Xxiii.) writes: "I translated Marco's description of
tutia (which is also the modern Persian name), to a khan of Kubenan, and
he assured me that the process was the same to-day; spodium he knew
nothing about, but the sulphate of zinc is found in the hills to the east
of Kubenan."
Heyd (Com. II. p. 675) says in a note: "Il resulte de l'ensemble de ce
passage que les matieres designees par Marco Polo sous le nom de 'espodie'
(spodium) etaient des scories metalliques; en general, le mot spodium
designe les residus de la combustion des matieres vegetales ou des os (de
l'ivoire)." - H. C.]
CHAPTER XXII.
OF A CERTAIN DESERT THAT CONTINUES FOR EIGHT DAYS' JOURNEY.
When you depart from this City of Cobinan, you find yourself again in a
Desert of surpassing aridity, which lasts for some eight days; here are
neither fruits nor trees to be seen, and what water there is is bitter and
bad, so that you have to carry both food and water. The cattle must needs
drink the bad water, will they nill they, because of their great thirst.
At the end of those eight days you arrive at a Province which is called
TONOCAIN. It has a good many towns and villages, and forms the extremity
of Persia towards the North.[NOTE 1] It also contains an immense plain on
which is found the ARBRE SOL, which we Christians call the Arbre Sec;
and I will tell you what it is like.
