But They Are Always Fowling As They Advance, And The
Most Part Of The Quarry Taken Is Carried To The Emperor.
And let me tell
you when he goes thus a-fowling with his gerfalcons and other hawks, he is
Attended by full 10,000 men who are disposed in couples; and these are
called Toscaol, which is as much as to say, "Watchers." And the name
describes their business.[NOTE 3] They are posted from spot to spot,
always in couples, and thus they cover a great deal of ground! Every man
of them is provided with a whistle and hood, so as to be able to call in a
hawk and hold it in hand. And when the Emperor makes a cast, there is no
need that he follow it up, for those men I speak of keep so good a look
out that they never lose sight of the birds, and if these have need of
help they are ready to render it.
All the Emperor's hawks, and those of the Barons as well, have a little
label attached to the leg to mark them, on which is written the names of
the owner and the keeper of the bird. And in this way the hawk, when
caught, is at once identified and handed over to its owner. But if not,
the bird is carried to a certain Baron, who is styled the Bularguchi,
which is as much as to say "The Keeper of Lost Property." And I tell you
that whatever may be found without a known owner, whether it be a horse,
or a sword, or a hawk, or what not, it is carried to that Baron
straightway, and he takes charge of it. And if the finder neglects to
carry his trover to the Baron, the latter punishes him. Likewise the loser
of any article goes to the Baron, and if the thing be in his hands it is
immediately given up to the owner. Moreover, the said Baron always pitches
on the highest spot of the camp, with his banner displayed, in order that
those who have lost or found anything may have no difficulty in finding
their way to him. Thus nothing can be lost but it shall be incontinently
found and restored.[NOTE 4]
And so the Emperor follows this road that I have mentioned, leading along
in the vicinity of the Ocean Sea (which is within two days' journey of his
capital city, Cambaluc), and as he goes there is many a fine sight to be
seen, and plenty of the very best entertainment in hawking; in fact, there
is no sport in the world to equal it!
The Emperor himself is carried upon four elephants in a fine chamber made
of timber, lined inside with plates of beaten gold, and outside with
lions' skins [for he always travels in this way on his fowling
expeditions, because he is troubled with gout]. He always keeps beside him
a dozen of his choicest gerfalcons, and is attended by several of his
Barons, who ride on horseback alongside.
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