And 'tis wonderful what a vast number of these
there are for the foreigners; it is a certain fact that there are more
than 20,000 of them living by prostitution. And that so many can live in
this way will show you how vast is the population.
[Guards patrol the city every night in parties of 30 or 40, looking out
for any persons who may be abroad at unseasonable hours, i.e. after the
great bell hath stricken thrice. If they find any such person he is
immediately taken to prison, and examined next morning by the proper
officers. If these find him guilty of any misdemeanour they order him a
proportionate beating with the stick. Under this punishment people
sometimes die; but they adopt it in order to eschew bloodshed; for their
Bacsis say that it is an evil thing to shed man's blood].
To this city also are brought articles of greater cost and rarity, and in
greater abundance of all kinds, than to any other city in the world. For
people of every description, and from every region, bring things
(including all the costly wares of India, as well as the fine and precious
goods of Cathay itself with its provinces), some for the sovereign, some
for the court, some for the city which is so great, some for the crowds of
Barons and Knights, some for the great hosts of the Emperor which are
quartered round about; and thus between court and city the quantity
brought in is endless.
As a sample, I tell you, no day in the year passes that there do not enter
the city 1000 cart-loads of silk alone, from which are made quantities of
cloth of silk and gold, and of other goods. And this is not to be wondered
at; for in all the countries round about there is no flax, so that
everything has to be made of silk. It is true, indeed, that in some parts
of the country there is cotton and hemp, but not sufficient for their
wants. This, however, is not of much consequence, because silk is so
abundant and cheap, and is a more valuable substance than either flax or
cotton.
Round about this great city of Cambaluc there are some 200 other cities at
various distances, from which traders come to sell their goods and buy
others for their lords; and all find means to make their sales and
purchases, so that the traffic of the city is passing great.
NOTE 1. - It would seem to have been usual to reckon twelve suburbs to
Peking down to modern times. (See Deguignes, III. 38.)
NOTE 2. - The word here used is Fondaco, often employed in mediaeval
Italian in the sense nearly of what we call a factory. The word is from
the Greek [Greek: pandokeion], but through the Arabic Fanduk. The latter
word is used by Ibn Batuta in speaking of the hostelries at which the
Mussulman merchants put up in China.
CHAPTER XXIII.
[CONCERNING THE OPPRESSIONS OF ACHMATH THE BAILO, AND THE PLOT THAT WAS
FORMED AGAINST HIM.[NOTE 1]
You will hear further on how that there are twelve persons appointed who
have authority to dispose of lands, offices, and everything else at their
discretion. Now one of these was a certain Saracen named ACHMATH, a shrewd
and able man, who had more power and influence with the Grand Kaan than
any of the others; and the Kaan held him in such regard that he could do
what he pleased. The fact was, as came out after his death, that Achmath
had so wrought upon the Kaan with his sorcery, that the latter had the
greatest faith and reliance on everything he said, and in this way did
everything that Achmath wished him to do.
This person disposed of all governments and offices, and passed sentence
on all malefactors; and whenever he desired to have any one whom he hated
put to death, whether with justice or without it, he would go to the
Emperor and say: "Such an one deserves death, for he hath done this or
that against your imperial dignity." Then the Lord would say: "Do as you
think right," and so he would have the man forthwith executed. Thus when
people saw how unbounded were his powers, and how unbounded the reliance
placed by the Emperor on everything that he said, they did not venture to
oppose him in anything. No one was so high in rank or power as to be free
from the dread of him. If any one was accused by him to the Emperor of a
capital offence, and desired to defend himself, he was unable to bring
proofs in his own exculpation, for no one would stand by him, as no one
dared to oppose Achmath. And thus the latter caused many to perish
unjustly.[NOTE 2]
Moreover, there was no beautiful woman whom he might desire, but he got
hold of her; if she were unmarried, forcing her to be his wife, if
otherwise, compelling her to consent to his desires. Whenever he knew of
any one who had a pretty daughter, certain ruffians of his would go to the
father, and say: "What say you? Here is this pretty daughter of yours;
give her in marriage to the Bailo Achmath (for they called him 'the
Bailo,' or, as we should say, 'the Vicegerent'),[NOTE 3] and we will
arrange for his giving you such a government or such an office for three
years." And so the man would surrender his daughter. And Achmath would go
to the Emperor, and say: "Such a government is vacant, or will be vacant
on such a day. So-and-So is a proper man for the post." And the Emperor
would reply:
