Travels Of Marco Polo: Eight

During his stay in the palace Marco Polo acquired Tartar and four other languages, so as to speak and write them well; he learned their manners also, and became in all things exceedingly sensible and sagacious. When the Great Khan found him display so much worth and prudence, he sent him as his messenger to a very distant land. It took Marco to reach there a travel of six months. He returned and reported his embassy very sensibly, relating many new things, respecting the countries through which he had travelled; while other ambassadors, being able to say nothing, except about the special message entrusted to them. The Great Khan deemed them to be foolish and ignorant. He was delighted by the accounts of Marco Polo, concerning various countries. Marco was aware of this, and studied everything that happened to come accross him. His Majesty the Great Khan and many of his barons predicted that Marco would become an eminent man. He remained in the court of Khan for seventeen years, and never ceased to be employed as an ambassador. The other chiefs began to envy the honours paid to him and his knowledge of the country, which exceeded that of any other person who ever visited it.

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1. Tartar: Tatar is an umbrella term for different ethnic groups accross Eastern Europe and Asia. Tartar language means Turkic languages, a language family that includes more than thirty five languages. Turkic languages show many similarities with Mongolic, Tungusic, Koreanic and Japonic languages.

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