Travels Of Marco Polo: Fifty Seven: Karazan and its great serpents

When a man leaves Yaci or Chiaci and goes ten days westward, he finds the province of Karazan, with a capital of the same name.  The people are idolators, and subject to the great Khan; the king is a son of that monarch, named Kogatin.  Gold dust is found in the river, and on the mountains in large pieces so abundantly that a bar is given for six silver.  The porcelain described earlier, too, circulates for money, but it is provided from India.  Here are snakes and serpents so huge as to strike all men with astonishment.  They are ten paces long, ten palms broad, and have no feet, and only a hoof like that of a lion; the nose is like a loaf of bread, the mouth so huge that it would swallow at once a man whole; the teeth are immense, nor is there any wild beast, whom they do not strike with terror.  There are smaller ones, eight paces long and and six palms broad.  The mode of catching them is this:  they remain during the day in great cavern under the earth, to avoid the heat, but at night go out in search of prey, and seize all the animals whom they can reach; they also seek drink at the river, fountains and lakes, and make a deep track in the sand, as if a barrel had been dragged through it.  In it the people fix a stake, fasten to it a steel instrument sharpened like a razor, and cover it over with sand.  When the serpent comes through the track, and strikes against the steel,  he is pierced with such violence, that his body is divided from one side to the other as high as umbilical cord, and he presently dies.  They then take the body and extract the hall bladder, which they sell very dear, being an excellent medicine for the bite of a mad dog, when administered in small doze.  It is also valuable in child birth, and when given to the woman, a safe delivery immediately follows.  The flesh also is sold at a high price, being considered delicate food.  The serpent also enters the den of lions, bears and other fierce animals, and devours their whelps, when he can get at them.  Here too, are very large horses, which are carried into India to be sold.  They cut two or three nerves from the tail, so that they may not strike with it the man who rides, which is considered disgraceful.  These people ride like the French, with long staff, have arms covered with buffalo hide, and carry lances, spears, and poisoned arrows.  Before the Great Khan conquered them, they had a wicked custom, that when any stranger came to lodge with them, who was agreeable, wise and opulent, they killed him during the night by poison or some other mode. This was not out of enmity or with a view of taking his money, but because they imagined that his wisdom and other good qualities would thus remain with them.  However, about thirty five years ago, after the monarch conquered the country, he prohibited this crime, which, from fear of him, they no longer commit.  Now let us tell of another province called Kardandan

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