Travels Of Marco Polo: Fifty Six: Caraian

When a man has departed and crossed the river he enters this province, which is large and contains seven kingdoms extending westward.  The people are all idolators, and under the dominion of the great Khan.  The king is a son of his, named Essetemur, and is great rich and powerful.  He is also brave and upright, ruling his country with much justice [1].  When the traveller has crossed the river, he passes during a journey of 5 days, through a country where there is abundance of cities and castles with many very good horses, and people are supported by cattle and the produce by land.  Their language is difficult to understand.  At the end of these five days, he comes to the capital of the country named Yaci [ 2] which is particularly great and noble with many merchants and numerous arts. There are here various sects, Saracens, idolators and Nestorian Christians.  There is a good deal of grain and rice, yet the country is not very fertile.  They make a drink of rice, which intoxicates like wines.  Money is formed of porcelain such as found in sea, [3] and eighty pieces are worth one rod of gold or eight of silver.  They have pits where from they draw large quantities of salt, from which the King derives a great revenue [4]  Adultery is not a crime, unless accompanied with violence. There is a lake here extending hundred miles, having large fishes, the best in the world.  They use raw flesh of all fowls and beasts; for the poor people go to market and get it newly taken from the animals, put it in garlic sauce; and eat it.  The rich also likewise eat it raw, but previously cut it into small pieces, and the sauce mixed with good spices.

____________________________________1.  The king is not identified.

 2. Probably Chiaki in Tibet 

3. Cowries such as found in Maldives.

4. Rock salt in Tibet 

End of the Section