Public-domain ebook
by Polo, Marco; Rusticiano, da Pisa
Language: en6,477 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Travel Writing·History - Medieval/Middle Ages
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #12410.
The second volume of The Travels of Marco Polo continues the Venetian explorer’s extensive record of the lands he visited under the patronage of the Great Kaan. Structured as a series of numbered notes, the work catalogues everything from the gold‑to‑silver ratio in Carajan to the customs of the Mongol‑ruled provinces of Mien, Bangala, and Manzi, then moves southward through the Chinese cities of Kinsay, the coastal ports of Zayton, and the island kingdoms of Java, Sumatra, and the Indian Ocean. The opening pages list detailed observations on local economies, religious rites, and military campaigns, each entry anchored by references to contemporary Chinese and Burmese chronicles, giving a scholarly feel to Polo’s otherwise narrative travelogue.
The prose reflects a medieval chronicler’s voice, blending factual description with occasional moral commentary, and retains the formal, footnote‑heavy style of the original Latin manuscript. Readers who enjoy dense historical geography, the interplay of East‑West perspectives, and the meticulous documentation of early‑1300s Eurasian societies will find this volume a rewarding, if demanding, companion to Polo’s earlier adventures.
The opening · free to read
NOTES.—1. Carajan and Zardandan. 2. The Gold-Teeth. 3. Male Indolence. 4. The Couvade. (See App. L. 8.) 5. Abundance of Gold. Relation of Gold to Silver. 6. Worship of the Ancestor. 7. Unhealthiness of the climate. 8. Tallies. 9.–12. Medicine-men or Devil-dancers; extraordinary identity of practice in various regions.
LI.—WHEREIN IS RELATED HOW THE KING OF MIEN AND BANGALA VOWED VENGEANCE AGAINST THE GREAT KAAN 98
NOTES.—1. Chronology. 2. Mien or Burma. Why the King may have been called King of Bengal also. 3. Numbers alleged to have been carried on elephants.
LII.—OF THE BATTLE THAT WAS FOUGHT BY THE GREAT KAAN’S HOST AND HIS SENESCHAL AGAINST THE KING OF MIEN 101
NOTES.—1. Nasruddin. 2. Cyrus’s Camels. 3. Chinese Account of the Action. General Correspondence of the Chinese and Burmese Chronologies.
LIII.—OF THE GREAT DESCENT THAT LEADS TOWARDS THE KINGDOM OF MIEN 106
NOTES.—1. Market-days. 2. Geographical difficulties.
LIV.—CONCERNING THE CITY OF MIEN, AND THE TWO TOWERS THAT ARE THEREIN, ONE OF GOLD, AND THE OTHER OF SILVER 109
NOTES.—1. Amien. 2. Chinese Account of the Invasion of Burma. Comparison with Burmese Annals. The City intended. The Pagodas. 3. Wild Oxen.
LV.—CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF BANGALA 114
NOTES.—1. Polo’s view of Bengal; and details of his account illustrated. 2. Great Cattle.
LVI.—DISCOURSES OF THE PROVINCE OF CAUGIGU 116
NOTE.—_A Part of Laos. Papesifu. Chinese Geographical Etymologies._
LVII.—CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF ANIN 119
NOTES.—1. The Name. Probable identification of territory. 2. Textual.
LVIII.—CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF COLOMAN 122
NOTES.—1. The Name. The Kolo-man. 2. Natural defences of Kwei-chau.
LIX.—CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF CUIJU 124
NOTES.—1. Kwei-chau. Phungan-lu. 2. Grass-cloth. 3. Tigers. 4. Great Dogs. 5. Silk. 6. Geographical Review of the Route since Chapter LV. 7. Return to Juju.
BOOK SECOND. (Continued.)
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