456 A. D. 1295. 



of the Moguls and fome other neighbourhig nations, and became a 

 great favourite with the khan, who employed him, and alfo his father 

 and uncle, on many important emballies. On their return from one of 

 them they found ambaffadors at the court of Cublai from Argon, an 

 Indian king, who had fent them to procure a wife for him. Their re- 

 turn home being rendered dangerous by a war in the intervening coun- 

 tries, they requefted the khan to allow them to convey the princefs, his 

 relation, by fea, and to permit the three Venetians to accompany them 

 on account of their fkill in maritime affairs. The khan reludlantly con- 

 fented to part with his Venetian friends, and ordered fourteen vefTels 

 to be provided for them, each of which carried four mafts and nine 

 fails *. In twenty-one months they arrived in Argon's dominions : and 

 thence the three Venetians proceeded by the way of Trebifond, Con- 

 ftantinople, and Negropont, to Venice, where they arrived in the year 

 T295, with more knowlege of the Oriental countries than any Europe- 

 ans ever had acquired f . 



From Marco Polo's faithful account of the many countries he had 

 traveled through, and of thofe defcribed by him from the befl informa- 

 tion he could obtain, the following particulars, illuftrative of their com- 

 merce and manufactures, are extradled. 



Giazza, a city with an excellent harbour at the north-eafl: corner of 

 the Levant fea, and a fettled mart for all the Eaft, is much frequented 

 by veflels from Venice and Genoa for the fake of the fpices and other 

 rich merchandize brought to it. 



Zorziana (Gurgiflan or Georgia) has abundance of filk ; and all the 

 fluffs of gold and filk, called mufleims, are made in the province of 

 Moxul. 



Baldach, or Bagdat, is fituated upon the River Tigris, at the diflance 

 of feventeen days failing from the fea. It has many manufadures of 

 gold and filk, damafks, and velvets with figures of animals. All the 

 pearls in Chriflendom are brought from that city. 



In Tauris, a great and populous city of Hyrcania, there are manu- 

 fadures of gold and filk ; and many foreign merchants refiding there 

 acquire great riches. 



Perfia abounds with filk, and has excellent artificers, who make won- 

 derful things in gold, filk, and embroidery. Jafdi, a city on the frontier 

 of Perfia, has a great trade and many manufadures of filk. 



Ormus, the capital of the kingdom of Kerman, fituated on an ifland, 



• The form of the fails is defcribed by Ramufio fome particulars of Cathay agreeing with and con- 



jo his account of Marco's travels. firmed by Marco, were of no great importance in 



\ The travels of Piano Carpini and his affo- thcmfelves, except as having fome degree of in- 



ciatcs and followers, begun in the year 1246, thofc fluencc in flowly aroufing the fpirit of inquiry, 



of Rubruquis, or Ruylbroeck, in 1253, and the without which no great objeA can crcr be accom- 



work of Haitho, written about the time that the plilhed. 

 Polos wcic on their trarcls, though coutaining S 



