The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 656 (Color Image)

0656	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

350 MARCO POLO BOOK II.

CHAPTER VII.

How THE KAAN REWARDED THE VALOUR OF HIS CAPTAINS.

So we will have done with this matter of Nayan, and

go on with our account of the great state of the Great

Kaan.

We have already told you of his lineage and of his

age ; but now I must tell you what he did after his

return, in regard to those barons who had behaved well

in the battle. Him who was before captain of 1 oo he

made captain of woo ; and him who was captain of woo

men he made to be captain of io,000, advancing every

man according to his deserts and to his previous rank.

Besides that, he also made them presents of fine silver

plate and other rich appointments ; gave them Tablets

of Authority of a higher degree than they held before ;

and bestowed upon them fine jewels of gold and silver,

and pearls and precious stones ; insomuch that the

amount that fell to each of them was something astonish-

ing. And yet 'twas not so much as they had deserved ;

for never were men seen who did such feats of arms for

the love and honour of their Lord, as these had done

on that day of the battle.'

Now those Tablets of Authority, of which I have

spoken, are ordered in this way. The officer who is a

captain of 1 oo hath a tablet of silver ; the captain of

woo hath a tablet of gold or silver-gilt ; the commander

of io,000 hath a tablet of gold, with a lion's head on it.

And I will tell you the weight of the different tablets,

and what they denote. The tablets of the captains of

100 and woo weigh each of them 120 sa gi; and the

tablet with the lion's head engraven on it, which is that

of the commander of i o,000, weighs 220 saggi. And on

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