Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1.: The Exploration of the WorldVerne, Jules
History
Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1.: The Exploration of the World
Verne, Jules
Discoveries in geography; Explorers; Voyages and travels
Leaving these people with gilded teeth, Marco Polo took the great
road which conveys all the traffic between India and Indo-China, and
passed by Bhamo, where a market is held three times a week, which
attracts merchants from the most distant countries. After riding for
fifteen days through forests filled with elephants, unicorns, and
other wild animals, he came to the great city of Mien; that is to
say, to that part of Upper Burmah, of which the present capital, of
recent erection, is called Amarapura. This city of Mien, which may
be, perhaps, the old town of Ava now in ruins, or the old town of
Paghan situated on the Irrawaddy, possessed a veritable
architectural marvel, in two towers, one built of fine stone, and
entirely covered with a coating of gold about an inch in thickness,
and the other, also of stone, coated with silver, both intended to
serve as a tomb for the king of Mien, before his kingdom fell under
the dominion of the khan. After visiting this province, the
traveller went to Bangala, the Bengal of the present day, which at
this time, 1290, did not belong to Kublai-Khan. The emperor's forces
were then engaged in trying to conquer this fertile country, rich in
cotton plants, in sugar-canes, &c., and whose magnificent oxen were
like elephants in height. From thence, the traveller ventured as far
as the city of Cancigu, in the province of the same name, probably
the modern town of Kassaye. The natives here tattooed their bodies,
and with needles drew pictures of lions, dragons, and birds on their
faces, necks, bellies, hands, legs, and bodies, and he who had the
greatest number of these pictures they considered the most beautiful
of human beings.
Cancigu was the most southerly point visited by Marco Polo, during
this journey. Leaving this city, he went towards the north-east, and
by the country of Amu, Anam, and Tonkin, he reached Toloman, now
called Tai-ping, after fifteen days' march. There he found that fine
race of men, of dark colour, who have crowned their mountains with
strong castles, and whose ordinary food is the flesh of animals,
milk, rice, and spices.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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