Chapter 8

MARCO POLO, 1253-1324.

I.

The interest of the Genoese and Venetian merchants in encouraging the exploration of Central Asia--The family of Polo, and its position in Venice--Nicholas and Matteo Polo, the two brothers--They go from Constantinople to the Court of the Emperor of China--Their reception at the Court of Kublai-Khan-- The Emperor appoints them his ambassadors to the Pope--Their return to Venice--Marco Polo--He leaves his father Nicholas and his uncle Matteo for the residence of the King of Tartary--The new Pope Gregory X.--The narrative of Marco Polo is written in French from his dictation, by Rusticien of Pisa . . . . . . . . 43

II.

Armenia Minor--Armenia--Mount Ararat--Georgia--Mosul, Baghdad, Bussorah, Tauris--Persia--The Province of Kirman--Comadi-- Ormuz--The Old Man of the Mountain--Cheburgan--Balkh--Cashmir-- Kashgar--Samarcand--Kotan--The Desert--Tangun--Kara-Korum-- Signan-fu--The Great Wall--Chang-tou--The residence of Kublai-Khan--Cambaluc, now Pekin--The Emperor's fetes--His hunting--Description of Pekin--Chinese Mint and bank-notes--The system of posts in the Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

III.

Tso-cheu--Tai-yen-fou--Pin-yang-fou--The Yellow River-- Signan-fou--Szu-tchouan--Ching-tu-fou--Thibet--Li-kiang-fou-- Carajan--Yung-tchang--Mien--Bengal--Annam--Tai-ping--Cintingui-- Sindifoo--Te-cheu--Tsi-nan-fou--Lin-tsin-choo--Lin-sing--Mangi-- Yang-tcheu-fou--Towns on the coast--Quin-say or Hang-tcheou-foo--Fo-kien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

IV.

Japan--Departure of the three Venetians with the Emperor's daughter and the Persian ambassadors--Sai-gon--Java--Condor-- Bintang--Sumatra--The Nicobar Islands--Ceylon--The Coromandel coast--The Malabar coast--The Sea of Oman--The island of Socotra--Madagascar--Zanzibar and the coast of Africa-- Abyssinia--Yemen--Hadramaut and Oman--Ormuz--The return to Venice--A feast in the household of Polo--Marco Polo a Genoese prisoner--Death of Marco Polo about 1323 . . . . . . . . . . . . 67