The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian

NOTES.-1. Order of the Tables. 2. The word Vernique. 3. The
Buffet of Liquors. 4. The superstition of the Threshold.
5. Chinese Etiquettes. Jugglers at the Banquet.

CHAP.

XIV.-CONCERNING THE GREAT FEAST HELD BY THE GRAND

KAAN EVERY YEAR ON HIS BIRTHDAY

NOTES.-I. The Chinese Year. 2. "Beaten Gold." 3. Textual.

Festal changes of costume.

XV. OF THE GREAT FESTIVAL WHICH THE KAAN HOLDS ON

NEW YEAR'S DAY

NOTES.-I. The White Month.

PAGE

373

376

2. Mystic value of the number 9.

3. Elephants at Peking. 4. Adoration of Tablets. Kow-tow.

XVI. CONCERNING THE TWELVE THOUSAND BARONS WHO

RECEIVE ROBES OF CLOTH OF GOLD FROM THE

EMPEROR ON THE GREAT FESTIVALS, THIRTEEN

CHANGES A-PIECE

NOTES.-1. Textual. 2. The words Camut and Borgal. 3. Tame

Lions.

XVII. HOW THE GREAT KAAN ENJOINETH HIS PEOPLE TO

SUPPLY HIM WITH GAME

XVIII. OF THE LIONS AND LEOPARDS AND WOLVES THAT THE

KAAN KEEPS FOR THE CHASE

NOTES.-I. The Cheeta or Hunting Leopard. 2. Lynxes. 3. The

Tiger, termed Lion by Polo. 4. The Burgút Eagle (and see

App. L. 10).

XIX. CONCERNING THE TWO BROTHERS WHO HAVE CHARGE

OF THE KAAN'S HOUNDS

NOTE.-The Masters of the Hounds, and their title.

XX. HOW THE EMPEROR GOES ON A HUNTING EXPEDI-

TION

NOTES.-I. Direction of the Tour. 2. Hawking Establishments. 3.
The word Toskáúl. 4. The word Bularguchi. 5. Kublai s
Litter. 6. Kachar Modun. 7. The Kaan's Great Tents. 8.
The Sable and Ermine. 9. Pétis de la Croix.

XXI. HOW THE GREAT KAAN, ON RETURNING

FROM HIS

HUNTING EXPEDITION, HOLDS A GREAT COURT AND

ENTERTAINMENT

NOTE.--This chapter peculiar to the 2nd Type of MSS.

XXII.-CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAMBALUC, AND ITS GREAT

TRAFFIC AND POPULATION

NOTES.-I. Suburbs of Peking. 2. The word Fondaco.

XXIII. [CONCERNING THE OPPRESSIONS OF ACHMATH THE BAILO,
AND THE PLOT THAT WAS FORMED AGAINST HIM]

NOTES.-1. Chapter peculiar to Ramusio. 2. Kublai's Administra-

tion. The Rise of Ahmad. 3. The term Bailo. 4. The Con-

spiracy against Ahmad as related by Gaubil from the Chinese.

5. Marco's presence and upright conduct commemorated in the

Chinese Annals. The Kaan's prejudice against Mahomedans.

СНАР.

XXIV.-HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSETH THE BARK OF TREES,

MADE INTO SOMETHING LIKE PAPER, TO PASS FOR

MONEY OVER ALL HIS COUNTRY

NOTE.-Chinese Paper Currency.

XXV. CONCERNING THE TWELVE BARONS WHO ARE SET OVER

ALL THE AFFAIRS OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTE.-The Ministers of the Mongol Dynasty. The term Sing.

XXVI.-HOW THE KAAN'S POSTS AND RUNNERS ARE SPED

THROUGH MANY LANDS AND

PROVINCES

NOTES.-1. Textual. 2. The word Yam. 3. Government Hostelries.
4. Digression from Ramusio. 5. Posts Extraordinary. 6.

Discipline of the Posts. 7. Antiquity of Posts in China, &c.

XXVII-HOW THE EMPEROR BESTOWS HELP ON HIS PEOPLE,

WHEN THEY ARE AFFLICTED WITH DEARTH OR

PAGE

NOTE.-Kublai's remissions, and justice.

XXVIII-HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSES TREES TO BE PLANTED

BY THE HIGHWAYS

....

426

NOTE.-Kublai's Avenues.

XXIX.-CONCERNING THE RICE-WINE DRUNK BY THE PEOPLE

OF CATHAY ..

NOTE.-Rice-wine.

XXX.-CONCERNING THE BLACK STONES THAT ARE DUG IN

CATHAY, AND ARE BURNT FOR FUEL ..

NOTE.-Distribution and Consumption of Coal in China.

XXXI.-How THE GREAT KAAN CAUSEs Stores of Corn to

BE MADE, TO HELP HIS PEOPLE WITHAL IN TIME

NOTE.-The Chinese Public Granaries.

XXXII.-OF THE CHARITY OF THE EMPEROR TO THE POOR

431

NOTE.-Buddhist influence, and Chinese charities.

XXXIII.-[CONCERNING THE ASTROLOGERS IN THE CITY OF

NOTES.-1. The word Tacuin. The Chinese Almanacs. The Obser-

vatory (and see App. L. 11). 2. The Chinese and Mongol

Cycle.

XXXIV.―[CONCERNING THE RELIGION OF THE CATHAYANS;

THEIR VIEWS AS ΤΟ THE SOUL ; AND THEIR

CUSTOMS]

NOTES.-1. Textual. 2. Do. 3. Exceptions to the general charge

of Irreligion brought against the Chinese. 4. Politeness. 5.

Filial Piety.

437

VOL. 1.

EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

TO VOLUME I.

To face Title..

INSERTED PLATES AND MAPS.*

DOORWAY of the HOUSE of MARCO POLO in the Corte Sabbionera at Venice (see p. 27). Woodcut from a drawing by Signor L. Rosso, Venice.

Illuminated Title, by Mr. G. Frauenfelder, with Medallion representing the POLOS ARRIVING AT VENICE after 26 years absence, and being refused admittance to the Family Mansion; as related by Ramusio, p. 4 of Introductory Essay. Drawn by Signor QUINTO CENNI, No. 7 Via Solferino, Milan; from a Design by the Editor.

72. Reduced FACSIMILE of the WILL of MARCO POLO, preserved in
St. Mark's Library. On half the scale of the original. Photo-
lithography, by MR. W. GRIGG, from a negative taken under
the superintendence of Cavaliere G. Berchet.

76. Portrait bearing the inscription "MARCUS POLVS VENETVS
TOTIVS ORBIS ET INDIE PEREGRATOR PRIMVS" in the
Gallery of Monsignor Badia at Rome; copied by Sign.
GIUSEPPE GNOLI, Rome.

107. Probable view of MARCO POLO'S OWN GEOGRAPHY: a Map
of the World, formed as far as possible from the Traveller's
own data. Drawn by the Editor.

1. Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. I. WESTERN ASIA. This includes also "Sketch showing the chief Monarchies of Asia, in the latter part of the 13th century."

Map illustrating the geographical position of the CITY of SARAI. 6. Plan of part of the remains of the same city. Reduced from a Russian plan published by M. Grigorieff.

30. Reduced FACSIMILE of part of the BUDDHIST INSCRIPTION of the Mongol Era, on the Archway at KEU-YUNG-KWAN in the Pass of Nankau, north-west of Peking, showing four of the characters in use under the Mongol Dynasty. Photolithograph from original impressions taken by, and in the possession of, Mr. A. Wylie. See an Article by Mr. Wylie in the J. R. A. S. for 1870, p. 14.

Plan of AYAS, the Laias of Polo. From an Admiralty Chart. 44. Plan of position of DILAWAR, the supposed site of the Dilavar of Polo. Ext. from a Survey by Lt.-Col. D. G. Robinson, R.E. 118. Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. II. Routes between KERMAN and HORMUZ. The principal data of this Map have been revised and corrected by Major O. St. John, R.E.

The Maps of "Marco Polo's Itineraries," except No. II., are lithographed by Mr. Weller. All other lithographs (except the Photolithographs) are by Mr. G. Frauenfelder, Palermo. All the original woodcuts, not otherwise specified, are by Mr. J. Cooper.

To face page 188. Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. III. Regions on and near the UPPER OXUS. The foundation of this Map is one prepared by the Editor for the Second Edition of Wood's Oxus (1872). The hydrography of Pamir has been approximately corrected from rough sketches by Col. Gordon's party (1874).

342

295. Heading, in the old Chinese seal-character, of an INSCRIPTION
on a Memorial raised by Kublai Kaan to a Buddhist Eccle-
siastic, in the vicinity of his summer-palace at SHANGTU in
Mongolia. Reduced from a facsimile obtained on the spot by
Dr. S. W. Bushell, 1872, and by him lent to the Editor.
"Table d'Or de Commandement;" the PAIZA of the MONGOLS,
from a specimen found in Siberia. Reduced to one-half the scale
of the original, from an engraving in a Paper by I. J. Schmidt
in the Bulletin de la Classe Historico-Philologique de l'Acad.
Imp. des Sciences, St.-Pétersbourg, tom. iv. No. 9.
346. Second Example of a Mongol Païza with superscription in the
Uighur character, found near the Dnieper River, 1845. From
Trans. of the Oriental Section, Imp. Soc. of Archæology of St.
Petersburg, vol. v. The Inscription on this runs : By the
strength of Eternal Heaven, and thanks to Its Great Power,
the Man who obeys not the order of Abdullah shall be guilty,
shall die."

412.

364. Plan of PEKING as it is, and as it was about A.D. 1290.
BANK-NOTE of the MING Dynasty, on one-half the scale of the
original. Reduced from a genuine note in the possession of
W. Lockhart, Esq., F.R.C.S. N.B.-The facsimile is as exact
as could be effected, with these exceptions: (1) that the colour of
the original is considerably darker; (2) that the vermilion seal-
impressions, of which only the slightest traces remained, have
been restored from other sources.
Marco Polo's Itineraries, No. IV. EASTERN ASIA. This in-
cludes also Sketch Map of the Ruins of SHANGTU, after
Dr. BUSHELL; and Enlarged Sketch of the Passage of the
Hwang-ho or Karamoran on the road to Singanfu (see
Vol. II. pp. 19-21) from the data of Baron von Richthofen.

last page.

Page

WOODCUTS PRINTED WITH THE TEXT.

INTRODUCTORY NOTICES.

8. ARMS of the POLO family, according to Marco Barbaro. (See p. 7, note.) 12. Autograph of HETHUM or HAYTON I. King of (Cilician) Armenia;

copied from Codice Diplomatico del Sacro Militare Ordine Gerosolemitano, I. 135. The signature is attached to a French document without date, granting the King's Daughter "Damoiselle Femie" (Euphemia) in marriage to Sire Julian, son of the Lady of Sayete (Sidon). The words run: Thagavor Harwetz (Rex Armenorum '), followed by the King's cypher or monogram; but the initial letter is absent, probably worn off the original document.

17. The PIAZZETTA at VENICE in the 14th century. From a portion of the Frontispiece Miniature of the MS. of Marco Polo in the Bodleian, (Borrowed from the National Miscellany, published by J. H. Parker, Oxford, for 1853 55; and see Street's Brick and Marble, &c., 1855, p. 150 151.)

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