Obligations of the promise they had made to return to his court.
They continued their journey to Trebisond, on the south side of the Euxine;
whence they proceeded by the way of Constantinople and Negropont to Venice,
where they arrived in safety, and with great riches, in the year 1295.
On their arrival at their own house, in the street of St Chrysostom in
Venice, they found themselves entirely forgotten by all their old
acquaintances and countrymen, and even their relations were unable to
recognize them, owing to their long absence, now thirty-five years from
setting, out on their first journey into the east; besides being much
altered by age they had become altogether resembling Tartars in their
speech, dress and manners, and were obliged to use some extraordinary
expedients to satisfy their family and countrymen of their identity, and to
recover the respect which was their due, by a public acknowledgment of
their name, family, and rank. For this purpose, they invited all their
relations arid connections to a magnificent entertainment, at which all the
three travellers made their appearance in rich eastern habits of crimson
satin. After the guests were seated, and before the Polos sat down, they
put off their upper garments which they gave to the attendants, appearing
still magnificently dressed in habits of crimson damask. These they threw
off at the appearance of the last course or service of the entertainment,
and bestowed likewise on the attendants; while they themselves still
appeared clad in magnificent dresses of crimson velvet. When dinner was
over, and all the servants had withdrawn, Marco Polo produced to the
company the coats of Tartarian cloth or felt, which he, and his father and
uncle had ordinarily worn during their travels, from the folds of which he
took out an incredible quantity of rich jewels; among which were some that
were well known to those who were present at the entertainment, and by
which the three travellers incontestibly proved themselves members of the
Polo family, and the identical persons they represented themselves.
[1] The Black-Sea, or Euxine, is here called the Great Sea. Soldadia,
Soldaia, or Sudak, was a city in the Crimea, a little to the west of
Caffa. - Forst.
[2] Barha or Barcha, more properly Bereke-khan, who reigned from 1256 to
1266. - E.
[3] Bolgara is the town of Bolgari, the capital of Bulgaria, which
subsisted from 1161 to 1578. Alsara is Al-seray, which was built by
Baatu-khan, on the Achtuba, a branch of the Volga. - Forst.
[4] Probably Holagu-khan, to whom all Persia was in subjection, quite to
Syria. - Forst.
[5] Ukakah, Grikhata, Khorkang, or Urghenz on the Gihon. - Forst.
[6] Bereke-khan. - Forst.
[7] This probably refers to the Constantinopolitan or Greek emperor; his
dominions being called Roum in the east to the present day.
