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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
158
BOOK II.
MARCO POLO
abundant, and lions too are found there. The merchants
are great and opulent, and the Emperor draws a large
revenue from them, in the shape of duties on the goods
which they buy and sell.'
And now I will tell you of the very noble city of
Saianfu, which well deserves a place in our book, for
there is a matter of great moment to tell about it.
NOTE I.—The name and direction from Yang-chau are probably sufficient to indicate (as Pauthier has said) that this is NGAN-KING on the Kiang, capital of the modern province of Ngan-hwei. The more celebrated city of Nan-king did not bear that name in our traveller's time.
Ngan-king, when recovered from the T'ai-P'ing in 1861, was the scene of a frightful massacre by the Imperialists. They are said to have left neither man, woman, nor child alive in the unfortunate city. (Blakislon, p. 55.)
u
CHAPTER LXX.
CONCERNING THE VERY NOBLE CITY OF SAIANFU, AND HOW ITS CAPTURE WAS EFFECTED.
t..
.
.
SAIANFU is a very great and noble city, and it rules over
twelve other large and rich cities, and is itself a seat of
great trade and manufacture. The people are Idolaters
(and so forth). They have much silk, from which they
weave fine silken stuffs ; they have also a quantity of
game, and in short the city abounds in all that it behoves
a noble city to possess.
Now you must know that this city held out against
the Great Kaan for three years after the rest of Manzi
had surrendered. The Great Kaan's troops made in-
cessant cessant attempts to take it, but they could not succeed
because of the great and deep waters that were round
about it, so that they could approach from one side only,
which was the north. And I tell you they never would
have taken it, but for a circumstance that I am going to
relate.
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