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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
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8
4
. 190
MARCO POLO I3oox II.
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an excellent haven, with a vast amount of shipping which
is engaged in the traffic to and from India and other
foreign parts, exporting and importing many kinds of
wares, by which the city benefits. And a great river
flows from the city of Kinsay to that sea-haven, by
which vessels can come up to the city itself. This river
extends also to other places further inland.'
Know also that the Great Kaan bath distributed the
territory of Manzi into nine parts, which he bath con-
stituted into nine kingdoms. To each of these kingdoms
a king is appointed who is subordinate to the Great
Kaan, and every year renders the accounts of his king-
dom to the fiscal office at the capital.10 This city of
Kinsay is the seat of one of these kings, who rules over
140 great and wealthy cities. For in the whole of this
great
vast country of Manzi there are more than 1200 ~ g
and wealthy cities, without counting the towns and
villages, which are in great numbers. And you may
receive it for certain that in each of those 1200 cities the
Great Kaan has a garrison, and that the smallest of such
garrisons musters moo men ; whilst there are some of
10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 ; so that the total number of
troops is something scarcely calculable. The troops
forming these garrisons are not all Tartars. Many are
from the province of Cathay, and good soldiers too.
But you must not suppose they are by any means all of
them cavalry ; a very large proportion of them are foot-
soldiers, according to the special requirements of each
city. And all of them belong to the army of the Great
Kaan.''
I repeat that everything appertaining to this city is
on so vast a scale, and the Great Kaan's yearly revenues
therefrom are so immense, that it is not easy even to put
it in writing, and it seems past belief to one who merely
hears it told. But I will write it down for you.
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