National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
CHAP. IX. THE KINGDOMS OF FERLEC AND BASMA 285
When you quit the kingdom of Ferlec you enter
upon that of Basma. This also is an independent
kingdom, and the people have a language of their own ;
but they are just like beasts without laws or religion.
They call themselves subjects of the Great Kaan, but
they pay him no tribute ; indeed they are so far away
that his men could not go thither. Still all these
Islanders declare themselves to be his subjects, and
sometimes they send him curiosities as presents.4 There
are wild elephants in the country, and numerous unicorns,
which are very nearly as big. They have hair like that
of a buffalo, feet like those of an elephant, and a horn in
the middle of the forehead, which is black and very
thick. They do no mischief, however, with the horn,
but with the tongue alone ; for this is covered all over
with long and strong prickles [ and when savage with
any one they crush him under their knees and then rasp
him with their tongue]. The head resembles that of a
wild boar, and they carry it ever bent towards the
ground. They delight much to abide in mire and mud.
'Tis a passing ugly beast to look upon, and is not in the
least like that which our stories tell of as being caught in
the lap of a virgin ; in fact, 'tis altogether different from
what we fancied.' There are also monkeys here in
great numbers and of sundry kinds ; and goshawks as
black as crows. These are very large birds and capital
for fowling.'
I may tell you moreover that when people bring
home pygmies which they allege to come from India, 'tis
all a lie and a cheat. For those little men, as they call
them, are manufactured on this Island, and I will tell you
how. You see there is on the Island a kind of monkey
which is very small, and has a face just like a man's.
They take these, and pluck out all the hair except the
hair of the beard and on the breast, and then they dry
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