Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 36: The Coast of Zanghibar [1]

This is a very great and noble island, 

about 2000 miles in circuit.  The people are idolaters, having languages of their own, and a king not subject to anyone.  They are not very tall, but broad and thick, and in this respect they appear like giants.

They are likewise immensely strong 

bearing as large a burden as four other men, which is really no wonder, for they eat as much as five.  They are perfectly black and go naked, with the exception of a cloth round their waist.  Their mouth is so wide, their nose turned up, their lips and eyes are so big, that they are horrible to behold and anyone meeting them in another country would believe them devil.

Elephants abound and a great traffic 

is carried on in their teeth; likewise lion a peculiar species, with ounces [2] and leopards.  In short they have all kinds of beasts different from others in the world; including sheep entirely white, with only head black, and none of any other colour.  Here too is the giraffe, a beautiful creature, whose shape I will describe.  Behind, it is very low, and the legs very short, while those before and the neck, are very large, that its head raises three paces from the ground.  The animal is small and quite harmless, and its colour is being red and white, in circles, it is very beautiful.  But there is a thing I had forgotten to tell about the elephant.  It cares its female in the same manner as human species.

I must say, the women of this island are most ugly; large mouth, eyes and nose, breasts four times the ordinary breasts, in short, they are hideous.  The people live on rice, milk, flesh and dates.  Though they have no wines, they make good liquor of rice, spices and sugar.  There is good trade in amber and in elephants' teeth.  The men are very brave in combat and little fear of death.  They have no horses and fight upon camels and elephants, placing on them castles well covered, with sixteen or twenty men mounted on them, bearing lances, swords and staves, and making a powerful force in battle.  They have no arms except leathern shields, lances, and swords with which they fight so well.  When leading the elephant to the combat, they give him wine or liquor to drink, which renders him more fierce and effective.  I must now proceed to the great province of Abascia, but wish to say something more of India in general.

Notes:-

1. Zanghibar: Zanzibar islands in Tanzania 

2. Ounces: Snow Leopard

End of the Section