Travels Of Marco Polo: Seventy Eight

Sayanfu is a large magnificent city, having under it twelve others, also great and noble.  It is the seat of very valuable arts and of merchandise.  The inhabitants are idolaters.  They use paper money.  They are subject to Khan; burn the bodies of their dead.  This city held out three years, after all the rest of provinces had yielded to the great Khan, who besieged it with a mighty force; but he could approach it only on the side which lies to north, because, it was elsewhere surrounded by a large and deep lake, by which the besieged obtained abundance of provisions.  The army was therefore about to abandon the seige in much grief and wrath, and this news was just brought to the Khan, when Messeri Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco Polo said, "we shall find a way by which the city shall be made to surrender."  The monarch who was most eagerly bent on its capture readily listened.

Then said the two brothers and their son Marco, "Sire, we have with us in our train men who will make such an engine as will discharge large stones, which the citizens will not be able to endure, and will be obliged to yield."

The Khan was much rejoiced, and desired that they should execute their plan as soon as possible.  Now they had in their company a German and Nestorian Christians who were skilful in such works, and made two or three machines sufficient to throw stones of 300 pounds weight.  When these were conveyed to the army and set up, they appeared to the Tartars greatest wonder of the world.  They then began discharging stones into the city, which struck the houses, broke and destroyed everything, and caused utmost noise and alarm.  When the inhabitants saw such a calamity as they never had seen, they knew not what to think or say.  They met council and concluded that they must all be killed, unless they submitted.  They therefore intimated the lord of the host that they would surrender on the same terms that others had done.  This was agreed to, and Sayanfu came under the power of great Khan, through the interposition of Messeri Nicolo, Maffio, and Marco, and it was not a small service, for this town and province are the best in his possession, and he draws from them a great revenue.  Now we shall leave this subject and treat a city called Singui.

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