The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 602 (Color Image)

0602	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

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300 MARCO POLO BOOK I.

to pieces and removed whithersoever the Emperor may

command. When f:rected, it is braced [against mishaps

from the wind] by more than 200 cords of silk.'

The Lord abides at this Park of his, dwelling some-

times in the Marble Palace and sometimes in the Cane

Palace for three months of the year, to wit, June, July,

and August ; preferring this residence because it is by

no means hot ; in fact it is a very cool place. When

the 28th day of [the Moon of] August arrives he takes

his departure, and the Cane Palace is taken to pieces.'

But I must tell you what happens when he goes away

from this Palace every year on the 28th of the August

[Moon].

You must know that the Kaan keeps an immense

stud of white horses and mares ; in fact more than

10,000 of them, and all pure white without a speck.

The milk of these mares is drunk by himself and his

family, and by none else, except by those of one great

tribe that have also the privilege of drinking it. This

privilege was granted them by Chinghis Kaan, on

account of a certain victory that they helped him to win

long ago. The name of the tribe is HORIAD.°

Now when these mares are passing across the

country, and any one falls in with them, be he the

greatest lord in the land, he must not presume to pass

until the mares have gone by ; he must either tarry

where he is, or go a half-day's journey round if need

so be, so as not to come nigh them ; for they are to be

treated with the greatest respect. Well, when the Lord

sets out from the Park on the 28th of August, as I told

you, the milk of all those mares is taken and sprinkled

on the ground. And this is done on the injunction of

the Idolaters and Idol-priests, who say that it is an

excellent thing to sprinkle that milk on the ground

every 28th of August, so that the Earth and the Air

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