We Are Not Informed Whether His Father And Uncle Shared
In Such Employments;[18] And The Story Of Their Services
Rendered to the
Kaan in promoting the capture of the city of Siang-yang, by the
construction of powerful engines
Of attack, is too much perplexed by
difficulties of chronology to be cited with confidence. Anyhow they were
gathering wealth, and after years of exile they began to dread what might
follow old Kublai's death, and longed to carry their gear and their own
grey heads safe home to the Lagoons. The aged Emperor growled refusal to
all their hints, and but for a happy chance we should have lost our
mediaeval Herodotus.
[Sidenote: Circumstances of the Departure of the Polos from the Kaan's
Court.]
21. Arghun Khan of Persia, Kublai's great-nephew, had in 1286 lost his
favourite wife the Khatun Bulughan; and, mourning her sorely, took steps
to fulfil her dying injunction that her place should be filled only by a
lady of her own kin, the Mongol Tribe of Bayaut. Ambassadors were
despatched to the Court of Kaan-baligh to seek such a bride. The message
was courteously received, and the choice fell on the lady Kokachin, a
maiden of 17, "moult bele dame et avenant." The overland road from
Peking to Tabriz was not only of portentous length for such a tender
charge, but was imperilled by war, so the envoys desired to return by sea.
Tartars in general were strangers to all navigation; and the envoys, much
taken with the Venetians, and eager to profit by their experience,
especially as Marco had just then returned from his Indian mission, begged
the Kaan as a favour to send the three Firinghis in their company. He
consented with reluctance, but, having done so, fitted the party out nobly
for the voyage, charging the Polos with friendly messages for the
potentates of Europe, including the King of England. They appear to have
sailed from the port of Zayton (as the Westerns called T'swan-chau or
Chin-cheu in Fo-kien) in the beginning of 1292. It was an ill-starred
voyage, involving long detentions on the coast of Sumatra, and in the
South of India, to which, however, we are indebted for some of the best
chapters in the book; and two years or upwards passed before they arrived
at their destination in Persia.[19] The three hardy Venetians survived all
perils, and so did the lady, who had come to look on them with filial
regard; but two of the three envoys, and a vast proportion of the suite,
had perished by the way.[20] Arghun Khan too had been dead even before
they quitted China;[21] his brother Kaikhatu reigned in his stead; and his
son Ghazan succeeded to the lady's hand. We are told by one who knew both
the princes well that Arghun was one of the handsomest men of his time,
whilst Ghazan was, among all his host, one of the most insignificant in
appearance.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 92 of 655
Words from 47901 to 48402
of 342071