But The Tempest Continuing, Many Of The
Ships Were Wrecked, And About Thirty Thousand Of The People Escaped On
Shore, Without Arms Or Provisions; The Two Generals With A Few Of The
Principal Persons, Returning Home.
After this tempest ceased, the people of
Zipangu sent over an army, in a fleet of ships, to seize
The Tartars; but
having landed without any order, the Tartars took the advantage of a rising
ground in the middle of the island, under cover, of which, they wheeled
suddenly round between the Zipanguers and the ships, which had been left
unmanned, with ail their streamers displayed. In these ships, the Tartars
sailed to a principal city of Zipangu, into which they were admitted
without any suspicion, finding hardly any within its walls except women,
the men being all absent on the expedition into the uninhabited island. The
Zipanguers collected a new fleet and army to besiege the city, and the
Tartars receiving no succour, were constrained to surrender, after a
defence of six months, on terms by which their lives were spared. This
happened in the year 1264[5]. For the bad conduct of the two commanders,
the great khan ordered one to be beheaded, and sent the other to the desert
island of Zerga, in which malefactors are punished, by sewing them up in
the new flayed hide of a buffalo, which shrinks so much in drying, as to
put them to exquisite torture, and brings them to a miserable death.
The idols in Zipangu and the adjoining islands are strangely made, some
having the head of a bull, others of a hog, or a dog, and in other most
monstrous fashions. Some have heads with four faces, others three heads on
one neck, while some have faces on their shoulders. Some have four arms,
others ten, or even an hundred arms; and that idol is reputed the most
powerful, and is held in greatest reverence, which has the greatest number.
When asked the reason of making their idols in such distorted and
ridiculous forms, they answer that such is the custom which has been handed
down from their ancestors. It is reported of these islanders, that they eat
such of their enemies as they take prisoners; esteeming human flesh a
peculiar dainty. The sea in which Zipangu lies is called the sea of Chi
or Chin, or the sea over against Mangi, which is called Chan or
Chint, in the language of that island. This sea is so large, that
mariners who have frequented it, say it contains seven thousand four
hundred and forty islands, most of them inhabited; and that in ail those
islands there is no tree which is not odoriferous, or does not bear fruit,
or is not useful in some other respects. In them likewise there are great
abundance of spices of various kinds, especially black arid white pepper,
and lignum aloes[6]. The ships of Zaitum are a whole year on their voyage
to and from Zipangu, going there during the winter, and returning again in
summer, as there are two particular winds which regularly prevail in these
seasons. Zipangu is far distant from India. But I will now leave Zipangu,
because I never was there, as it is not subject to the khan, and shall now
return to Zaitum and the voyage from thence to India.
[1] In this passage, in the edition of Harris, the sense seems obscurely to
insinuate that this had been occasioned by the sea having broken down
or overwhelmed certain lands or islands, producing numbers of smaller
islands and extensive shoals. - E.
[2] Zipangu, Zipangri, or Cimpagu, is Japan without any doubt. - E.
[3] Named Abataa and Yonsaintin by Pinkerton, from the Trevigi edition. The
latter Ven-san-sui, or Von-sain-cin, by his name seems to have been a
Chinese. - E.
[4] Called Caicon, or Jaiton in the Trevigi edition. Caicon is not very far
removed from the sound of Cangtong or Canton, which has already been
considered to be the Zaitum of the text. - E.
[5] A.D. 1269, according to the Trevigi edition. - E.
[6] Marco obviously extends this sea and these islands to all those of the
Chinese sea and the Indian ocean, from Sumatra in the SW. to Japan in
the NE. - E.
SECTION XVIII.
Account of Various Countries, Provinces, Islands, and Cities in the
Indies.
Sailing from Zaitum, 1500 miles to the south westwards, we pass a gulf
called Cheinan[1], which extends two months sail to the northward, still
confining on the south-east[2] of Mangi, and elsewhere, with Ania and
Toloman, and other provinces mentioned formerly. Within it are infinite
islands all in a manner inhabited [3], and in them is found abundance of
gold, and they trade with each other. This gulf seems like another world;
and after 1500 miles sailing, is the rich and great country of Ziambar[4].
The people are idolaters, and pay an yearly tribute to the great khan of
twenty elephants, and great quantities of aloes wood. In the year 1268,
hearing of the riches of this country, the khan sent one of his generals,
named Segatu, to invade it, Acambute, who was then king of the country, was
old, and chose to avoid the dangers and miseries of war, by agreeing to pay
the before-mentioned tribute. In Ziambar there are many woods of black
ebony, of great value.
Sailing thence for 1500 miles, betwixt the south and southeast, we came to
Java[5], which is considered by mariners to be the largest island in the
world, being above 3000 miles in circumference. It is governed by a king
who pays tribute to none; as, owing to the length and danger of the voyage,
the great khan has made no attempt to annex it to his vast dominions. The
merchants of Zaitum and Mangi, bring from thence abundance of gold and
spices. South and south-westwards six hundred miles, are the islands of
Sondur and Condur, both desolate, of which Sondur is the larger[6]. Fifty
miles south-east from them is a rich and great province, or island, called
Lochae[7]. The people are idolaters, and have both a king and language of
their own.
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