The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 586 (Color Image)

0586	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

284 MARCO POLO BOOK I.

CHAPTER LIX.

CONCERNING THE PROVINCE OF TENDUC, AND THE DESCENDANTS OF PRESTER JOHN.

TENDUC is a province which lies towards the east, and

contains numerous towns and villages ; among which is

the chief city, also called TENDUC. The king of the

province is of the lineage of Prester John, George by

name, and he holds the land under the Great Kaan ;

not that he holds anything like the whole of what

Prester John possessed.' It is a custom, I may tell

you, that these kings of the lineage of Prester John

always obtain to wife either daughters of the Great

Kaan or other princesses of his family.'

In this province is found the stone from which

Azure is made. It is obtained from a kind of vein

in the earth, and is of very fine quality.3 There is

also a great manufacture of fine cainlets of different

colours from camel's hair. The people get their living

by their cattle and tillage, as well as by trade and

handicraft.

The rule of the province is in the hands of the

Christians, as I have told you ; but there are also plenty

of Idolaters and worshippers of Mahommet. And there

is also here a class of people called A7gons, which is

as much as to say in French Guasmul, or, in other

words, sprung from two different races : to wit, of the

race of the Idolaters of T endue and of that of the

worshippers of Mahommet. They are handsomer men

than the other natives of the country, and having more

ability, they come to have authority ; and they are also

capital merchants.'

You must know that it was in this same capital city

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