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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
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CHAP. XLIV. THE CITY OF CAMPICHU
219
ing the Kal»zia angustzfolia of New England, a plant of the same order (Ericaceae). Sheep bred where it abounds almost always avoid browsing on its leaves, whilst those brought from districts where it is unknown feed upon it and are poisoned.
Firishta, quoting from the Zafar-Nánzah, says : " On the road from Kashmir towards Tibet there is a plain on which no other vegetable grows but a poisonous grass that destroys all the cattle that taste of it, and therefore no horsemen venture to travel that route." And Abbé Desgodins, writing from E. Tibet, mentions that sheep and goats are poisoned by rhododendron leaves. (Dr. Hugh Cleglzorn in J. Agricultural and Hortic. Society of India, XIV. part 4 ; Marsh's Man and Nature, p. 40 ; Briggs Firz'slzta, IV. 449 ; Bul. de la Soc. de Géog. 1873, I. 333.)
E " This poisonous plant seems to be the Stipa inebrians described by the late Dr. Hance in the Journal of Bot. 1876, p. 21 I, from specimens sent to me by Belgian Missionaries from the Ala Shan Mountains, west of the Yellow River." (Bretschneider, Hist. of Bot. Disc. I. p. 5.)
" M. Polo notices that the cattle not indigenous to the province lose their hoofs in the Suh-chau Mountains ; but that is probably not on account of some poisonous grass, but in consequence of the stony ground." (Palladius, 1. c. p. 9.)—II. C.]
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CHAPTER XLIV.
OF THE CITY OF CAMPICHU.
CAMPICHU is also a city of Tangut, and a very great and
noble one. Indeed it is the capital and place of govern-
ment of the whole province of Tangut.1 The people are
Idolaters, Saracens, and Christians, and the latter have
three very fine churches in the city, whilst the Idolaters
have many minsters and abbeys after their fashion.
In these they have an enormous number of idols, both
small and great, certain of the latter being a good ten
paces in stature ; some of them being of wood, others
of clay, and others yet of stone. They are all highly
polished, and then covered with gold. The great idols
of which I speak lie at length.' And round about them
there are other figures of considerable size, as if adoring
and paying homage before them.
Now, as I have not yet given you particulars about
the customs of these Idolaters, I will proceed to tell you
about them.
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