The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 405 (Color Image)

0405	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

CHAP. XIX. • THE CITY OF HORMOS

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CHAPTER XIX.

OF THE DESCENT TO THE CITY OF HORMOS.

THE Plain of which we have spoken extends in a

southerly direction for five days' journey, and then

you come to another descent some twenty miles in

length, where the road is very bad and full of peril,

for there are many robbers and bad characters about.

When you have got to the foot of this descent you find

another beautiful plain called the PLAIN OF FORMOSA.

This extends for two days' journey ; and you find in it

fine streams of water with plenty of date-palms and other

fruit-trees. There are also many beautiful birds, franco-

lins, popinjays, and other kinds such as we have none of

in our country. When you have ridden these two days

you come to the Ocean Sea, and on the shore you find a

city with a harbour which is called Hol:Mos.1 Merchants

come thither from India, with ships loaded with spicery

and precious stones, pearls, cloths of silk and gold,

elephants' teeth, and many other wares, which they sell

to the merchants of Hormos, and which these in turn

carry all over the world to dispose of again. In fact,

'tis a city of immense trade. There are plenty of towns

and villages under it, but it is the capital. The King

is called RUOMEDAM AHOMET. It is a very sickly place,

and the heat of 'the sun is tremendous. If any foreign

merchant dies there, the King takes all his property.

In this country they make a wine of dates mixt with

spices, which is very good. When any one not used to

it first drinks this wine, it causes repeated and violent

purging, but afterwards he is all the better for it, and

gets fat upon it. The people never eat meat and

wheaten bread except when they are ill, and if they

take such food when they are in health it makes them

ill. Their food when in health consists of dates and

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