The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 396 (Color Image)

0396	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

340

MARCO POLO Boox III.

l'I

I if

comes to pass that there is an immensity of treasure

accumulated in this kingdom.'

Here are no horses bred ; and thus a great part of

the wealth of the country is wasted in purchasing horses ;

I will tell you how. You must know that the merchants

of Kis and HORMES, DoWAR and SOER and ADEN collect

great numbers of destriers and other horses, and these

they bring to the territories of this King and of his four

brothers, who are kings likewise as I told you. For a

horse will fetch among them 500 saggi of gold, worth

more than I oo marks of silver, and vast numbers are

sold there every year. Indeed this King wants to buy

more than 2000 horses every year, and so do his four

brothers who are kings likewise. The reason why they

want so many horses every year is that by the end of

the year there shall not be one hundred of them remain-

ing, for they all die off. And this arises from mis-

management, for those people do not know in the least

how to treat a horse ; and besides they have no farriers.

The horse-merchants not only never bring any farriers

with them, but also prevent any farrier from going

thither, lest that should in any degree baulk the sale of

horses, which brings them in every year such vast gains.

They bring these horses by sea aboard ship.?

They have in this country the custom which I am

going to relate. When a man is doomed to die for any

crime, he may declare that he will put himself to death in

honour of such or such an idol ; and the government

then grants him permission to do so. His kinsfolk and

friends then set him up on a cart, and provide him with

twelve knives, and proceed to conduct him all about the

city, proclaiming aloud : " This valiant man is going to

slay himself for the love of (such an idol)." And when

they be come to the place of execution he takes a knife

and sticks it through his arm, and cries : " I slay myself

•

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