Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 40: The City of Escier

Escier is a very large town to the northwest four hundred miles from Aden.  Here rules a count with justice, but subject to the Sultan of Aden; and the people are Saracens adoring Mohammed.  The port is good, frequented by many ships and merchants from India, who bring various commodities, and carry away others, particularly horses of great value, but yielding large profit.  In this province grows a great quantity of fine incense, also dates.  They have no grains except rice, and that too little, so that corn is imported from other countries.  Fish is caught in plenty, that for a Venetian gros you can  purchase two large tunnies.  The people live on rice, flesh, and milk. They have no wine. They make liquor from rice, sugar and dates. Their sheep are without ears or any openings for them, but where the ears should be is a little horn.  Very small, but beautiful creatures;  another wonder is that all animals eat fish. There is no grass. It is the most arid place in the world.  These fishes are very small, caught in March, April and May in wonderful quantities.  They are dried and lodged in houses, and given as food to the animals during the whole year.
People eat them fresh. Large fish are cut or sliced and dry them in sun and preserved for the whole year.  The incense, grown abundantly, are purchased by their lord at ten golden bezants the cantar, and retailed to the merchants for forty, so that he makes a very large property.  Let us now leave the city and tell you of Dufar.

Notes:-
1. The city of Escier is believed to be the city of Axum or Aksum located in the modern day Ethiopia. It was the capital of Aksumite Empire. Axum was described as a metropolis in Periplus Maris Erythraea of the first century.

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