IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
1;
CHAP. XIX. THE CITY OF HORMOS
109
latter resolved to claim it at the time when the people of
Hormos were residing away from the city. So he
caused a force of i 600 horse and 5000 foot to be got
ready, and sent them by the route of Reobarles to take
the others by surprise. Now, it happened one day that
through the fault of their guide they were not able to
reach the place appointed for their night's halt, and were
obliged to bivouac in a wilderness not far from Hormos.
In the morning as they were starting on their march
they were caught by that wind, and every man of them
was suffocated, so that not one survived to carry the
tidings to their Lord. When the people of Hormos
heard of this they went forth to bury the bodies lest
they should breed a pestilence. But when they laid
hold of them by the arms to drag them tO the pits, the
bodies proved to be so baked, as it were, by that
tremendous heat, that the arms parted from the trunks,
and in the end the people had to dig graves hard by
each where it lay, and so cast them in. ] 5
The people sow their wheat and barley and other
corn in the month of November, and reap it in the
month of March. The dates are not gathered till May,
but otherwise there is no grass nor any other green
thing, for the excessive heat dries up everything.
When any one dies they make a great business of
the mourning, for women mourn their husbands four
years. During that time they mourn at least once a
day, gathering together their kinsfolk and friends and
neighbours for the purpose, and making a great weeping
and wailing. [And they have women who are mourners
by trade, and do it for hire.]
Now, we will quit this country. I shall not, how-
ever, now go on to tell you about India ; but when time
and place shall suit we shall come round from the north
and tell you about it. For the present, let us return by
another road to the aforesaid city of Kerman, for we
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