Born in Brabant—Travels into Egypt—Despatched by St. Louis on a mission into Tartary—Constantinople—Black Sea—Traverses the Crimea—Imagines himself in a new world—Moving city—Extreme ugliness of the Tartars—Desert of Kipjak—Tombs of the Comans—Crosses the Tanais—Travels on foot—Camp of Sartak—Goes to court—Religious procession—Departs—Reaches the camp of Batou—Is extremely terrified—Makes a speech to the khan—Is commanded to advance farther into Tartary—Suffers extraordinary privations—Travels four months over the steppes of Tartary—Miraculous old age of the pope—Wild asses—Distant view of the Caucasus—Orrighers—Point of prayer—Buddhists—Court of Mangou Khan—Audience—Appearance and behaviour of the emperor—Karakorum—Disputes with the idolaters—Golden fountain—Returns to Syria[Page 17]

MARCO POLO.

Born 1250.—Died 1324.

Departure of the father and uncle of Marco from Venice—Bulgaria—Wanders through Turkestan—Sanguinary wars—Cross the Gihon and remain three years at Bokhāra—Travels to Cathay—Cambalu—Honourably received by Kublai Khan—Return as the khan’s ambassador to Italy—Family misfortunes—Return with Marco into Asia—Armenia—Persia—The assassins—City of Balkh—Falls ill on the road—Is detained a whole year in the province of Balashghan—Curious productions of the country, and the singular manners of its inhabitants—Khoten—Desert of Lop—Wonders of this desert—Shatcheu and Khamil—Barbarous custom—Chinchintalas—Salamander linen—Desert of Shomo—Enormous cattle—Musk deer—Beautiful cranes—Stupendous palace of Chandu—Arrives at Cambalu—Acquires the language of the country, and is made an ambassador—Description of Kublai Khan—Imperial harem—Nursery of beauty—Palace of Cambalu—Pretension of the Chinese to the invention of artillery—Magnificence of the khan—Paper-money—Roads—Post-horses—Religion—Fertility—Tibet—Bloody footsteps of war—Wild beasts—Abominable manners—Strange clothing and money—The Dalai Lama—Murder of travellers—Teeth plated with gold—Preposterous custom—Magical physicians—Southern China—Emperor Fanfur—Anecdote—Prodigious city—Extremes of wealth and poverty—Hackney-coaches and public gardens—Manufacture of porcelain—Returns to Italy—The Polos are forgotten by their relatives—Curious mode of proving their identity—Marco taken prisoner by the Genoese—Writes his travels in captivity—Returns to Venice—Dies[30]

IBN BATŪTA.

Born about 1300.—Died after 1353.

Commences his travels—Romantic character—Arrives in Egypt—Kalenders—Sweetness of the Nile—Anecdote of an Arabian poet—Prophecy—Visits Palestine—Mount Lebanon—Visits Mecca—Miracles—Gratitude of Ibn Batūta—Patron of Mariners—Visits Yemen—Fish-eating cattle—Use of the Betel-leaf—Pearl-divers—Curious brotherhood—Krim Tartary—Land of darkness—Greek sultana—Mawaradnahr—Enters India—Arrives at Delhi—Loses a daughter, and is made a judge—Is extravagant in prosperity—Falls into disgrace, and is near losing his head—Becomes a fakeer—Is restored to favour—Sent upon an embassy to China—Is taken prisoner—Escapes—Mysterious adventure—Travels to Malabar—Is reduced to beggary—Turn of fortune—Visits the Maldive Islands—Marries four wives—New version of the story of Andromeda—Sees a spectre ship—Visits Ceylon—Adam’s Peak—Wonderful rose, with the name of God upon it—Sails for Maabar—Is taken by pirates—Visits his son in the Maldives—Sails for Sumatra, and China—Paper-money—Meets with an old friend—The desire of revisiting home awakened—Returns to Tangiers—Visits Spain—Crosses the desert of Sahara—Visits Timbuctoo—Settles at Fez[69]

LEO AFRICANUS.

Born about 1486.—Died after 1540.

Born at Grenada—Educated at Fez—Visits Timbuctoo—Anecdote of a Mohammedan general—Adventures among the snowy wilds of Mount Atlas—Visits the Bedouins of Northern Africa—Resides in the kingdom of Morocco—People living in baskets—Unknown ruins in Mount Dedas—Troglodytes—Travels with a Moorish chief—Visits the city of Murderers—Adventure with lions—Clouds of locusts—Is nearly stung to death by fleas—Beautiful scenery—Tradition concerning the prophet Jonah—Is engaged in a whimsical adventure among the mountains—Jew artisans—Hospitality—Witnesses a bloody battle—Delightful solitude—Romantic lake—Fishing and hunting—Arabic poetry—Excursions through Fez—Ruins of Rabat—Visits Telemsan and Algiers—Desert—Antelopes—Elegant little city—City of Telemsan—History of a Mohammedan saint—Description of Algiers—Barbarossa and Charles V.—City of Kosantina—Ancient ruins and gardens—City mentioned in Paradise Lost—Carthage—Segelmessa—Crosses the Great Desert—Tremendous desolation—Story of two merchants—Description of Timbuctoo—Women—Costume—Course of the Niger—Bornou—Nubia—Curious poison—Egypt—Ruins of Thebes—Cairo—Crime of a Mohammedan saint—Dancing camels and asses—Curious anecdote of a mountebank—Ladies of Cairo—Is taken by pirates, and sold as a slave—Pope Leo X.—Is converted to Christianity—Resides in Italy, and writes his “Description of Africa”—Date of his death unknown[109]