National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0252 |
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
how, on every market-day, all those squares are thronged and crammed with purchasers, and with the traders who have brought in stores of provisions by land or water; and everything they bring in is disposed of.
To give you an example of the vast consumption in this city let us take the article of pepper; and that will enable you in some measure to estimate what must be the quantity of victual, such as meat, wine, groceries, which have to be provided for the general consumption. Now Messer Marco heard it stated by one of the Great Kaan's officers of customs that the quantity of pepper introduced daily for consumption into the city of Kinsay amounted to 43 loads, each load being equal to 223 lbs.⁷
The houses of the citizens are well built and elaborately finished; and the delight they take in decoration, in painting and in architecture, leads them to spend in this way sums of money that would astonish you.
The natives of the city are men of peaceful character, both from education and from the example of their kings, whose disposition was the same. They know nothing of handling arms, and keep none in their houses. You hear of no feuds or noisy quarrels or dissensions of any kind among them. Both in their commercial dealings and in their manufactures they are thoroughly honest and truthful, and there is such a degree of good will and neighbourly attachment among both men and women that you would take the people who live in the same street to be all one family.⁸
And this familiar intimacy is free from all jealousy or suspicion of the conduct of their women. These they treat with the greatest respect, and a man who should presume to make loose proposals to a married woman would be regarded as an infamous rascal. They also treat the foreigners who visit them for the sake of trade with great cordiality, and entertain them in the
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
16
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
26
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
38
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
48
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
58
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
69
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
79
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
89
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
99
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
109
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
121
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
131
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
141
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
152
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
162
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
173
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
183
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
194
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
204
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
214
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
224
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
235
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
246
.
.
.
250
251
252
253
254
.
256
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
267
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
277
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
287
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
299
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
310
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
320
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
330
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
340
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
350
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
360
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
371
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
381
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
391
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
401
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
411
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
421
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
431
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
452
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
462
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
472
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
482
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
492
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
503
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
513
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
524
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
534
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
545
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
555
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
567
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
577
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
587
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
597
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
607
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
617
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
627
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
637
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
647
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
658
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
668
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
678
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
688
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
698
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
708
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
718
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
731
732
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
