The Travels of Marco Polo

by Marco Polo

Volume I

Prologue

Great Princes, Emperors, and Kings, Dukes and Marquises, Counts, Knights, and Burgesses! and People of all degrees who desire to get knowledge of the various races of mankind and of the diversities of the sundry regions of the World, take this Book and cause it to be read to you. For ye shall find therein all kinds of wonderful things, and the divers histories of the Great Hermenia, and of Persia, and of the Land of the Tartars, and of India, and of many another country of which our Book doth speak, particularly and in regular succession, according to the description of Messer Marco Polo, a wise and noble citizen of Venice, as he saw them with his own eyes. Some things indeed there be therein which he beheld not; but these he heard from men of credit and veracity. And we shall set down things seen as seen, and things heard as heard only, so that no jot of falsehood may mar the truth of our Book, and that all who shall read it or hear it read may put full faith in the truth of all its contents.

For let me tell you that since our Lord God did mould with his hands our first Father Adam, even until this day, never hath there been Christian, or Pagan, or 2Tartar, or Indian, or any man of any nation, who in his own person hath had so much knowledge and experience of the divers parts of the World and its Wonders as hath had this Messer Marco! And for that reason he bethought himself that it would be a very great pity did he not cause to be put in writing all the great marvels that he had seen, or on sure information heard of, so that other people who had not these advantages might, by his Book, get such knowledge. And I may tell you that in acquiring this knowledge he spent in those various parts of the World good six-and-twenty years. Now, being thereafter an inmate of the Prison at Genoa, he caused Messer Rusticiano of Pisa, who was in the said Prison likewise, to reduce the whole to writing; and this befell in the year 1298 from the birth of Jesus.

1. How the Two Brothers Polo Set Forth from Constantinople to Traverse the World  2. How the Two Brothers Went On Beyond Soldaia  3. How the Two Brothers, After Crossing A Desert, Came To The City Of Bocara, and Fell In With Certain Envoys There  4. How the Two Brothers Took the Envoy's Counsel, and Went to the Court of the Great Kaan  5. How the Two Brothers Arrived at the Court of the Great Kaan  6. How the Great Kaan Asked All About the Manners of the Christians, and Particularly About the Pope of Rome

7. How the Great Kaan Sent the Two Brothers as His Envoys to the Pope  8. How the Great Kaan Gave Them a Tablet of Gold, Bearing His Orders in Their Behalf  9. How the Two Brothers Came to the City of Acre; and Thence to Venice 10. 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 11. How the Two Brothers Set Out from Acre, and Mark Along With Them 12. How the Two Brothers Presented Themselves Before the New Pope

13. How Messer Nicolo and Messer Maffeo Polo, Accompanied by Mark, Travelled to the Court of the Great Kaan 14. How Messer Nicolo and Messer Maffeo Polo and Marco Presented Themselves Before the Great Kaan 15. How the Lord Sent mark on an Embassy of His 16. How Mark Returned From the Mission Whereon He Had Been Sent 17. How Messer Nicolo, Messer Maffeo, and Messer Marco, Asked Leave of the Great Kaan to Go Their Way 18. How the Two Brothers and Messer Marco Took Leave of the Great Kaan, and Returned to Their Own Country

Book First

1. Here the Book Begins; and First it Speaks of the Lesser Hermenia  2. Concerning the Province of Turcomania  3. Description of the Greater Hermenia  4. Of Georgiana and the Kings Thereof  5. Of the Kingdom of Mausul  6. Of the Great City of Baudas, and How it Was Taken  7. How the Calif of Baudas Took Counsel to Slay All the Christians in His Land  8. How the Christians Were In Great Dismay Because of What the Calif Had Said  9. How the One-Eyed Cobler Was Desired to Pray for the Christians 10. How the Prayer of the One-Eyed Cobler Caused the Mountain to Move 11. Of the Noble City of Tauris 12. Of the Monastery of Saint Barsamo on the Borders of Tauris 13. Of the Great Country of Persia; With Some Account of the Three Kings 14. How the Three Kings Returned to their Own Country 15. Of the Eight Kingdoms of Persia, and How they are Named 16. Concerning the Great City of Yasdi 17. Concerning the Kingdom of Kerman 18. Of the City of Camadi and its Ruins; Also Touching the Carauna Robbers 19. Of the Descent to the City of Hormos 20. Of the Wearisome and Desert Road That Has Now to Be Travelled

21. Concerning the City of Cobinan and the Things That Are Made There 22. Of a Certain Desert That Continues for Eight Days' Journey 23. Concerning the Old Man of the Mountain 24. How the Old Man Used to Train His Assasins 25. How the Old Man Came By His End 26. Concerning the City of Sapurgan 27. Of the City of Balc 28. Of Taican, and the Mountains of Salt. Also of the Province of Casem 29. Of the Province of Badashan 30. Of the Province of Pashai 31. Of the Province of Keshimur 32. Of the Great River of Badashan; and Plain of Pamier 33. Of the Kingdom of Cascar 34. Of the Great City of Samarcan 35. Of the Province of Yarcan 36. Of a Province Called Cotan 37. Of the Province of Pein 38. Of the Province of Charchan 39. Of the City of Lop, and the Great Desert 40. Concerning the Great Province of Tangut

41. Of the Province of Camul 42. Of the Province of Chingintalas 43. Of the Province of Sukchur 44. Of the City of Campichu 45. Of the City of Etzina 46. Of the City of Caracoron 47. Of Chinghis, and How He Became the First Kaan of the Tartars 48. How Chinghis Mustered His People to March Against Prester John 49. How Prester John Marched to Meet Chinghis 50. The Battle Between Chinghis Kaan and Prester John. Death of Chinghis 51. Of Those Who Did Reign After Chinghis Kaan, and of the Customs of the Tartars 52. Concerning the Customs of the Tartars 53. Concerning the God of the Tartars 54. Concerning the Tartar Customs of War 55. Concerning the Administering of Justice Among the Tartars 56. Sundry Particulars on the Plain Beyond Caracoron 57. Of the Kingdom of Erguiul, and Province of Sinju 58. Of the Kingdom of Egrigaia 59. Concerning the Province of Tenduc, and the Descendants of Prester John 60. Concerning the Kaan's Palace of Chagannor 61. Of the City of Chandu, and the Kaan's Palace There.

Book Second

Part I  1. Of Cublay Kaan, the Great Kaan Now Reigning, and of His Great Puissance  2. Concerning the Revolt of Nayan, Who Was Uncle to the Great Kaan Cublay  3. How the Great Kaan Marched Against Nayan  4. Of the Battle that the Great Kaan Fought with Nayan  5. How the Great Kaan Caused Nayan to be Put to Death  6. How the Great Kaan Went Back to the City of Cambaluc  7. How the Kaan Rewarded the Valour of his Captains  8. Concerning the Person of the Great Kaan  9. Concerning the Great Kaan's Sons 10. Concerning the Palace of the Great Kaan 11. Concerning the City of Cambaluc 12. How the Great Kaan Maintains a Guard of Twelve Thousand Horse, Which Are Called Keshican 13. The Fashion of the Great Kaan's Table at his High Feasts 14. Concerning the Great Feast Held by the Grand Kaan Every Year on his Birthday 15. Of the Great Festival Which the Kaan Holds on New Year's Day 16. Concerning the Twelve Thousand Barons who Receive Robes of Cloth of Gold from the Emperor on the Great Festivals, Thirteen Changes A-piece 17. How the Great Kaan Enjoineth his People to Supply him With Game 18. Of the Lions and Leopards and Wolves that the Kaan Keeps for the Chase 19. Concerning the Two Brothers Who Have Charge of the Kaan's Hounds 20. How the Emperor Goes on a Hunting Expedition 21. How the Great Kaan, on Returning From his Hunting Expedition, Holds a Great Court and Entertainment 22. Concerning the City of Cambaluc, and its Great Traffic and Population 23. [Concerning the Oppressions of Achmath the Bailo, and the Plot that was Formed Against him 24. How the Great Kaan Causeth the Bark of Trees, Made Into Something Like Paper, to Pass for Money All Over his Country 25. Concerning the Twelve Barons Who Are Set Over All the Affairs of the Great Kaan 26. How the Kaan's Posts and Runners are Sped Through Many Lands and Provinces 27. How the Emperor Bestows Help on his People, When They Are Afflicted with Dearth or Murrain 28. How the Great Kaan Causes Trees to be Planted by the Highways 29. Concerning the Rice-Wine Drunk by the People of Cathay 30. Concerning the Black Stones that are Dug in Cathay, and Are Burnt for Fuel 31. How the Great Kaan Causes Stores of Corn to be Made, to Help his People Withal in Time of Dearth 32. Of the Charity of the Emperor to the Poor 33. [Concerning the Astrologers in the City of Cambaluc] 34. [Concerning the Religion of the Cathayans; Their Views as to the Soul; and Their Customs]

Part II 35. Here Begins the Description of the Interior of Cathay; and First of the River Pulisanghin 36. Account of the City of Juju 37. The Kingdom of Taianfu 38. Concerning the Castle of Caichu. The Golden King and Prester John 39. How Prester John Treated the Golden King his Prisoner 40. Concerning the Great River Caramoran and the City of Cachanfu 41. Concerning the City of Kenjanfu 42. Concerning the Province of Cuncun, Which is Right Wearisome to Travel Through 43. Concerning the Province of Acbalec Manzi 44. Concerning the Province of Sindafu 45. Concerning the Province of Tebet 46. Further Discourse Concerning Tebet 47. Concerning the Province of Caindu 48. Concerning the Province of Carajan 49. Concerning a Further Part of the Province of Carajan 50. Concerning the Province of Zardandan 51. Wherein is Related How the King of Mien and Bangala Vowed Vengeance Against the Great Kaan 52. Of the Battle That Was Fought By the Great Kaan's Host and His Seneschal Against the King of Mien 53. Of the Great Descent That Leads Towards the Kingdom of Mien 54. Concerning the City of Mien, and the Two Towers That Are Therein, One of Gold, and the Other of Silver 55. Concerning the Province of Bangala 56. Discourses of the Province of Caugigu 57. Concerning the Province of Anin 58. Concerning the Province of Coloman 59. Concerning the Province of Cuiju

Part III 60. Concerning the Cities of Cacanfu and Changlu 61. Concerning the City of Chinangli, and That of Tadinfu, and the Rebellion of Litan 62. Concerning the Noble City of Sinjumatu 63. Concerning the Cities of Linju and Piju 64. Concerning the City of Siju, and the Great River Caramoran 65. How the Great Kaan Conquered the Province of Manzi 66. Concerning the City of Coiganju 67. Of the Cities of Paukin and Cayu 68. Of the Cities of Tiju, Tinju, and Yanju 69. Concerning the City of Nanghin 70. Concerning the Very Noble City of Saianfu, and How Its Capture Was Effected 71. Concerning the City of Sinju and the Great River Kian 72. Concerning the City of Caiju 73. Concerning the City of Chinghianfu 74. Concerning the City of Chinginju and the Slaughter of Certain Alans There 75. Of the Noble City of Suju 76. Description of the Great City of Kinsay, Which is the Capital of the Whole Country of Manzi 77. [Further Particulars Concerning the Great City of Kinsay.] 78. Treating of the Yearly Revenue That the Great Kaan Hath From Kinsay 79. Of the City of Tanpiju and Others 80. Concerning the Kingdom of Fuju 81. Concerning the Greatness of the City of Fuju 82. Of the City and Great Haven of Zayton

Book Third

1. Of the Merchant Ships of Manzi that Sail Upon the Indian Seas  2. Description of the Island of Chipangu, and the Great Kaan's Despatch of a Host Against It  3. What Further Came of the Great Kaan's Expedition Against Chipangu  4. Concerning the Fashion of the Idols  5. Of the Great Country called Chamba  6. Concerning the Great Island of Java  7. Wherein the Isles of Sondur and Condur are Spoken of; and the Kingdom of Locac  8. Of the Island called Pentam, and the City Malaiur  9. Concerning the Island of Java the Less. The Kingdoms of Ferlec and Basma 10. The Kingdoms of Samara and Dagroian 11. Of the Kingdoms of Labri and Fansur 12. Concerning the Island of Necuveran 13. Concerning the Island of Angamanain

14. Concerning the Island of Seilan 15. The Same Continued. The History of Sagamoni Borcan and the Beginning of Idolatry 16. Concerning the Great Province of Maabar, Which is Called India the Greater, and is on the Mainland 17. Continues to Speak of the Province of Maabar 18. Discoursing of the Place Where Lieth the Body of St. Thomas the Apostle; and of the Miracles Thereof 19. Concerning the Kingdom of Mutfili 20. Concerning the Province of Lar Whence the Brahmans Come 21. Concerning the City of Cail 22. Of the Kingdom of Coilum 23. Of the Country Called Comari 24. Concerning the Kingdom Eli 25. Concerning the Kingdom of Melibar 26. Concerning the Kingdom of Gozurat 27. Concerning the Kingdom of Tana

28. Concerning the Kingdom of Cambaet 29. Concerning the Kingdom of Semenat 30. Concerning the Kingdom of Kesmacoran 31. Discourseth of the Two Islands Called Male and Female, and Why They Are So Called 32. Concerning the Island of Scotra 33. Concerning the Island of Madeigascar 34. Concerning the Island of Zanghibar. A Word on India in General 35. Treating of the Great Province of Abash, Which is Middle India, and is on the Mainland 36. Concerning the Province of Aden 37. Concerning the City of Esher 38. Concerning the City of Dufar 39. Concerning the Gulf of Calatu, and the City So Called 40. Returns to the City of Hormos Whereof We Spoke Formerly

Book Fourth

1. Concerning Great Turkey  2. Of Certain Battles That Were Fought by King Caidu Against the Armies of His Uncle the Great Kaan  3. What the Great Kaan Said to the Mischief Done by Caidu His Nephew  4. Of the Exploits of King Caidu's Valiant Daughter  5. How Abaga Sent His Son Argon in Command Against King Caidu  6. How Argon After the Battle Heard that His Father was Dead and Went to Assume the Sovereignty As Was His Right  7. How Acomat Soldan Set Out With His Host Against His Nephew Who Was Coming to Claimthe Throne That Belonged To Him  8. How Argon Took Counsel With His Followers About Attacking His Uncle Acomat Soldan  9. How The Barons Of Argon Answered His Address 10. The Message Sent By Argon To Acomat 11. How Acomat Replied To Argon's Message

12. Of The Battle Between Argon And Acomat, And The Captivity Of Argon 13. How Argon Was Delivered From Prison 14. How Argon Got The Sovereignty At Last 15. How Acomat Was Taken Prisoner 16. How Acomat Was Slain By Order Of His Nephew 17. How Argon Was Recognised As Sovereign 18. How Kiacatu Seized The Sovereignty After Argon's Death 19. How Baidu Seized The Sovereignty After The Death Of Kiacatu 20. Concerning King Conchi Who Rules The Far North 21. Concerning The Land Of Darkness 22. Description Of Rosia And Its People. Province Of Lac 23. He Begins To Speak Of The Straits Of Constantinople, But Decides To Leave That Matter

24. Concerning The Tartars Of The Ponent And Their Lords 25. Of The War That Arose Between Alau And Barca, And The Battles That They Fought (Extracts And Substance.) 26. How Barca And His Army Advanced To Meet Alau 27. How Alau Addressed His Followers 28. Of The Great Battle Between Alau And Barca 29. How Totamangu Was Lord Of The Tartars Of The Ponent; And After Him Toctai 30. Of The Second Message That Toctai Sent To Nogai 31. How Toctai Marched Against Nogai 32. How Toctai And Nogai Address Their People, And The Next Day Join Battle 33. The Valiant Feats And Victory Of King Nogai 34. And Last. Conclusion

Appendices

1. Genealogy Of The House Of Chinghiz To The End Of The Thirteenth Century
2. The Polo Families
   1. Genealogy Of The Family Of Marco Polo The Traveller
   2. The Polos Of San Geremia
3. Calendar Of Documents Relating To Marco Polo And His Family
4. Comparative Specimens Of The Different Recensions Of Polo's Text
5. Preface To Pipino's Latin Version
6. Note Of Mss. Of Marco Polo's Book, So Far As Known:
   1. General Distribution Of Mss.
   2. List Of Miniatures In Two Of The Finer Mss.
   3. List Of Mss. Of Marco Polo's Book, So Far As They Are Known
7. Diagram Showing Filiation Of Chief Mss. And Editions Of Marco Polo
8. Bibliography
   1. Principal Editions Of Marco Polo's Book
   2. Bibliography Of Printed Editions
   3. Titles Of Sundry Books And Papers Treating Of Marco Polo And His Book
9. Titles Of Works Quoted By Abbreviated References In This Book
10. Values Of Certain Moneys, Weights, And Measures Occurring In This Book.
11. Supplementary Notes To The Book Of Marco Polo
    1. The Polos At Acre.
    2. Sorcery In Kashmir.
    3. Paonano Pao.
    4. Pamir.
    5. Number Of Pamirs.
    6. Site Of Pein.
    7. Fire-arms.
    8. La Couvade.
    9. Alacan
    10. Champa.
    11. Ruck Quills.
    12. A Spanish Marco Polo.
    13. Sir John Mandeville.
12. Index