NOTE 7. - Coral is still a very popular adornment in the Himalayan
countries. The merchant Tavernier says the people to the north of the
Great Mogul's territories and in the mountains of Assam and Tibet were
the greatest purchasers of coral. (Tr. in India, Bk. II. ch. xxiii.)
CHAPTER XXXII.
OF THE GREAT RIVER OF BADASHAN.
In leaving Badashan you ride twelve days between east and north-east,
ascending a river that runs through land belonging to a brother of the
Prince of Badashan, and containing a good many towns and villages and
scattered habitations. The people are Mahommetans, and valiant in war.
At the end of those twelve days you come to a province of no great size,
extending indeed no more than three days' journey in any direction, and
this is called VOKHAN. The people worship Mahommet, and they have a
peculiar language. They are gallant soldiers, and they have a chief whom
they call NONE, which is as much as to say Count, and they are liegemen
to the Prince of Badashan.[NOTE 1]
There are numbers of wild beasts of all sorts in this region. And when you
leave this little country, and ride three days north-east, always among
mountains, you get to such a height that 'tis said to be the highest place
in the world! And when you have got to this height you find [a great lake
between two mountains, and out of it] a fine river running through a plain
clothed with the finest pasture in the world; insomuch that a lean beast
there will fatten to your heart's content in ten days. There are great
numbers of all kinds of wild beasts; among others, wild sheep of great
size, whose horns are good six palms in length. From these horns the
shepherds make great bowls to eat from, and they use the horns also to
enclose folds for their cattle at night. [Messer Marco was told also that
the wolves were numerous, and killed many of those wild sheep. Hence
quantities of their horns and bones were found, and these were made into
great heaps by the way-side, in order to guide travellers when snow was on
the ground.]
The plain is called PAMIER, and you ride across it for twelve days
together, finding nothing but a desert without habitations or any green
thing, so that travellers are obliged to carry with them whatever they
have need of. The region is so lofty and cold that you do not even see any
birds flying. And I must notice also that because of this great cold, fire
does not burn so brightly, nor give out so much heat as usual, nor does it
cook food so effectually.[NOTE 2]
Now, if we go on with our journey towards the east-north-east, we travel a
good forty days, continually passing over mountains and hills, or through
valleys, and crossing many rivers and tracts of wilderness.
