When A Fire Happens, The Guards Collect From
Their Different Stations To Assist In Quenching It, And To Carry Away
The
goods to the stone towers, or into the islands in the lake; for during the
night none of the
Citizens are permitted to go out, except such as are in
danger from fires.
The khan keeps always a large body of his best and most faithful soldiers
for the security of the city, which is the largest and richest in the whole
earth; and besides the small guard-houses on the bridges already mentioned,
there are larger lodges built of wood all over the city, for the
accommodation of parties of guards to preserve peace and order. On the
reduction of Mangi to obedience, the khan divided it into nine great
provinces, placing a viceroy in each, to administer the government, and to
dispense justice. Every year each of these viceroys gives an account to the
tribunals of the khan at Cambalu, of the revenues, and all other matters
connected with his government; and every third year, the viceroy, and all
the other officers are changed. The viceroy, who resides in Quinsai,
commands over 140 other cities, all large, rich, and populous; nor is the
extent of this government to be wondered at, as there are in Mangi 12,000
cities, all inhabited by rich and industrious people, in every one of which
the khan maintains a garrison proportional to its greatness and importance,
in some 1000 men, and even up to 10 or 20,000 men[9]. These are not all
Tartars, for the Tartar soldiers are cavalry only, and are kept in places
where there is conveniency for exercising their horses. The great majority
of the troops in Mangi are Kathayans, and the garrisons in Kathay are
composed of people from Mangi. Every third year, such a number of men fit
to carry arms as are wanted, are selected for filling up the garrisons, and
are sent to serve in places, at least twenty days journey from their homes;
and, after serving four or five years, they are permitted to go home, and
are replaced by fresh recruits. Most part of the revenues of the khan are
expended in this way, and on the other necessary expences of government;
and by this distribution of so powerful a military force, an army can be
suddenly called together in the event of any town rebelling. In the city of
Quinsai there is a constant garrison of 30,000 soldiers, and the smallest
city in all Mangi contains at least 1000 regular troops. If any person is
not able to work, he is carried to some hospital, of which there are many
in Quinsai, founded by the ancient kings, and endowed with large revenues:
But when they are well again, they must return to their labour.
I come next to speak of the palace of the late king Fanfur. His
predecessors caused a large park to be inclosed with high walls, ten miles
in circuit[10], and divided within into three parts. That in the middle was
entered by a gate leading to a range of large galleries or halls, whose
roofs were sustained by pillars finely wrought and painted, and richly
adorned with gold and azure. The smallest of these galleries was that
nearest the gate of entrance, and they gradually became larger and fairer
in succession, the most sumptuous being at the farthest end. The walls of
all these apartments were elegantly painted with the portraits and
histories of the former kings. Every year, on certain holidays dedicated to
the idols, Fanfur used to hold open court, on which occasion he feasted his
chief lords, the principal merchants, and rich artificers of Quinsai,
10,000 at a time in these halls, the feasts continuing for ten or twelve
successive days, with incredible magnificence, every guest using his utmost
endeavours to appear in the most pompous dresses. On one side of this
magnificent range of galleries, there was a wall dividing it from a great
cloistered court, having a terrace all round, set with pillars,
communicating with which were the chambers of the king and queen, all
curiously wrought, carved, gilded, and painted with the utmost splendour
and magnificence. From this cloister, a covered gallery, six paces wide,
extended a great length all the way to the lake; and on each side of this
gallery there were ten courts, answering to each other like cloisters, each
having fifty chambers with their gardens, and in these there were 1000
concubines for the kings service. Sometimes with the queen, and sometimes
with these concubines, the king used to go in his barge for recreation on
the lake, or to visit the idol temples. The rest of the great inclosure was
divided into graves, lakes, and gardens, in which all sorts of beasts of
chase were kept, as stags, roebucks, hares, conies, and others, and there
the king used to divert himself with his damsels, in chariots, or on
horseback, no man being allowed to enter there. In this place the ladies
hunted with dogs, and when wearied with sport they retired into the groves,
and throwing off their garments, came forth naked, and fell to swimming in
the lakes in the kings presence. Sometimes he banqueted in these groves,
being served by his damsels. All of these particulars I learnt from an old
rich merchant of Quinsai, who had been familiar with king Fanfur, and knew
all the incidents of his life and reign, and had seen the palace in its
most flourishing state; and he carried me to see it. The viceroy now
resides there, the first described galleries remaining, still in their
original state, but the chambers of the damsels are fallen to ruin; the
walls also which encompassed the woods and gardens, are all fallen down,
the beasts and trees are all gone, and all the other ornaments are
destroyed.
Twenty-five miles from Quinsai we come to the ocean, between the east and
the north-east, near which is a city called Gampu[11], having an excellent
port frequented by merchant ships from the Indies.
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