The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 471 (Color Image)

0471	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

CHAP. XXXII. THE GREAT RIVER OF BADASHAN 171

than three days' journey in any direction, and this is

called VOKHAN. The people worship Mahommet, and

they have a peculiar language. They are gallant soldiers,

and they have a chief whom they call NONE, which is as

much as to say Count, and they are liegemen to the

Prince of Badashan.l

There are numbers of wild beasts of all sorts in this

region. And when you leave this little country, and ride

three days north-east, always among mountains, you get

to such a height that 'tis said to be the highest place in

the world ! And when you have got to this height you

find [a great lake between two mountains, and out of it]

a fine river running through a plain clothed with the

finest pasture in the world ; insomuch that a lean beast

there will fatten to your heart's content in ten days.

There are great numbers of all kinds of wild beasts ;

among others, wild sheep of great size, whose horns are

good six palms in length. From these horns the

shepherds make great bowls to eat from, and they use

the horns also to enclose folds for their cattle at night.

[Messer Marco was told also that the wolves were

numerous, and killed many of those wild sheep. Hence

quantities of their horns and bones were found, and

these were made into great heaps by the way-side, in

order to guide travellers when snow was on the ground.]

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.'

Now, if we go on with our journey towards the east-

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