The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 312 (Color Image)

0312	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

258

MARCO POLO Boox III.

•

CHAPTER III.

WHA'P FURTHER CAME OF THE GREAT KAAN'S EXPEDITION AGAINST

+ CH I PANGU.

You see those who were left upon the Island, some 30,00o

souls, as I have said, did hold themselves for dead men,

for they saw no possible means of escape. And when the

King of the Great Island got news how the one part of the

expedition had saved themselves upon that Isle, and the

other part was scattered and fled, he was right glad

thereat, and he gathered together all the ships of his

territory and proceeded with them, the sea now being

calm, to the little Isle, and landed his troops all round it.

And when the Tartars saw them thus arrive, and the whole

force landed, without any guard having been left on board

the ships (the act of men very little acquainted with such

work), they had the sagacity to feign flight. [Now the

Island was very high in the middle, and whilst the enemy

were hastening after them by one road they fetched a

compass by another and] in this way managed to reach

the enemy's ships and to get aboard of them. This they

did easily enough, for they encountered no opposition.

Once they were on board they got under weigh

immediately for the great Island, and landed there,

carrying with them the standards and banners of the

King of the Island ; and in this wise they advanced to

the capital. The garrison of the city, suspecting nothing

wrong, when they saw their own banners advancing

supposed that it was their own host returning, and so

gave them admittance. The Tartars as soon as they

had got in seized all the bulwarks and drove out all who

were in the place except the pretty women, and these

.*.

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