Asia -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Mongols -- History; Polo, Marco, 1254-1323?; Voyages and travels
In this part are the ten principal markets, though besides these there
are a vast number of others in the different parts of the town. The
former are all squares of half a mile to the side, and along their
front passes the main street, which is 40 paces in width, and runs
straight from end to end of the city, crossing many bridges of easy
and commodious approach. At every four miles of its length comes one
of those great squares of 2 miles (as we have mentioned) in compass.
So also parallel to this great street, but at the back of the market
places, there runs a very large canal, on the bank of which towards
the squares are built great houses of stone, in which the merchants
from India and other foreign parts store their wares, to be handy for
the markets. In each of the squares is held a market three days in
the week, frequented by 40,000 or 50,000 persons, who bring thither
for sale every possible necessary of life, so that there is always an
ample supply of every kind of meat and game, as of roebuck, red-deer,
fallow-deer, hares, rabbits, partridges, pheasants, francolins, quails,
fowls, capons, and of ducks and geese an infinite quantity; for so many
are bred on the Lake that for a Venice groat of silver you can have a
couple of geese and two couple of ducks. Then there are the shambles
where the larger animals are slaughtered, such as calves, beeves, kids,
and lambs, the flesh of which is eaten by the rich and the great
dignitaries.{4}
Those markets make a daily display of every kind of vegetables and
fruits; and among the latter there are in particular certain pears of
enormous size, weighing as much as ten pounds apiece, and the pulp of
which is white and fragrant like a confection; besides peaches in their
season both yellow and white, of every delicate flavour.{5}
Neither grapes nor wine are produced there, but very good raisins are
brought from abroad, and wine likewise. The natives, however, do not
much care about wine, being used to that kind of their own made from
rice and spices. From the Ocean Sea also come daily supplies of fish in
great quantity, brought 25 miles up the river, and there is also great
store of fish from the lake, which is the constant resort of fishermen,
who have no other business. Their fish is of sundry kinds, changing
with the season; and, owing to the impurities of the city which pass
into the lake, it is remarkably fat and savoury. Any one who should
see the supply of fish in the market would suppose it impossible that
such a quantity could ever be sold; and yet in a few hours the whole
shall be cleared away; so great is the number of inhabitants who are
accustomed to delicate living. Indeed they eat fish and flesh at the
same meal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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