Travels Of Marco Polo: Seventy Two: Bayam with Hundred Eyes

In the extensive province of Manji there was a lord and king named Facfur, who, excepting the great Khan, was the mightiest sovereign in the world, the most powerful in money and people, but the men are not good at arms, nor have horses trained to war, not experience in the battle and military operations; otherwise they would have not lost such a strong country.  All the land are surrounded by waters so deep

that they cannot be passed unless by bridges, and the chief cities are encompassed by broad ditches filled with water.  The Khan, however, in the year of our lord 1273 sent one of his barons Bayam Cinqsan, which means Bayam with the hundred eyes: for the king of Manji had found out by astrology, that he could lose his kingdom only by a man having hundred eyes.  Bayam marched with a very great force, many ships, horse and foot, and came to the first city of Manji called Koiganzu, which we will presently describe.  He called upon it to surrender; but people refused.  He then went to another city, which also refused, and so he passed five, leaving them behind, because he knew that Khan was sending a large additional force.  He took, however, the sixth by storm, and then successively reduced other twelve, after which he direct marched to the capital of the kingdom, called Kinsai, where the king and queen resided.  When the monarch saw the great army, he was struck with such terror, that he fled from the continent with many of his people having thousand ships and sought refuge among the islands.  The queen, however, remained and defended herself as well as she could against Bayam.  But having at last asked what was the name of the commander, and being told it was Bayam with Hundred eyes, she remembered the prophecy mentioned above, and immediately surrendered the city to him.  Now all the cities of Manji surrendered, and the whole world does not contain such a kingdom, I will now describe its magnificence.

End of the Section