The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian

PRELIMINARY ADDRESS OF RUSTICIANO OF PISA.

HOW THE TWO BROTHERS POLO SET FORTH FROM CON-
STANTINOPLE TO TRAVERSE THE WORLD
NOTES.-I. Chronology. 2. "The Great Sea." The Port of Soldaia.

II. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS WENT ON BEYOND SOLDAIA ..

NOTES.-I. Site and Ruins of Sarai. (See App. L. 2.) 2. City of

Bolghar. 3. Alau Lord of the Levant (i.e., Hulaku). 4. Ucaca

on the Volga. 5. River Tigeri.

III. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS, AFTER CROSSING A DESERT,

CAME TO THE CITY OF BOCARA, AND FELL IN WITH

CERTAIN ENVOYS THERE

....

NOTES.-I. "Bocara a City of Persia." 2. The Great Kaan's

Envoys.

IV. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS TOOK THE ENVOYS' COUNSEL

AND WENT TO THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

V. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS ARRIVED AT THE COURT of

THE GREAT KAAN

VI. HOW THE GREAT KAAN ASKED ALL ABOUT THE MANNERS

OF THE CHRISTIANS, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE

POPE OF ROME

NOTE.-Apostoille. The name Tartar.

VII. HOW THE GREAT KAAN SENT THE TWO BROTHERS AS

HIS ENVOYS TO THE POPE..

NOTES.-I. The Great Kaan's Letter. 2. The Seven Arts. 3. Re-

ligious Indifference of the Mongol Princes.

....

VIII. HOW THE GREAT KAAN GAVE THEM A TABLET OF GOLD,

BEARING HIS ORDERS IN THEIR BEHALF

NOTES.-I. The Tablet. 2. The Port of Ayas.

IX. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS CAME TO THE CITY OF ACRE;

AND THENCE TO VENICE

NOTES.-I. Names of the deceased Pope and of the Legate. 2. Negro-

pont. 3. Mark's age.

X.-HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AGAIN DEPARTED FROM

VENICE, ON THEIR WAY BACK TO THE GREAT KAAN,

AND TOOK WITH THEM MARK, THE SON OF MESSER

NICOLO

NOTE.-Oil from the Holy Sepulchre.

XI. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS SET OUT FROM ACRE, AND

MARK ALONG WITH THEM

NOTE.-Pope Gregory X. and his Election.

СНАР.

XII. HOW THE TWO BROTHERS

NOTES.-1. William of Tripoli. 2. Powers conceded to Missionary

Friars. 3. Bundukdar and his Invasion of Armenia; his cha-

racter. 4. The Templars in Cilician Armenia.

XIII-How MESSER NICOLO AND MESSER MAFFEO

POLO,

ACCOMPANIED BY MARK, TRAVELLED TO THE COURT

OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTE.-The City of Kemenfu, Summer Residence of Kublai.

XIV. How MESSER NICOLO AND MESSER MAFFEO POLO AND

MARCO PRESENTED THEMSELVES BEFORE THE GREAT

KAAN

NOTES.-I. Verbal. 2. "Vostre Homme."

XV.-How THE LORD SENT MARK ON AN EMBASSY OF HIS 28

NOTES.-I. The four Characters learned by Marco, what? 2. Na-

ture of his employment.

XVI.-How MARK RETURNED FROM THE MISSION WHEREON

HE HAD BEEN SENT

XVII.-How MESSER NICOLO, MESSER MAFFEO, AND MESSER

MARCO, ASKED LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN TO GO

THEIR WAY

NOTES.-1. Risks to Foreigners on a change of Sovereign. 2. The
Lady Bolgana. 3. Passage from Ramusio.

XVIII.-HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AND MESSER MARCO TOOK

LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN, AND RETURNED TO THEIR

OWN COUNTRY

NOTES.-1. Mongol Royal Messengers. 2. Mongol communication

with the King of England. 3. Medieval Ships of China.

4. Passage from China to Sumatra. 5. Mortality among the

party. 6. The Lady Cocachin in Persian History. 7. Death

of the Kaan. 8. The Princess of Manzi.

BOOK FIRST.

Account of Regions Visited or heard of on the Journey from the

Lesser Armenia to the Court of the Great Kaan at Chandu.

I.-HERE THE BOOK BEGINS; AND FIRST IT SPEAKS OF

THE LESSER HERMENIA..

NOTES.-I. Little Armenia. 2. Meaning of Chasteaux. 3. Sickliness
of Cilician Coast. 4. The phrase "fra terre."

NOTES.-I. Brutality of the people. 2. Application of name Turco-
mania. Turcoman Hordes.

CHAP.

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE GREATER HERMENIA

NOTES.-1. Erzingan. Buckrams, what were they? 2. Erzrum.

3. Baiburt. 4. Ararat. 5. Oil wells of Baku.

IV. OF GEORGIANIA AND THE KINGS THEREOF

NOTES.-I. Georgian Kings. 2. The Georgians. 3. The Iron Gates

and Wall of Alexander. (See App. L. 3.) 4. Box forests.

5. Goshawks. 6. Fish Miracle. 7. Sea of Ghel or Ghelan.

Names ending in -án. 8. Names of the Caspian, and navigation

thereon.

V. OF THE KINGDOM OF MAUSUL

NOTES.-I. Atabeks of Mosul. 2. Nestorian and Jacobite Christians.

3. Mosolins. 4. The Kurds. 5. Mush and Mardin.

VI. OF THE GREAT CITY OF BAUDAS, AND HOW IT WAS TAKEN

NOTES.-1. Baudas, or Baghdad. 2. Island of Kish. 3. Basra.

4. Baldachins and other silk textures; Animal patterns. 5.

Chronology. 6. The Death of the Khalif Mostásim.

VII. HOW THE CALIF OF BAUDAS TOOK COUNSEL TO SLAY ALL

THE CHRISTIANS IN HIS LAND

NOTES.-I. Chronology. 2. "Ses Regisles et ses Casses."

PAGE

VIII. HOW THE CHRISTIANS WERE IN GREAT DISMAY BECAUSE

OF WHAT THE CALIF HAD SAID

NOTE. The word "cralantur."

IX. HOW THE ONE-EYED COBLER WAS DESIRED TO PRAY FOR

THE CHRISTIANS

X. HOW THE PRAYER OF THE ONE-EYED COBLER CAUSED

THE MOUNTAIN TO MOVE

NOTE.-The Mountain Miracle.

XI.-OF THE NOBLE CITY OF TAURIS

NOTES.-I. Tabriz. 2. Cremesor. 3. Traffic at Tabriz. 4. The

Torizi. 5. Character of City and People.

XII. OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT BARSAMO ON THE BORDERS

OF TAURIS ..

NOTE.-The Monastery of Barsauma.

XIII. OF THE GREAT COUNTRY OF PERSIA; WITH SOME ACCOUNT

OF THE THREE KINGS

NOTES.-I. The three mystic Gifts. 2. The Worshipped Fire. 3.

Savah and Avah. The Legend in Mas'udi. Embellishments

of the Story of the Magi.

XV. OF THE EIGHT KINGDOMS OF PERSIA, AND HOW THEY ARE

NAMED

NOTES.-1. The Eight Kingdoms. 2 Export of Horses, and Prices.

3. Persian brigands. 4. Persian wine.

CHAP.

XVI.-CONCERNING THE GREAT CITY OF YASDI

NOTES.-I. Yezd. 2. Yezd to Kerman. The Woods spoken of.

XVII.-CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF KERMAN..

NOTES.-I. City and Province of Kerman. 2. Turquoises. 3. On-

danique or Indian Steel. 4. Manufactures of Kerman.

5. Falcons.

XVIII.-OF THE CITY OF CAMADI AND ITS

RUINS; ALSO

TOUCHING THE CARAUNA ROBBERS..

NOTES.-I. Products of the warmer plains. 2. Humped oxen and
fat-tailed sheep. 3. Scarani. 4. The Karaunahs and Nigu
darian Bands. 5. Canosalmi.

XIX. OF THE DESCENT TO THE CITY OF HORMOS ..

NOTES.-I. Site of Old Hormuz and Geography of the Route from

Kerman to Hormuz. 2. Dates and Fish Diet. 3. Stitched

Vessels. "One rudder," why noticed as peculiar. 4. Great

heat at Hormuz. 5. The Simúm. 6. History of Hormuz,

and Polo's Ruomedan Acomat. 7. Second Route between

Hormuz and Kerman.

XX.-OF THE WEARISOME AND DESERT ROAD THAT HAS

NOW TO BE TRAVELLED

110

126

NOTES.-1. Desert of Lút. 2. Subterraneous Canals.

XXI.-CONCERNING THE CITY OF COBINAN AND THE THINGS

THAT ARE MADE THERE

128

NOTES.-I. Kuh-Banán. 2. Production of Tutia.

XXII.-OF A CERTAIN DESERT THAT CONTINUES FOR EIGHT

DAYS' JOURNEY

....

131

NOTES.-1. Deserts of Khorasan. 2. The Arbre Sol or Arbre Sec.

XXIII.-CONCERNING THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN ..

145

NOTES.-1. The Assassins, Hashishin, or Muláhidah.

XXIV.-HOW THE OLD MAN USED TO TRAIN HIS ASSASSINS

NOTES.-I. The story widely spread. Notable murders by the

148

Sectaries. 2. Their different branches.

XXV.-How THE OLD MAN CAME BY HIS END ..

152

NOTE.-History of the apparent Destruction of the Sect by Hulaku ;

its survival to the present time. Castles of Alamut and

Girdkuh.

XXVI. CONCERNING THE CITY OF SAPURGAN

NOTE.-Shibrgân, and the route followed. Dried Melons.

NOTES.-1. Balkh. 2. Country meant by Dogana. 3. Lions in the

Oxus Valley.

XXVIII.—OF TAICAN, AND THE MOUNTAINS OF SALT. ALSO OF

THE PROVINCE OF CASEM

NOTES.-I. Talikan. 2. Mines of Rock-salt.

3. Ethnological

characteristics. 4. Kishm. 5. Porcupines. 6. Cave dwellings.

7. Old and New Capitals of Badakhshan.

XXIX. OF THE PROVINCE OF BADASHAN

NOTES.-I. Dialects of Badakhshan. Alexandrian lineage of the

Princes. 2. Badakhshan and the Balas Ruby. 3. Azure

Mines. 4. Horses of Badakhshan. 5. Naked barley. 6.

Wild sheep. 7. Scenery of Badakhshan. 8. Repeated devas-

tation of the Country from War. 9. Amplitude of feminine

garments.

XXX.-OF THE PROVINCE OF PASHAI ..

NOTE-On the country intended by this name.

XXXI.-OF THE PROVINCE OF KESHIMUR

NOTES.-I. Kashmir language. 2. Kashmir Conjurors. 3. Im-

portance of Kashmir in History of Buddhism. 4. Character

of the People. 5. Vicissitudes of Buddhism in Kashmir. 6.

Buddhist practice as to slaughter of animals. 7. Coral.

XXXII. OF THE GREAT RIVER OF BADASHAN; AND PLAIN OF

NOTES.-1. The Upper Oxus and Wakhan. The title Nono. 2.
The Plateau of Pamer. The Great Wild Sheep. (See App.
L. 5.) Fire at great altitudes. 3. Bolor.

NOTES.-I. Christians in Samarkand. 2. Chagatai's relation to

Kublai mis-stated. 3. The Miracle of the Stone.

191

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NOTES.-I. Position of Pein. 2. The Yu or Jade. 3. Temporary

marriages.

XXXVIII. OF THE PROVINCE OF CHARCHAN

NOTE.-Position of Charchan and Lop.

XXXIX.-OF THE CITY OF LOP, AND THE GREAT DESERT

NOTES.-I. Geographical discrepancy. 2. Superstitions as to Deserts:
their wide diffusion. The Sound of Drums on certain sandy
acclivities.

XL.-CONCERNING THE GREAT PROVINCE OF TANGUT

NOTES.-I. Tangut. 2. Buddhism encountered here. 3. Kalmak

superstition, the "Heaven's Ram." 4. Chinese customs de

scribed here. 5. Mongol disposal of the Dead. 6. Super-

stitious practice of avoiding to carry out the dead by the house-

door; its wide diffusion.

XLI. OF THE PROVINCE OF CAMUL ..

NOTES.-1. Kamul 2. Character of the people.

custom. 4. Parallel.

206

212

3. Shameless

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The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian: Concerning the Kingdoms ..., Volum 1