The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 510 (Color Image)

0510	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

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MARCO POLO PooK III.

POE

every merchant-vessel that comes brings some. The

haven is very large and good, and is frequented by

numerous ships with goods from India, and from this

city the spices and other merchandize are distributed

among the cities and towns of the interior. They also

export many good Arab horses from this to India.' For,

as I have told you before, the number of horses exported

from this and the other cities to India yearly is some-

thing astonishing. One reason is that no horses are bred

there, and another that they die as soon as they get

there, through ignorant handling ; for the people there

do not know bow to take care of them, and they feed

their horses with cooked victuals and all sorts of trash, as

I have told you fully heretofore ; and besides all that

they have no farriers.

This City of Calatu stands at the mouth of the Gulf,

so that no ship can enter or go forth without the will of

the chief. And when the Melic of Hormos, who is

Melic of Calatu also, and is vassal to the Soldan of

Kerman, fears anything at the hand of the latter, he gets

on board his ships and comes from Hormos to Calatu.

And then he prevents any ship from entering the Gulf.

This causes great injury to the Solcian of Kerman ; for

he thus loses all the duties that he is wont to receive

from merchants frequenting his territories from India or

elsewhere ; for ships with cargoes of merchandize come in

great numbers, and a very large revenue is derived from

them. In this way he is constrained to give way to the

demands of the Melic of Hormos.

This Melic has also a castle which is still stronger

than the city, and has a better command of the entry to

the Gulf.3

The people of this country live on dates and salt fish,

which they have in great abundance ; the nobles, how-

ever, have better fare.

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