The
Inhabitants Are Idolaters, And Manufacture, Stuffs Of Silk And Gold, Using
Only Paper Money.
This country produces large revenues to the khan,
especially in the customs which he receives from trade.
Sian-Fu is a large and noble city in the province of Mangi, having twelve
great and rich cities under its jurisdiction. This city is so strong that
it was three years besieged by the army of the Tartars, and could not be
vanquished at the time when the rest of the kingdom of Mangi was subdued.
It was so environed with lakes and rivers, that ships came continually with
plenty of provisions and it was only accessible from the north. The long
resistance of this city gave much dissatisfaction to the khan; which coming
to the knowledge of Nicolo and Maffei Polo, then at his court, they offered
their services to construct certain engines, after the manner of those used
in Europe, capable of throwing stones of three hundred weight, to kill the
men, and ruin the houses in the besieged city. The khan assigned them
carpenters, who were Nestorian Christians, to work under their direction,
and they made three of these engines, which were tried before the khan and
approved of. These were accordingly sent by shipping to the army before
Sian-fu, and being planted against the city, cast great stones into it, by
which some of the houses were beaten down and destroyed. The inhabitants
were very much astonished and terrified by the effect of these machines,
and surrendered themselves to the authority and dominion of the khan, on
the same conditions with the rest of Mangi; and by this service, the
Venetian brethren acquired great reputation and favour.
From this city of Sian-fu, to another called Sin-gui, it is accounted
fifteen miles to the south-east. This city, though not very large, has a
prodigious number of ships, as it is situate on the greatest river in the
world, called Quiam [l5], being in some places ten, in others eight, and in
others six miles broad. But its length extends to a distance of above an
hundred days journey from its source to the sea, receiving numberless
navigable rivers in its course, from various and distant regions, by which
means incredible quantities of merchandize are transported upon this river.
There are about two hundred cities which participate in the advantages of
this river, which runs through, or past, the boundaries of sixteen
provinces. The greatest commodity on this river is salt, with which all the
provinces and cities which have communication with its water are supplied.
I, Marco, once saw at Singui five thousand vessels, yet some other cities
on the river have a greater number. All these ships are covered, having but
one mast and one sail, and usually carry 4000 Venetian Canthari and
upwards, some as far as 12,000. In these vessels they use no cordage of
hemp; even their hawsers or towing ropes being made of canes, about fifteen
paces long, which they split into thin pieces from end to end, and bind or
wreath together into ropes, some of which are three hundred fathoms long,
and serve for dragging their vessels up or down the river; each vessel
having ten or twelve horses for that purpose. On that river there are rocky
hillocks in many places, on which idol temples, with monasteries for the
priests are built, and in all the course of the river we find cultivated
vallies and habitations innumerable.
Cayn-gui is a small city on the same river to the south, eastwards of
Sin-gui, where every year great quantities of corn and rice are brought,
which is carried for the most part to Cambalu. For from the Quiam or
Kian-ku river, they pass to that city by means of lakes and rivers, and by
one large canal, which the great khan caused to be made for a passage from
one river to another; so that vessels go all the way from Mangi or Southern
China to Cambalu, without ever being obliged to put to sea. This great work
is beautiful and wonderful for its size and vast extent, and is of infinite
profit to the cities and provinces of the empire. The khan likewise caused
great causeways to be constructed along the banks of this prodigious canal,
for the conveniency of travelling by land, and for towing the vessels. In
the middle of the great river there is a rocky island, with a great temple
and monastery for the idolatrous priests.
Cin-ghian-fu [16] is a city of the province of Mangi, which is rich in
merchandize, and plentiful in game and provisions of all kinds. In 1274,
the great khan sent Marsachis, a Nestorian Christian to govern this city,
who built here two Christian churches. From the city of Cin-ghian-fu, in a
journey of three days journey to the south-eastwards, we find many cities
and castles, all inhabited by idolaters, and at length come to the great
and handsome city of Tin-gui-gui, which abounds in all kinds of provisions.
When Chinsan Baian conquered the kingdom of Mangi, he sent a large body of
Christian Alani[17] against this city, which had a double inclosure of
walls. The inhabitants retired from the outer town, within the inner wall,
and the Alanians finding great store of wine, indulged themselves too
freely after a severe march. In the night time, the citizens sallied out
upon them, while all were drunk and asleep, and put every man of them to
the sword. But Baian sent afterwards a fresh army against them, which soon
mastered the city, and in severe revenge massacred the whole inhabitants.
The great and excellent city of Sin-gui[18] is twenty miles in
circumference, and contains a vast population, among whom are great numbers
of physicians and magicians, and wise men or philosophers. It has sixteen
other cities under its jurisdiction, in each of which there is much trade
and many curious arts, and many sorts of silk are made in its territories.
The neighbouring mountains produce rhubarb and ginger in great plenty.
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