The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 394 (Color Image)

0394	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

BooK III.

MARCO POLO

338

CHAPTER XVII.

CONTINUES TO SPEAK OF THE PROVINCE OF MAABAR.

You must know that in all this Province of Maabar

there is never a Tailor to cut a coat or stitch it, seeing

that everybody goes naked ! For decency only do they

wear a scrap of cloth ; and so 'tis with men and women,

with rich and poor, aye, and with the King himself,

except what I am going to mention.'

It is a fact that the King goes as bare as the rest,

only round his loins he has a piece of fine cloth, and

round his neck he has a necklace entirely of precious

stones, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and the like,

insomuch that this collar is of great value.' He wears

also hanging in front of his chest from the neck down-

wards, a fine silk thread strung with 104 large pearls

and rubies of great price. The reason why he wears

this cord with the 104 great pearls and rubies, is (accord-

ing to what they tell) that every day, morning and

evening, he has to say 104 prayers to his idols. Such is

their religion and their custom. And thus did all the

Kings his ancestors before him, and they bequeathed

the string of pearls to him that he should do the like.

[The prayer that they say daily consists of these words,

Pacauta ! Pacauta ! Pacauta ! And this they repeat

104. times.3

The King aforesaid also wears on his arms three

golden bracelets thickly set with pearls of great value,

and anklets also of like kind he wears on his legs, and

rings on his toes likewise. So let me tell you what this

King wears, between gold and gems and pearls, is worth

more than a city's ransom. And 'tis no wonder ; for he

bath great store of such gear ; and besides they are

•

4r'

•

4ta

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books