And A Great River Flows From The City Of Kinsay To That
Sea-Haven, By Which Vessels Can Come Up To The City Itself.
This river
extends also to other places further inland.[NOTE 9]
Know also that the Great Kaan hath distributed the territory of Manzi into
nine parts, which he hath constituted into nine kingdoms. To each of these
kingdoms a king is appointed who is subordinate to the Great Kaan, and
every year renders the accounts of his kingdom to the fiscal office at the
capital.[NOTE 10] This city of Kinsay is the seat of one of these kings,
who rules over 140 great and wealthy cities. For in the whole of this vast
country of Manzi there are more than 1200 great and wealthy cities,
without counting the towns and villages, which are in great numbers. And
you may receive it for certain that in each of those 1200 cities the Great
Kaan has a garrison, and that the smallest of such garrisons musters 1000
men; whilst there are some of 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000; so that the total
number of troops is something scarcely calculable. The troops forming
these garrisons are not all Tartars. Many are from the province of Cathay,
and good soldiers too. But you must not suppose they are by any means all
of them cavalry; a very large proportion of them are foot-soldiers,
according to the special requirements of each city. And all of them belong
to the army of the Great Kaan.[NOTE 11]
I repeat that everything appertaining to this city is on so vast a scale,
and the Great Kaan's yearly revenues therefrom are so immense, that it is
not easy even to put it in writing, and it seems past belief to one who
merely hears it told. But I will write it down for you.
First, however, I must mention another thing. The people of this country
have a custom, that as soon as a child is born they write down the day and
hour and the planet and sign under which its birth has taken place; so
that every one among them knows the day of his birth. And when any one
intends a journey he goes to the astrologers, and gives the particulars of
his nativity in order to learn whether he shall have good luck or no.
Sometimes they will say no, and in that case the journey is put off
till such day as the astrologer may recommend. These astrologers are very
skilful at their business, and often their words come to pass, so the
people have great faith in them.
They burn the bodies of the dead. And when any one dies the friends and
relations make a great mourning for the deceased, and clothe themselves in
hempen garments,[NOTE 12] and follow the corpse playing on a variety of
instruments and singing hymns to their idols. And when they come to the
burning place, they take representations of things cut out of parchment,
such as caparisoned horses, male and female slaves, camels, armour suits
of cloth of gold (and money), in great quantities, and these things they
put on the fire along with the corpse, so that they are all burnt with it.
And they tell you that the dead man shall have all these slaves and
animals of which the effigies are burnt, alive in flesh and blood, and the
money in gold, at his disposal in the next world; and that the instruments
which they have caused to be played at his funeral, and the idol hymns
that have been chaunted, shall also be produced again to welcome him in
the next world; and that the idols themselves will come to do him honour.
[NOTE 13]
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