Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 379 (Color Image)

0379	Marco Polo : vol.1

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD. OF FERLEC AND BASMAN • I 66-

that though it is called the Less with respect to the other aforesaid it is not so small that it L

is not more than 2000 miles round. And we will tell you all the doings and truth FB

of this island. Now you may know that on this isle are eight kingdoms of which I LT

Marc was in six, namely in the kingdoms of Ferlec, Basman, Sumatra, Dagroian, Lambri,

and Fansur, but I was not in the other two; and as there are eight kingdoms so there are eight LT

crowned kings in this isle, for each king has a crown by himself. And they of this island FB Z

are all idolaters and have languages for themselves . For you may know that each

of the kingdoms they have languages peculiar for themselves and dfferent from the z z

other. In this isle is very exceedingly great abundance of treasure both of all dear

spices and lign aloes and spikenard, brazils, and ebony, and of many other spices of z

which none ever come into our land this side of the sea, • because of the length of the way P z

and the perilous difficulties, but they are carried to the provinces of Mangi and Catai. • They VB

have jewels and pearls enough, they are rich in gold. Now I wish to tell you the ways of

all these people each by itself. And I shall tell you first a thing of this island which LT

will indeed seem to each one a marvellous thing. Now you may know quite truly

that this isle is set so much to the midday that the arctic pole which is vulgarly. called z P

the tramontaine star is not seen thence neither little nor much. Since we have told you z LT

of the island and of its kingdoms, now we will come back for you to the ways of the

men of the island and will tell you first of all of the kingdom of Ferlec which is one LT Z

of the eight kingdoms of the island named. Now you may know that in this kingdom of

Ferlec all the people used to worship idols, but by reason of the many Saracen merchants z y

who frequent there with their ships, who all keep the law of Mahomet, they have v

converted them all to the abominable law of Mahomet. And these are those of the z P

city only near to the sea; but [75d] those of the mountains have no religion but are such VA P

as beasts[are] . For I tell you quite truly that they eat flesh of men and do not care vL

how they may have died, and in short all other flesh in general both good and bad is L z v

good to them. • And they worship many different things, for when one gets up from sleep z LT L

in the morning, the first thing that they see, that they worship for their god. all through VA VB

that day. Now I have told you of Ferlec, and next I shall tell you of the kingdom

of Basman. And when one leaves this kingdom of Ferlec, which as I have said is one VB

of the eight kingdoms, then he enters into the kingdom of Basman which is at the outgoing TA

of Ferlec. This Basman is a kingdom by itself. And they have also their proper FB P

language, but they are a people who have no law except like beasts . They are

claimed by the great Kaan, but they make him no tribute because they are so far

off that the people of the great Kaan will not be able to go there. But still all FB

those of the island are called his; but if the great people of the great Kaan could come and FB

go there they would soon have made them subject to him. And sometimes they make him

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