The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 684 (Color Image)

0684	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

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MARCO POLO BOOK II.

CHAPTER.

HAPTER X I.

CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAMBALUC.

Now there was on that spot in old times a great and

noble city called CAMBALUC, which is as much as to say

in our tongue " The city of the Emperor." 1 But the

Great Kaan was informed by his Astrologers that this

city would prove rebellious, and raise great disorders

against his imperial authority. So he caused the present

city to be built close beside the old one, with only a

river between them.2 And he caused the people of the

old city to be removed to the new town that he had

founded ; and this is called TAIDU. [However, he

allowed a portion of the people which he did not suspect

to remain in the old city, because the new one could not

hold the whole of them, big as it is.]

As regards the size of this (new) city you must know

that it has a compass of 24 miles, for each side of it bath

a length of 6 miles, and it is four-square. And it is all

walled round with walls of earth which have a thickness

of full ten paces at bottom, and a height of more than

Io paces ; 3 but they are not so thick at top, for they

diminish in thickness as they rise, so that at top they

are only about 3 paces thick. And they are provided

throughout with loop-holed battlements, which are all

whitewashed.

There are I2 gates, and over each gate there is a

great and handsome palace, so that there are on each

side of the square three gates and five palaces ; for ( I

ought to mention) there is at each angle also a great

and handsome palace. In those palaces are vast halls

in which are kept the arms of the city garrison.'

The streets are so straight and wide that you can

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