Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 35: Madagascar

This is an island towards the south about thousand miles from Scotra. 

The people are Saracens, adoring Mohammed; and they have four Sheiks, or old men who rule the country.  This is really one of the noblest and greatest country in the world, being reputed 4000 miles in circuit.  In no region are so many elephants bred, and their teeth sold, as here and Zanghibar.  No flesh is eaten except that of camel, of which an incredible number are killed every day; and being supposed better and more wholesome than any other, it is used the whole year if possible.  The red sandal grows here to the height of our forest trees, and is sold with advantage to foreigners.  Ambergris is also abounds from the number of whales, which you know, yield that substance.  There are leopards and lions, likewise various other animals, such as stags, wild goats and deer, some of great sizes.  The birds are equally various, several wonderfully different from ours.  Many ships arrive with abundance of goods, with cloths of silk and gold, which are profitably exchanged for those of the country. Mariners, however, cannot reach the other islands, lying south of this and Zanghibar, owing to the violence of the current running in that direction.  It is such, that while vessels can come hither from Malabar in twenty days, they spent three months in returning.

Now I must mention that in these southern isles, the birds called Griffon (Vulture) are reported exist and appear in certain seasons.  They are not as we heard describe and paint them: half bird, half lion.  But they are exactly like eagle, but immensely larger.  They are represented so huge and powerful as to take up the elephant and carry him high into the air, and drop him at once, so that he is killed, and that he feed upon his carcass.  It is picturized that their wings are twelve paces long, and when spread out extended thirty paces across; they are thick in proportion.

Khan sent messengers to obtain information about the country and also to get released one of his subjects, who had been made prisoner here.  There are also giraffes, wild asses and other beasts

and birds wonderfully different from ours. The natives here call the griffons "ruc" 

Notes:-

The bird mentioned here as Griffon and "ruc" may be albatross.

End of the Section