Ser Marco Polo: Notes and Addenda to Sir Henry Yule's Edition, Containing the Results of Recent Research and Discovery

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J. Murray, 1920 - Asia - 161 pages

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Page 116 - J sbang; Caesalpinia sappan, furnishing the sappan wood) is first described as a product of Kiu-chen (Tong King) in the Nan fang ts'ao mi chuang, written by Ki Han at the end of the third or beginning of the fourth century. J. de Loureiro (Flora cochinchinensis, p. 321) observes in regard to this tree, ' Habitat in altis montibus Cochinchinae : indeque a mercatoribus sinensibus abunde exportatur.
Page 36 - In leaving Badashan you ride twelve days between east and north-east, ascending a river that runs through land belonging to a brother of the Prince of Badashan, and containing a good many towns and villages and scattered habitations. The people are Mahommetans, and valiant in war. At the end of those twelve days you come to a province of no great size, extending indeed no more than three days' journey in any direction, and this is called VOKHAN.
Page 72 - There grow here many excellent vines, supplying great plenty of wine; and in all Cathay this is the only place where wine is produced. It is carried hence all over the country.
Page 105 - WHEN you leave the Island of Java (the less) and the kingdom of Lambri, you sail north about 150 miles, and then you come to two Islands, one of which is called NECUVERAN. In this Island they have no king nor chief, but live like beasts. And I tell you they go all naked, both men and women, and do not use the slightest covering of any kind.
Page 57 - ... do the buying and selling, and whatever is necessary to provide for the husband and household ; for the men all lead the life of gentlemen, troubling themselves about nothing but hunting and hawking, and looking after their goshawks and falcons, unless it be the practice of warlike exercises. They live on the milk and meat which their herds supply, and on the produce of the chase ; and they eat all kinds of flesh, including that of horses and dogs, and Pharaoh's rats, of which last there are...
Page 39 - The Plain is called PAMIER, and you ride across it for twelve days together, finding nothing but a desert without habitations or any green thing, so that travellers are obliged to carry with them whatever they have need of. The region is so lofty and cold that you do not even see any birds flying. And I must notice also that because of this great cold, fire does not burn so brightly, nor give out so much heat as usual, nor does it cook food so effectually...
Page 107 - July, 1916, p. 357) refers to dog-headed men with women of human shape, from a report from the Mongols received by King Hethum of Armenia. XIV., p. 313. " The people [of Ceylon] are Idolaters, and go quite naked except that they cover the middle. . . . The King of this Island possesses a ruby which is the finest and biggest in the world ; I will tell you what it is like. It is about a palm in length, and as thick as a man's arm ; to look at, it is the most resplendent object upon earth ; it is quite...
Page 120 - XXXIII., p. 421. GIRAFFES. Speaking of Pi p'a lo (Berbera Coast) Chau Ju-kwa (p. 128) says : " There is also (in this country) a wild animal called tsula; it resembles a camel in shape, an ox in size, and is of a yellow colour. Its fore legs are five feet long, its hind legs only three feet. Its head is high up and turned upwards. Its skin is an inch thick.
Page 16 - OF THE NOBLE CITY OF TAURIS. TAURIS is a great and noble city, situated in a great province called YRAC, in which are many other towns and villages. But as Tauris is the most noble I will tell you about it.1 The men of Tauris get their living by trade and handicrafts, for they weave many kinds of beautiful and valuable stuffs of silk and gold.
Page 19 - Concerning the spices of Arabia let no more be said. The whole country is scented with them, and exhales an odour marvellously sweet. There are also in Arabia two kinds of sheep worthy of admiration, the like of which is nowhere else to be seen...

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