Travels O
of O
Marco B-PER
Polo B-PER
the O
Venetian O
Marsden O
William O
and O
Masefield O
John O
(Eds.) O
London O
New O
York O
J.M O
Dents O
and O
sons O
E O
P. O
Dutton O
and O
co. O
https O
//archive.org/details/marcopolo00polouoft O
CHAPTER O
I O
It O
should O
be O
known O
to O
the O
reader O
that O
at O
the O
time O
when O
Baldwin O
II. O
was O
emperor B-PER
of O
Constantinople/ O
where B-LOC
a I-LOC
magis I-LOC
trate O
representing O
the O
doge O
of O
Venice O
then O
resided O
and O
in O
the O
year O
of O
our O
Lord O
1250 O
Nicolo O
Polo O
the O
father B-PER
of I-PER
the O
said O
Marco O
and O
Maffeo O
the B-PER
brother O
of B-PER
Nicolo I-PER
respectable O
and B-PER
weli I-PER
informed O
men O
embarked O
in O
a O
ship O
of O
their O
own O
with O
a O
rich O
and O
varied O
cargo O
of O
merchandise O
and O
reached O
Constantinople O
in O
safety. O
After B-LOC
mature I-LOC
deliberation O
on O
the O
subject O
of O
their O
proceedings O
it O
was O
determined O
as O
the O
measure O
most O
likely O
to O
improve O
their O
trading O
capital O
that O
they O
should O
prosecute O
their O
voyage O
into O
the O
Euxine O
or O
Black O
Sea. O
With O
this B-LOC
view O
they B-LOC
made I-LOC
purchases O
of O
many O
fine O
and O
costly O
jewels O
and O
taking O
their O
departure O
from O
Constantinople O
navigated O
that O
sea B-LOC
to I-LOC
a I-LOC
port I-LOC
named O
Soldaia O
from O
whence O
they O
travelled O
on O
horse O
back O
many O
days O
until O
they O
reached O
the O
court O
of O
a O
powerful O
chief O
of O
the O
Western O
Tartars O
named O
Barka O
who B-PER
dwelt I-PER
in I-PER
the I-PER
cities O
of B-PER
Bolgara I-PER
and O
Assara O
and O
had O
the O
reputation B-LOC
of B-LOC
being I-LOC
one O
of O
the O
most O
liberal O
and O
civilized O
princes O
hitherto O
known O
amongst O
the O
tribes O
of O
Tartary. O
He O
expressed O
much O
satisfaction O
at O
the O
arrival O
of O
these O
travellers O
and O
received O
them O
with O
marks O
of O
distinction. O
In O
return O
for O
which O
courtesy O
when O
they O
had O
laid O
before O
him O
the O
jewels O
they O
brought O
with O
them O
and O
perceived O
that O
their O
beauty O
pleased O
him O
they O
presented O
them O
for O
his O
acceptance. O
The O
liberality O
of O
this O
conduct O
on O
the O
part O
of O
the O
two O
brothers O
struck O
him O
with O
admiration; O
and O
being O
unwilling O
that O
they O
should O
surpass O
him O
in O
generosity O
he O
not O
only O
directed O
double O
the O
value O
of O
the O
jewels O
to O
be O
paid O
to O
them O
but O
made O
them O
in O
addition O
several O
rich O
presents. O
The O
brothers O
having O
resided O
a O
year O
in O
the O
dominions O
of O
this O
prince O
they O
became O
desirous O
of O
revisiting O
their O
native O
country O
but O
were O
impeded O
by O
the O
sudden O
breaking O
out O
of O
a O
war O
be O
tween O
him O
and O
another O
chief O
named O
Alau O
who O
ruled O
over O
the O
Eastern O
Tartars. O
In B-PER
a O
fierce O
and O
very O
sanguinary O
battle B-PER
that O
ensued O
between O
their O
respective O
armies O
Alau O
was O
victorious O
in O
consequence O
of O
which O
the B-PER
roads O
being O
rendered O
unsafe O
for O
travellers O
the O
brothers O
could O
not O
attempt O
to O
return O
by O
the O
way O
they O
came; O
and O
it O
was O
recommended O
to O
them O
as O
the O
only O
practicable O
mode O
of O
reaching O
Constantinople O
to O
proceed O
in O
an O
easterly O
direction O
by B-LOC
an I-LOC
unfrequented I-LOC
route O
so O
as O
to O
skirt O
the O
limits O
of O
Barka O
s O
territories. O
Accordingly O
they O
made O
their O
way O
to B-PER
a O
town O
named O
Oukaka O
situated O
on O
the O
confines O
of O
the O
kingdom O
of O
the B-LOC
Western I-LOC
Tartars. O
Leaving O
that O
place O
and O
advancing O
still O
further B-PER
they I-PER
crossed O
the O
Tigris O
one O
of O
the O
four O
rivers O
of O
Paradise O
and O
came O
to O
a B-LOC
desert I-LOC
the O
extent O
of O
which O
was O
seventeen O
days O
journey O
wherein O
they O
found O
neither O
town O
castle O
nor O
any O
substantial O
building O
but O
only O
Tartars O
with O
their O
herds O
dwelling O
in O
tents O
on O
the O
plain. O
Having O
passed B-PER
this O
tract O
they O
arrived O
at O
length O
at O
a O
well O
built O
city O
called O
Bokhara O
in O
a O
province O
of O
that O
name O
belonging O
to O
the O
dominions O
of O
Persia B-LOC
and O
the O
noblest O
city O
of O
that O
kingdom O
but O
governed O
by O
a O
prince O
whose O
name O
was O
Barak. O
Here O
from O
inability O
to O
proceed O
further O
they O
remained O
three O
years. O
It O
happened O
while O
these O
brothers O
were O
in O
Bokhara O
that O
a O
person O
of O
consequence O
and O
gifted O
with O
eminent O
talents O
made B-LOC
his I-LOC
appearance O
there. O
He O
was O
proceeding O
as O
ambassador O
from O
Alau O
before O
mentioned O
to O
the O
grand O
khan O
supreme O
chief O
of O
all O
the O
Tartars O
named B-PER
Kublai O
whose O
residence O
was O
at O
the O
extremity O
of O
the O
continent O
in B-PER
a I-PER
direction O
between B-PER
north O
east O
and O
east. O
Not O
having O
ever O
before O
had O
an O
opportunity O
although O
he O
wished O
it O
of O
seeing O
any O
natives O
of O
Italy O
he O
was O
gratified O
in O
a O
high O
degree O
at O
meeting O
and O
conversing O
with O
these O
brothers O
who O
had O
now O
become O
proficients O
in O
the O
Tartar O
language; O
and O
after O
associating O
with O
them O
for O
several O
days O
and O
finding O
their O
manners O
agreeable O
to O
him O
he O
proposed O
to O
them O
that O
they O
should O
accompany O
him O
to O
the O
presence O
of O
the O
great O
khan O
who O
would O
be O
pleased O
by O
their O
appearance O
at O
his O
court O
which O
had O
not O
hitherto O
been O
visited O
by O
any O
person O
from O
their O
country; O
adding O
assurances O
that O
they O
would O
be O
honourably O
received O
and O
recompensed O
with O
many O
gifts. O