Travels Of Marco Polo: Six

At last, seeing that no pontiff was elected, and unwilling to delay further their return to the great khan, they departed, taking with them Marco Polo, the son of Nicolo. They repaired to Acre and told the legate  that having tarried too long, there being no appearance of election, they must beg permission to depart, in conformity to the monarch's wishes, to take the oil from the lamp burning before the sepulchre. Having obtained his consent, they went to Jerusalem, took what they desired, and returned, when he gave them letters with permission to depart. They proceeded from Acre to Laias; but during their stay there, they were informed that the Legate himself had been appointed pope under the name of Gregory X of Paicenza. He afterwards held a council at Lyons on the Rhone. He then sent a message after them to return; and they returned. A galley was prepared for them by the King of Armenia. The legate, who was now pontiff arranged two learned friars to accompany the Polo brothers; the friars were Nicolo of Vicenza and William of Tripoli. The pontiff bestowed on them letters and privileges, and passed the message to be conveyed to the monarch. On their way to Laias, the Soldan of Babylonia, named Bonduchdaree came and attacked the city. The friars, struck with fear of war, gave to Nicolo and Maffio certain letters, and resolved to proceed no further. But the brothers continued their journey, and arrived safely at a very rich city named Clemenfu where the Great Khan resided. 

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1. Acre: known locally as Akka or Akko, a coastal city in Israel. A Bronze age settlement, later a settlement of Canaanite settlement, then a scene of crusade, followed by Mamluk rule and finally in 1948 a city in Israel.

2. Legate: A member of the clergy, especially a cardinal representing the pope.

It may also mean a general or governor of ancient Roman province.

3. Lyons: Lyon, located at the confluence of rivers Rhone and Saone to the northwest Alps.

4. The letters and message: When we see or hear the word letter the images that come to our mind is that of paper, pen and ink. But it were parchment, quill or reed pen and gall for ink. These letters were to be deposited to merchants going by that destination, in return of a price to that service. Gall was a kind of swelling on the bark of oak. The pontiff, then blessed the team. 

5. Soldan: An archaic word meaning the ruler of an Islamic country.

6. Clemenfu: Most probably Shangdu, also known as Xanadu. 

Here, Rustichello da Pisa aka pen name Rusticiano, the Romance writer puts an end to with a promise to relate it in future. It is said that Kublai Khan arranged a team of forty persons to receive Polo brothers.

7. Galley: A low flat ship with one or more sails and upto three banks of oars, chiefly used for warfare or piracy and often manned by slaves or criminals.

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