty years older than she ; but his heart 
 was still fresh and young, and had never before 
 been touched by the passion of love. It was all 
 the stronger in a man of his age and vigor. He 
 soon became very attentive to the young 
 signorita. He visited her at her father's house, 
 or in her company sped over the beautiful bay 
 in his luxurious gondola. It was observed that 
 he was always at her side at the balls and fetes, 
 and that he paid her special honor at the festivi- 
 ties at which she was present in his own house. 
 
 The fair Donata seemed pleased with his at- 
 
i66 
 
 MARCO POLO. 
 
 tentions, and gradually learned to feel for the 
 sturdy cavalier a warm affection. The course of 
 their love ran smooth; and when Marco Polo 
 asked the consent of Loredano to their betrothal, 
 the noble councillor at once and joyfully 
 accorded it. 
 
 Then came sweet, happy days when the middle- 
 aged cavalier courted his young lady love, and 
 spent long dreamy hours in her beloved company. 
 Never a day passed that he did not spend a 
 portion of it with her. It soon became known 
 through "Venice that Marco Polo was to wed 
 Donata Loredano ; and their friends vied with 
 each other in giving parties .and masques in 
 honor of the event. 
 
 This pleasant courtship was not of long dura- 
 tion, for Marco was eager to be " married and 
 settled." The wedding was a grand affair. It 
 took place in the stately church of San Lorenzo, 
 where Nicolo Polo lay buried, and which was 
 destined also to receive the remains of his more 
 famous son. The" ceremony was performed by 
 an archbishop, assisted by numerous priests. The 
 doge with all his retinue was there, and so was 
 the flower of the nobility and wealth of Venice. 
 
LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 267 
 
 The bridegroom, attended by his brother and 
 other relatives, made his appearance in a gor- 
 geous suit of satin, while about his neck hung a 
 massive chain of gold, the insignia of a knightly 
 order which had been conferred upon him. Upon 
 his head he wore a satin cap, above which rose 
 several flowing feathers of white and blue ; while 
 at his side hung a jewelled ■ scimetar, which had 
 been given to him by Kublai Khan as a token 
 of his affection. The multitudes that crowded 
 densely the sombre old church noted the manly 
 presence, the proud carriage, and the noble 
 features of Marco Polo, as he strode up the 
 nave beneath the high, echoing arches, and de- 
 clared to themselves that even at his age, he 
 made a comely and imposing bridegroom. 
 
 The bride appeared splendidly dressed, with a 
 long gauzy veil that flowed to her feet, and every 
 part of her dress sparkling with jewels. She 
 looked beautiful and happy, and all the world 
 envied Marco Polo his possession of the fair 
 Donata Loredano. 
 
 The wedding festivities lasted, as was the 
 custom in Venice, a week. They began with a 
 bounteous banquet at the Court of the Millions, 
 
268 MARCO POLO. 
 
 which was kept up till the streaks of dawn shot 
 between the heavily curtained windows. There 
 were fetes of gondolas on the water, sports at a 
 country seat which Marco Polo had purchased out 
 of his abundant wealth, and masquerades at the 
 palaces of Loredano and other friends. 
 
 Then followed the quietest and perhaps the 
 pleasantest period of Marco Polo's life. Estab- 
 lished in his luxurious homeli/fTthe Court of the 
 Millions, surrounded by hosts of friends who 
 were devotedly attached to him, with a lovely 
 wife whom he adored and who admired and loved 
 him, held in high esteem and confidence by the 
 doge and all the highest dignitaries of the Re- 
 public, abundantly able to indulge in every 
 pleasure and recreation for which his taste in- 
 clined him, his lot indeed seemed a fortunate one. 
 
 There was plenty of work to occupy his time in 
 the business house which had so long been car- 
 ried on by his family, and which was still in a 
 prosperous condition. In this he took a keen 
 personal interest, and thus at once employed his 
 time profitably, and added new stores to his 
 abundant wealth. His travels in the East had 
 been of great benefit to the trade of his house ; 
 
LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 269 
 
 for he had made the acquaintance of many mer- 
 chants in Persia, India, Arabia, Asia Minor, and 
 Constantinople, and had formed business connec- 
 tions with them which were now of much advan- 
 tage to his trade. 
 
 Not long after he had married and settled, Marco 
 Polo was surprised and delighted to receive a 
 visit from two Persian travellers of high rank, 
 who had come to Venice on a commercial errand. 
 They went to the Court of the Millions to see 
 Marco, of whose fame as a traveller they had 
 heard, and to bear him a message of friendship from 
 the fair young queen Cocachin, who gratefully re- 
 membered Marco's gallant attentions to her while 
 journeying from Cathay to Persia, and who sent 
 him a beautiful jewel in token of her gratitude. 
 Marco was grieved to learn, about a year after- 
 wards, that this lovely young queen had died, 
 mourned by all her new subjects and by her 
 gallant husband. 
 
 Marco soon found himself one of the most im- 
 portant citizens of Venice. Still active and ener- 
 getic, he began to take part in public affairs ; and 
 ere very long, was chosen by the doge a member 
 of his grand council, in which he soon won the 
 
270 MARCO POLO.. 
 
 reputation of being a sagacious and keen-sighted 
 statesman. There was a time, indeed, when it 
 seemed not unlikely that the great traveller might 
 some day be himself elected doge ; but the pros- 
 pect passed away before his death. Meanwhile, he 
 not only served thestate as councillor, but went on 
 embassies to various countries, and made treaties 
 of peace or alliance, and patched up quarrels. 
 
 In due time, Marco Polo found himself the 
 father of a thriving young family. Three little 
 daughters were the fruit of his union with his 
 beloved Donata — Fantina, Bellela, and Moreta. 
 They grew up to be as pretty and gentle as 
 their names. Marco greatly desired to have a son, 
 who should be the heir of his name and wealth. 
 But Providence denied him this blessing. He 
 was delighted with his little girls, however, and 
 when they became old enough, was wont to take 
 them on his knee, and relate to them the strange 
 adventures he had met with by land and sea in 
 remote lands. They were very proud of their 
 father, who had seen and done such wonderful 
 things; and listened as eagerly to his stories as 
 children do nowadays to the Arabian Nights and 
 Robinson Crusoe. 
 
LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 2/1 
 
 As the girls grew up, they proved as handsome 
 and engaging as their mother had been in her 
 own youth ; and now the Court of the Millions 
 was besieged by gallant young suitors for their 
 hands. There was not a youth in Venice who 
 would not have been proud to ally himself to so 
 distinguished a family as that of the Polos had 
 become ; and such was the beauty of Fantina and 
 Bellela, that had they been poor, they would not 
 have lacked ardent wooers. Then other wed- 
 dings were celebrated at the Court of the Millions. 
 Fantina first, and then Bellela, chose their cava- 
 liers, and were duly wedded to them ; and Marco 
 Polo, now wrinkled and grizzled, was soon happy 
 to find himself a grandfather. Thus many years 
 passed in serene and contented prosperity. Marco, 
 as he grew older, was less and less tempted to 
 attempt new adventures. He was blessed 
 with a delightful home, was crowned with plen- 
 teous honors, and felt himself a conspicuous per- 
 sonage of the time. He was often visited by 
 travellers from a distance, both from Western 
 Europe and from the more remote East ; and 
 always received them with the bounteous hospi- 
 tality for which he was known far and wide. 
 
272 MARCO POLO. 
 
 He lived nearly a quarter of a century after his 
 return from captivity at Genoa ; and rose bright 
 and well on the morn of his seventieth birthday, 
 appearing as if he had yet many years to survive. 
 But soon after, he was laid low by a fever which 
 from the first betrayed serious symptoms that 
 alarmed his family. He grew worse and worse; 
 and the news spread through Venice that the 
 illustrious Marco Polo lay dangerously ill. Im- 
 mediately the doors of the Court of the Millions 
 were besieged by crowds of anxious and inquiring 
 friends. The doge sent daily to ask after the 
 health of his honored councillor; and Marco's 
 wife and daughters tended at the bedside night 
 and day. It soon became but too apparent that 
 the life of the heroic old traveller was fast ebbing 
 away. Still his mind was. often clear, and then 
 he talked serenely and even cheerfully with his 
 beloved ones. He had always been good and up- 
 right, and death, which he had so often braved in 
 years gone by, had but few terrors for him now. 
 Then came a sad day when the doctors despaired 
 of restoring him to health, and gently broke the 
 news to the grief-stricken wife and daughters. 
 Marco Polo still lingered a few days, growing 
 
LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 2*]^ 
 
 feebler and feebler each hour, but suffering little 
 pain. One sunny morning, the end came. It was 
 peaceful, serene, and happy as his later life had 
 been. The old man sank gently into Donata's 
 arms, and ceased to breathe. 
 
 Venice was wrapt in gloom at the death of its 
 most famous citizen ; and for several days no 
 other subject was talked of in its marts and in 
 the public squares where the people met to chat 
 and gossip. The doge and his court went into 
 mourning, and tributes to Marco Polo's memory 
 were paid in the grand council of the Republic. 
 He was buried with great pomp and ceremony, 
 and laid in the old church of San Lorenza beside 
 his good father, and where his own marriage, and 
 the christening and marriage of his elder daugh- 
 ters, had taken place. 
 
 His memory was kept green by the Venetians for 
 generations and centuries after his death. Three 
 hundred years after, a stately marble statue of him 
 was erected by the city in one of its squares, and 
 still stands to commemorate the honor in which 
 Venice held him ; while, two centuries after his 
 death, his direct descendant, Trevesano, was elec- 
 ted doge, and presided over the Republic. 
 
274 MARCO POLO. 
 
 Thus lived, and thus died at the goodly age of 
 three-score and ten, the greatest of the early ex- 
 plorers of the remote and unknown regions of the 
 Orient ; who may be said to have introduced 
 Europe and Asia to each other, and to have dis- 
 covered the vast possibilities of a commerce be- 
 tween the two continents. He thus did invalua- 
 ble service to the world ; and it is pleasant to re- 
 member that, after all the perils and vicissitudes 
 through which he passed, the long and weary 
 exile from home that he suffered, and the subse- 
 quent misfortune he encountered while fighting 
 for the preservation of Venice, he reaped the full; 
 reward of his perseverance and patriotism, and 
 enjoyed a long after-life of prosperity, honor, 
 happiness and domestic bliss ; and that his 
 memory still lives, his name being written high 
 up on the roll of the world's most illustrious dis- 
 coverers and benefactors. 
 
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 By Miss Adeline Trafton, author of " His Inheritance," " Katherine Earle," 
 
 &c. i6mo. Illustrated. $1.50. 
 
 "'The American Girl' is a bright, good, merry-hearted girl, off for a good time; 
 
 and her readers are of the opinion that the journey was a decided success." — ■ 
 
 Liberal Christian. 
 
 BEATEN PATHS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 A WOMAN'S VACATION. 
 
 By Ella W. Thompson. i6mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
 " The author seems to have hit on just the most charming things to see, and 
 talks of them in a charming manner." — Tribtme. 
 
 A THOUSAND MILES' WALK ACROSS SOUTH 
 AMERICA, 
 
 OVER THE PAMPAS AND THE ANDES. 
 
 By Nathaniel H. Bishop. i2mo. Illustrated. $1.50. 
 
 VOYAGE OF THE PAPER CANOE. 
 
 A Geographical Journey of Twenty-five Hundred Miles from Quebec to the Gulf 
 of Mexico. By the same author. With numerous illustrations and maps 
 specially prepared for this work. Crown 8vo. $2.50. 
 
 FOUR MONTHS IN A SNEAK-BOX. 
 
 A Boat- Voyage of Twenty-six Hundred Miles down the Ohio and Mississippi 
 Rivers, and along the Gulf of Mexico. By the same author. With nu- 
 merous maps and illustrations. $2.50. 
 
 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 
 
 Being the Adventures of a Naturalist Bird-Hunting in the West India Islands. 
 By Fred A. Ober. Crown 8vo. With maps and illustrations. $2.50. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, and sent by mail, postpaid, on 
 receipt of price. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers ....... Boston, 
 
Illustrated Books. 
 
 "THE BREAKING WAVES DASHED HIGH." 
 
 (The Pilgrim Fathers.) 
 
 By Felicia Hemans. Illustrated by Miss L. B. Humphrey. 
 
 4to. Full gilt. $1.50. 
 
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 "NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE." 
 
 By Sarah Flower Adams. "The well-beloved Sacred Poem." With full-page 
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 "OH! WHY SHOULD THE SPIRIT OP MORTAL 
 BE PROUD?" 
 
 By William Knox. With full-page and initial illustrations. Uniform with 
 "Nearer, my God, to Thee." Small 4to. Gilt. $1.50. 
 
 "ABIDE WITH ME." 
 
 By Rev. Henry Francis Lyte. With full-page and initial illustrations. Uniform 
 with " Nearer, my God, to Thee." 410. $1.50. 
 
 ROCK OF AGES. 
 
 By Aug. Montague Toplady. 4to. Illustrated. Full gilt. $1.50. 
 
 THE VAGABONDS. 
 
 By J. T. Trowbridge. With illustrations by F. O. C. Darley. 4 to. Cloth. 
 Full gilt. $1.50. 
 
 BALLADS OF BEAUTY. 
 
 Forty full-page illustrations, 4:0. Cloth, $2.50. 
 
 BALLADS OF BRAVERY. 
 
 Forty full-page illustrations. $2.50= 
 
 BALLADS OF HOME. 
 
 With 40 full-page illustrations. 4to. Cloth. Full gilt. $2.50. 
 
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 ART IN CONNECTICUT; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE PIONEERS OF ART IN AMERICA. 
 
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 JESOP'S FABLES. 
 
 Illustrated by Ernest Griset. A new edition. Upwards of 100 illustrations. 
 4to. $2.50. 
 
 LITTLE PEOPLE OF GOD, 
 
 AND WHAT THE POETS HAVE SAID OF THEM. 
 
 By Mrs. George L. Austin. 4to. Illustrated. $2.00. 
 Sold by all Booksellers. 
 
 LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 
A NEW SERIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 TOUl>TGr FOLKS' 
 
 Heroes of History, 
 
 By GEORGE M. TOWLE. 
 
 The aim of this series is to relate the discoveries, adventures, dangers 
 and triumphs of the "Hero" who forms the subject of the volume, and 
 to attract and hold the attention of young readers from beginning to 
 end ; giving the true stories of those famous voyagers and discoverers, 
 whose names are not unfamiliar to young people, but whose deeds and 
 adventures are not so well known. Thus, while the young reader is 
 intensely absorbed in the romantic tale, he will be learning important 
 and truthful events of history. Each volume complete in itself. 
 
 VASCO DA GAMA: 
 
 His Voyages and Adventures. By George M. Towle. i6mo, 
 Illustrated. $1.25. 
 " It will be remembered that Da Gama was in bis day more famous than Columbus, 
 and that he discovered the way to India around the Cape of Good Hope. His life was 
 brimfull of adventure, and the book will be of great interest to the young for whom it 
 is especially prepared, yet not the less interesting to older people who love history, and 
 the deeds of brave men when the earth was much younger than at present. It is 
 illustrated and well printed." — Taunton Gazette. 
 
 nsro. 2„ 
 
 PIZAEEO : 
 
 His Adventures and Conquests. By George M. Towle. 
 i6mo, handsomely illustrated. $1.25. 
 
 " The exciting career of this great Spanish captain is familiar to all; but previous 
 authors have generally faded to clothe the story with that easy, familiar style so attrac- 
 tive to the young. Mr. Towle has succeeded in striking the happy medium between 
 dry details and romantic exuberance in his ' Pizarro.' His story opens with a graphic 
 picture of the young Pizarro's boy-life; and the author carries the reader on step by 
 step, with the career of the adventurous youth, until the conquest of Peru is com- 
 pleted." — New Haven Register. 
 
 2TO- 3. 
 
 MAGELLAN : 
 
 The First Voyager around the World. Uniform with " Vasco 
 da Gama" and " Pizarro." $1.25. 
 This new series is recommended to the attention of teachers and 
 guardians of youth, as a further step in the direction of combined in- 
 struction and entertainment so successfully inaugurated by the pub- 
 lication of Higginson's " Young Folks' History of the United States," 
 and " Young Folks' Book of American Explorers." 
 
 Sold by all Booksellers and Newsdealers, and sent by mail, postpaid 
 on receipt of price. 
 
 LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. 
 C T. DILLINGHAM, New York. 
 
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