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I96. THE STRONG CASTLE OF THE MELIC OF CALATU ,4MARCO POLO
z them by force, they depart from Curmos and enter into ships and come away to FA this city of Calatu and there they stay and do not let any ship pass into the gulf; z FA from which the aforesaid sultan of Cherman has too great loss of it, because he loses the duty on the merchandise which came into his country from Indie & from elsewhere; for there come a very great number of ships with all their merchandise, from which he receives very great z duty; and so of necessity it is convenient that he make peace with the melic of Curmos z and take not so much money from him as he had asked of him. And again I tell FA you that this melic of Curmos has a castle which is as strong and even stronger than FA R the city of Calatu and better controls the gulf and the sea, holding them in a manner of speaking locked, because it discovers all the ships that pass at any time. And again you R may know quite truly that these people of this country live on dates and on fresh R LT and salt fish, for they have them both continually in great plenty beyond measure. But z yet it is true that there are several gentle and rich men who do indeed eat of the R other better food and better things, the grain which is brought from other lands. Now we have told you of this city of Calatu and of the gulf and of their affairs. Then v we will leave them and will tell you of the city of Curmos, for I tell you that when z one sets out from the [96b] city of Calatu and he goes about 30o miles between the plough-beam and tramontaine then one finds the city of Curmos. And again I tell you that setting out from Calatu, and he goes between the plough-beam and z L L the sunsetting about 500 miles, he finds the city called Chisci about which we have told above. And then we will leave Chisci and will talk to you of Curmos.
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197 • ERE HE TELLS OF THE CITY OF CURMOS. Curmos is a great city and noble
ZZLZ which is set on thé sea. And they have a ruler called nlelic, which is the
FB name of a rank as it might be said marquis or duke,' • & he is under the sultan of
FB Cherman, and they have several cities and villages under them. They are all Saracens z v TA there who worship Mahomet . And there is very great heat so that one can hardly R escape there; and for the great heat which is there they have arranged all their houses VB with windsails & devices to catch the wind. For on that side from which the wind FA blows then they set the windsail there and make the wind go down into their VB FA house, and into their rooms, where they please. And they do this to be more cool, because VB they cannot otherwise bear the great heat which is there. But we will not tell you FA more of it because we told you of it all in order in our book behind, both of this FA FA Z same city of Curmos and of Chisci and of Cherman also. But because we went then by another way it is necessary for us to come back here again, but, as I have told you, because we have told you all the affairs of this country we will depart from
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