Book Two, Chapters 25–37

What the People of Cathay Drink Instead of Wine. Chap. XXV.

The inhabitants of the province of Cathay make a drink from rice and various spices, whose taste and flavor are finer and more delicious than wine. Those who drink beyond measure, more than their nature can bear and more than they need, become drunk on it sooner than they would on wine.

Of Stones That Burn Like Wood. Chapitre XXVI.

Throughout the province of Cathay, certain black stones are extracted from its mountains. When put in the fire they burn like wood and keep the fire going a long time: if they are set alight in the evening, their fire and glowing embers last all night. Since wood is scarce in many places, most of the inhabitants of the province use these stones instead of wood to heat their homes.

Of the River Pulisachniz and the Magnificent Bridge Over It. Chap. XXVII.

Thus far in this second book we have described the situation, size, and commerce of the city of Cambaluc, and have also spoken in passing a little of the magnificence, splendor, and wealth of the Great Khan. The course of our account now calls us to describe the neighboring regions and briefly reveal their memorable features and what is done and found there. Now I, Marco Polo, was sent on the Great Khan’s command and commission on certain affairs concerning the empire into distant parts, where my journey there and back occupied four months. Along the way I carefully sought out, observed, and noted everything I encountered that was worth remembering. In particular, three or four leagues after leaving Cambaluc, I found a beautiful great river called Pulisachniz. It empties into the great Ocean Sea, and through its mouth many ships laden with merchandise sail upstream into the country.

There too I found a beautiful and sumptuous marble bridge, three hundred paces long and eight wide, resting on twenty-four fine, large, well-vaulted arches. Its upper part is adorned and enriched with workmanship, including great lions carved in relief on either side.

Of the Places Beyond the River Pulisachniz. Chapitre XXVIII.

After crossing this river by the marble bridge, for ten leagues onward one continually finds fine castles and pleasure houses, together with vineyards and cultivated fields, until one reaches the city of Geoguy. This is a beautiful, large city with many monasteries dedicated to idols. Excellent cloths of gold and silk and exceptionally fine linen are made there. The city also has many public inns to receive strangers and travelers. Its inhabitants are merchants and artisans. Outside it lies a crossroads where the route divides in two, one way leading toward the province of Cathay, the other toward Mangi on the seacoast. Along the road toward Cathay are many towns, castles, gardens, and fertile lands. Most of the inhabitants are merchants and ingenious craftsmen; they are also very kind and welcoming to strangers, showing none of the savagery of the other Tartars.

Of the Kingdom of Tainfu. Chap. XXIX.

After traveling ten days from the city of Geoguy one enters the kingdom of Tainfu, a large, well-populated and cultivated country with many vineyards. No wine grows in the province of Cathay, but it is carried there from the kingdom of Tainfu, where many other trades flourish. In particular, it has skilled craftsmen and armorers, and all the armor and instruments of war that the Great Khan uses in his battles are made and fashioned there. Going farther west, one comes to a pleasant and delightful province with many towns and castles, where much trade is done. Continuing onward another seven days, one reaches a beautiful great city called Pianfu, where silk is abundant.

Of the Castle of Chincuy and the Capture of Its King. Chapitre XXX.

Two days from Pianfu stands a fine and splendid castle called Chincuy, built by a man named Darius who was an enemy of the great lord called Prester John. The castle is so well fortified by art and nature that Darius, within it, feared no one, however powerful a king or lord he might be. Many great lords and governors of the neighboring provinces complained that no one could be found to defeat and overcome him. Now this great king Prester John had at his court seven young gentlemen, brave and ready for anything. By a solemn oath they promised to deliver King Darius into his hands, and he in turn promised them great riches as a reward if they fulfilled their pledge. They set out for the court of King Darius and offered him their service, concealing their malicious intentions. Unaware of their trickery and wickedness, he accepted them as good and faithful servants. Yet for two whole years they could not carry out the plan they had conceived and long resolved upon. By then the king trusted them, having found them faithful over the course of two years. Wishing to amuse himself in the countryside, he left his castle and went half a league away with only the seven young men and a small number of other soldiers. Seeing their chance to put their long-conceived treachery into effect, the young men drew their swords upon him, took him captive at last, and brought him to Prester John in fulfillment of their promise. Prester John was exceedingly glad and appointed him a shepherd and keeper of animals, placing strong guards over him to make him do the work. After this king had lived among the shepherds and herdsmen for two years, Prester John ordered that he be dressed in royal garments and brought before him in that attire. He said to him, “Now I know from experience how little power you have, since I had you seized in your own kingdom and made you live among the livestock as a shepherd for two years. Now, if I wish, I can have you killed, and no living man could save you from my hands.” Darius answered that he spoke the truth, and that it was so. Then Prester John said to him, “Since you have humbled yourself so deeply that you count yourself nothing beside me, from now on I will acknowledge you as a friend. For my victory it is enough to have held the power to kill you if I wished.” He then had horses and an honorable escort provided to take him back to his castle. From that time onward, for as long as he lived, King Darius always honored and revered Prester John and obeyed every command he chose to give him.

Of the Great River Caromoran and the Surrounding Country. Chapitre XXXI.

Seven or eight leagues beyond the castle of Chincuy lies the river Caromoram. It is so wide and deep that there are no bridges across it, and it flows into the great Ocean Sea. Along its banks are built many beautiful towns and castles where much commerce is carried on, for the land abounds in ginger, silk, and birds, especially pheasants. After crossing this river and traveling two days, one reaches Cianfu, a handsome and pleasant city where excellent cloths of gold and silk are made. All the city’s inhabitants, like those of the whole province of Cathay, are idolaters.

Of the City of Quenquinafu. Chap. XXXII.

Traveling onward for ten days, one passes many towns and villages, beautiful fields and pleasure gardens. The region abounds in silk and offers fine hunting for both beasts and birds. If you go on for eight more days, you reach a great city called Quenquinafu, the principal and capital city of the kingdom, which takes its name from it. In former times this kingdom was very rich and prosperous, and held in high renown; at present the Great Khan’s son Mangala is its king and governor. The region produces much silk and all that is needed to sustain human life. A great deal of trade is carried on there, and its inhabitants are idolaters. Outside the city, on a beautiful plain, stands the royal palace where Mangala resides with his people and courtiers. In the middle of the city there is another beautiful and sumptuous palace, with walls and partitions entirely gilded inside. The king regularly hunts game and flies birds of prey, for both abound in the country.

Of the Province of Cunchy. Chap. XXXIII.

Leaving this city and its palace and traveling for three days, one finds a beautiful great plain with many towns and castles and a great abundance of silk. The plain extends as far as a mountainous country, so thickly populated that fine towns and castles stand not only on its slopes but also in its valleys and hollows. They belong to the province of Cunchy. The inhabitants are idolaters and good farmers. Wild animals are hunted here too, including lions, bears, deer, roe deer, fallow deer, and similar beasts. The province extends for twenty days’ journey through mountains and valleys and many forests. Yet inns to receive and lodge travelers are found everywhere, so that they suffer no lack of provisions on the road.

Of the Province of Achalechmangi. Chap. XXXIIII.

Adjacent to Cunchy lies another province called Achalechmangi, to the west. It contains many cities, towns, and castles; its capital is also called Achalechmangi, because it borders the province of Mangi. This province has a great plain extending for three days’ journey, after which lie many mountains and valleys and some forests. It extends for twenty days’ journey and is fairly well populated with towns and castles. In other respects it is no different from the other province of Cunchy, for it too has merchants, craftsmen, farmers, and hunters of wild animals. There are also animals that bear musk; moreover, ginger grows there as plentifully as wheat and rice.

Of the Province of Cindinfu. Chap. XXXV.

The province of Sindinfu likewise borders this last province, and also borders Mangi. Its capital is called Sindinfu; it was once great and prosperous, with a circuit of six leagues. It also had a very rich and powerful king, who left three children as heirs and successors to his kingdom. They divided the city of Sindinfu into three parts and enclosed each part with high walls, though all three lay within the first city walls. Since then the Great Khan has brought both city and kingdom under his empire. Through the city runs a river called Quianfu, about a quarter of a league wide, very deep and rich in fish. Many towns and castles stand on its banks. The mouth where it empties into the sea is ninety days’ journey from the city of Sindinfu, and thus many ships laden with merchandise sail upstream along it. At Sindinfu a stone bridge crosses the river, a good quarter of a league long or more and four toises wide. In the morning craftsmen set up many stalls and shops on it, which they remove and carry away in the evening. There is also a house built upon it, where the Emperor’s officers reside and collect tolls and passage fees from travelers. Traveling onward for five days, one finds a beautiful great plain with many towns, castles, and villages whose inhabitants trade in a great quantity of fine linen. Many wild animals can also be seen there.

Of the Province of Thebeth. Chap. XXXVI.

Beyond the great plain I have described lies the province of Thebeth, which the Great Khan has laid waste and destroyed: many of its towns lie in ruins and its castles have been razed. It stretches for twenty days’ journey. Because these ruins have left it utterly deserted and uninhabited, those who pass through must bring enough provisions for twenty days’ travel. Moreover, since people abandoned it, wild animals have gathered there in such numbers that they make the road very perilous for travelers, especially at night. To counter this danger, merchants and other travelers have devised the following stratagem. In this country grow great reeds seven or eight toises long and so thick that three spans of the hand will encircle them; there are three further spans between one joint and the next. When the merchants and others wish to rest at night, they make great bundles of these reeds, heap them together, and set them alight. As soon as the reeds feel the fire they begin to crack and make such a loud noise that it can be heard a good half league around. The wild beasts, hearing it, are so frightened that they run until they can hear it no longer. In this way the merchants and travelers, having deceived the beasts, can rest in safety and pass through the whole province. Even the horses and other animals the merchants use on their journeys are terribly startled by the noise, and some have fled and been lost. But prudent travelers know how to prevent this, putting hobbles on their animals’ legs to hold them fast and keep them from running away.

Of a Region Beyond Thebeth and Its Ugly Customs. Chap. XXXVII.

After traveling twenty days through the province of Thebeth, one finds many towns and villages. There, owing to their deep idolatry, a most foul and wicked custom is observed: no man in the country will ever marry a virgin. If he wants to marry a girl, she must first have had intercourse with several men, for they say that a girl is not fit for marriage unless she has first lost her virginity. Thus when merchants or strangers happen to pass through and lodge in this region, the local women who have daughters ready to marry bring them to these foreign guests—sometimes twenty, sometimes thirty or more, according to the number of guests. They earnestly beg each visitor to take one of their daughters, sleep with her, and do as he pleases with her for as long as he intends to stay in the country. Won over by the pleas of these worthy matrons, the guests readily comply, each choosing a young woman to his liking and making her fit to be married. When the guests wish to leave, they are never allowed to take any of the girls away but must faithfully return them to their parents. The girl will take some small gift or jewel from the man who took her virginity, to serve as a token and proof that she is no longer a virgin. The girl who has been loved and had intercourse with the greatest number of lovers, and can show the greatest number of such jewels to those seeking her hand, will be held the noblest and married with the greatest honor and distinction. If a girl wishes to dress splendidly to appear in company, she hangs around her neck all the gifts and jewels her lovers have given her. The more people have loved and desired her, the more honor and praise she receives. But once they enter into marriage, they are no longer permitted any contact or intimacy with strangers and must keep their faith to their husbands inviolate. Above all, the men of the country take care not to wrong one another in this matter. These people are idolaters and very cruel, and they do not think it a sin or offense to pillage and steal. They live by hunting and the fruits of the earth. Their country has many musk-bearing animals, which they call Gadderi. They often hunt these beasts and catch them with their dogs, so they have musk in abundance. They have a language distinct from others and their own particular money, and they dress in animal skins or coarse, rough hemp. This country is part of the province of Thebeth, which is vast and extensive, divided into eight kingdoms fairly well populated with towns and villages. The land is rugged and mountainous. Gold is found in some places, even in certain rivers. For money they use pieces of coral, a stone they prize highly and value greatly. The women make chains and necklaces of it for their necks, and they adorn their idols with it as a singular and precious thing. In this country there are dogs as large as asses, used in hunting wild animals, and also many falcons and other birds of prey. Cinnamon and other aromatic spices grow there in great abundance. This province is subject to and pays tribute to the Great Khan.

What the people of Cathay drink instead of wine. Chap. XXV.

The inhabitants of Cathay make a drink from rice and various spices. It tastes finer and more delicious than wine. People who drink more of it than their bodies can handle, and more than they need, get drunk on it sooner than they would on wine.

On stones that burn like wood. Chapitre XXVI.

Throughout the mountains of Cathay, people dig up certain black stones. When put in a fire they burn like wood and keep the fire going for a long time. If they are lit in the evening, their coals stay hot all night. Wood is scarce in many places, so most of the province’s inhabitants use these stones for heating instead of wood.

On the river Pulisachniz and a magnificent bridge across it. Chap. XXVII.

So far in this second book we have described the location, size, and commerce of Cambaluc. Along the way, we have also said a little about the Great Khan’s splendor, ceremony, and wealth. Now it is time to describe the neighboring regions and briefly tell what notable things are found and done there. The Great Khan sent me, Marco Polo, on imperial business to certain distant places. The round trip took four months. As I traveled, I carefully investigated, considered, and noted anything memorable I came across. Three or four leagues after leaving Cambaluc, I found a fine, broad river called Pulisachniz. It flows into the great Ocean Sea. Many ships loaded with goods sail upstream through its mouth into the interior.

I also found a fine, magnificent marble bridge there. It is three hundred paces long and eight paces wide, and stands on twenty-four large, well-vaulted arches. The top is decorated with fine workmanship, including large lions carved in relief on both sides.

On places beyond the river Pulisachniz. Chapitre XXVIII.

After crossing this river by the marble bridge, you find fine castles, country houses, vineyards, and cultivated land for the next ten leagues, until you reach Geoguy. This is a fine, large city with many monasteries dedicated to idols. Excellent cloth of gold and silk, as well as very fine linen, is made there. The city also has many public inns to accommodate foreigners and travelers. Its inhabitants are merchants and artisans. Outside the city there is a crossroads where one road leads toward Cathay and the other toward Mangi on the seacoast. Along the road toward Cathay are many towns, castles, gardens, and good fertile land. Most of the inhabitants are merchants and skilled artisans. They are also very kind and friendly to foreigners, unlike the fierce Tartars elsewhere.

On the kingdom of Tainfu. Chap. XXIX.

After traveling ten days from Geoguy, you enter the kingdom of Tainfu. It is large, populous, well cultivated, and full of vineyards. No wine grows in Cathay, but wine is brought there from Tainfu. Many other trades are carried on in this kingdom. In particular, it has good craftspeople and armorers. All the armor and weapons the Great Khan uses in battle are made there. Traveling on toward the west, you come to a pleasant, attractive province with many towns and castles, where much trade takes place. Continue for another seven days and you reach the fine, large city of Pianfu, where silk is abundant.

On the castle of Chincuy and the capture of its king. Chapitre XXX.

Two days from Pianfu stands a fine and imposing castle called Chincuy. It was built by a man named Darius, an enemy of the great lord known as Prester John. The castle was so well fortified, both by construction and by its natural setting, that Darius feared no one while he was inside, however powerful a king or lord that person might be. Many great lords and governors of nearby provinces complained that no one could defeat him. Prester John had seven brave young gentlemen at his court, ready to do anything. They solemnly swore to deliver King Darius into his hands. He in turn promised them great rewards if they kept their word. They left, went to Darius’s court, and offered him their services, hiding their hostile intentions. Not noticing their trickery and wickedness, he took them into his service as loyal servants. Still, for two whole years they could not carry out the plan they had made long before. By then the king had come to trust them, having found them loyal for two years. He decided to go into the countryside for some recreation. He went half a league from his castle with only the seven young men and a small number of other soldiers. They saw their chance to carry out their long-planned betrayal. They drew their swords on him, took him prisoner, and brought him to Prester John, keeping their promise. Prester John was delighted. He put Darius to work as a shepherd and keeper of livestock and assigned guards to make sure he did it. After the king had lived among the shepherds for two years, Prester John ordered that he be dressed in royal clothes and brought before him in that outfit. He said to him, “I now know from experience how little power you have. I had you captured in your own kingdom and made you live among the animals as a shepherd for two years. Now, if I wish, I can have you killed. No living person can save you from me.” Darius answered that this was true and that things stood just as he said. Prester John then told him, “Since you have humbled yourself so much that you consider yourself nothing compared with me, from now on I will recognize you as a friend. It is victory enough for me to have held the power to kill you if I wanted.” He then provided Darius with horses and an honorable escort to take him back to his castle. For the rest of his life King Darius honored and respected Prester John and obeyed every command he gave him.

On the great river Caromoran and the surrounding country. Chapitre XXXI.

Seven or eight leagues beyond Chincuy lies the river Caromoran. It is too broad and deep for bridges, and it flows into the great Ocean Sea. Many fine towns and castles stand along its banks, where there is much trade. The country produces plenty of ginger, silk, and birds, especially pheasants. Two days after crossing this river, you reach Cianfu. It is a fine, pleasant city where excellent cloth of gold and silk is made. All the city’s inhabitants, like the people throughout Cathay, worship idols.

On the city of Quenquinafu. Chap. XXXII.

Travel another ten days and you find many towns and villages along the road, as well as fine plains and pleasure gardens. The region is rich in silk, and there is good hunting for animals and birds. Go on for eight more days and you reach a large city called Quenquinafu. It is the principal city and capital of the kingdom, which is named after it. In the past it was very rich and famous. Now the Great Khan’s son Mangala is its king and governor. The region produces a great deal of silk and everything needed to sustain human life. There is considerable trade, and the inhabitants worship idols. Outside the city on a fine plain stands the royal palace, where Mangala lives with his household and courtiers. Another fine, magnificent palace stands in the middle of the city. Its inner walls and partitions are all gilded. The king regularly hunts large wild animals and hunts with birds of prey, for game is abundant in the country.

On the province of Cunchy. Chap. XXXIII.

Three days after leaving this city and its palace, you find a fine, wide plain with many towns and castles and a great deal of silk. The plain extends as far as a mountainous area so densely populated that fine towns and castles stand not only on its slopes but also in its valleys and hollows. These places belong to the province of Cunchy. The inhabitants worship idols and farm well. The country also offers hunting for wild animals such as lions, bears, deer, roe deer, fallow deer, and others. The province stretches for twenty days’ journey across mountains, valleys, and many forests. Still, inns for travelers can be found everywhere, so travelers do not lack food on the way.

On the province of Achalechmangi. Chap. XXXIIII.

Next to Cunchy, on the western side, lies another province called Achalechmangi. It has many cities, towns, and castles. Its capital is also called Achalechmangi because the province borders Mangi. It contains a wide plain stretching for three days’ journey, followed by many mountains and valleys and some forests. The province extends for twenty days’ journey and is fairly well populated with towns and castles. In other respects it is no different from Cunchy. It too has merchants, artisans, farmers, and hunters of wild animals. It also has animals that produce musk. Ginger grows as abundantly there as wheat and rice.

On the province of Cindinfu. Chap. XXXV.

The province of Sindinfu also lies beside the one just described and borders Mangi. Its capital is called Sindinfu. It used to be large and wealthy, measuring six leagues around. It also had a very rich and powerful king. He left his kingdom to his three children, who divided Sindinfu into three parts and enclosed each part with high walls, though all three remained inside the original city walls. The Great Khan has since brought both the city and the kingdom under his rule. A river called Quianfu runs through the city. It is about a quarter of a league wide, very deep, and full of fish. Many towns and castles stand on its banks. The river’s mouth, where it enters the sea, is ninety days’ journey from Sindinfu. For this reason many ships loaded with goods sail upriver. A stone bridge crosses the river at Sindinfu. It is more than a long quarter of a league in length and four toises wide. Artisans set up numerous stalls and shops on it in the morning, then remove them in the evening. There is also a house built on the bridge, where the emperor’s officials live and collect tolls and passage fees from travelers. After traveling another five days, you find a fine, wide plain with many towns, castles, and villages. The inhabitants trade in large quantities of fine linen. You also see many wild animals there.

On the province of Thebeth. Chap. XXXVI.

Beyond the wide plain I have described lies the province of Thebeth, which the Great Khan has ravaged and destroyed. It has many ruined towns and demolished castles. The province stretches for twenty days’ journey. Because this devastation has left it completely deserted and uninhabited, travelers must take enough food with them for twenty days. Since people abandoned the place, so many wild animals have moved in that the road is very dangerous for travelers, especially at night. Merchants and other travelers have devised a trick to deal with this danger. Large reeds grow there. They are seven or eight toises long and as thick as three handspans around, with three more handspans between one joint and the next. When merchants and other travelers want to rest at night, they gather these reeds into big bundles and pile them together. Then they set the pile on fire. As soon as the reeds feel the heat, they start to crack and make so much noise that it can be heard for more than half a league around. The noise frightens wild animals so badly that they keep running until they can no longer hear it. By fooling the animals this way, the merchants and travelers can rest safely and cross the entire province. The horses and other animals the merchants use on their journeys are also greatly frightened by the noise. Some have run away and been lost. But sensible travelers know how to prevent that: they put hobbles on their animals’ legs to hold them in place and stop them from escaping.

On a region beyond Thebeth and its ugly customs. Chap. XXXVII.

After traveling twenty days across Thebeth, you find many towns and villages. Because of the inhabitants’ deep devotion to idols, a very ugly and wicked custom is observed there. No man in the country ever marries a virgin. Before he marries a young woman, she must first have had sex with several men. The people say that a young woman is not fit to marry until she has lost her virginity. So when merchants or other foreigners happen to travel through and stay in this region, local women with daughters of marriageable age bring them to the foreign guests. They may bring twenty or thirty daughters, or more, depending on the number of guests. They earnestly ask each guest to choose one of their daughters, sleep with her, and do as he likes with her for as long as he intends to stay in the country. The guests readily agree to the requests of these respectable matrons. Each chooses a young woman to his liking and makes her fit for marriage. When the guests leave, they are never allowed to take any of the young women with them. They must return them faithfully to their parents. The young woman receives some small gift or jewel from the man who took her virginity, as a sign that she is no longer a virgin. The one who has been loved and had sex with the most men, and can show the most such jewels to those who ask to marry her, is considered the noblest and makes the most distinguished and honorable marriage. If a young woman wants to dress up to appear in company, she hangs around her neck every gift and jewel her lovers have given her. The more people have found her attractive and loved her, the more honor and praise she receives. But once these women are married, they are not allowed to have any further contact or relations with foreigners. They must remain completely faithful to their husbands. Above all, the men of the country are careful not to wrong one another in this matter. They worship idols and are very cruel. They do not consider pillaging or stealing a sin or offense. They live by hunting and by eating the fruits of the land. Their country has many musk-bearing animals called Gadderi. They often hunt them with dogs and catch them, so they have plenty of musk. The people have a language of their own, different from others, and their own money. They dress in animal skins or rough, coarse hemp. This region belongs to Thebeth, a vast province divided into eight kingdoms fairly well populated with towns and villages. The country is rugged and mountainous. Gold is found in some places, including certain rivers. The people use pieces of coral as money. They regard coral as a very fine, valuable stone. The women make necklaces and collars from it and wear them around their necks, and they decorate their idols with it as something special and precious. Dogs as large as donkeys live in this country and are used to hunt wild animals. There are also many falcons and other birds of prey. Much cinnamon and other aromatic spices grow there. This province is subject to the Great Khan and pays him tribute.