The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 339 (Color Image)

0339	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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