Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 271 (Color Image)

0271	Marco Polo : vol.1

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD CACIONFU & QUENGIANFU • 1 t o .

half, grow in the places about this river, and the inhabitants make use of them in many necessary

things. And when one has crossed this river and goes riding two' days marches by FB

sunsetting then one finds a noble city aforesaid which is called Cacionfu. The people FB

of that city are all idolaters. And again I tell you that you may know also that all those LT FB

of the province of Catai are all idolaters except a few Christians and Saracens. It is a FB K

town of very great importance and of very great trade and of great industry. They have FB

silk in very great abundance in that country, ginger, galingale, and spikenard, and many FB 7,

other kinds of spices of which none are brought to our parts. Many cloths of gold and of

silk and of all other sorts are made there. There is nothing else which does to mention, FB FB LT

and therefore we shall set out from here and shall go forward and shall tell you of

a noble and famous city of Quengianfu, which is head of a kingdom which is called R R

likewise by the said name of Quengianfu. R

ERE HE SPEAKS OF THE GREAT CITY OF QUENGIANFU. And when one • I ii.

leaves the city 6- province of Cacionfu of which I have told you above he y

rides eight' days journeys still by sunsetting always finding many villages VB

and many cities full of merchandise & of merchants & of great trade in cloth and of v FB

great industry, and many beautiful gardens and houses and beautiful well cultivated LT VB

fields are found. And again I tell you that all the country and the land is full of z y

verdure, that is of a very great number of mulberries, these are the trees of which the VA

worms that make silk live on their leaves, so that the whole land abounds very greatly VB

in silk. The people are all idolaters; and there are Nestorian Christian Turks; there are z

too some Saracens. There is chase enough of beasts and hunting of many kinds of

birds. And when one has now ridden these eight days journeys as I have told you, then z LT FB

one finds this great city and noble of Quengianfu, so as I have told you, which is very FB

great and beautiful. And it is the head of the whole kingdom of Quengianfu which FB

anciently was a noble [49c] kingdom by itself and rich, great, and strong; and formerly VB z

there were many good kings great and valiant, and noble knights. And now the son FB V

of the great lord who is called Mangalai is lord of it and king, for his father has

given him that kingdom and has crowned him king of it. It is a very great town of V

great trade and of great industry. They have silk in very great quantity. For cloths FB FB

of gold and of silk and of all kinds are made there. And also • large and very fine hides V FB VB

are found there in great abundance. All equipments which are needed for the armies

of the great Kaan are made there; and they have all things which are necessary to the V V

body of man for life in great abundance and very cheap. The whole town is at the LT

1 VA, LT: "three"

2 Z,V,R: "seven" Others `'eight"

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