MARCO POLO TOWLE MARCO STUDYING THE CHARTS. Pagre 27. 1,1 UK A til UNIVERSITY OF YOUNG FOLKS' HEROES OF HISTORY. MARCO POLO H I S TR A VE LS ADVENTURES GEORGE MAKEPEACE TOWLE Author of " VASCO DA GAMA," " PIZARRO," " MAGELLAN," etc. BOSTON : LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. COPYRIGHT, i8o> Br LEE & SHEPARD. Jt*sfn*t. PREFACE. |HE reader is carried back, in the present volume, to a period two centuries previous to the discovery of the route to India by Vasco da Gama, and to the conquest of Peru by Pizarro. A young Venetian of the thirteenth century, brought up amid luxury and wealth, of a bold spirit and a curious mind, went forth from his home in the beautiful Queen City of the Adriatic, and for many years lived among a far-off Asiatic people, and at a court of barbaric and yet splendid pomp. He made many far and dangerous journeyings in the wild distant lands and among the fierce tribes of Cathay, Thibet, India, and Abyssinia. His life was passed amid an almost incessant succession ot exciting events, of strange adventures, and of hair-breadth escapes. He rose to high distinction and power at the Tartar court of the mighty Kublai Khan, one of the most famous conquerors and potentates who ever, in either iii IV PREFACE. ancient or modern times, have led legions to devas- tating wars, or have ruled teeming millions with des- potic sway. Nor did his career of valor and stirring action end with his return, middle-aged and laden with riches, to his native Venice. He engaged in the bitter warfare between the two rival republics of the sea, Venice and Genoa; became a prisoner of the latter state; and while in prison, dictated the wondrous narrative of his adventures which still survives, a precious legacy left by this great traveller to later generations. I have attempted to transform the somewhat dry and monotonous translation of this narrative into an entertaining story, that may engage the attention and the interest of my young readers ; for which it cer- tainly presents ample opportunities. If the task is properly done, no one can fail to follow Marco Polo from his Venetian home, across the entire continent of Asia to the court of Kublai Khan, and in his various adventures and journeys while in the far-off Orient, without eager curiosity and ever-deepening interest. The central figure of the story is heroic, for Marco Polo was in all things manly, brave, persevering, in- telligent, and chivalrous ; and the scenes and incidents in which he was the leading actor were in the highest degree thrilling and dramatic. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. * CHAPTER II. MARCO POLO'S YOUTH. . l8 CHAPTER III. MARCO POLO SETS FORTH *9 CHAPTER IV. MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS IN PERSIA AND TURKISTAN. . . 45 CHAPTER V. MARCO POLO REACHES CATHAY. 61 CHAPTER VI. THE IMPERIAL HUNTING GROUNDS 78 CHAPTER VII. THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN 93 CHAPTER VIII. MARCO POLO AMONG THE TARTARS *9 CHAPTER IX. MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS IN CATHAY. 124 CHAPTER X. MARCO POLO'S RETURN X 39 V VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. MARCO POLO m THE EASTERN SEAS. 155 CHAPTER XII. MARCO POLO AMONG THE HINDOOS 170 CHAPTER XIII. MARCO POLO IN AFRICA ^5 CHAPTER XIV. HOMEWARD BOUND aoo CHAPTER XV. A STRANGE WELCOME. .... .... 316 CHAPTER XVI. MARCO POLO GOES TO THE WARS. 232 CHAPTER XVII. MARCO POLO A PRISONER. 248 CHAPTER XVIII. LAST DAYS or MARCO POLO. aC MARCO POLO. CHAPTER I. THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. lEAUTIFUL as Venice now is, in the days of its stagnation and decay, it was a yet more beautiful city seven centuries ago. Then its quays and Grand Canal were crowded with the ships of every nation ; its bazaars and marts were bustling with active trade, and were picturesque in the mingling of the gay and brilliant costumes of the East, with the more sober attire of the European peoples ; its noble and lofty palaces, not yet, as we now see them, hoary and dilapidated, rose in fresh splendor from the verge of its watery and winding streets ; the dome of St. Mark's shone with new gilding, 2 MARCO POLO. and its walls with recent frescoing; the Piazza. was nightly crowded with throngs of gallant nobles and cavaliers, long-bearded, prosperous merchants, and bevies of fair dames, whose black veils swept from their fair foreheads to their dainty feet. Venice was not only a queen among commercial cities, but a great warlike power ; with brave and well-disciplined armies, hardy captains, formid- able fleets, and proud strongholds, where, on either shore of the sparkling Adriatic, she held her own valiantly, against Turk, Austrian, and Genoese. Mighty princes sought the hands of the daugh- ters of Venice in marriage ; the Doges who ruled over the stately city were greeted by Emperors and Kings as their brothers and equals ; the con- quests of Venice reached to Asia and to Africa ; her ships rode the purple waters of the Mediter- ranean in haughty defiance of the galleys of her rivals. Around the patriarchal Doges was gathered a gorgeous court. There were festal days when the Grand Canal, bordered by palaces on either side, was crowded thick with gilded and canopied barges, and interminable lines of gondolas, each gay craft filled with richly attired cavaliers and THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 3 dames, on whom jewels sparkled, and above whom rose many-colored banners that announced their rank and station; while, after night-fall, the air was alive with the most dazzling fire-works, which fairly hid moon, stars, and the heaven's canopy from view. It is in Venice, at this period of her greatness and glory, that our story opens. A mellow, hazy autumn day was drawing to its close. The sky was lit with that soft, rich, yellow sunset glow, which has always been re- marked as one of the loveliest sights to be seen at Venice ; the last rays of the sun glittered upon the gilded dome of Saint Mark's; the broad square before the ancient cathedral was beginning to fill with its evening multitude of cavaliers and coquettes. In the Grand Canal, and the glassy lagoon beyond, the gondoliers lazily plied their long oars, or rested their gondolas on the still waters. It was an hour in which what- ever there was of activity and bustle in Venice, became indolent and tranquil ; when men and women sought their ease under a sky which com- pelled serenity and reverie. In the bazaars, on the Rialto, and the Piazza, the stalls were laden 4 MARCO POLO* with bunches of large and luscious grapes, with figs of many colors, so ripe that the gummy juice oozed from them, and with pomegranates, upon whose cheeks glowed the rich red bloom which betrayed their full ripeness ; and there was scarcely to be seen a Venetian of the lower class, who was not munching some of the succulent fruit which his climate produced in such cheap and varied abundance. Not far from the centre of the beautiful city, on one of the many canals which serve it instead of streets, stood a lofty mansion, which, at one's first approach, seemed two. Three stories in height, it towered above many of the surround- ing buildings ; and between its two wings stood an archway, richly decorated with scrolls and figures of animals, surmounted by an ornate cross ; while, above the archway, rose a tall square tower. Entering the archway, you would have found yourself in a spacious, paved court-yard, which the house, quadrangular in shape, completely en- closed. The inner walls were adorned, like the archway, with sculptured devices, among which you might have observed a coat-of-arms, compris- ing a shield, with a wide bar running across it, THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 5 upon which were graven three birds. The whole mansion was stately and imposing, and betokened that its possessors were at once rich and of high rank. On the late afternoon which has been described, an unusual bustle was going on in and near this house. It was full of gayly-dressed people, old and young, all of whom were evidently in a state of excitement. Servants hurried to and fro in the corridors ; in the pretty balconies which were built at the windows facing the canal of San Giovanni Crisostomo, were gathered groups of cavaliers and ladies, who were leaning over and peering eagerly out to the end of the watery thoroughfare, as if they were anxiously expecting an arrival. In the main hall of the mansion, a vast apart- ment, approached from the court-yard by a broad flight of stone steps, and entered by a high and richly-sculptured portal stood a knot of persons who seemed even more excited than the rest. One was a tall and dignified man, clad in a long blue cloak, his head covered by a slashed blue and white cap, from which rose an ostrich feather. He wore a long, brown beard, just streaked with 6 MARCO POLO. gray; his dark face was flushed, and every ma ment he approached the door, and questioned the servants posted in the court-yard. On either side of him stood two youths, one fifteen and the other thirteen, both very richly attired, and both the very pictures of boyish freshness and beauty. The elder was tall for his age, and his form was straight, graceful, and well-knit. A pair of bright gray eyes, a nose rather longer than me- dium, full red lips, and a handsome round chin, comprised his features , the expression of his face was at once energetic and pleasing ; his move- ments were quick and nervous ; and every now and then he turned to the cavalier beside him, and talked rapidly in a strong, musical voice. The younger boy, while he closely resembled his brother, was of more gentle mould and manners. The one seemed made to be a warrior, to play an active, perhaps a heroic part, in the struggling world. The other appeared born to be a courtier, to shine in the society of elegant women, to be rather a favorite of the polite world, than a man of deeds. While the younger clung to the cava- lier's arm with sort of air of dependence, the elder bore himself erect, as if quite able to take care of himself. THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. J All at once loud and joyous cries were heard from the balconies in front of the house; and presently down rushed their occupants into the hall, whither all the others who were in the house flocked in a twinkling. " They are coming! They are coming!" were the words that went eagerly around. The two lads were seized and embraced by the ladies ; the elder's eyes kindled with delight as he hurried to the door; his brother danced up and down, and clapped his hands, while tears of happiness flowed over his rosy cheeks. In the court-yard there was the greatest noise and confusion. The retainers of the household gathered in two rows at the archway, while the steward, a portly personage, in a tunic, with a heavy chain around his neck, and a long staff in his hand, passed out upon the landing to welcome the new-comers. He was soon seen returning, walking backwards, and bowing, as he came, almost to the ground. In another moment, the travellers who had been so anxiously awaited, slowly walked through the archway, and greeted the excited group before them. 8 MARCO POLO. A strange appearance, indeed, did the two tall, bronzed men present to those who were gazing at them. Instead of the rich and elegant Vene- tian costume of the day, their forms were covered with what seemed rough and barbarous garments. From their shoulders to their feet they were ar rayed in long, loose gowns, or great-coats, one of them made of shaggy fur ; while on their heads were fur caps. Their feet were incased in rude- shoes, which turned up at the toes ; while at their sides, instead of the long, slender Venetian sword, hung broad, heavy, curved scimitars. In their hands they carried stout sticks ; slung across their shoulders were long, furry bags. Not less strange were their faces. Both wore long, shaggy, grizzled hair, which fell in thick masses to their shoulders ; the beards of both were long and tangled, and covered their cheeks almost to their eyes ; their skin was rough and brown, and here and there a seamed scar betokened that they had met with fierce and savage enemies. No sooner had they appeared than the elder of the two boys pushed his way through the crowd, which parted to let him pass, and rushed up to the new-comers as if to throw himself into the RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. Page 8. THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 9 arms of one of them. But when he came close to them, he suddenly stopped short. In place of the light of joy, a puzzled and pained expression came across his handsome face. He looked, first at one and then at the other ; peered into their countenances, and seemed quite at a loss which to embrace first. His trouble, however, was soon relieved. The stouter, and evidently the elder of the travellers, advanced and folded him in his arms. "Surely," said he, in a hoarse, low voice, "this is my beloved Marco ! No wonder you did not know me, child ; for when I went away, you were but an infant, six years old. And how has it been with you? Thank heaven, I find you well and strong. But where where is Maffeo?" The traveller looked eagerly around ; and then the younger boy resolved his anxiety by leaping into his arms. The two boys were clasped close at last to their father's breast. He kissed them on both cheeks, and patted their heads, and lifted their chins with his finger, the better to scan their faces. Then the tears coursed down his bronzed face ; and raising his hands aloft, he made a silent IO MARCO POLO. prayer of thanksgiving, that he had returned home from far-distant lands, and an absence of many years, to find his darling sons alive and well. Meanwhile the other traveller found a welcome not less loving. A comely dame had thrown her arms around his neck, and was holding him tight, overjoyed to find her husband by her side once more; and two fair young girls, his daughters, were disputing with their mother his caresses. Then it came the turn of the other relatives and old friends of the wanderers to greet them and overwhelm them with endearments ; and, before these greetings were over, night had fallen, and the court-yard was lit up by the torches which the servants had fetched and lighted. The scene then changed to the great hall, which, while the merry-making had been going on in the court-yard, had been quickly trans- formed into a banqueting-room. Two long rows of tables, decked out with a profusion of flowers, and profusely laden with a bounteous, smoking- hot supper, were ranged throughout its length ; while the apartment was lit up by hundreds of wax candles, which gleamed from gilded candel- abra fixed along the walls. The servants, clad in THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. II the livery of the house, stood beside the tables, ready to serve the many guests ; who poured in and took their places, and waited till the two travellers re-appeared. The latter had gone up to their chambers, to enjoy a moment with their families in private, and to exchange their outlandish garments for their native costume. They ere long descended, clad in splendid suits of velvet, and took their places at the heads of the two tables, their children on either side of them. Very late that night, it may well be believed, was the revel of welcome kept up. The travellers, at last finding themselves cozily at home, with all who were dear around them, their appetites sated with delicious dishes and warming wines, their bodies rested from the long journey, grew very merry and talkative, and launched out into long stories of their adventures. For nine long years they had been absent from Venice, and only once or twice had they either heard news from home, or been able to send tid- ings of themselves to their families and friends. The elder, Nicolo, had left his two boys scarcely more than infants, in the care of their aunt and of their uncle Marco, the cavalier who has ben 12 MARCO POLO. described as awaiting, in the great hall, the travellers' return. The two brothers had set out, at first, with the intention of making a trading journey to Con- stantinople, and then to the countries bordering on the Black Sea ; for they were not only Vene- tian nobles, but merchants as well. It was no uncommon thing in those days for Venetian noblemen to engage in commerce; and in this way the nobility of that city long maintained themselves in wealth and power, when the nobles of other Italian cities fell into poverty and decay. Nicolo had taken his wife with him to Constan- tinople ; and soon after their arrival there, she had died. The two little boys who had been left at home, thus became motherless. At first Nicolo was overcome with grief. He lost all desire, for the time, to return home ; and now resolved to extend his travels further East than he had ori- ginally planned. After remaining awhile at Con- stantinople, the brothers crossed the Black Sea and tarried sometime in the Crimea, the promon- tory which was, centuries after, to become a fam- ous battle ground between the Russians on one side, and the English, French, and Turks on the THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 13 other. While in the Crimea, they succeeded in making some profitable trading ventures; and they learned, moreover, that further East there were countries rich in goods and treasures, though warlike in temper and barbarous in cus- toms. Nicolo finally persuaded his brother Maffeo to venture further, and to join him in penetrat- ing the remote countries of which they heard so much. They first ascended the great river Volga, which flows for so long a distance through the vast territory now comprised in the Russian Em- pire, and entered what is now called, on the maps, Central Asia. They stopped at Bokhara, then the seat of a rude and warlike court, but where they were well treated ; then sped on their way still further east, and continued their jour- ney, pausing at the various Asiatic capitals, cross- ing now vast deserts, now bleak and lofty steppes, now lovely and luxuriant valleys, now dense and seemingly interminable forests, until they found themselves among the curious, squint-eyed, pig- tailed, small-footed, ingenious race whom we now call the Chinese. Of course their journey was far from rapid. 14 MARCO POLO. They proceeded for the most part on horse-back, although sometimes they perched themselves on the humps of camels, or rode aloft on the broad backs of elephants. It took not only months, but years, to reach the limit of their journey. They were often delayed by savage Asiatic wars, which made further progress dangerous. Sometimes they were forcibly detained in the rude towns by the ruling khans, who insisted on being enter- tained with accounts of European marvels. Now and then they were in terrible peril of their lives from the attacks of barbarian brigands, who as- sailed them in lonely solitudes. Meanwhile, they were able to observe the great riches which many of the Asiatic potentates displayed ; the beautiful fabrics which Asiatic skill and taste and love of gorgeous colors could produce ; the astonishing variety and luxuriance of the Oriental vegetation, and the many strange animals, birds and reptiles which peopled the forests, and had their lairs and nests in the deep, rank, overgrown jungles. Europeans had long suspected the existence, in a remote part of Asia, of a powerful and splendid empire, which they had come to speak of as Cathay. Indeed, accounts kept coming from time THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. 15 to time of the exploits of the sovereign of Cathay, and no less of the wisdom and energy of his rule. It was towards this mysterious land that the brothers now wended their way; resolved to dis- cover, if possible, whether such a land really ex- isted, and to see for themselves the mighty mon- arch who reigned over it. After long years of wandering, they at last reached Cathay, which they found to really and truly exist ; nor, as they saw, had any of the ac- counts of it which had come to their ears in Venice, at all exaggerated its extent, wealth, and power. The monarch, they saw, was indeed a great and wise ruler, a man of far higher intelligence than the Asiatic princes they had before met, and a host who welcomed them with gracious hospitality, and made them quite at home at his court. His name was Kublai Khan, and his sway ex- tended over a large portion of Eastern China. He was delighted with his Venetian guests, and plied them with questions about the continent from whence they came. They found, too, that he was deeply interested in Christianity, about which he eagerly and constantly asked them ; declaring l6 MARCO POLO. that he himself would introduce Christianity into Cathay. After the brothers had spent a long period at the court of Kublai Khan, they began to feel homesick, and to wish to bear back to Venice the story of the wonderful things they had seen and heard. At first, Kublai Khan was very loth to part with them. He was very fond of their society and conversation, and he had learned a great many things from them, useful to his government. Seeing, however, that they were bent on return- ing home, he finally consented to take leave of them; but before he did so, he made them solemnly promise that they would come back to Cathay again. This they did, although at that time they were very doubtful whether they would fulfil their pledge. The khan then gave them an important mis- sion to the pope of Rome. He desired very much, he said, that the pope should send a large number of educated missionaries to Cathay, to convert his people to Christianity, and to civilize and polish his semi-barbarous subjects, so that they might become like Europeans. The brothers were only too glad to bear this THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS. I/ message to the pope ; for they were both good Christians, and they knew with what pleasure the head of the Church would receive the news that the monarch of Cathay was not only willing, but eager, that his people should embrace the Chris- tian faith. Their journey back home was unattended by any serious accident, though it was a long, weary, and dangerous one. At last, in the spring of 1269, their eyes were rejoiced to greet the waters of the Mediterranean at Acre, where they remained several months, and from whence they sailed, in a Venetian galley, directly to their native city. They soon safely reached the familiar bay, and were welcomed with open arms, as we have seen, by their long-waiting relatives and friends. 1 8 MARCO POLO. CHAPTER II. MARCO POLO'S YOUTH. POLO for the reader has already guessed that the elder of the two boys who had welcomed their father home was Marco Polo was born amid surroundings of wealth and luxury. His family was a noble one, and held high rank in Venice. His father, Nicolo, before he made his memorable journey to the court of Kublai Khan, had both inherited and amassed riches. Marco suffered in early life none of those privations which have hardened so many great travellers and discoverers, and have accus- tomed them to lives of peril and rough adven- ture. From his most tender years, he had not known what it was to wish for anything beyond his reach. Fine clothes, plenty of playmates, petting, fond parents, all the pleasures enjoyed by the children of his time, were his. MARCO POLO'S YOUTH. 19 Instead of going to school, he was taught at home by tutors and governesses ; and happily his own tastes led him to find study interesting, so that he became a better scholar than most boys of his age. He especially loved history and narratives of adventure and discovery, and it was often difficult to persuade him to leave his books and go to bed. He was fond, too, of geography, and was wont to puzzle for hours over such rude maps and charts as he could lay his hands on ; though at that period, the maps and charts in ex- istence were but few, and represented but here and there patches of the world. The Polo family lived all together in the great mansion that has been described. Marco's uncle, whose name also was Marco, was the eldest brother, and when Nicolo and Maffeo went on their travels, remained in Venice to retain charge of the important trading-house which they car- ried on in common. This elder Marco was a kindly, though rather proud and stately man ; and while he treated his little nephews, deprived as they were both of father and mother, with gentleness, he kept a close watch upon their hab- its and conduct. As the phrase is, he " brought 2O MARCO POLO. them up well ;" and once in a great while, when young Marco's high spirits betrayed him into wild pranks, his uncle would shut him up in one of the remote rooms of the house. On this occasion the little fellow would beg, as a special favor, that one of his books might keep him company, and when his uncle refused this, the punishment he inflicted was indeed a severe one. Besides their uncle, Marco and young Maffeo were left in the care of their aunt, the wife of that uncle who had gone away with their father ; and their daily companions were their two cousins, the daughters of this aunt, not far from their own age. But their aunt was a fine lady of the doge's court, and was always going to balls, the theatre, or galas in the lagoon ; and so they saw but little of her. Marco and his brother spent many happy hours in their gondolas, which they themselves learned to manage with skill ; and once in a while as they grew older, their uncle took them with him on hunting expeditions on the main land. At this period, ferocious wars were continually going on between Venice and its great maritime rival, the republic of Genoa. Both struggled for the supremacy of Mediterranean commerce, and MARCO POLO S YOUTH- 2l sought to gain as many military stations and fortresses as possible on the islands and seaboards of the Levant. In these wars, Venice up to this time had been generally successful; the time was, indeed, drawing near when the Genoese would be- come the conquerors ; but it had not yet come. It was one of Marco's chief delights to watch the brilliant arrays of troops as they were re- viewed by the doge in the Piazza before leaving for the seat of conflict : and to haunt the quays and watch the preparations for departure of the quaint war-galleys of the age. He caught the martial spirit which was then in the air, and often longed to be old enough to go to the wars and fight under the proud flag of Venice ; and thus came to have adventurous and military tastes. He was not destined to indulge these tastes for many years to come ; but the time was, long after, to arrive, when he would engage in furious battle with his country's foes, and have a romantic and thrilling experience in the fortunes of war. At the period of his father's return from Cathay. Marco, as has been said, was fifteen years of age, a bright, promising boy, intelligent beyond his age, and a great favorite with all who knew him. 22 MARCO POLO. It may well be believed that he was delighted tc *ee his father once more, after the lapse of so many years ; and to hear from his lips the tale of his many and marvellous adventures in the East. Nicolo, on his side, was rejoiced to find his elder son grown up to be so vigorous and at- tractive a youth, and was extremely proud of him. He freely indulged Marco's desire to hear him recount his adventures ; and used to sit talk- ing with him for hours together. He soon per- ceived that Marco had a keen taste for a life of stirring adventure, and was far from displeased to make the discovery. One day, when Nicolo had been at home for several months, he was chatting with Marco, and happened to say that he had given his promise to Kublai Khan to return to Cathay. " And you will go, sir, will you not ?" eagerly asked Marco. " You will keep your promise to the great king?" " In truth, I know not," was the father's reply. "There are many things to keep me at home. These wars interfere much with our trade, and it needs all three of us brothers to be here to look after it. The journey to Cathay, too, is not only MARCO POLO'S YOUTH. 2J long and dreary, but dangerous. The man who goes thither, holds his life, every hour, in his hand. At any moment, a hidden enemy may despatch him before he can lift a weapon ; or, he may be lost on the great deserts, and die of sheer thirst and starvation. Then, my son, how can I leave you and your brother again, for so long a time? It would be too hard to part from you ; to be far away, and not able to watch you, as month by month you grow towards manhood. On the other hand, there are vast riches to be had in Cathay ; and noble service to be done for our Holy Church, by once more venturing thither." " But, father," replied Marco, grasping Nicolo's arm, " you need not leave me behind. I beg you to go, and to let me go with you ! Surely I am old enough and big enough now to go anywhere. Think, sir, I shall be soon sixteen : why, that is almost a man. Look, I am almost as tall as you are now. I can handle a sword, javelin, and cross-bow as well as any boy of my age ; I am strong and well, and can walk and ride with the stoutest. My uncle Maffeo said, the other day, I would make a fine soldier, young as I am. Pray, sir, let me go with you to Cathay 1" 24 MARCO POLO. Nicolo smiled, and patted the eager boy's flushed cheek ; but gently shook his head. "You ask, dear Marco," said he, "what cannot be. What ! Do you suppose I would risk your young life amid those fierce Tartar tribes, those frightful jungles, those dreary, trackless wastes ? And even if you reached Cathay in safety, do you think I would trust you with that Eastern despot, Kublai Khan, who might take it into his wilful head to separate you from me, and keep you for- ever? No, no, Marco, I should not dare take you, even if I went." Marco hung his head in deep disappointment. He had long had it in his "heart to implore his father to let him return with him to Cathay ; and now Nicolo's words chilled and grieved him. But he was not easily discouraged. In spite of his father's refusal, he resolved to leave no per- suasion untried. Again and again he returned to the subject that absorbed his mind ; but all his pleading might have been in vain, had it not been that a powerful ally took up his cause. This was his uncle Maffeo : who, besides admiring Marco greatly, said that the companionship of a brave and vigorous youth would be of great value MARCO POLOS YOUTH. 2$ to his brother and himself, in case they again crossed Asia, and that Marco might win the special frienship of Kublai Khan by his youth, lively spirits, and agreeable bearing. In due time, the two brothers definitely made up their minds to fulfil their promise to the oriental monarch ; and after many long and earnest talks, Nicolo filled his son's heart with joy by telling him that he might go with them. Much remained to be done, however, before they set out. On arriving at Acre, returning from their first journey, the brothers Polo had borne in mind the message of Kublai Khan to the pope ; and the first thing they did was to visit a famous Church dignitary who was staying there, named Tedaldo, archdeacon of Lige This eminent man had no sooner heard their errand, than he aston- ished them very much by telling them that, just now, there was no pope at all, and that conse- quently, they could not deliver their message ! Not long before their arrival, Pope Clement IV. had died ; and the cardinals had not yet been able to agree upon a successor. This vacancy in the papal chair was not, indeed, yet filled. The Polos, after having resolved to go again to Cathay, 20 MARCO POLO. delayed their departure until a new pope should be chosen, so that he might send some mis- sionaries with them, as Kublai Khan desired. But they grew tired of waiting ; for, after two years, the great council of the Church seemed no nearer electing a pope than at first ; and the Polos made up their minds that they must return to Cathay, if at all, without the missionaries. Then the naval wars going on between Venice and Genoa made it for a while unsafe for Venetians to cross the Mediterranean to Syria, and this com- pelled another postponement of their plans. At last, however, a favorable opportunity occurred to traverse the sea to Acre, which as before was to be the starting-point of the travellers. A war- galley destined for that Asiatic town, then in the possession of Venice, was about to set forth; and by Nicole's great influence at court, where he had been heartily welcomed back by the reigning doge, a passage was secured in her for all three. Marco had scarcely slept since permission to go had been wrung from his reluctant father. He devoted himself ardently to the practise of the sword and the cross-bow ; he was measured for two suits of clothes, fit for rough travelling ; again MARCO POLOS YOUTH. 2J and again he went over the proposed route, on such charts relating to it as his father had brought with him ; and he constantly talked about the wonderful things he was about to see, and the many adventures he would undoubtedly meet with. Happily his younger brother, Maffeo, whose tastes were gentle and domestic, did not share his eagerness for a wandering life ; and, well content to stay at home, was only distressed at the thought of the long absence of his father and of the brother who had been his constant companion. On the eve of the day appointed for the depart- ure of the travellers, the great house on the canal of San Giovanni Crisostomo was once more crowded with a numerous and brilliantly attired assemblage. Nicolo had resolved to give a boun- teous parting feast to his family and friends ; and the doge himself had consented to honor the feast with his presence. There was no family more honored and respected in Venice than the Polos ; and the doge regarded Nicolo as one of the bravest and most estimable of his subjects. The appearance of the guests was very differ- ent from that on the former occasion. The joy- ful welcome was replaced by the sad leave-taking. 28 MARCO POLO. Little Maffeo's face was suffused with tears, which he in vain tried to repress ; and the elder Marco looked grave and downcast. As for young Marco, his anticipations of the journey so excited him that he could scarcely think of grief, even at leaving his home and parting from his brother and kind kindred. His fair face was flushed with eager expectation : and he felt very proud of the bran-new sword which swung, for the first time, at his side. He felt himself already a man and a soldier, and never once thought of shrinking from the dangers of the tour. To him it was more like a holiday journey than a dangerous venture; and it seemed as if the morrow would never come. At last the guests tearfully embraced the brothers and Marco, and one by one departed. The candles in the glittering candelabra were put out, and the house was left in darkness. The sun had scarcely risen when Marco leaped from his bed, donned the suit which had been prepared for his setting out, and buckled on his sword ; and while almost all the people of Venice were still wrapped in slumber, the travellers wended their way to the war-galley on the quay, and went on board. MARCO POLO. CHAPTER III. MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. |S Marco Polo stood, on that bright April morning in 1271, on the deck of the war- galley, and watched the glittering domes and spires of Venice receding from view, while the vessel sailed down the Adriatic, he little guessed how many years would elapse ere his eyes would greet the familiar home scenes again. But he thought only of the future just before him ; and although, on passing out of the Gulf of Venice into the rougher waters of the Adriatic, he was at first a little sea-sick, he soon recovered his bouyancy of spirits, and now gazed with keen in- terest at the objects which coast and waters presented. It was a delightful trip, through the Adriatic, across the sparkling purple waves of the Mediter- ranean, skirting the rugged coast of Greece, and 3O MARCO POLO. at last launching into the more open ocean, out of sight of land ; and the days that elapsed between the departure from Venice and the arrival at the curious old town of Acre, on the Syrian coast, with its towered walls, its narrow, winding streets, its lofty castle, its temples, palaces and churches, quite unlike those of Venice, were joyous ones to the young traveller. On landing at Acre, the brothers Polo and Marco repaired to the best inn in the place; and Nicolo lost no time in seeking out his old friend, the priest Tedaldo, to learn what prospect there was of missionaries going eastward with them. Tedaldo was rejoiced to see him, but said that no pope had yet been chosen ; and begged Nicolo to stay at Acre until that event took place. At first Nicolo, impatient to reach the great khan's court, resisted Tedaldo's request ; but finally the shrewd priest prevailed with him. " If you will give us leave to go Jerusalem, and get some holy oil from the lamp on the Sepulchre," said Nicolo, " we will not proceed on our journey until you consent. The great khan will receive the holy oil as a precious gift." " Be it so," responded Tedaldo ; " go to Jeru- MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 31 salem, and after performing your errand, return hither. Perhaps, then, we shall have a pope." Marco was well pleased to visit the holy city, which he now did, in company with his father. They did not stay long at Jerusalem ; but while there, Marco had time to see all the ancient and sacred relics and curious sights which still attract the traveller. Having procured a vial of oil from the lamp on the Sepulchre (which, it was said, had been kept constantly burning there from the time of Christ's death), Nicolo returned to Acre. No pope had yet been chosen ; and nowTedaldo could not find it in his heart to forbid the depart- ure of the brothers. They therefore set out from Acre, crossing in a galley to the old fortified town of Ayas, in the gulf of Scanderoon. Ayas they found to be a busy commercial port, with teeming bazaars and a noble fortress rising near the shore ; but they could not tarry long there, and began to make their preparations to penetrate into Armenia. They were on the point of starting, when an urgent message reached them from Acre. It seemed that a pope had at last been elected, and that the choice had fallen on no other than 32 MARCO POLO, their friend Tedaldo himself, who took the name of Gregory the Tenth ; and he had sent for them to return at once to Acre, and receive his in- structions how to deal with the great khan. On reaching Acre, the Polos were at once ad- mitted to the presence of their old friend, who had now become the head of the Church. Te- daldo, or Pope Gregory, as he should now be called, received them with all his old kindness of manner, in the palace where he was sojourning, and gave his special blessing to young Marco, whose youth and bearing greatly pleased him. Then, turning to the two brothers, the pope said: " Now I can give you full power and authority to be the envoys of the Church to Kublai Khan. You shall take with you two trusty friars, who will aid you in converting the heathen of Cathay ; and you yourselves may ordain bishops and priests, and grant absolution. To show my de- sire to receive Kublai into the bosom of the Church, 1 will give you some vases and jars of crystal, to take to him as presents from me." Nicolo fell at the pope's feet, and did him hum- ble and grateful reverence ;and Maffeo and Marco MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 33 followed his example. All their wishes seemed now fulfilled ; and, after bidding the pope once more adieu, and receiving his blessing, they set out to return to Ayas, inspired by the new and noble purpose of converting a vast nation of bar- barians to the true faith. With them went the two friars whom the pope had appointed, Nicolo of Vicenza, and William of Tripoli ; and on land- ing at Ayas, they resolved to delay their journey no longer. Another mishap, however, was destined to be- fall them before they found themselves full on their way eastward. At Ayas they learned that Armenia, the country through which they were about to pass, had just been invaded by the Sul- tan of Babylon with a formidable army. No sooner had the two friars heard this unwel- come news than they ran to Nicolo, and declared that they were afraid to go on, or even to stay at Ayas. In vain Nicolo besought them to con- tinue with him, and even to brave the dangers that now loomed before them, rather than give up the project of converting the people of Cathay. "No," replied the friars: "We are afraid of these ruthless Saracens. If they should capture 34 MARCO POLO. any Christian priests, it would be to torture and kill them. Take our credentials and documents, Messer Polo ; and God be with you. We must return to Acre." And so they did, taking the first galley that set out for that place. The Polos found that they must go forward alone ; and after a last look at Ayas, and feeling, truth to tell, somewhat alarmed lest they should meet the Saracen invaders, they started on the high road that led northward in the direction of Turcomania. Marco observed everything on the journey with the keenest curiosity ; and his father, who had already traversed that region, was able to explain many sights that were mysterious to him. They passed through many queer Asiatic cities and towns, and Marco stared at the dusky complex- ions and picturesque attire of the natives. The natives, in turn, examined the travellers with much amazement; but everywhere, in this part of the country, seemed friendly, and not at all disposed to molest them. Sometimes the wayfarers would stop in a city or town a week or two at a time, lodging in very MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 35 old inns, and partaking of dishes which Marco had never seen before, and of some of which neither of the three knew the names. The people of the regions through which they passed were usually poverty stricken, and seemed quite content with very little. Marco observed that they were a very lazy set, and spent a great deal of time drinking a coarse, rank liquor, which speedily intoxicated them. Sometimes, however, the travellers came to a town which had a well-to-do, thriving aspect, and where they met men and women of a higher and more active class. The chiefs in these places would treat them with hearty hospitality, placing before them the best dishes and most luscious fruits the region afforded, and giving them the best rooms in their houses not very confortable ones, at best in which to sleep. One day, a hospitable chief proposed to the Polos that they should form part of a hunting ex- pedition, which was about to set out in search of savage game on the neighboring hills. This pro- posal gave young Marco a thrill of pleasure, for he had begun to think that their journey was getting monotonous. At first his father refused 3 MARCO POLO. to let him go with the hunting party ; but Marco begged so persistently, and the chief brought out a horse for his use that seemed so strong and steady, that Nicolo finally yielded. Not only horses, but elephants also, bore the sportsmen to their scene of action ; and after travelling for two days across the plains and among the hills, the party encamped on a river bank. Then Marco, for the first time, saw the fierce, wild sport which the Asiatic hills and jungles provided. He was too young and too little skilled to take any active part in the hunt for wild beasts ; but roamed the lofty forests, and brought down many a bird of gorgeous plumage, which proved afterwards to afford the sweetest and most delicate nourishment. Once he witnessed, from a safe distance, a terrific en- counter with a gigantic tiger, which the natives attacked from the backs of their elephants, and at last succeeded in killing and dragging, with his magnificent striped hide, into the camp. Marco was afterwards to become quite accus- tomed to this thrilling sport, and to deal, with his own hand, many a finishing blow upon lion and tiger and famished wolf. MAKCO SHOOTING IN THE ASIATIC HILLS. Page 36. MARCO POLO SETS FORTH 37 After crossing the eastern edge of Turco- mania, the travellers entered the picturesque and fruitful country of Greater Armenia with its broad, fertile plains, and its grim and narrow mountain passes; the same country, indeed, which in our own times has been so often the scene of conflict between the Russians and the Turks. They passed near or by the very spots where the now famous fortresses of Kars and Erzeroum stand ; and as they proceeded, they were surprised to find the region so thickly dotted with towns and villages, and sometimes quite stately cities. They found the inhabitants, who were for the most part Tartars, as little dis- posed to molest them as the Turcomans had been ; though, now and then, as they went through lonely districts, they were menaced by brigands. With them were several native guides, whose language was already familiar to the two elder Polos. One day, one of these guides stopped, and pointed to a mountain, whose dim outline could just be made out in the hazy distance. "Do you see that mountain?" he said, turning to the travellers. " It is Mount Ararat. It was there that Noah's ark was stranded, after the 38 MARCO POLO. flood. The ark is still there, on the top of the mountain; and the faithful of this region brave the snows with which Ararat is perpetually shrouded, to get from the ark some of its pitch, which they make into amulets, and wear as a charm around their necks!" Marco listened with open mouth, and stared long and earnestly at the famous eminence. He could scarcely believe that the ark was still there ; yet the guide spoke so earnestly that he was loth to doubt what he said. After crossing a lofty range of mountains, they descended into a wide and umbrageous valley, through which meandered a broad, rapidly flow- ing river. This river, Marco learned, was no other than the Tigris, which flows northward from trie Persian Gulf. On every hand the young traveller perceived the majestic ruins of the splendid civili- zation which had once existed in this valley. Ruined or decaying cities, with vast walls, and lofty palaces, and towering temples, were often encountered ; and near them nestled the more modern towns and villages, still alive with the bustle of trade or the vanity of oriental show. This country was the kingdom of Mosul ; and MARCO POLO SETS FORTH. 39 in some of the towns, Marco observed manufac- tories of fine cloth, which was produced with ra- pidity and skill, and was made of many beautiful colors. This cloth gave the name to what we now call " muslin," from the place whence it was first obtained ; it was really not muslin, but a much finer texture, of silk and gold. The Polos were delighted to find that large numbers of the people of Mosul were Christians, who gave them a wel- come all the warmer because of their professing the same faith. As they descended the valley of the Tigris further towards the Persian Gulf, however, they were destined to meet with a very different kind of people. From the mountain fastnesses of Curdistan there swooped into the valley tierce bands of Curds, the savage and vindictive race who dwelt in those fastnesses, and whose occupa- tion it was to rob and murder. Their very name, which, in Turkish, means "wolves," betrayed their character and habits. Luckily a large number of Mosul Christians accompanied the travellers, armed to the teeth, purposely to protect them from the inhuman Curds; and the latter, when- ever they assailed the party, were driven back, 4 the natives, who, Marco noticed, went almost naked, and roamed about their picturesque moun- tains and forests just as if they were wild beasts. They raised no grain except rice, on which, and the flesh of the game they caught in the woods, they wholly subsisted. But savage as these people were, Marco was amazed at the number and beauty of the gems they possessed. Chief among these were the rubies, which were very large and brilliant. The king of the country had a ruby which Marco was sure was the largest in the world. Sapphires, topazes, amethysts and dia- monds were also abundant. While in Ceylon, Marco saw a lofty and jagged mountain rising from the midst of verdant hills, which it seemed impossible to ascend. Its crags rose among the clouds, and were often lost to view amid the shrouds the clouds spread about them. This, he was told, was "Adam's Peak;" and upon it was said to be the tomb of the founder of the Buddhist religion, being situated near the place where he had departed from earth. Kublai Khan had, indeed, sent thither some years before and had obtained two of the teeth, and some of the hair, supposed to belong to the god of his faith. 164 MARCO POLO. He had also obtained a miraculous cup which had been used by this god, and which when filled with food for one man, speedily contained, it was said, enough for five. Marco spent a long time in Ceylon, for it was the loveliest island he had yet seen in the eastern seas, and the people, though wild and almost bestial in their habits, were not quarrelsome or unfriendly. He found them, indeed, to be great cowards, who seemed afraid of the weapons which the Tartars carried in their belts; and Marco wondered why, with all their riches, they had not long since been conquered by some ambitious potentate from the mainland. He loved to wander in their beautiful groves, and to loiter under the natural avenues of wide spreading palms ; to eat of the delicious fruit which grew there in richest profusion, and some kinds of which were quite new to him ; or to ascend some sloping hill, and gaze out upon the sparkling sea. It was a very short transit only about sixty miles from Ceylon to the nearest point on the great peninsula of India ; and it was with deep emotion that Marco for the first time caught sight of that famous and mighty empire. People IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 165 in Europe already knew something about India; although three centuries were to elapse before Vasco da Gama found a way to it by sea, around the Cape of Good Hope. Travellers from Italy had visited its wonderful cities, and had brought back thrilling accounts, which had reached Marco Polo's ears in his boyhood. Of India he had learned still more at the khan's court, for a prosperous trade existed between India and Cathay ; and all that he had heard of the Hindoo Empire made him very impatient to observe it for himself. As he approached the coast, he saw a sight which he afterwards remembered with much in- terest. This was the vast fleet of boats that were engaged in the pearl fishery. Many large vessels were anchored in the sea for miles around, and from these the boats with the divers went out. Marco saw the divers, with their strange gear, plunging into the water, and, after a few moments, drawn up again by their comrades, holding the large shells which they had grasped on the bot- tom, and in which the pearls were fixed in rows. Marco landed on the coast of India, which at this point was full of sand banks and coral reefs; and went into the interior, guarded by the train 1 66 MARCO POLO. of attendants whom Kublai Khan had sent with him. Ere long he reached the chief town of the province of Maabar, where he rested from his voyage, and employed himself in observing the country and the manners and customs of the people. The king of Maabar, learning that he was from the mighty monarch of Cathay, received him with all honor, and permitted him to wander everywhere at full liberty. The people, he perceived, went naked, except that they wore a piece of cloth about their middle. The same was true of the king himself ; but to make up for want of clothes, the dusky potentate fairly glittered with rich jewelry. He wore an enormous necklace of rubies, sapphires and emeralds ; and from this was suspended a long silk cord, on which very large pearls were strung. On both his arms and legs were heavy jewelled and golden bracelets. This king had no less than five hundred wives, and freely appropriated the wives of any of his sub- jects when he happened to take a fancy to them; and the despoiled husbands were obliged to sub- mit to their loss with a good grace. The king had a numerous body guard, armed to the teeth, IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 167 who attended him wherever he went, and pro- tected his palace at night. Marco was told that when a king of Maabar died, a huge funeral pyre was erected, upon which the royal corpse was placed ; and that as soon as the priests set fire to it, his guards threw themselves upon it, and were burned with their master. Marco was one day loitering in the streets of the town (which was quite a populous one) when he saw a crowd approaching, and in their midst a wagon drawn by natives. The crowd were shouting in an excited manner ; and as soon as the wagon came near, he perceived a man standing bolt upright in it, holding some long sharp knives. On asking what this meant, he was told that the man had committed some grave crime, and was being carried to the place of execution. The crowd were calling out, " This brave man is about to kill himself, for the love of the great idol !" Marco followed the crowd, which stopped in an open space in the centre of the town. Then the man in the cart began to stab himself with the knives, first in the arms, then in the legs, and lastly in the stomach, crying the while, " I kill myself for love of the idol ;" until, pierced by many self-inflicted l68 MARCO POLO. wounds, he fell expiring in the bottom of the cart. It was supposed that thus he saved his soul. Soon after, Marco had occasion to witness another ghastly custom of the Hindoos, in which the wife was thrown alive upon the burning pyre with her dead husband. The natives, besides their idols, worshipped oxen and cows, and no power on earth could have induced them to eat beef. Everybody in Maabar, from the king to his meanest subject, always sat upon the ground ; and when Marco asked a Hindoo why they did not sit on chairs or benches, the latter replied, solemnly, " We came from earth, and must return to earth; and we cannot too much honor this common mother." Though barbarous in many of their ways, this people were at least exceed- ingly neat. In this respect, there were some European nations that might have taken pattern from t!:oin. They never would eat until they had washed all over; and every Hindoo took two baths each day. They were also very temperate, rarely or never partaking of wine. Crimes or offences aga:r...t their laws were very severely punished. \Yhcn a Hindoo owed IN THE EASTERN SEAS. 169 another a debt and would not pay it, the creditor watched his opportunity, and drew a wide circle around the debtor with a pointed stick. If the debtor moved out of this circle without pay- ing what he owed, he condemned himself to death. In consequence of this curious method, there were but few debtors in Maabar. Once while Marco was there, the king himself became subject to the custom. A foreign merchant, to whom the king owed a large sum, was bold enough to draw a circle around his majesty; who finding himself fairly caught by his own law, made haste to pay the debt. After staying for some time at Maabar, Marco pursued his journey into the interior of Hin- doostan, his mind full of the singular sights he had seen, and eager to observe the Hindoo races who dwelt beyond. MARCO POLO. CHAPTER XII. MARCO POLO AMONG THE HINDOOS. INDIA, at the time that Marco visited it, was divided into a great many independ- ent states, some Hindoo and some Mo- hammedan, each ruled over by its own sovereign. It was not, as now, the dependency of a great foreign power. But as India was six centuries ago, in its faith, manners and customs, and the character of its people, so it is very much to-day. Many of the manners and customs which Marco observed, still exist ; and we find in the Hindoos of the present very much the same peculiar vices and virtues as those he described. Marco found the Hindoos, like most of the Orientals he had seen, very much under the influence of magicians and astrologers. They were very superstitious, and there were many omens the warnings of which they always took care to obey, believing that if AMONQ THE HINDOOS. I/I they did not do so, misfortune would fall upon them. A man who set out on a journey, if he met with what he considered an evil omen, would turn back and go straight home again, no matter how near he might be to his destina- tion, or how pressing his business. The day, hour and minute of the birth of every child were recorded, simply to enable the magicians to make predictions concerning his future life. As soon as a boy reached his thirteenth birth- day he became independent of his parents, and went out into the world to make his own living; having received a small sum of money from his father with which to make a start. They did very much as poor boys, dependent on themselves, do in our day ; found something to hawk about the streets and sell, on which they could make a little profit. Near the seashore they were in the habit of watching on the beach for the pearl- boats to come in, and would buy a few small pearls of a fisherman, and carry them into the in- terior and sell them to the merchants. Having made a little money, they would go and buy some provisions for their mothers, who still prepared their food for them. IJ2 MARCO POLO. Marco saw many monasteries, nestling amid the mountains and hills, as he progressed through the country ; and learned that these monasteries were full of idols, adorned with gold and precious stones. To the care and worship of these idols large numbers of lovely young girls were sacrificed by their parents ; and these girls were in the habit, every day, of cooking very savory dishes, and placing them, with great reverence, before the hideous idols. As the idols did not descend from their pedestals and partake of the food, Marco wondered what became of it. He soon found out ; for, having been admitted to one of the monasteries as a great favor, he saw the girls offer the idols their daily meal : after which they began to dance some very quick and graceful dances, sing- ing the while a loud, wild, joyous chorus. When they ceased dancing and singing, they went up to the dishes ; and, supposing the idols had eaten as much as they desired, the girls themselves de- voured the contents of the plates. Marco was told that these girls remained in the monasteries until the very day of their marriage. The priests of the monasteries at once attracted ' rro's attention, so singular was their aspect, AMONG THE HINDOOS. and so strange their mode of living. Many of them seemed to be very old men, with long snowy beards and bent forms ; yet they had fresh, dark complexions, and were very active in their movements. Marco was told that they often lived to be a hundred and fifty or even two hun- dred years old ; but he had now been in India long enough not to believe everything he heard. The priests lived on nothing but rice, apples and milk, and for a beverage drank a curious mixture of quicksilver and sulphur. In some of the mon- asteries the priests always went perfectly naked, even in winter, and slept in the open air; and led a very severe and self-denying life. The only symbol of their sacred office was a little copper or bronze ox (an animal they worshipped)^ which they wore on their foreheads. These priests were always very careful not to kill any living thing; for they thought that not only animals and insects, but even fruits and flowers, had souls. They would not harm so much as a fly or a worm ; and would not eat apples until they were all dried up, for they supposed them when fresh to be alive, and only dead when they were shrivelled. 174 MARCO POLO. When a young man sought to become a priest in the monasteries, he underwent what seemed to Marco a very amusing trial. On arriving at the monasteries, the fairest young girls belonging to it came forth to meet him; and gathering around him, overwhelmed him with kisses and embraces. The old priests, meanwhile, stood by and keenly watched him. If he betrayed any pleasure at the caresses of the girls, he was at once rejected and sent into the outer world again ; but if he submitted to them coldly, and with unmoved countenance, he was admitted to che priesthood. As the envoy of the khan, Marco was admitted into "the best society" of the places that he visited ; and he was much struck with the manners and virtues of the higher class of H indoos. These comprised the class which we know as Brah- mins. He could not fail to notice their high sense of honor in their dealings with each other ; their truthfulness and probity; the temperance and purity of their lives. They ate no flesh and drank no wine, and as husbands were models of fidelity. The Brahmins, to designate their rank, wore a long silk thread over the shoulder, AMONG THJ=: HINDOOS. 1/5 and across the breast ; and so do the Brahmins of our own time. The only habit they had which Marco did not like, was that of chewing betel leaves. This made their gums very red, and was thought to be healthy ; but it caused them to be constantly spitting. Intelligent as the Brahmins seemed, they were as completely under the influence of superstition and magic as the lowest and most ignorant of their country folk. When a Brahmin merchant was about to make a bargain for some goods, he rose at sunlight, went out, and caused his shadow to be measured. If it was of a certain length, he went on with the trade ; if not he postponed it to another day. This is perhaps the origin of the Eastern greeting, " May your shadow never be less !" If a Brahmin proposed to buy an animal, he went where it was, and observed whether the animal approached him from a lucky direction. If so, he bought it ; but if not, he would have nothing to do with it. If, when a Brahmin issued from his house, he heard a man sneeze in a way which seemed to him of bad omen, he turned around, went into his house again, and waited till the man who had sneezed unluckily was quite MARCO POLO. out of sight. In the same way a Brahmin who, walking along a road, saw a bird approaching from the left, at once turned on his heel and went the other way. On his journey northward, Marco passed through the famous valley of Golconda, from whence came, and still come, the largest and most beauti- ful diamonds in the world. He found an aged queen reigning there who, though she had been a widow for forty years, was still mourning for her husband. She received Marco with a cordial welcome, and entertained him with feasts, dances and music in her palace. He delighted to wander in the picturesque valleys from which the most beautiful gems in the world were procured; to see the swift mountain torrents, as, after a storm, they swept through the declivities ; and to watch the diamond-hunters who, when the freshet was over, hunted for their precious merchandise in the valleys through which the waters had passed. He was told, at Golconda, the same story about the eagles and the diamonds, that we read in Sinbad the Sailor's adventures in the "Arabian Nights;" how the people threw huge pieces of meat into the deep, inaccessible pits, to AMONG THE HINDOOS. 177 which the diamonds lying on the bottom stuck how the eagles swooped down, caught the jewelled flesh in their talons, and on rising again were so frightened by the cries and frantic gestures of the men, that they let their precious prey drop ; and how the men thus secured the diamonds which they could not otherwise reach. But Marco knew how fond the Hindoos were of telling marvellous tales ; and did not give too easy a belief to what he heard. Marco saw some of the white eagles that were said to render this great service to the diamond- hunters ; but observed that most of the eagles in India were black as jet, like crows, and were much larger than those he had seen in Europe. He also saw some curious bald owls, with neither wings nor feathers ; peacocks, larger than he had ever before seen ; parrots of every hue and size, which he greatly admired, especially some very small red and white ones ; and chickens, altogether different from European fowl. On reaching the province of Coilon, where he found many Christians and Jews, as well as Mo- hammedans and Hindoos, he was deeply inter- ested in seeing the growth of pepper, and es- 178 MARCO POLO. pecially of indigo, the latter being very plentiful It was made, he observed, of an herb, which was soaked a long time in water ; after which, being exposed to the hot sun, it boiled, grew solid, and thus became the indigo which everybody knows. The people of this province were very black, many shades darker than most of the Hindoos , and were less civilized than the natives Marco had hitherto seen. As he passed through the vast forests of this part of India, he espied in- numerable herds of monkeys of every shape and hue, which threw down branches and nuts at him as he went along ; and now and then he saw leop- ards, enormous wildcats, and even lions, prowl- ing about on the edge of the woods, and in the neighboring jungles. After travelling for many weeks in the interior of India, Marco at last reached the seashore again, and found himself on the western coast of the continent. He then went on shipboard, and passed from place to place by water, thus travers- ing the same coast along which, two hundred years later, Vasco da Gama sailed, and established the dominion of Portugal. Marco soon became aware that he was in AMONG THE HINDOOS. a dangerous par. of the world; for the coast of Malabar was swarmed, at that time, with pirates, who had it pretty much their own way with strange vessels. Once or twice the ship in which Marco sailed was hotly pursued by these free- booters of the sea ; but happily she was able to make port safely each time. Marco learned that the pirates were in the habit of signalling to each other, when a merchant vessel appeared, all along the coast, by means of brilliant lights. They were stationed five miles apart, on a line a hundred miles long ; and these lights, appearing first on one corsair ship, and then on the next, tele- graphed the news of a coming prize throughout this distance ; so that the poor merchantman had usually but little chance of escape. The mer- chantmen, therefore, always went strongly manned and armed; and more than one desperate sea- fight did Marco witness on his way northward to Bombay. He was told that the pirates, on seizing a ship, took all her goods, but did not harm the crew ; saying to them, " Go and get another cargo, so that we may catch you again and rid you of it." Despite the pirates, Marco found the west IO MARCO POLO, coast of India fairly bustling with commerce. Every harbor seemed full of ships, and every port full of store-houses ; the trade of the coast extended to Arabia and Egypt, to Africa, Austral- asia and Cathay. On the wharves of the sea- port towns he saw the greatest variety of cos. tumes and features, from the sober Parsee in his long flowing robe, to the heavy-turbaned Arab and the Persian with his gorgeously embroidered sack. Even used as he was to the great warehouses of China and Cathay, he was astonished at the beautiful cloths and articles of skilful workman- ship that he saw at Malabar and Bombay; the finely dressed leather, the rich embroideries, and the luxurious trappings for men, horses, and ele- phants ; the ornaments and knicknacks of brass, gold, silver and precious gems ; and he was forced to confess that the bazaars of India out-rivalled those of any Oriental land he had yet visited. Marco again set sail, and his ship now took its course across the Indian Ocean towards the coast of Africa ; for his mission would not be wholly fulfilled until he had been to certain islands and kingdoms of that continent. He had already been AMONG THE HINDOOS. l8l absent from Cathay for more than a year ; and found himself now quite as near his Venetian home as to the court of the great khan. There were moments, as he sped across the Indian Ocean, when he was sorely tempted to order the sailors to turn northward, to land in Egypt and make his way across that country to Alexandria, and there watch the opportunity to take pas- sage in a Venetian galley to the city of his birth. But his father and uncle were far away in Cathay, and Marco could not desert them. He knew that if he did, the khan would revenge himself for such a desertion upon his kinsmen. Besides, Marco had been overwhelmed with favors, wealth and power by Kublai Khan ; and to prove false to his pledge that he would faithfully return, was an act of baseness of which the high-souled young Venetian was incapable. So he kept on his course across the ocean, re- solved to see all of the world that he could ; and, having accomplished all the objects for which he had set out, to return with his report to Cathay. On the way he stopped at two islands, called the " Male" and "Female," whose dusky inhabitants he found to be Christians ; but they were very differ- 182 MARCO POLO. ent Christians from those to whom Marco had been used in Europe. It appeared that all the men dwelt on the " Male" island, and all the women on the " Female," thirty miles away, and that the men crossed over and visited their wives and daughters once a year, remaining with them for three months and then returning to their own abode. The sons lived with their mothers until they were fourteen years of age, when they were thought to be old enough to join the community of their own sex. The two islands were ruled over, not by a king, but by a bishop ; and Marco was much amused to observe that this holy potent- ate, instead of wearing a mitre and embroidered robes, went almost naked. Marco landed at another island, several hundred miles south of the " Male" and " Female" islands > where the people were also Christians. They claimed to have all sorts of miraculous powers, such as the power to change the direction of the wind by their enchantments. The island was a very remote, solitary, dismal place, frequented by pirates, and Marco was very glad to get away from it after making as brief a sojourn as possible. His next stopping place was the great island of AMONG THE HINDOOS. 183 Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, which he found inhabited by two races. One of these was Arab, and they were men of light complex- ions and were well dressed ; the other was Negro, as black as Erebus. Marco saw in Madagascar a large variety of animals, wild and domestic, and learned that the favorite food of the people was the flesh of camels, which he had never known to be eaten elsewhere. One species of bird he saw, enormous in size, and formidable to men and beasts, which, it was said, could lift an elephant high in the air. Marco was told that when one of these birds they were probably what we know as condors was hungry, he seized an elephant, and raising him in the air, let him fall to the earth, crushing him to death ; and then fed upon his carcass. Crossing to the main coast of Africa, Marco passed through the country of Zanzibar, where he saw negroes of gigantic size, quite terrible to behold, who could carry as much in their arms or on their shoulders as any four common men. They were very black and savage, and went quite naked ; their mouths were huge, their teeth very regular and glistening white. The women struck MARCO POLO. Marco as singularly hideous, with their big eyes and mouths, and their coarse, clumsy shapes. He heard that this people were very warlike, and fought on the backs of elephants and camels, fifteen or twenty men being mounted on each animal ; and that their weapons consisted of staves, spears, and rude swords. As they went into battle, they drank a very strong liquor, which they also gave to their elephants and camels, rendering both the beasts and their riders extremely fierce and bloodthirsty. Marco saw in Zanzibar, for the first time in his life, an animal with which we are all now quite familiar the giraffe ; and admired exceedingly its beautiful stripes, graceful motions, and gentle actions. He also saw white sheep with black heads, and very large elephants ; the latter were hunted for their tusks, which, as ivory, found its way to the remote marts of the world. MARCO POLO, 185 CHAPTER XIII. MARCO POLO IN AFRICA. |ROM Zanzibar, Marco ventured into a famous African country, very ancient in its history, and remarkable as the early seat of Christianity on the " dark continent." This was Abyssinia ; a land which, in our own time, has attracted a great deal of attention, as the scene of a war between the English and the savage King Theodore. In Marco's time, Abyssinia was called " Middle India," and was renowned as a great kingdom, inhabited by a bold and warlike race. He was therefore naturally very anxious to visit it, es- pecially as he knew the Abyssinians to be Christians. The journey thither from Zanzibar was long, difficult and dangerous. The wild, black tribes of the coast constantly menaced him and his 1 86 MARCO POLO. party; and sometimes, as he proceeded up the rivers in the rude canoes furnished to him by friendly natives, he was assailed by showers of arrows and javelins, some of which did fatal work among his escort. Nor were the menaces of the wild beasts to be despised. In the night, especially, the deep and awful stillness of the misty African jungle was roughly broken by the roaring of hungry lions, and the bellowing of hippopotami and rhinocer- oses. A constant watch was the only safety from the fell assaults of these half-famished monsters. But Marco and his companions had now be- come quite used to " roughing it." His experi- ence in the remotest parts of Tartary and China, his adventures in the islands and in the depths of Hindoostan, had not only hardened his sense of peril, but had taught him how to pass through the dangers of the jungle and the forest. In due time, the Tartar train crossed the confines of Abyssinia, and found themselves on the way to its capital. Marco at once made himself known as an European and a Christian; and his light complexion IN AFRICA. 187 and regular features showed the Abyssinians that he was not deceiving them, in spite of his Oriental dress and company. No sooner did they recog- nize him as a brother in religion, than the natives overwhelmed him with the warmth of their welcome. They entertained him on such rude fare as their huts provided ; they guided him, in strong companies, through dangerous parts of the country ; and they paddled him in their biggest canoes across the lakes and up the reed-bordered rivers. The young traveller observed all that he saw and heard with the keenest interest ; for he wished to carry back as minute an account as possible of this land of sable Christians. He soon learned that it was ruled over by a power- ful emperor, under whom there were six kings r each of whom reigned over the six large prov- inces into which Abyssinia was divided. Three of these kings were Christians, and three were Mohammedans, the subjects of each being of the same faith as their sovereign. The emperor himself was a Christian. Marco also found that there were many Jews in Abyssinia : but they were not at all like the long-nosed, keen-eyed, 1 88 MARCO POLO. heavily-bearded Jews whom he remembered at Venice. Very different, too, were the Christian customs of this half-savage country from those to which he was accustomed at home. The Christians distinguished themselves from the Mohamme- dans and Jews, by having three marks branded on their faces; one from the forehead to the middle of the nose, and one on each cheek; and it was the branding of these marks with a red- hot iron which constituted their baptism. It was soon evident to Marco that he was in the midst of a very warlike people. Everywhere there appeared troops of soldiers ; and very often he passed large camps teeming with warriors. Nearly the whole male population seemed to be expert in the use of arms, and ready at a moment's warning to obey a summons to the battle-field. On the Abyssinian frontier were two other warlike nations, Adel and Nubia; and the emperor was almost constantly at war with one or the other. Not many years before Marco's visit, the Abyssinian monarch had engaged in a terrific contest with the king of Adel. The cause of IN AFRICA. 189 this war was a singular one ; but it showed Marco, when he heard it related, how devoted the Abyssinians were to their religion. A Christian bishop was sent by the emperor on a pilgrimage to Christ's Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Having safely performed his errand at the Holy City, the bishop set out on his return. His way lay through Adel. Now it happened that the king and people of that country were intense Mohammedans, and bitterly hated the Christians ; so when the bishop came along, he was seized and brought before the governor of the province. The latter urged him to desert his religion, and become a follower of the prophet. But the bishop stuck firmly to his faith. Then the governor ordered that he should be taken out and circumcised. Thus cruelly outraged, the venerable prelate returned to Abyssinia, and lost no time in apprizing the emperor of what had happened. The Abyssinian monarch was so enraged at the bishop's sad tale, that he wept and gnashed his teeth ; and calling out to his courtiers, swore that the bishop should be avenged as never in- jured man was before. Collecting an immense IOO MARCO POLO. army he advanced at the head of it into the heart of Adel, where he met the opposing forces of his mortal foe. The battle was long and terrific ; but it ended in a sweeping victory for the invaders. The army of Adel broke and fled ; and the Abyssinians, infuriated and intoxicated by their triumph, laid waste and destroyed the largest towns and fairest fields of Adel, and put many of the people to the sword. Having thus wreaked his vengeance for the bishop's wrong, the emperor returned to his own country. Marco found in Abyssinia the greatest abund- ance and variety of production, and the richest and most profuse vegetation. The natives lived on rice, wild game, milk and sesame. Among the animals he saw giraffes, lions, leopards and huge apes, the largest and most intelligent he had yet encountered. The feathered creation, as it appeared in Abyssinia, struck him with wonder and admiration. The domestic fowls he thought the most beautiful in the world ; the ostriches seemed "as large as asses;" and the parrots exceeded in variety of color and splendor of plumage anything he had ever imagined. He passed through many thriving towns in some of IN AFRICA. 191 which he observed manufactories of cotton and other cloths; and by many lofty, though rudely built castles, perched on high cliffs, or on the slopes of wooded hills. Marco would have liked to linger long in Abys- sinia, which was a country that greatly attracted him on many accounts. He would have liked, also, to push on further, and explore all the wonders of Egypt and the Nile. But he had now been away from the court of the khan much longer than he had intended ; and he knew that both the khan, and his father and uncle, must by this time be looking anxiously for his return. He was forced, therefore, reluctantly, to turn his face eastward again. During his travels, he had gathered many curiosities of the strange places he had visited ; and he had lost a number of the Tartars who had formed a part of his train. He had now with him only enough men to bear his baggage, and to act as a guard. Seeking a port whence to embark, he found it necessary to pro- ceed to the great and flourishing city of Aden, the port which was the centre of all the commerce of the African and Indian seas. Arriving at Aden, Marco was surprised at its wealth and the vast 192 MARCO POLO. amount of shipping that lay in its harbor; and at the magnificence of the sultan who ruled the city and the country round about. He had no diffi- culty, in so busy a place, in chartering a vessel to take him and his company back to Tartary; and ere many days once more found himself on the great deep, full on the way to Kambalu. The voyage was a long, tedious, and stormy one. Sometimes Marco despaired of ever seeing the land again, so furious were the cyclones and tempests of wind and rain ; sometimes they were becalmed for days and weeks. Marco landed at many of the islands he had visited on his out- ward voyage, and saw some which he had before passed by ; but he did not, throughout the long transit, often touch at points on the mainland. At last, however, the long voyage was over. The coast of Cathay appeared in a long, dim line at the horizon ; then familiar cities and towns came into view ; finally, the good ship neared the port whence Marco had set out ; and it was with a full heart that he jumped upon the shore, and knew that ere long he would be clasped in his father's arms, and receive the welcome and the praises of the great khan. IN AFRICA. 193 His return to Kambalu was celebrated by re- joicings in which the whole court took part ; for the Tartar nobles had never known of so great and indefatigable a traveller as Marco had proved himself to be. His exploits, the dangers by sea, savages and beasts through which he had passed, the wonderful countries and curious customs he had witnessed, and the valuable services he had rendered to the khan, made him a real hero, even among generals who had fought great battles, and nobles who wielded powers inferior only to those of Kublai Khan himself. Nicolo was proud of his son's achievements, and was never done praising him. The khan grew fonder than ever of Marco, and lavished the cost- liest gifts and the rarest favors upon him. He made him a noble of his empire ; he called him almost daily to sup with him ; he offerred to marry him to one of the most beautiful, rich and high- born maidens of his realm ; he gave him a stable full of beautiful horses; and consulted him upon the most important affairs of state. By and by the warmth of the khan's affection for Marco began to fill the proud and fierce breasts of the Tartar barons with jealousy ; and MARCO POLO now Marco had to feel the bitterness as well as the sweets of good fortune. He was constantly threatened with snares and assassination. He was forced to go armed, and protected by a strong guard, lest a secret attack should be made upon him. So his life at the court, surrounded as it was with every luxury and privilege that heart could wish, became anything but a comfortable one. Nicolo and Maffeo Polo, as well as Marco, aroused the hostility of many of the barons ; and so unpleasant did their position at the court begin to be, despite the fondness and favor of the mon- arch, that they often talked together anxiously about the prospect of their being able to return to Venice. Sixteen years had elapsed since the day on which they had bidden farewell to their native city. The two elder Polos were growing old ; their hair was gray, their faces were wrinkled, and their strength was waning. Marco himself, who had departed from Venice a stripling, was now a stalwart, broad-shouldered man, between thirty and forty, with a heavy brown beard and the strength of a lion. Their mission in Cathay had IN AFRICA. 193 been accomplished ; for they had persuaded the khan to be a Christian, had converted many of his subjects, and had acquired great wealth for themselves. They finally resolved to make a vigorous at- tempt to persuade Kublai Khan to allow them to depart, and to provide them with the means of doing so safely. The first day, they said to each other, that Kublai seemed in a particularly good and indulgent humor, they would proffer their petition. Not long after this, the khan gave a great feast; and afterwards witnessed, with his court, the exciting sports with which he was wont to be- guile the pleasant afternoon hours, after he had eaten and drunk his fill. Retiring, then, to the shade of his park, Kublai Khan reclined under the trees, and called about him his favorite courtiers and wives. Near him were the three Polos, who observed that the mon- arch was in high spirits. He jested pleasantly with his companions, and lolled luxuriously on his cushions. The Polos gave each other significant glances ; and at a favorable moment, Nicolo advanced ig6 MARCO POLO. and prostrated himself at the monarch's feet " I have an immense favor to ask of your majesty," he said, clasping his hands, and raising his eyes to Kublai's face, " and implore you to listen kindly to it." " And what favor can you ask, good Venetian, that I will not grant ? You and your brother, and your brave, stout son, have served me nobly these many years; how can I refuse what you ask?" " But I fear to offend your majesty, by asking for more than you are willing to give. We beg for no more riches, no more honors. These your majesty has lavished upon us far beyond our de- serts. You have loaded us with your favors and your gold. It is, indeed, many, many years that we have lived in the sunshine of your royal countenance; so many, that my brother and I have waxed old in your service. And after this long time, sire, our hearts yearn for our native land, for those beloved ones of whom we have not heard a word ; and we would fain return, to tell Europe of the wonders of your vast realm, and the lofty virtues that dwell in your royal breast. Pray, your majesty, give us permission to go back IN AFRICA. 197 to Venice ; that is the petition we would lay at your feet." The khan at first frowned, and impatiently shook his head ; then smiled, and said : " Venetian, I cannot let you go. You are too useful to me. Whom could I send as an envoy to my remote provinces, if Marco were not here? Who could teach my people how to be Christians, if you departed ? No, no, stay in content, Vene- tians ; and whatever your present possessions may be, they shall be doubled from my treasure-house. Whatever you desire to make you rich, to give you pastime, to afford you ease and content in Cathay, shall be yours. Choose your dwelling, your horses, your servants, your guards, and they shall be granted to you. But think not of going hence ; it cannot be." Nicolo continued to plead with all the eloquence he could command ; but his prayers were quite in vain. The khan was good-naturedly deaf to his entreaties. He then tried another way of gaining his object. " Sire," said Nicolo, " Our good fortune here, and your bounteous favor, have made us bitter enemies among your barons and courtiers. They 198 MARCO POLO. are jealous to see the affection of their monarch bestowed upon foreigners ; and they hate to per- ceive all your most secret trusts and counsels confided to us, who are of strange birth and blood. Should we depart, these nobles would no longer entertain feelings so angry, and would once more gather, a united band, about your throne. For the sake, then, of peace in your court and palace, grant our prayer." The khan looked around among his courtiers with lowering and threatening brow. "Who dares," he cried, "to murmur at my sovereign will; who would forbid my choice of such counsellors as I please to have ? Point out, Venetian, the men of whom you speak !" " Sire, I see none among those who are present ; nor do I wish to breed further discontent and quarrels in your palace, by naming those who are jealous of us. But I assure you, there are such ; nor will they ever be at rest until we have for- ever set our faces towards the west." The khan, however, was obdurate; and although the Polos again and again besought him to let them go, he would not budge an inch from his resolution to keep them with him. There seemed IN AFRICA. 199 to be no help for them. The Polos could not hope to escape by stealth from Cathay ; for every high- road was guarded by faithful troops of the khan, and his couriers, with their relays of horses, could travel much more swiftly than they could hope to do. They once more reluctantly gave up the hope of returning home, and began to say to each other that, in all probability, they were destined never to set eyes on Venice more, but to live and die in Cathay. Marco resumed his idle life at court, find- ing a relief from its pleasures in writing out an ac- count of his travels. In the early summer, he went in the khan's innumerable train to the imperial hunting grounds in the north ; and as he had now become one of the most stalwart and skilful hunts- men of the court, he plunged with new ardor into the lusty sports of the forest and the jungle. Marco little thought as, the summer over, he was returning again, in the wake of the imperial caravanserai, to Kambalu, that events had hap- pened in his absence which would hasten the re- turn of himself, his father and his uncle to Venice ; and on arriving at the palace, was over- joyed to find that good fortune had suddenly opened a \vay for their final departure. 2OO MARCO POLO. CHAPTER XIV. HOMEWARD BOUND. JHILE the khan had been away with his court at the hunting grounds, three Per- sian ambassadors, with a gorgeous train, had arrived at Kambalu. Finding the khan away, they resolved to await his return, and were therefore sumptuously lodged in his palace. No sooner had the khan heard of their arrival, than he gave a splendid banquet in their honor ; and, having feasted on the bounteous good things that his stewards set before them, the ambassadors were summoned into the garden, where the khan reclined in the midst of his women, to inform him of the object of their visit. The three Polos, as usual, had their places near the monarch. They watched with no little interest the appearance of the Persians, and listened intently to what they had to say. HOMEWARD BOUND. 2OI The chief ambassador, making low salaams, ad- vanced to Kublai Khan, and kneeling at his feet, spoke : " Your majesty knows that our great sovereign, King Argon of Persia, married a lady of Cathay for his wife. With much grief I have to announce that the good Queen Bolgana is no more. She was a most gracious queen, beloved of all her lord's subjects ; and the king himself loved her most faithfully. When she died, with her last words she implored King Argon on no account to take to himself a Persian as his second wife, but to send hither for a maiden of her own family, and make this maiden her successor. King Argon paid heed to the dying prayer of the queen ; and hath, in compliance with it, sent us here to Cathay, to seek for a second wife." " You are very welcome, noble Persians," re- plied Kublai Khan, " and I shall give orders that you be entertained at my court, as long as you choose to tarry, in a manner befitting your rank and my love for King Argon, your master. You and your gallant company shall be lodged within my palace, and all things in it shall be at your service. Meanwhile, I will send messengers with- 2O2 MARCO POLO. out delay to the province whence Queen Argon came, and will demand of her family a maiden who shall return with you to Persia." The Persians then retired, and the khan and his courtiers resumed their recreations. The Polos soon made the acquaintance of these envoys of King Argon. Nicolo and Maffeo had twice travelled in Persia, and had already been received at the sovereign's court, and they well understood the native language of the envoys ; while the latter were delighted to find accomplished Euro- peans, with whom they could freely talk, and who were familiar with their own country. Marco busied himself with providing amusements for the Persians, and acted as their guide about the palace park and the city of Kambalu. Occasion- ally he went with them on hunting parties ; and soon became very intimate and confidential with them. He did not conceal from his new friends how long and eagerly he and his father had de- sired to return to Venice, and how resolutely Kublai Khan had forbidden them to think of doing so. The Persians sympathized with him in his longing, and encouraged him to hope that his deliverance might not be far off. But Marco HOMEWARD BOUND. 2O3 drew little comfort from their words, and did not once suspect that they would themselves be the means of opening the way to his return home. Kublai Khan was as good as his word to the Per- sian envoys. He lost no time in sending to the native province of Queen Bolgana to demand a new bride for the Persian monarch, giving orders that the youngest and fairest daughter of the family should be sent. In due time his messengers returned, and with them the newly destined bride. Marco was at the court when she entered the palace, and was brought into the presence of the khan and of the Persian ambassadors ; and, ac- customed as he was to the beauty of many of the Tartar ladies, he was amazed at the exceeding loveliness of this young girl, whose fate it was to be sent to a far-off strange land, and to become the wife of a king more than double her own age. She was very young and girlish, being scarcely seventeen ; her graceful and slender form was attired in robes of the richest silk. The khan presented her to the Persian envoys, who did not conceal their admiration of her beauty, and declared that she could not fail to greatly please their lord and master. 2O4 MARCO POLO. Preparations were now hastened for the de- parture of the embassy. Kublai Khan had re- solved that the bride should be attended with great state on her journey to her new home. He provided a brilliant escort of courtiers and guards, and selected some of the choicest gems and gold and silver ornaments that his treasure- houses provided, as presents for King Argon and his youthful bride. Upon the latter he showered necklaces, bracelets, and rings enough to dazzle even a queen ; and he also gave the ambassadors solid proofs of his esteem. The time had nearly arrived for their depart- ure, when, one day, the chief of the ambassadors sought an audience of the khan, and told him that he was about to ask a still greater favor than the khan had as yet conferred upon him. " At your majesty's court," said the Persian, " are three noble and learned Venetians, who have been here, as I learn, some seventeen years. Sire, they are most anxious to return to their own land. They have served you faithfully and they seek the reward of their fidelity in your gracious permission that they shall again behold the scenes of their youth. These Venetians have HOMEWARD BOUND. 20$ much knowledge of the Indian seas, by which we are about to return to Persia ; and we are bold enough to beg your majesty's leave to take them with us." Kublai Khan frowned, and at first seemed on the point of breaking out in a fit of passion ; but governing his temper, turned abruptly around, and said that he would think of the Persian's re- quest and give him his answer on the morrow. The next day he called the Persian to him and said: "The Venetians have attached themselves strongly to me, and have been, for many years, my wisest and most trusted counsellors. I am most loth to part with them. But I clearly see that they are fully resolved to go back to Venice, and that they cannot possibly reconcile them- selves to remaining in Cathay. I perceive that they have begged you Persians to intercede for them ; nor, methinks, will they leave any stone unturned to break away from me. I have there- fore resolved, at last, to grant your request, and to set them free to go back with you, if so it pleases them." The Persian bent low before the khan, in abject 2O6 MARCO POLO. token of his gratitude ; and then hastened off to impart his good news to Marco, who could scarcely believe that the obdurate khan had really yielded. He soon, however, received from the khan's own lips the assurance of the truth ; and his heart thrilled with joy to think that, after all, he would see dear old Venice once more. So it was decided that the Polos should go with the party of the young bride to Persia, and make their way from thence, as they could, to Europe. They soon made ready for the voyage (for the party were to travel by sea, the land journey being too long and too perilous for the frail young princess and her female companions); and the day quickly came for them to bid adieu to the good khan who had treated them so gener- ously, and to the host of Tartar friends whom they were about to leave forever. The khan had not only loaded down the Polos, the envoys and the princess with costly gifts, and provided them with a brilliant Tartar escort, but had caused thirteen of his largest and finest four- masted ships to be especially fitted up for their use, and to be manned by ample crews of from one to two hundred sailors each. Everything on these HOMEWARD BOUND. 2O7 ships was arranged for the luxury of the travellers. The furniture was elegant and comfortable, and the stock of provisions was choice and abundant. In all, the company that attended the party comprised, besides the sailors, six hundred per- sons. Just before they set out, Kublai Khan sum- moned the Polos before him, in the presence of the whole court ; and tenderly embracing each of them, with tears in his eyes, he handed Nicolo two golden tablets, which were to serve them as passports. On these tablets the khan had caused to be written his command to all his governors and subjects, not only to permit the Polos a safe passage, but to provide them with all things of which they might be in need. When the travellers repaired to the port where lay their ships, Kublai Khan, with a great multi- tude of courtiers and soldiers, proceeded with them some miles on the road, and parted from them with the warmest demonstrations of affection at a village where all halted for the leave-taking. The khan fairly wept as he em- braced Marco, who was his chief favorite ; while Marco himself was overcome with emotion at 2O8 MARCO POLO. separating from a monarch who had overwhelmed him with favor and kindness. The ambassadors, the princess and the Polos, having arrived at the port of embarkation, re- paired on board the flag-ship, in which they were all to sail together ; their escort and attendants entered the other ships ; and, while an enormous multitude roared its good-bye from the shore, the fleet set forth on its southward voyage. Marco had already traversed these Eastern seas, and was quite familiar with the various islands and headlands as they were passed. He took command of the fleet, and under his direc- tions the ships sailed by the nearest route into the Australian waters. They did not deem it wise or necessary to put in at any of the islands, as they had already on board provisions and water enough to last them two years, and it was needless to risk an attack from the savage inhabitants. It took the fleet fully three months to reach the long and lovely island of Sumatra. On the voy- age, Marco greatly enjoyed the companionship of the three Persians, who were men of high birth and remarkable intelligence. On making the acquaintance of the young princess, (whose HOMEWARD BOUND. 209 name was Cocachin), he found her as lively and amiable as she was lovely in face and person. She was soon able to converse with her protectors, and spent much of her time on deck, gazing amazed at the myriad wonders of the sea, which she had never before beheld. At first she had been homesick, and melancholy ; but the excite- ments of the voyage had restored the rosy color to her cheeks, and gayety to her heart. After staying a short while at Sumatra, the ships resumed their voyage, their stores replen- ished, and their company refreshed by the brief sojourn on land. Sailing southwestward, they skirted the coast of India as far as Ceylon ; and then, turning their prows northwestward, traversed the Indian ocean, thus in due time reaching the Persian Gulf. By the time they reached the port of Hormuz, however, they had been more than two years away from Kambalu, during which period they had only landed once, at Sumatra. Two of the Persian envoys had died on the voyage. The brilliant company landed on Persian soil with great pomp and display, for they were escorting the future queen of the country, and 2IO MARCO POLO. the envoy who survived deemed that she should make her first appearance among her future sub- jects in all proper state. But no sooner had they landed than they learned that the good King Argon had in their absence followed his first queen to the grave. The country was in a state of civil war, and the young Princess Cocachin had arrived to find herself widowed before she was a wife. The party lost no time in repairing to the prince who was then ruling in Southern Persia, Kiacatu, the brother of Argon ; to whom they presented their lovely charge. But Kiacatu, though engaged in a struggle with King Argon's son, Casan, for the crown, was too honorable to detain the young girl ; and directed her escort to proceed with her to Casan's camp in the north, providing the party with two hundred horsemen to protect them. Marco now found himself traversing the same road as that by which he had travelled to Cathay. Many objects were familiar to him as he ad- vanced ; and now and then, on stopping at a town or village, he found old men who remem- bered his journey more than twenty years before. HOMEWARD BOUND. 211 It was a long jaunt from Hormuz to Khorassan, where the young King Casan was posted with his army ; and their progress was often interrupted by the operations of war. But everywhere the soldiers and the people respected the cavalcade, on account of the fair young princess whom they were conducting to the northern camp. Marco always rode at her side, with the ambassador; and had she not been of rank so much above his own, and the destined bride of another, he might easily have fallen head over ears in love with her. As it was, she became very much attached to her handsome and sturdy cavalier; and looked forward with real sorrow to parting from him. It was towards evening that the company ap- proached the camp of the gallant young prince who was fighting for the crown which was his due. The tents were spread over a wide space in a beautiful valley, watered by a swiftly-flowing stream ; and from a hill top Marco surveyed the bustling scene. The soldiers were loitering about their tents in groups ; and above the tents floated the banners of the royal house of Persia. In their centre was a lofty and handsome pa- 212 MARCO POLO. vilion ; and this the travellers rightly guessed to be the headquarters of the prince himself. With the passports they had, it was no difficult matter to penetrate the out-posts, and advance to the royal pavilion. On reaching it, the prin- cess, ambassador, and three Polos dismounted and approached the door. Presently Prince Casan, apprized of the arrival of the party, emerged from the pavilion. He was a fine- looking young man, tall and straight, with broad shoulders, a fresh rosy complexion, and a soft brown beard. He was splendidly dressed in silk and jewels, and altogether presented a noble and attractive appearance. He stepped forward and welcomed the party to his camp. Then the ambassador, standing with bowed head, informed Casan that this was the young princess of Cathay, whom his father Argon had sent for, in order to make her his wife. But now that Argon was dead, he knew nothing else to do with her, than to bring her to Argon's son and heir, Casan himself. The prince was already glancing with tender eyes at the lovely young maiden ; and no sooner had the ambassador done speaking than he exclaimed : " You have done well, my lord. HOMEWARD BOUND. 213 The fair princess shall receive all honor and pro- tection from me. Nay, I am happily still un- married ; and the bride whom my august father destined as his queen, I will receive as mine." So saying, he took the blushing Cocachin by the hand and led her to a tent near by, sending her women after her to keep her company. It may well be believed that she did not much regret, after all, finding that her destined spouse was no more ; for he was an old man, and now she was to be married to one as young, handsome, and powerful as the proudest princess could wish. Meanwhile, Casan busied himself with offering such hospitalities as his camp afforded to his visitors. The ambassador and the Polos were provided with luxurious tents, and at night were feasted by the prince to their hearts' content ; and the next day a great review of the troops was held, at which they rode beside the prince himself. Eager as Marco was to see Venice once more, it was with much reluctance and sorrow that he parted from the good friends with whom he had travelled so far, and whose friendship he had so 214 MARCO POLO. keenly enjoyed. The Polos resolved to tarry at the camp at least until Casan and Cocachin were married, after which event they would hasten towards home. The more Casan saw of the young girl, the fonder he grew of her; and he soon became impatient to be wedded to her as soon as possible. Cocachin was nothing loth ; and so within a week of her arrival in the camp, they were duly married according to the rites of the faith to which they belonged. The next day, the Polos prepared to set out for Trebizond, which was the nearest port where they could hope to find a ship to take them to Constantinople, from whence their way home would be easy. When the moment for bidding farewell came, Marco could not restrain his tears. He warmly embraced his Persian friends, and kneeling at the feet of the Princess Cocachin, fervidly kissed her hand. She, also, was much touched at parting from so good and faithful a friend, and tears of regret coursed down her cheeks. The Polos here bade good-bye also to the larger part of the escort who had accompanied them on their travels, and only took with them a HOMEWARD BOUND. few guides and attendants, and a body of Persian cavalry, whom Prince Casan detailed to guard them as far as Trebizond. They then set out, followed by the friendly cries of the Persian soldiers. 210 MARCO POLO. CHAPTER XV. A STRANGE WELCOME. f ARCO and his party reached Trebizond in safety, having crossed the Armenian mountains, and seen with great interest still another phase of Oriental life. Trebizond was then a very thriving port of the Black Sea, and Marco was delighted when his eyes greeted, among the crowded shipping in the harbor, several vessels from which floated the once so familiar Venetian flag. There were also Cossack, Circassian, Greek and Moorish vessels, each with its peculiar and striking characteristics. It was not long before an opportunity occurred of procuring a passage across the Black Sea to Constantinople ; and the weary travellers, worn and bronzed by long wanderings, at last found themselves snugly ensconced in a European cabin. The passage across the Black Sea was a A STRANGE WELCOME. 217 rapid and pleasant one. Soft winds blew, and the sky remained serene throughout the voyage. Yet it seemed a long voyage to Marco, who, now that he once more found himself among Euro- peans, was doubly eager to reach home. One morning he awoke to find the vessel enter- ing the narrow strait of the Bosphorus, its high banks on either side crowned with fortresses, and with the stately residences of the Greek nobles who chose to live near the metropolis of the em- pire. A brief sail brought them within sight of the domes and minarets of Constantinople itself ; and soon Marco once more put foot upon dry land, and was threading the narrow winding streets of the famous city. The stay of the Polos at Constantinople was not a long one. Nicolo had some business to transact with Levantine merchants, whose large warehouses stood upon the quay, and who only recognized their old acquaintance with difficulty, so entirely had he changed during his twenty years' residence at Cathay. Happily, there were Venetian galleys in port ; and on one of these, bound for home, the party was able to procure a passage. Setting sail once more, they swiftlv 2l8 MARCO POLO. sped through the picturesque Sea of Marmora and then entered the channel of the Hellespont, of which Marco had read much in his ancient his- tories. From the Hellespont they issued into the ^Egean Sea, and were now full on the way to Venice. The galley stopped at several Greek ports on the way ; and Marco had an opportunity which he eagerly seized, to observe the monu- ments and traits of that noble race, which had now reached its period of rapid decline. Ere many days had passed, Marco found him- self sailing up the Adriatic, and so vivid had been his first impressions of his outward voyage, that at twenty years' distance he easily recognized many of the objects he espied along the shores. The weather continued propitious from the time they left Constantinople ; it seemed as if the elements were giving the travellers a smiling and sunny welcome back to Europe again. It was late in the afternoon of a mellow autumn day, that, far off in the northern haze, Marco saw dimly rising from the waters the well- known domes and palaces of his beloved Venice. He could with difficulty contain himself for joy. He could scarcely speak, so deep were his A STRANGE WELCOME. emotions at beholding the longed-for sight. The three travellers stood on the deck of the galley, and, shading their eyes from the sun's rays with their hands, strained their eyes towards their native city. Nearer and nearer they approached it ; each object became every moment more distinct. The big dome of St. Mark's, the column of the lion, the spires of many churches, the broad, ornate facade of the doge's palace, came, one by one, into view ; and now gondolas began to appear, gliding swiftly and noiselessly in every direction across the glassy bay. Then the mouth of the Grand Canal, flanked on either side by its palaces and churches, was easily recognized ; and, before the Polos had done pointing out to each other, with eager delight, the familiar points, they found the galley drawing up to the quay. It was soon moored, and the Polos tremblingly prepared to disembark. What had become of all their relatives and friends, whom they had left behind so many years before? It could not be but they would find many of them dead, and it was certain that all would have, like themselves, greatly changed. 22O MARCO POLO. To land once more at Venice, therefore, after such an absence, was to encounter pain, and to exist for a time in feverish suspense. The galley in which they had come was to re- main at Venice for some time ; and the three travellers left such baggage as they had brought with them from the east on board of her, while they landed and visited home once more. It happened that all three of the Polos wore the rough travelling costumes which they brought from Cathay. Their clothes were not only rough and shabby, but were of Tartar make; so that they looked much more like Tartars than Ven- etians. The two elders wore long pointed caps of fur, and coats that fell to the ground. About their waists were belts, from which hung yata- ghans and scimitars such as those used by Tartar soldiers. Marco had a flat fur cap, with a long tas- sel ; very much such a head-gear as some Chinese mandarins wear at the present day. Maffeo Polo led with him, by a stout chain, a great shaggy dog that he had brought with him from Tartary. All three, moreover, were very dark, their skins vi-:;* been tanned almost to the color of their A STRANGE WELCOME. 221 Tartar friends, by long residence in a tropical clime, and long journeyings through rude and difficult lands. They wore long, shaggy, beards, those of Maffeo and Nicolo being quite gray ; and their hair fell in tangled mats down over their shoulders. On their feet were the short, thick shoes, turned up at the ends, which every one wore in Cathay. They thus presented, as they tramped across the square of Saint Mark, a very strange and striking appearance to the good folk of Venice whom they met ; and many turned around and stared after them with no little astonishment. Not far from the square, they took a gondola, and, as well as they could, directed the gondolier to row them to Nicolo's house. They found that, in so long an absence, they had actually almost forgotten their native tongue. It was as much as they could do to make the gondolier understand them ; they had to stop, and scratch their heads, and search their memories, for the simplest word ; for they had got accustomed at the khan's court, to talk with each other, as well as with the Tartars, in the Tartar language, and had long ceased to speak Italian altogether. 222 MARCO POLO. The street of San Giovanni Chrysostomo, on which stood the home of the Polos, was not far dis- tant from the Square of St. Mark ; and the swift gondola soon brought them to the broad flight of steps which led up to it. Marco felt a curious emotion at finding himself once more speeding across the canals in one of the boats familiar to his youth ; while Nicolo and Maffeo could not but call to mind their former return from Cathay. Everything in the street where their home stood looked much as they remembered it. Neither fire nor improvements had done away with any of the neighboring buildings. There were the same stair-ways, the same ornamental portals, the same snug balconies, the same pretty cupolas, the same air of indolent quiet and re- pose, which they so well remembered. There, too, stood the old home, as stately and silent as of old, with the dainty carving around the arch of the door, the same handsome cross set in the wall just above it, and the same coat-of-arms, with its bars and initials, on the wall at the side. It looked just as if everything had gone on as usual for twenty years ; as if it were but the other day that the travellers had set out from A STRANGE WELCOME. 223 that spot, followed by the tearful farewells of their families and friends. No sooner had they landed and advanced to- ward the door, than a group of curious neighbors, mostly women and children, gathered closely around them, staring at them with all their might. Such strange, uncouth figures, surely, they had never seen; nor could those good people imagine what the foreign looking men were doing at the door of the big Polo house. Marco knocked loudly upon the portal. At first, no response came to his summons ; but pres- ently several women leaned out of the windows above, glared at the strangers, and somewhat curtly demanded what they wanted. They were evidently taken for foreign vagabonds and tramps ; their rough, shabby coats, and bronzed and bearded faces, confirmed this idea. Nor were the suspicions of the women at the windows diminished when Marco tried in vain so hard did he find it to speak his native tongue to explain who they were, and what they were there for. At last, however, the people consented to open the door, and admit the three men into the courtyard, where the entire household gathered 224 MARCO POLO. around them. Marco addressed himself to the butler, a stout, pompous person, who had entered the family service long after the departure of the travellers ; and at last made him understand that they were really Nicolo, Maffeo and Marco Polo. The butler stared at him as if he did not believe a word he said ; and then called two old women who were in the group to come forth and see if they could recognize the strangers. The old dames placed ther hands on their hips, stooped down, and narrowly scanned the countenances of all three. " Pooh, pooh," exclaimed one of them, in a shrill voice, " We know you not. You are a set of impostors." " Besides/' added the other, " Messer Nicolo and Messer Marco are dead long ago. It is years since we heard that they were killed by a band of robbers, away off there in the East." By this time a crowd of neighbors had pene- trated the court-yard, and were gathered in a close group about the travellers. Among them were several old men and women, who had seen the Polos before they went to Cathay. To these the butler appealed ; but one and all shook their A STRANGE WELCOME. 22$ heads. Stare as hard as they might, no one could recognize their old acquaintances in these rugged features. "But where is Messer Marco the elder?" Nicolo asked, anxiously, in broken Italian, look- ing about him. " And young Maffeo, the son of Nicolo ?" " Messer Maffeo," responded the butler, pomp- ously, " is away in the country, on a hunt. Messer Marco is dead long ago." " Alas, poor Marco !" exclaimed Nicolo, with a deep sigh. Then, turning to the group, he added, " Very well, good friends, since you deny me in my own house, and my son is at a distance, we will repair to an inn, and await an op- portunity to prove to all that we arc the persons we represent ourselves to be." With this Nicolo walked out of the court-yard of his own house, followed by Maffeo and Marco, and all three betook themselves to an inn not far distant. The rumor of the arrival of the three strangers was soon spread through the neighborhood and the city; and a large number of their old friends and acquaintances came 1 > see them at 226 MARCO POLO. the inn. But, though there were some who thought they saw a dim likeness in the strangers' faces to the old friends they asserted themselves to be, nearly all denied that they perceived the least likeness whatever. Besides, the fact that the Polos were so shabby, and looked and appeared so destitute, gave a general impression that they were impudent pretenders, who were trying, by this device, to obtain the Polo property. The affair was getting to be serious ; for some time must elapse before young Maffeo and other relatives at a distance could be apprized of their arrival, and return to recognize and welcome them. At last Nicolo hit upon a plan by which he thought they would be able to prove their iden- tity, and win the recognition of all ; and without delay the three set about putting the plan into execution. They sent forth and invited all the old friends and acquaintances whom they could find to be living, and in Venice, to meet them at a grand banquet at Nicolo's house on a certain evening ; and so earnest were they in asserting their ability to prove themselves what they claimed, that A STRANGE WELCOME. those left in charge of the house reluctantly con- sented that the banquet should be held there. They did not believe there would be any banquet at all, and suspected that before the appointed time, the strange men would slip away from the city, and be well rid of. The night of the banquet, warm and serene, came ; and about an hour before the guests were expected to arrive, the three Polos came to the house accompanied by porters bearing large boxes, and asked to have an apartment set aside for them, where they might make their toilet for the festivity. This request was grudgingly granted to them, and they entered the room where their boxes had been deposited and locked themselves in. The banquet was prepared with great splendor and expense ; and in due time the invited friends began to flock in, and gazed with astonishment at the bounteous feast that was spread in the great hall. They assembled in a large apartment just beyond, and there awaited the entrance of their singular hosts. They had not long to wait ; for in a few mo- ments the doors of the apartment were thrown 225 MARCO POLO. open, and the three men entered. As soon as they appeared, there was a general exclamation of surprise and admiration. No longer attired in the uncouth costume of Tartars, no longer shaggy of hair and ragged of aspect, the three Polos pre- sented themselves in gorgeous robes of crimson satin, that reached to the floor. Their hair and beards had been cut to the prevailing fashion in Venice; and on their necks and fingers sparkled jewels of dazzling brightness and enormous size. The guests gathered around them, and some cried out at once that they recognized the strangers as the three Polos who had been supposed to be long ago dead. Others hung back, and still sus- pected that the company were being made the victims of a trick. With graceful courtesy, however, the Polos con- ducted their guests to the groaning tables, and the feasting began. They talked to those who sat next to them in a free, easy strain, and with a manner as if they were the undoubted lords of the house. After the first course, the three Polos rose from the table, and, while the company mois- tened their hands a custom practised in Venice after each course retired to their apartment. A STRANGE WELCOME. 22Q By the time the second course was served, they had reappeared, this time in fresh and still more brilliant costumes of crimson damask, with new bracelets and rings on their necks and fingers. Behind them came attendants, bearing the satin robes they had just taken off; and these they ordered to be cut up on the spot, and divided among the servants. They then resumed their seats, and once more made merry with their guests. In due time all the courses had been served, and the company had grown gay and boisterous with the meat and wine. The cloth was removed and the servants were ordered to leave the banqueting room ; and then Marco rose, and turn- ing to the guests, said, " My friends, you have doubted that we are the Polos, and have denied us with much scorn and scoffing. You did this because, when we arrived from our long journey, our hair and beards were long and straggling, our faces scarred and sun- burnt ; and also because, ragged and miserable as we looked, you took us to be poor, scheming beggars. Now you see us trim and kempt, and some of you recognize in our faces, thus restored, s .-nothing of the Polo look. It still remains to 23O MARCO POLO. prove to you that we are not beggars, forced by want to make false pretensions to a name that is not ours." So saying, he strode through the room, and for a moment disappeared. He soon returned, bringing on his arm the shabby Tartar coats in which they had made their appearance in Venice. Laying them upon the table, while the guests gathered curiously around him, Marco began to rip open the seams of the rough coats. Presently out from between the seams rolled a great num- ber of large and beautiful diamonds and emeralds, pearls, torquoises, rubies and sapphires ! Seam after seam was torn open, and more and more jewels fell upon the table ; until there was a pile of them equal in value to a very considerable fortune. "You see, my good friends," said Marco, " that we have not returned from Cathay quite penniless. Before leaving the court of the great khan, we turned all our property into these jewels, which might be easily carried ; and in order both to carry and to conceal them safely, we had them sewed up as you see, in these rude garments." A STRANGE WELCOME. 23! The company could no longer doubt that the three men before them were really the long-ab- sent Polos; and one and all crowded around them, eager to be forgiven for having at first denied them. Ere many days had passed, young Maffeo, hearing of the return of his relatives, reached home, and was locked in the embrace of his father and brother ; and now the wanderers heard the news of all that had happened during their ab- sence of nearly a quarter of a century. The elder Maffeo's wife had also died, and this intelli- gence for a while filled him with grief: but happily his children still lived, though they had grown up, and were scattered in different parts of Italy. The Polos were soon cozily settled once more in their old home ; and enjoyed, it may well be believed, the rest and luxury which it afforded after their weary travels. 232 MARCO POLO. CHAPTER XVI. MARCO POLO GOES TO THE WARS. |T the time of his return to Venice, Marco Polo was forty-one years of age, and in the full vigor and prime of life. His wander- ings and rough career had given him a powerful frame, and great bodily strength, and had im- planted in him a taste for adventure and action which ill-suited him for the tranquillity of city and commercial life. No sooner had his identity been fully recog- nized, than all Venice hastened to do him, as well as his father and uncle, all honor. Every day their house was thronged by nobles and great ladies, by hosts of old friends and new, anxious to pay their homage to the heroic travellers. An office of high rank was conferred on the elder Maffeo ; Nicolo became one of the chief gentle- men of the doge's court; and Marco was over- MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 233 whelmed with favors, honors and attentions by the ruler of Venice. Fetes were given in celebra- tion of their happy return ; and it was with diffi- culty that they could escape the profuse atten, tions which were showered upon them. Marco became a special hero and favorite with the young Venetians, who vied with each other in seeking his friendship and companionship. Scarcely a day passed that Marco did not receive, at his father's house, a company of young men, who sat eagerly listening to the wonderful stories he had to tell them of the East. They plied him with a multitude of questions about Cathay and the great khan, and he pleased thorn all by the willingness and pleasant manner with which he replied to every one. It happened that Marco, in describing the mag- nificence of Kublai Khan's palace and court, un- consciously gave the name to his house, by which it was long after known. He constantly repeated the word " millions" in speaking of the khan's treasure and possessions. The khan had, he said, millions of money, millions of subjects, mil- lions of jewels, and so on ; so that the young men laughingly called him " Messer Marco Millions ;* 234 MARCO POLO. and from this the Polo house became known as the " Court of the Millions." When the excitement and rejoicings attending their return home were over, Marco looked about him to see what he could do with himself. After such a life as his had been, he did not look fon- ward with pleasure to a career of mere indolence. Amply rich by reason of the treasures he had brought with him from Cathay, he was not compelled to contemplate entering into business. He desired some active, and if possible, adven- turous occupation. Meanwhile, he now bethought him of a desire he had long had, to take to him- self a life partner, in the person of some young and noble-born Venetian lady. Before leaving Cathay, he had told his father that, on their re- turn, he would marry, and thus perpetuate the name and wealth of the family ; and now seemed a favorable time to put this design into execution. He began to look about him with a view to selecting some fair companion. There were many beauties at the Venetian court, and a man of Marco's handsome, manly appearance and great fame might be sure of a favorable hearing, to MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 235 whichever of them he chose to address himself. But before he had been able to make his choice amid such a bevy of pretty women, an event occurred which drew him away, for a time, from all thoughts of marriage. During the year before the return of the Polos from the East, a fierce war had broken out between Venice and her ancient and bitter rival, the city of Genoa. These two cities, both boasting of a most thriving commerce, and both powerful and warlike, had long contested with each other the supremacy of the seas. Nearly a hundred years before, Venice had performed the feat of capturing Constanti- nople, and had thus won the alliance of the Eastern Roman Empire. After that period, both Venice and Genoa had established many colonies in the Levant, on the shores of Asia Minor and Greece, and on the islands that dotted the JEgean. Fifty years after the taking of Con- stantinople by Venice, a fierce war had broken out between her and Genoa, in Asia Minor, re- sulting in a brilliant triumph by Venice. Then came a time when Genoa in turn was victorious, and drove her rival from many places which Venice had taken from. her. 236 MARCO POLO. The new war, begun in 1294, when Marco and his party were sailing on the Indian ocean, home- ward bound, had at first been favorable to the Genoese, who had defeated the Venetians in a great sea battle off the coast of Palestine, taking almost their entire fleet ; and this war was still going on when Marco returned to Venice. News had now come that the Genoese had fitted out a formidable squadron, and were re- solved to attack the proud old city of Venice itself. They had won so many victories, that they arrogantly believed that, by a great effort, they might capture even the famed capital of the doges The news of this approaching peril filled Venice with excitement and fury. The haughty Ven- etians were beside themselves with rage to think that so audacious a plan should bethought of by their ancient foes ; and every preparation was made in all haste to give them a hot reception. The doge called upon every Venetian cavalier to aid in saving their beloved city from a crowning disgrace ; and his call was promptly obeyed by all the flower of Venetian chivalry. Marco Polo's heart was fired with patriotic ardor among the foremost. He saw with delight a chance to return MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 237 to a life of action and peril, and to win new laurels by his prowess ; and he was one of the first to offer his sword and his life to the doge. No sooner had he done so, than he was appointed to the command of one of the galleys in the fleet which was being rapidly prepared to resist that of the Genoese. The enemy's expedition, comprising nearly one hundred war galleys, was commanded by a famous admiral, named Doria. Soon the news reached Venice that this fleet had assembled at the Gulf of Spezia, near Genoa, and had thence set sail around the Italian peninsula for the Adriatic. Then couriers arrived with the startling intelli- gence that the Genoese galleys were actually in the Adriatic, and were rapidly approaching Venice itself. But at this moment the elements served as the ally of the Venetians. A furious storm of wind and rain broke over the Genoese fleet ; Doria hastened to put into a port on the Dalmatian coast, with such galleys as he could gather ; while some sixteen of his galleys were swept far away from him by the tempest. When the storm abated, Doria was forced to 238 MARCO POLO. pursue his design with about eighty galleys. After ravaging the Dalmatian coast, the greater part of which belonged to Venice, the Genoese advanced to the island of Curzola, the same that the ancient Greeks called Corcyra. Here he put in at the harbor of the chief town, which, as it belonged to the Venetians, Doria ruthlessly sacked and burned. All these events were learned by the doge soon after they had occurred ; and now a Venetian fleet had been collected, comprising ninety-five galleys, and put under the command of a veteran sea-warrior named Dandolo. The Genoese fleet were riding confidently at anchor in the bay of Curzola, when, one hazy afternoon in early September, they perceived the Venetian galleys in close ranks, approaching from the southern side of the island. They came to anchor in sight of the Genoese, and the sun went down upon the two fleets confronting each other, and only waiting for the morning light to engage in a deadly conflict. Both sides were very sure of victory. After the night had fallen Doria, the Genoese admiral, called a council of war, and put the question whether they should attack the enemy in the MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 239 morning, or stand on the defensive and await his assault where they were. It was decided to at- tack. At the same time the Venetian commander, Dandolo, was so confident of beating the Genoese, that he was sending out boats to watch that the Genoese did not sneak away under cover of night. Marco Polo was in command of his galley in Dandolo's fleet ; and no warrior in it was more passionately eager than he for the fray. The sun rose bright and clear on the next morning, which was a Sunday. From earliest dawn the greatest activity prevailed in both fleets. The long galleys, with their multitudes of slim oars, their many flags flying and flutter- ing in the fresh breeze, their warriors, with shield, sword and lance, crowded not only on the deck, but on platforms raised above it, and in basket- like boxes hoisted nearly to the tops of the masts, their trumpeters blowing martial blasts in raised enclosures near the stern, their captains shouting hoarsely the words of command, pre- sented a gay and bold appearance as they ad- vanced to meet the foe. Marco's galley was one of the largest and best-manned in Dandolo's 24O MARCO POLO. fleet ; and as the vessels sped forward, was one of those which led the way. The Genoese had resolved to make the attack ; but to their surprise, the Venetians appeared coming down upon them the first thing in the morning. The Venetian galleys had full sail on, for the wind was in their favor. On the other hand, as they were proceeding eastward, the sun shone directly in their eyes. The air was filled with the noise of their trumpets and the shout- ing of the warriors; and there was a moment when Doria, seeing his enemy's brave array and bold advance, trembled lest they should overcome him. The first shock of the battle seemed to give reason to his fears. The Venetian galleys came on with an impetuous rush, and plunged pellmell among those of Genoa. Before Doria was able to make a single stroke, no less than ten of his galleys had been captured and sunk, Marco Polo having been one of the capturers. But the Vene- tians had advanced too nmiclly, as the event soon showed; for scarcely had Dandolo heard with joy of the taking of the ten galleys, when word came to him that several of his own boats had MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 24! run aground. This was a great misfortune. It was soon to be followed by the capture of one oi his largest galleys, the soldiers in which werd thrown by the Genoese into the water ; and the galley itself was turned against Dandolo. The tide of battle, raging fiercely, had seemed at first to run decidely in favor of the Venetians. But now it turned. The Venetians became confused and desperate by these mishaps ; while the Genoese were filled with new hope and courage. Never, theless, the conflict went on desperately for hours, victory inclining now to one side and now to the other. Marco, with his galley, fought like a lion. He stood on a platform above his men, and kept encouraging them by his shouts and his own example. Every now and then, fired by the ex- citement of the fray, he would descend from the platform, and drawing his long sword, would rush into the midst, and rain sturdy blows upon the heads of the Genoese in reach of it. The contest had gone on till the sun was far in the west, when the Genoese fleet, rallying to- gether for a desperate rush, formed a close rank of galleys, and plunged straight down upon 242 MARCO POLO. Dandolo's boats. So impetuous was the assault that it scattered the Venetian galleys right and left. At this critical moment, an event occurred that completed the defeat and destruction of the brave Venetians. Sixteen Genoese galleys, which had been driven away from the rest of the Genoese fleet, in the storm which had assailed it on entering the Adriatic, now came up, and fell upon the Venetian vessels with crushing force. This decided the battle. Venetian galleys, one after another, were sunk or captured, the men resisting heroically to the last ; until nearly every galley which still floated fell into the hands of the victorious Genoese. A few escaped, and made all sail for Venice ; but among the captive vessels was the admiral's ship, in which Dandolo himself was taken. One of the very last galleys to yield to the conqueror was that of Marco Polo. He contested every inch with the foe, and it was only after his masts had gone, his men had been dreadfully thinned out, and all the other Venetian galleys around him had fallen into the hands of the Genoese, that he sadly surrendered and shared the humiliating fate of his brave commander MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 243 1 .e prisoners were all taken into port, where the} were forced to witness the exultant re- joicing of their enemies. The commanders of the captured galleys were confined in a house to- gether, and Marco found himself in company with Dandolo. The Venetian admiral was over- whelmed with grief at his defeat. In spite of the entreaties of his guard and of Marco himself, Dandolo utterly refused to take any food ; and one day, in utter despair, he threw himself down, violently struck his head against a bench, and thus killed himself. He preferred to die thus, rather than be carried a prisoner to hated Genoa. Doria heard with grief of the violent death of his gallant enemy, and ordered that Dandolo's body should be embalmed and carried to Genoa, where a funeral worthy of his fame should be given him. Having rested his army and repaired his galleys, Doria, ordering his prisoners to be chained and put on board, set sail for his own city. This was a dreary moment, indeed, for Marco ; a sad ending to his ambition for military glory. Instead of returning home bearing the honors of his prowess, he was a captive, loaded with chains, 244 MARCO POLO. and on the way to prison in a strange and hostile country. Here was a sorrowful termination to his plans of marriage, and his hope of sitting in the midst of a family of blooming children. In- stead of his luxurious home in the Court of the Millions, a bare dark cell was destined to be his lot. But he bore up bravely in the midst of his misfortunes. His nature was so cheerful a one, that instead of brooding, he tried to encourage and enliven his fellow prisoners; and won the liking of the Genoese soldiers whose duty it was to guard and serve him. In due time the victorious fleet reached Genoa, and was received with the wildest demonstrations of delight. The ships in the beautiful bay dis- played their flags and banners ; the great nobles vied with each other in paying honor to Doria ; and a splendid funeral was awarded to the dead Venetian admiral. The prisoners, still in chains, were marched through the streets, bounded on either side by stately palaces, and were jeered at by the multitude as they passed along. Finally, to Marco's great relief, they reached a massive and gloomy edifice, not far from the quays, into which they were taken, and distributed in narrow cells. MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 245 For some time, at first, Marco feared that his captors had doomed him to all the horrors of soli- tary imprisonment. He was aghast at the ida of spending months, perhaps years, shut up in darkness and dampness, utterly alone, with no companion, however humble, to share his solitude. He was greatly relieved, therefore, when one day after he had been in prison about a week, the governor of the jail entered his cell, followed by a grave, scholarly- looking man, to whom the governor introduced Marco as his future prison- mate. As soon as the governor had retired, Marco rushed forward and grasped the new-comer by the hand, eagerly asking him who he was and whence he came. " I am Rustician, a gentleman of Pisa," replied the stranger; "and was taken prisoner by the Genoese several years ago. Ever since, I have languished in one prison or another; but now, since such large numbers of you Venetians have been taken, the prisons of Genoa are full, and they are obliged to put two men in each cell. And who, pray, are you ?" Marco told the Pisan who he was, and gave him 246 MARCO POLO. a full account of his wanderings ; and speedily they found themselves fast friends. The Pisan proved to be a scholar and writer of rare accomplishments, and he, in turn, was delighted to find, in his fellow-prisoner, a man who had seen so much of a continent almost wholly unknown to Europeans. The companion- ship of Rustician, indeed, made Marco's prison life almost cheerful. They talked to each other by the hour, Marco listening to Rustician's learned conversation, and Rustician eagerly ab- sorbing Marco's stories of the marvels of the East. Meanwhile, the severity of their prison life was gradually relaxed, until at last they were allowed comfortable couches to sleep on, and an abun- dance of palatable food at their daily meals. The prison was a large one, and contained several hundred prisoners; these were for the most part Venetians who, like Marco, had been taken in the battle of Curzola. After a time, the prisoners were allowed to see and talk with each other at certain hours of the day ; a permission of which Marco eagerly availed himself. He found many of his friends among the prisoners, as well as a number of the men who had served on board MARCO GOES TO THE WARS. 247 his own galley. Among other privileges which were now allowed the captives, were those of having books and writing materials in their cells, and of writing to and receiving letters from their friends at home ; and Marco took good care to send his father a full account of all that happened to him in prison. But his chief pleasure was to talk with his room- mate, the gentle and learned Rustician. They had speedily become close and loving friends ; and Rustician, as soon as they were allowed pen and ink, bethought him of a way to pass the weary hours, for which the world owes him a deep debt of gratitude. He proposed to Marco that he should sit down day after day, and relate, in due order, all his travels and what befel him in the East, describing the countries and peoples he had seen, and the many adventures which had hap- pened to him ; while Rustician himself, sitting at the little prison table, should carefully write off Marco's thrilling story. To this Marco readily consented ; and the next day the two captives set to work upon their new labor in good earnest 248 MARCO POLO. CHAPTER XVII. MARCO POLO A PRISONER. POLO had accepted Rusticiano's proposition, to dictate to him an account of his travels, with pleasure. It afforded a grateful relief from the monotony of prison life; and, besides, Marco well knew that the wonderful narrative would perpetuate his fame long after he himself was dead. We may picture to ourselves the two men, seated on the rude chairs of their cell ; Marco leaning against the wall, and leisurely recount- ing his adventures, while the grave Rusticiano slowly wrote at the table. Sometimes the scholar would stop, and look at Marco with in- credulous amazement, as he related some story that seemed to Rusticiano beyond belief; but Marco would nod his head emphatically, and assert that what he told was not half the truth. MARCO A PRISONER. 249 Then Rusticiano would quietly shrug his shoulders, and go on writing. Thus sped quickly the hours, days, and weeks. The imprisonment of both seemed the shorter for this pleasant labor ; and Rusticiano was very careful, when the day's work was over, to deposit the precious manuscript where it would be safe. Meanwhile, the rules of the prison were gradually relaxed in Marco's favor. He was allowed to roam about the gloomy old edifice pretty much as he pleased, and to take ample exercise in the courtyard. Gradually it became known in Genoa and the country round about, that a famous Venetian traveller occupied the prison, and then Marco began to receive many visits from the principal personages of the city. Crowds gathered at the prison gate to catch a glimpse of him ; dames of noble rank sent him presents of books and rare wines. The carriages of noblemen jostled each other at the prison gates, as their occupants waited for an oppor- tunity of talking with the traveller. The governor of the prison invited Marco and his companion Rusticiano, to dine at IMS t.ible; and finally, they were transferred to another c?!l which was 1 25O MARCO POLO. well lighted and ventilated, and handsomely and luxuriously furnished ; while the food placed before them was as rich and various as that supplied to a nobleman's family. The prisoners now lived in the greatest com, fort. The walls were lined with book shelves; they slept on soft couches at night ; and, had it not been for the heavy bars across the windows, they would have scarcely known that they were prisoners at all. Every day their apartment for it could no longer be called a cell was thronged with visitors ; and every little while Marco gave dinners and suppers to his visitors, and made very merry with them. Months thus passed, not wholly without their pleasures and consolations. But Marco often grieved at his situation, and be- came impatient to regain his freedom. It seemed cruel that, no sooner had he found himself at home after his long sojourn in the east, he should have been captured and doomed to suffer exile and the grim slavery of dungeon walls. He longed to breathe once more the free air of Venice, to settle down among his kindred, and to reap the reward of all his toils, in the establishment of a family and the enjoyment of his well-earned MARCO A PRISONER. 25! riches. Yet there seemed no prospect of his captivity coming to an end. He knew that Venetians were often kept prisoners at Genoa for many years, and he saw no reason to hope that he would be set at liberty sooner than the rest. One day, after he had been at Genoa about five months, Marco was sitting at his table with Rusticiano, reading, when the door of his room was thrown open, and two men entered. At first Marco did not recognize them ; but when one of them advanced, and took off his cap, he saw that it was his father, Nicolo, and that his com- panion was Marco's brother, Maffeo. In a moment Marco was locked in his father's close embrace. The emotion of all three at meeting was so great, that for a while neither could speak. At last Marco exclaimed : " You have filled me with joy, father and brother, by coming to me ! How did you ven- ture into the territory of our enemies ?" " I could bear no longer the thought of your imprisonment," answered Nicolo, wiping his eyes ; " and so I sought and procured the consent of the Geneose to come hither, and see you- 252 MARCO POLO. my dear son, and to try to obtain your liberty." "Alas, father," returned Marco, shaking his head mournfully, " I fear it will be of no avail. The Genoese treat me with the most generous kindness, but they have no idea of setting me free." Nicolo groaned as he heard these words ; but Maffeo with cheerful voice, said, " Do not des- pair, father. We come with the offer of a heavy ransom. Perhaps the Genoese will yield to a golden argument." " We can but try," replied Nicolo. Then all three sat down, and began to talk of all that had happened to them since the time they had parted at Venice. Marco told his father and brother the history of his prison life, the indulgence shown him by his captors, and the consolation he had had in the friendship of the learned and warm- hearted Rusticiano. Of home news that Nicolo gave him in return, there was little that was in- teresting. This friend had married and that friend had died, but the course of life at their own home had gone smoothly on. Marco observed that his father was more bent, gray and feeble than when he had seen him last; and knew that MARCO A PRISONER. 253 grief at his own misfortunes was, in part at least, the cause of Nicole's altered appearance. The effort to secure his liberty proved, as Marco had predicted, unsuccessful. In vain Nicolo offered the Genoese a large sum as a ran- som ; they refused to think of setting Marco free. But Nicolo at least procured one privilege for his son. The government consented that Marco should be released from prison and live as he pleased in the city, on condition that he would give his word of honor that he would not attempt to escape from it. Nicolo hastened to the prison with the news of this fresh favor, and Marco was delighted at least to bid adieu to the gloomy walls which had so long confined him. His effects were soon packed, and he took up his residence in one of the best inns in Genoa. He parted from Rusticiano with much regret, and promised that he would come to the prison very often and see him, and would try to procure the same favor for his friend that he himself had just secured. This he soon after succeeded in accomplishing. It was with keen sorrow that Marco parted from his father and brother. It seemed very 254 MARCO POLO. doubtful whether he should ever see Nicolo again ; he himself might be kept at Genoa for the rest of his life, and he felt very unhappy to be left behind, while his father and brother were free to return to Venice. But in his new situation Marco soon recovered his buoyant spirits. No longer treated as a pris- oner, he lived like a Genoese gentleman, and had as his friends and companions men of wealth and rank. Wherever he went he was treated with great honor and respect. He was invited to all the fashionable balls and fetes, and often attended them ; and with his ample means, was able to in- dulge his desires and tastes as he pleased. It has already been said that, before leaving the court of the great khan, Marco had made up his mind that on reaching home, he would marry, and rear a family of children. His departure for the war had postponed the execution of this design, and now there seemed no prospect that he could carry it out. He desired to perpetuate his name, family, and property ; yet now, when he was over forty years old, he found himself still a bachelor. But though Marco could not, situated as he was, think of marriage, his father Nicolo had not MARCO A PRISONER. experienced the same difficulty; for, old as he was, Nicolo, some time before Marco had been taken prisoner, had taken to himself a new wife. Marco's new step-mother was considerably younger than himself; and he was rejoiced to think that now, in all probability, the family name and fame was in no danger of dying out. In course of time the news came to him of the birth of a little step-brother; and Marco was greatly amused to think of being the brother at over forty, of a little fellow just come into the world. Then he heard the sad intelligence that his father Nicolo had suddenly died, leaving his young widow and child. Marco grieved much that he could not have been at the old man's bedside in his last hours. He sent word to Venice that a splendid tomb should be erected in Nicole's honored memory, in the Church of San Lorenzo, at his own expense. This tomb, consisting of a sarcophagus of solid stone, upon which was en- graved the coat-of-arms of the Polos, long stood under the portico of that venerable edifice. The quarrel between Venice and Genoa, which had now lasted for many years, and still continued, was the cause why Marco and his comrades in 256 MARCO POLO. the war were yet retained as prisoners. Many attempts had been made to bring about peace between the rival cities, each of whom proudly claimed to be queen of the sea. After Marco had been at Genoa about a year, he heard one day with great delight that the Prince of Milan had become a mediator between the two foes, and was making every effort to induce them to come to terms. Both Venice and Genoa, indeed, were tired of the long strife, which had not resulted in any very important gain on either side ; and the Prince of Milan did not find it very difficult to make them listen to reason. Envoys from Venice and Genoa went to Milan, and after they had talked the matter over with each other, finally agreed upon terms of peace. Among these terms were, that when the treaty was signed the prisoners on both sides should be released and returned to their homes. In due time the news came that the doge of Venice and duke of Genoa had both signed the treaty, and that the two cities were friends again. Marco was entertaining a number of friends at supper when it was announced to him that he was at last free to return to Venice. Among his MARCO A PRISONER. 257 guests were some Venetians, who like himself were prisoners, and who had been allowed to re- side outside the prison walls. These rose from the table and, with tears in their eyes, embraced each other and Marco. The Genoese gentlemen who were present exclaimed that now the Vene- tians were their brothers, and a scene of great hi- larity and rejoicing followed, and was continued far into the night. But Marco, though free, was not allowed to depart at once. His many Genoese friends, who had already become strongly attached to him, insisted that he should attend the banquets and fetes which were to celebrate the return of peace, and some of which were to be given in his own honor. The duke of Genoa invited all the high nobility of the "City of Palaces" to his own pal- ace, where night was turned into day by gorgeous illuminations, and from whose towers floated the flags of the sister cities between whom con- cord once more reigned. Among the brilliant throng, Marco's stalwart form and handsome face were conspicuous, and everywhere he went he was surrounded by admiring groups. The duke himself invited Marco to walk beside him i i 258 MARCO POLO. the banqueting hall, where he was placed at the sovereign's right hand. At the duke's fete, too, were very many of the gallant Venetians who had fought with Marco at Curzola, and had since shared his captivity. Now that friendship was restored between the two cities, the Genoese were resolved to treat their late prisoners with all honor and attention. A fleet of galleys was ordered to anchor in the picturesque bay, for the purpose of transporting the Venetians home. These were fitted up with every luxury and comfort, that the voyage might be as pleasant as possible; and a store of pro- visions was stored away in them, comprising good things enough to supply the travellers with boun- teous meals throughout the transit. Before Marco took his departure, he paid a visit to his old prison comrade, the worthy Rusticiano. Rusticiano was still a prisoner, though Genoa had just made peace with Pisa, and he was look- ing forward to a speedy release. The interview be- tween the two friends was therefore a very happy one ; and Marco made Rusticiano promise that, ere long, he would pay him a visit in Venice. On a hot morning in the midsummer of 1299, MARCO A PRISONER. the Venetians embarked on the galleys, home- ward bound. A vast crowd of Genoese thronged the quays to see them off and bid them God speed on their voyage. Marco, on reaching the scene of departure, was almost suffocated by the warm reception given him by his Genoese friends. They pressed close around him and embraced him, and would scarcely let him go to proceed on board his galley. At last he found himself standing upon the deck, and gazing for the last time at the noble and stately city which had dealt so gently with him as a captive, and where, in spite of his cap- tivity, he had formed so many pleasant ties and passed so many happy hours. The signal was given ; the fleet of galleys, gay with flags and pennons, and alive with the quick movements of the many long oars, glided away from the quays ; the multitude on shore gave a great shout of farewell, the Genoese ladies waving their veils, and the men their plumed hats ; and soon the vineclad eminences and long lines of palaces dis- appeared from view. Meanwhile word had gone to Venice that the prisoners had been released, and were on their 26O MARCO POLO. way home by sea. Immediately the city was thrown into a great commotion. It was resolved that the heroes of Curzola should have a reception worthy of their bravery and their misfortunes ; and every preparation was made to greet them with the most distinguished honors. Among the prisoners, who numbered more than a thousand, were many Venetian youths of noble birth, the hopes of haughty houses, the beloved of many a fair damsel of rank and beauty. It seemed, in- deed, as if there were scarcely a noble family in Venice who had not been bereft of a son in the heroic but disastrous sea-fight. Had there been powder in these times, no doubt the cannon would have boomed forth a deafening roar of boisterous welcome as, on the misty Au- gust afternoon, the fleet of Genoese galleys made its appearance in the Gulf of Venice. As it was, the whole city seemed fluttering with flags and banners ; from the doge's palace and the lofty Campanile, from the Byzantine domes and pina- cles of St. Mark's, from the spires of churches and the summits of bell towers, waved innumerable standards, bearing the national device of the 'winged lion. Towards t'.ie ruays, cvi-ry 1 ..ilcony MARCO A PRISONER. 26l of the ducal palace and the council houses, the palaces of the proud nobles of Venice, and the terraces on the edge of the grand canal, were thronged with a gay and excited multitude. The doge himself, with his long, pointed cap, his rich robes sweeping the ground, and his white beard flowing over his breast, stood, surrounded by his brilliant court, on the quay in front of his palace ; while on every side of the square was drawn up the flower of the Venetian army, the lancers and cross-bow-men being conspicuous. In the bay and canal, countless gondolas awaited the arrival. As the fleet of galleys came nearer, they were greeted by the long and loud applause of the multitude on shore ; and it was with diffi- culty that the soldiers prevented the crowd from invading the quay where the prisoners were to land. At last the galleys were safely moored. The oarsmen raised their oars, and held them upright in long lines along the decks. Then the prisoners, in groups of twos and threes, advanced up the planks, and sprang on shore. First they ad- vanced to the doge, who welcomed them with cor- dial words of affection and praise. Then each sought his parents, sweethearts or friends, in the swaying crowd or on the overflowing balconies. 262 MARCO POLO. Marco soon found himself in the arms of his brother and uncle, while other relatives and friends huddled excitedly around him. They talked to each other rapidly and earnestly ; and as soon as they could make their way through the crowd, they hastened across the square of St. Mark, and taking a gondola, were soon speeding towards the street of San Giovanni Chrysostomo. The retainers of the household were waiting in a group in front of the " Court of the Millions" to wel- come their master home ; and as he landed from the gondola, formed in a line on either side, and bowed low while he passed, with brother and friends, through the archway. That night, as may well be believed, there were sounds of revelry and rejoicing in the spa- cious mansion of the Polos. Marco thought of his return, with his father and uncle, from Cathay : and could not restrain himself from shedding a tear when he saw his father's vacant seat at the groaning board. He was now to take the old man's place ; his voyages, travels and adventures over, he would henceforth live quietly at home, and devote himself to the service of his family and of the state, reaping the reward of the perils he had passed and the fame he had won. MARCO POLO. 263 CHAPTER XVIII. LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. |T the time of Marco Polo's return to Venice, he was about forty-six years old, that is, in the prime of manhood. He might yet look forward to many years of health and vigor ; and might, had he so chosen, have undertaken new expeditions to remote lands. But he had at last grown tired of wandering. In his prison life at Genoa, he had often thought how happy he might be in a home of his own, with a loving wife by his side, and children playing about his knees ; and had felt that with such a home he would be quite content to settle down for the rest of his life. On finding himself at Venice once more, he arranged his affairs as if he were now resolved to settle down there. He fitted up his house anew; and now for the first time took part in the 264 MARCO POLO. affairs of commerce which his family had long pursued. He owned a large share in the trade which they carried on ; and soon was busily engaged as a merchant. Then he began to look about him for a wife. As a nobleman and a traveller of the greatest dis- tinction, Marco Polo was a welcome guest in the best houses in Venice. He was invited every- where, and, had he chosen, he might have gone every night to some feast or ball. His friends were countless, and belonged to the highest social rank ; while his own hospitable nature continually filled his house with merry parties, gay masqueraders, and hilarious f casters. His tall, stalwart person, his courteous bearing, his fine, expressive features, and his wide renown, made him a special favorite with the noble dames and demoiselles of Venice, who loved to hear him recount his adventures, and showed him, in many coquettish ways, their admiration of his exploits. To them he was a brave hero, who had fearlessly encountered many perils, and had survived the most bitter hardships and hairbreadth escapes. Marco therefore had ample opportunities to LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 265 make choice of a life partner; it seemed certain that wherever he paid his court, he was sure of being kindly received. Among the noble families whose acquaintance he had made after his return from Cathay, was that of the Loredanos. The head of the family was a wealthy nobleman, a member of the doge's council, and a man of mark in Venice. Loredano had two lovely daughters. One, Donata, was a tall, stately brunette, about twenty-five; the younger, Maria, was a delicate blonde, with rich auburn hair. Marco Polo was soon attracted to the beauty and graces of Donata. To be sure, he was twenty years older than she ; but his heart was still fresh and young, and had never before been touched by the passion of love. It was all the stronger in a man of his age and vigor. He soon became very attentive to the young signorita. He visited her at her father's house, or in her company sped over the beautiful bay in his luxurious gondola. It was observed that he was always at her side at the balls and fetes, and that he paid her special honor at the festivi- ties at which she was present in his own house. The fair Donata seemed pleased with his at- 266 MARCO POLO. tentions, and gradually learned to feel for the sturdy cavalier a warm affection. The course of their love ran smooth; and when Marco Polo asked the consent of Loredano to their betrothal, the noble councillor at once and joyfully accorded it. Then came sweet, happy days when the middle- aged cavalier courted his young lady love, and spent long dreamy hours in her beloved company. Never a day passed that he did not spend a portion of it with her. It soon became known through Venice that Marco Polo was to wed Donata Loredano ; and their friends vied with each other in giving parties and masques in honor of the event. This pleasant courtship was not of long dura- tion, for Marco was eager to be "married and settled." The wedding was a grand affair. It took place in the stately church of San Lorenzo, where Nicolo Polo lay buried, and which was destined also to receive the remains of his more famous son. The ceremony was performed by an archbishop, assisted by numerous priests. The doge with all his retinue was there, and so was the flower of the nobility and wealth of Venice. LAST DAYS OP MARCO POLO. 267 The bridegroom, attended by his brother and other relatives, made his appearance in a gor- geous suit of satin, while about his neck hung a massive chain of gold, the insignia of a knightly order which had been conferred upon him. Upon his head he wore a satin cap, above which rose several flowing feathers of white and blue ; while at his side hung a jewelled scimetar, which had been given to him by Kublai Khan as a token of his affection. The multitudes that crowded densely the sombre old church noted the manly presence, the proud carriage, and the noble features of Marco Polo, as he strode up the nave beneath the high, echoing arches, and de- clared to themselves that even at his age, he made a comely and imposing bridegroom. The bride appeared splendidly dressed, with a long gauzy veil that flowed to her feet, and every part of her dress sparkling with jewels. She looked beautiful and happy, and all the world envied Marco Polo his possession of the fair Donata Loredano. The wedding festivities lasted, as was the custom in Venice, a w.eek. They began with a bounteous banquet at the Court of the Millions, 268 MARCO POLO. which was kept up till the streaks of dawn shot between the heavily curtained windows. There were fetes of gondolas on the water, sports at a country seat which Marco Polo had purchased out of his abundant wealth, and masquerades at the palaces of Loredano and other friends. Then followed the quietest and perhaps the pleasantest period of Marco Polo's life. Estab- lished in his luxurious home at the Court of the Millions, surrounded by hosts of friends who were devotedly attached to him, with a lovely wife whom he adored and who admired and loved him, held in high esteem and confidence by the doge and all the highest dignitaries of the Re- public, abundantly able to indulge in every pleasure and recreation for which his taste in- clined him, his lot indeed seemed a fortunate one. There was plenty of work to occupy his time in the business house which had so long been car- ried on by his family, and which was still in a prosperous condition. In this \ie took a keen personal interest, and thus at once employed his time profitably, and added new stores to his abundant wealth. His travels in the East had been of great benefit to the trade of his house ; LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 269 for he had made the acquaintance of many mer- chants in Persia, India, Arabia, Asia Minor, and Constantinople, and had formed business connec- tions with them which were now of much advan- tage to his trade. Not long after he had married and settled, Marco Polo was surprised and delighted to receive a visit from two Persian travellers of high rank, who had come to Venice on a commercial errand. They went to the Court of the Millions to see Marco, of whose fame as a traveller they had heard, and to bear him a message of friendship from the fair young queen Cocachin, who gratefully re- membered Marco's gallant attentions to herwhile journeying from Cathay to Persia, and who sent him a beautiful jewel in token of her gratitude. Marco was grieved to learn, about a year after- wards, that this lovely young queen had died, mourned by all her new subjects and by her gallant husband. Marco soon found himself one of the most im- portant citizens of Venice. Still active and ener- getic, he began to take part in public affairs ; and ere very long, was chosen by the doge a member of his grand council, in which he soon v: r n 1'. , 2/O MARCO POLO. reputation of being a sagacious and keen-sighted statesman. There was a time, indeed, when it seemed not unlikely that the great traveller might some day be himself elected doge ; but the pros- pect passed away before his death. Meanwhile, he not only served the state as councillor, but went on embassies to various countries, and made treaties of peace or alliance, and patched up quarrels. In due time, Marco Polo found himself the father of a thriving young family. Three little daughters were the fruit of his union with his beloved Donata Fantina, Bellela, and Moreta. They grew up to be as pretty and gentle as their names. Marco greatly desired to have a son, who should be the heir of his name and wealth. But Providence denied him this blessing. He was delighted with his little girls, however, and when they became old enough, was wont to take them on his knee, and relate to them the strange adventures he had met with by land and sea in remote lands. They were very proud of their father, who had seen and done such wonderful things ; and listened as eagerly to his stories as children do nowadays to the Arabian Nights and Robinson Crusoe. LAST DATS e? MARCO POLO. 271 As the girls grew up, they proved as handsome and engaging as their mother had been in her own youth ; and now the Court of the Millions was besieged by gallant young suitors for their hands. There was not a youth in Venice who would not have been proud to ally himself to so distinguished a family as that of the Polos had become ; and such was the beauty of Fantina and Bellcla, that had they been poor, they would not have lacked ardent wooers. Then other wed- dings were celebrated at the Court of the Millions. Fantina first, and then Bellela, chose their cava- liers, and were duly wedded to them ; and Marco Polo, now wrinkled and grizzled, was soon happy to find himself a grandfather. Thus many years passed in serene and contented prosperity. Marco, as he grew older, was less and less tempted to attempt new adventures. He was blessed with a delightful home, was crowned with plen- teous honors, and felt himself a conspicuous per- sonage of the time. He was often visited by travellers from a distance, both from Western Europe and from the more remote East ; and always received them with the bounteous hospi- tality for which he was known far and wide. 2/2 MARCO POLO. He lived nearly a quarter of a century after his return from captivity at Genoa ; and rose bright and well on the morn of his seventieth birthday, appearing as if he had yet many years to survive. But soon after, he was laid low by a fever which from the first betrayed serious symptoms that alarmed his family. He grew worse and worse ; and the news spread through Venice that the illustrious Marco Polo lay dangerously ill. Im- mediately the doors of the Court of the Millions were besieged by crowds of anxious and inquiring friends. The doge sent daily to ask after the health of his honored councillor; and Marco's wife and daughters tended at the bedside night and day. It soon became but too apparent that the life of the heroic old traveller was fast ebbing away. Still his mind was often clear, and then he talked serenely and even cheerfully with his beloved ones. He had always been good and up- right, and death, which he had so often braved in years gone by, had but few terrors for him now. Then came a sad day when the doctors despaired of restoring him to health, and gently broke the news to the grief-stricken wife and daughters. Marco Polo still lingered a few days, gro^-i--^ LAST DAYS OF MARCO POLO. 2/3 feebler and feebler each hour, but suffering little pain. One sunny morning, the end came. It was peaceful, serene, and happy as his later life had been. The old man sank gently into Donata's arms, and ceased to breathe. Venice was wrapt in gloom at the death of its most famous citizen ; and for several days no other subject was talked of in its marts and in the public squares where the people met to chat and gossip. The doge and his court went into mourning, and tributes to Marco Polo's memory were paid in the grand council of the Republic. He was buried with great pomp and ceremony, and laid in the old church of San Lorenza beside his good father, and where his own marriage, and the christening and marriage of his elder daugh- ters, had taken place. His memory was kept green by the Venetians for generations and centuries after his death. Three hundred years after, a stately marble statue of him was erected by the city in one of its squares, and still stands to commemorate the honor in which Venice held him ; while, two centuries after his death, his direct descendant, Trevesano, was elec- ted doge, and presided over the Republic. 274 MARCO POLO. Thus lived, and thus died at the goodly age o( three-score and ten, the greatest of the early ex- plorers of the remote and unknown regions of the Orient ; who may be said to have introduced Europe and Asia to each other, and to have dis- covered the vast possibilities of a commerce be- tween the two continents. He thus did invalua- ble service to the world ; and it is pleasant to re- member that, after all the perils and vicissitudes through which he passed, the long and weary exile from home that he suffered, and the subse- quent misfortune he encountered while fighting for the preservation of Venice, he reaped the full reward of his perseverance and patriotism, and enjoyed a long after-life of prosperity, honor, happiness and domestic bliss ; and that his memory still lives, his name being written high up on the roll of the world's most illustrious dis- coverers and benefactors. THE END. U. S. SERVICE SERIES By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER rthwtraHons from photographs taken in work for U. S. Government Large 12mo Cloth $1.35 each, net "There are no better books for boys than jprancis Rolt-Wheeler's U. S. Service Series.' " Chicago Record- Herald. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. SURVEY" TTHIS story describes the thrilling advant- * ures of members of the U- S. Geological Survey, graphically woven into a stirring narrative that both pleases and instructs. The author enjoys an intimate acquaintance with the chiefs of the various bureaus in Washing- ton, and is able to obtain at first hand the material for his books. "There is abundant charm and rigor in the narrative which is sure to please the boy readers and will do much toward stimulating their patriot- ism by making them alive to the needs of conser- vation of the vast resources of their country." Chicago fftws. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. FORESTERS THE life of a typical boy is followed in all its adventurous detail the mighty representative of our country's government, though young in years a youthful monarch in a vast domain of forest. Replete with information, alive with adventure, and inciting patriotism at every step, this handsome book is one to be instantly appreciated. " It U a fascinating romance of real life in our country, and wfllprore a great pleasure and inspiration to the boys who read it." The Continent, Chicago, THE BOY WITH THE U. S. CENSUS THROUGH the experiences of a bright American boy, the author shows how the necessary information is gathered. The securing of this of- ten involves hardship and peril, requiring journeys by dog-team in the frozen North and by launch in the alh'gator-filled Everglades of Florida, while the enumerator whose work lies among the dangerous criminal classes of the greater cities must take his life in his own hands. " Every young man should read this story from cover to cover, thereby getting B clear conception of conditions as they exist to-day, for such knowledge will have a clean, invigorating and healthy Influence on the young growing and thinking mind." Boston Globe, For s&le by all bookseller* or seat postpaid oa receipt of price by the publishers LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON THE BOY WITH THE U.S.SURVEY U. S. SERVICE SERIES By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEI5LER Many illustrations from photographs taken in workforU.3. Government Large 12mo Cloth Net $1.35 per volume ** There are no better books for boys than Francis Rolt- Wheeler's ' U. S. Service Series.'" Chicago Record- Her aid. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. FISHERIES WITH a bright, active American youth as a hero, is told the story of the Fisheries, which in their actual importance dwarf every other human industry. The book does not lack thrilling scenes. The far Aleutian Islands have witnessed more desperate sea-fighting than has occurred elsewhere since the days of the Spanish buccaneers, and pirate craft, which the U. S. Fisheries must watch, rifle in hand, are prowling in the Behring Sea to-day. The fish-farms of the United States are as inter- esting as they are immense in their scope. 44 One of the best books for boys of all ages, so attractively written and illustrated as to fascinate the reader into staying up until all hours to finish it." Philadelphia Despatch. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. INDIANS T"HIS book tells all about the Indian as he * really was rnd is; the Menominee in his birch-bark canoe; the Iroquois in his wigwam in the forest; the Sioux of the plains upon his war- pony; the Apache, cruel and unyielding as his arid desert; the Fueblo Indians, with remains of ancient Spanish civilization lurking in the fast- nesses 04 their massed communal dwellings; the Tlingit of the Pacific Coast, with his totem-poles. With a typical bright American youth as a central figure, a good idea of a great field of national activity is given, and made thrilling in its human side by the heroism demanded by the little-known adventures of those who do the work ot " Uncle Sam." " An exceedingly interesting' Indian story, because It Is true, and not merely R dramatic and picturesque incident ot Indian fife." JV1 Y. Times. " It tells the Indian's story in way that will fascinate the youngster. "- Roche sier Herald, Fo-' isle by mil booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publisher* LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON THEBOY'WITrWHE U.S. FISHERIES U. S. SERVICE SERIES By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER Many Illustrations from photographs taken in work forU. S. Government Large 12mo Cloth Net, $1.35 each "There are no better books for boys than Francis Rolt-Wheeler's 'U. S. Service Series."' Chicago Record- Her aid. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. EXPLORERS THE hero saves the farm in Kansas, which his father is not able to keep up, through a visit to Washington which results in making the plr re a. kind of temporary experiment station. Wonderful facts of plant and animal life are brought out, and the boy wins a trip around the world with his friend, the agent. This involves many adventures, while exploring the Chinese country for the Bureau of Agriculture. " Boys will be delighted with this story, which is one that inspires the readers with the ideals of industry, thrift and uprightness of conduct." Argus-Leader, Portland, Me. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. LIFE SAVERS T~"HE billows surge and thunder through * this book, heroism and the gallant facing of peril are wrought into its very fabric, and the Coast Guard has endorsed its accuracy. The stories of the rescue of the engineer trapped on a burning ship, and the pluck of the men who built the Smith's Point Light- house are told so vividly that it is hard to keep from cheering aloud. "This is an ideal book for boys because it in natural, inspiring, and of unfailing interest from cover to cover." Marine Journal. THE BOY WITH THE U. S. MAIL HOW much do you know of the working of the vast and wonderful Post Office Department? The officials of this department have, as in the case of all other Departments covered in this series, extended their courtesy to Dr. Rolt-Wheeler to enable him to tell us about one of the most interesting forms of Uncle Sam's care for us. " Stamp collecting, carrier pigeons, aeroplanes, detectives, hold-ups, tales of the Overland trail and the Pony Express, Indians, Buffalo Bill what boy would not be delighted with a oook in which all these fascinating things are to be found?" Uniiiersalist Leader. For sale by all booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON THE BOY WITH THI U.S. LIFE SAVER MUSEUM BOOKS By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER Illustrated from photographs, many of which are furnished by the American Museum of Natural History Large 12mo Cloth Decorated cover Price, $1.35 each THE MONSTER-HUNTERS *T*HIS is a story of thrilling adventure, and through its J. pages writhe or thunder those vast and uncanny mon- sters that inhabited this world long ago. While exploring in the Sahara desert for skeletons of primitive whales the boy hero is the victim of an engulfing sandstorm, and adventures crowd in upon him in our own wild Wyoming waste. The youthful paleontologist unlocks the gate to a new world, yet never ceases to be a boy. " The author entertains his readers with thrilling adventure, at the same time creating a desire to follow up the subject a gift most story-tellers lack. Some book ! " Philadelphia. Dispatch. THE POLAR HUNTERS " Frozen North" always faa- J. cinates as a subject, and in no other book has so haunting a pic- ture been drawn of Eskimo life. Strange fights with walrus and polar-bear on the sea, ice perils from drifting floes and crashing bergs, and the constant fight against hunger, cold and dark- ness, give this book a glamor as great as is its wealth of information. " The hook is an ideal one for boy readers, filled as it i with valuable information, and of unfailing interest from beginning to end." _ Zit>"'s Herald, Barton. THE AZTEC-HUNTERS r ~T*HE true romance of a vast and powerful American civiliza- J. tion, which flourished more than a thousand years before Columbus landed, is here told, absolutely for the first time. Forty cities, as large as those of modern times, have been snatched from the jaguar-haunted jungle to tell the story of a great commercial empire, comparable to those of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. * ' Not only will boys be held spellbound by this absorbing tale, but adults will also find this well- written narrative intensely interesting and full of the latest light uhed by science upon a subject of perennial interest." Mtu- York Htrald. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Boston, Mass. THE WONDER OF WAR IN THE AIR By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER With Forty-two Illustrations from Unusual War Photo- graphs and Sketches Large 12mo Cloth Price, $1.35 Tyro more lucid account haa ever been written of the various types of airplanes, their construc- tion, and their relative purpose in war. One sees the bombardment machine, the airplane for direct- ing artillery fire, the scout, and the fighter of the air, at work in their several fields The hero of the book, trained in the French Flying Corps, is taught every detail neces- sary in that new world of warfare the battle-ground of the skies. He witnesses some of the most historic raids of the War, and takes a share hi the destruction of one of the newest aerial monsters. Taken a prisoner by the enemy, the young aviator's escape (based on an actual incident from the front) is daring in the extreme. "The information imparted cornea step by step and with the spice that allures to mastery of the details given. It leaves one in better condition to appreciate those parts of the communiques which deal with air-fighting than by perusing some technical volumes on the^subject." Literary Digest, N. Y. 'It has more than thrills, abundant as these are. It gives a comprehen- sible account of the technical side of aviation, and any lad who reads it will be well informed on all the varieties of planes and the marvels of uoriul strategy." Philadelphia Public Ledger. "Probably no more lucid and technically correct account has ever been written of the various typei of airplanes, their construction and their rela- tive purposes in war. It holds the interest from cover to cover." Springfield, Mans., Union, "There are some bvoks written ostensibly for boys which are marvelously interesting to their elders as well. This is one of that class." Brooklyn Oitieen.