IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
216.
.217.
GREAT WEALTH OF SKINS IN TRAMONTAINE ,MARCO POLO vL post mounts on a sledge also as well for the management of it as to feed the dogs, and has himself taken by the dogs, and he takes them by the straightest way and by the LT best.1 And when they are come to the next post which is at the end of that journey, LT they find there also the dogs and the sledges[and]another guide ready to carry them LT LT forward for the second journey; and this is done because the dogs could not bear such labour LT as that for all the thirteen days journeys, and so those which have brought them, the
v first driver or first guide of the sledge with his sledge and with his dogs, turn back to their z LT own post. And so it goes through all those journeys, changing dogs, sledge, and guide at VB every stage, for the dogs always take them, till the messengers of the lord are carried LT [overl on the sledges drawn by the dogs• to the mountains, and buy the skins, and return to their own land through the plain in the manner which has been said. Moreover I tell you quite truly that the men who dwell in those valleys and in those mountains of vß those thirteen days journeys are great hunters, for they take very many precious little animals of great value, from which they have great [105cl profit and great benefit; these are sables' and ermines and squirrels and ercolins and black foxes and many other precious animals from which are made the dear skins and those LT of great value, about which we have spoken above, and they are there almost without number. LT TA3 They know how to catch them very cleverly and have their traps and set them so that no[animal]escapes before them. But I tell you also that they have all their houses under ground because of the great cold that is there, and they always live under
L ground ; otherwise they would hardly be able to live. And they are not beautiful people.' There is nothing else which does to mention and so we will depart from it and z going forward will tell you of a place where is always darkness.
~' T TERE HE TELLS OF THE PROVINCE OF DARKNESS. It is true that far forward
from this kingdom still to tramontaine is a province which is called
TA TA 1 1 the Valley of Darkness; and truly it has the name very rightly because at all TA times there is darkness, for the sun is not ever seen there nor moon nor star, but it LT is always for the greater part of the time of the year' as dark as we have in the early
V LT R evening in our parts, • like the twilight, almost like the dawn, • when one sees and sees not. • z And this is caused by the dense mist which always reigns there and is never destroyed nor goes
1 LT: "Then they put bears skins on the sledge, upon which skins sit two men, namely the trader or merchant who is going for the skins and the driver or conductor who controls and guides the dogs and knows the way very well."—and so P. It will be noticed that LT and P speak of traders throughout this passage, where F, VB, etc. speak of official messengers.
2 LT: rondes copying P.
3 & non sunt pulcri homines. These words are in L but not in L'.
4 R: " For the greater part of the months of the winter."
472.
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