The Khan Then Demanded An Account Of The
Many Dangers Through Which They Had Passed By The Way, And Of Their
Proceedings With The Pope Of The Romans.
All this they distinctly related,
and delivered to him the letters and presents from the pope, with which the
khan was well pleased, and gave them great commendations for their care and
fidelity.
They presented to him also the oil which they had brought from
the holy sepulchre of the Lord at Jerusalem, which he reverently received,
and gave orders that it should be honourably preserved. The khan inquired
who Marco was? On which Nicolo replied, "He is your majesty's servant, and
my son." The khan graciously received him with a friendly countenance and
had him taught to write among his honourable courtiers; whereupon he was
much respected by all the court, and in a little time made himself familiar
with the customs of the Tartars, and learned to read and write four
different languages. After some time the great khan, to make experience of
his capacity, sent Marco upon a mission or embassy, to a great city called
Carachan or Zarazan, at such a distance as he could scarcely travel in six
months. He executed the commission with which he had been entrusted with
judgment and discretion, and perfectly to the satisfaction of the khan: And
knowing that the khan would be delighted with an account of all the
novelties in the places through which he had to pass, he diligently
inquired into the manners and customs of the people, the conditions of the
countries, and every thing worthy of being remarked, making a memorial of
all he knew or saw, which he presented to the great khan for his
information and amusement. By this means he got so much into the favour of
the khan, that during the twenty-six years which he continued in his
service, he was continually sent through all his realms and dependencies,
chiefly on affairs of government, but sometimes on his own private matters,
by the khan's orders; and this is the true reason that he should have seen
and learnt so many particulars relating to the east, as he has declared in
these his memoirs.
After staying many years in the court of the great khan, and having become
very rich in jewels of great value, and considering that if the khan, who
was now grown very old, should happen to die, they should never be able to
return home; the Venetians became exceedingly anxious to be permitted to
return to their own country. Wherefore, one day that he found the khan in
extraordinary good humour, Nicolo begged permission to return home with his
family. At this the Khan was much displeased, and asked what could induce
them to undertake so long and dangerous a journey; adding, that if they
were in want of riches, he would gratify their utmost wishes, by bestowing
upon them twice as much as they possessed; but out of pure affection, he
refused to give them leave to depart.
It happened, however, not long after this, that a king of the Indies named
Argon, sent three of his counsellors, named Ulatai, Apusca, and Coza, as
ambassadors to Kublai-khan on the following occasion. Bolgana, the wife of
Argon, was lately dead, and on her death-bed had requested of her husband
that he should choose a wife from among her relations in Kathay. Kubla
yielded to this request, and chose a fair young maiden of seventeen years
of age, named Cogalin[14], who was of the family of the late queen Bolgana,
and determined to send her to Argon. The ambassadors departed with their
charge, and journeyed eight months the same way they had come to the court
of Kublai; but found bloody wars raging among the Tartars, insomuch, that
they were constrained to return and to acquaint the great khan with the
impossibility of their proceeding home in that road. In the mean time,
Marco had returned from the Indies, where he had been employed with certain
ships in the service of the khan, to whom he had reported the singularities
of the places which he had visited, and the facility of intercourse by sea
between Kathay and the Indies. This came to the knowledge of the
ambassadors, who conferred with the Venetians on the subject; and it was
agreed, that the ambassadors and the young queen should go to the great
khan, and beg permission to return by sea, and should request to have the
three Europeans, who were skilful in sea affairs, to accompany and conduct
them to the dominions of king Argon. The great khan was much dissatisfied
with this proposal, yet, at the earnest entreaty of the ambassadors, he at
length gave his consent; and calling Nicolo, Maffei, and Marco into his
presence, after much demonstration of his favour and affection, he made
them promise to return to him after they had spent some time in Christendom
among their relations; and he caused a tablet of gold to be given them, on
which his commands were engraven for their liberty, security, and free
passage throughout all his dominions, and that all the expences of them and
their attendants should be defrayed, providing them everywhere with guides
and escorts, where necessary. He authorized them also to act as his
ambassadors to the pope, and the kings of France and Spain, and all other
Christian princes.
The khan ordered fourteen ships to be prepared for the voyage, each having
four masts, and carrying nine sails. Four or five of these were so large as
to have from 250 to 260 mariners in each, but the rest were smaller. In
this fleet the queen and the ambassadors embarked, accompanied by Nicolo,
Maffei, and Marco; having first taken leave of the great khan, who
presented them, at parting, with many rubies and other precious stones, and
a sum or money sufficient to defray all their expences for two years.
Setting sail from Kathay or China, they arrived in three months at an
island called Java, and sailing from thence they arrived in eighteen months
in the dominions of king Argon.
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