National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

32

VOL. I. BK. I.

MARCO POLO.

discs of quartz from about 6 inches to nearly 3 feet in diameter,

and from z an inch to 3 or 4 inches in thickness."

25.  p. 146.

OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.

Regarding the reduction of the Ismaelites, " the Yuän Shi

tells us that in 1222, on his way back after the taking of

Nishapur, Tuli, son of Genghis, plundered the State of Mu-la-i,

captured Herat, and joined his father at Talecan. In 1229 the

King of Mu-lei presented himself at the Mongol Court. . . .

The following statement is also found in the Mongol Annals :

In the seventh moon [1252] the Emperor ordered K'i-t'ah-t'éh

Pu-ha to carry war against the Ma-la-hi.' " (E. H. PARKER,

Asiatic Quart. Rev., Jan., 1904, p. 136.)

26.  p. 149. " On leaving the Castle [of the Old Man], you ride

over fine plains and beautiful valleys, and pretty hill-sides producing

excellent grass pasture, and abundance of fruits, and all other products.

. . . This kind of country extends for six days' journey, with a

goodly number of towns and villages, in which the people are wor-

shippers of Mahommet. Sometimes also you meet with a tract of

desert extending for 5o or 6o miles, or somewhat less, and in these

deserts you find no water, but have t o carry it along with you. . . . So

after travelling for six days as I have told you, you come to a city called

Sapurgan.... "

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i

Sven Hedin remarks : " From this it is apparent that the six

days' journey of fine country were traversed immediately before

Marco Polo reached Sapurgan. Sir Henry •Yule says in a note :

Whether the true route be, as I suppose, by Nishapur and

Meshed, or, as Khanikoff supposes, by Herat and Badghis, it is

strange that no one of those famous cities is mentioned. And

we feel constrained to assume that something has been misunder-

stood in the dictation, or has dropped out of it.' Yule removes

the six days of fine country to the district between Sebsevar and

Meshed, and considers that for at least the first day's marches

beyond Nishapur Marco Polo's description agrees admirably with

that given by Fraser and Ferrier.

" I travelled between Sebsevar and Meshed in the autumn of

1890, and I cannot perceive that Marco Polo's description is

applicable to the country. He speaks of six days' journey

through beautiful valleys and pretty hillsides. To the east

of Sebsevar you come out into desert country, which, however