38 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



for the rue by references to various giant birds now 

 extinct. What is evident is that the rue who lifted 

 elephants into the air, was the same mighty bird to whose 

 leg Sinbad tied himself, and which conveyed him swiftly 

 from the great island in the South to the Valley of the 

 Diamonds in India. 



The But the special interest of Marco's book for us is the 



of'cattiay information he gives about Chinese navigators in the 

 direction of Australia in the days of the Great Kaan. 

 His description of China is written from intimate first- 

 hand knowledge extending over seventeen years, and 

 from notes taken on the spot. China is the seat of incom- 

 parably the most splendid civilization in the world. ' The 

 magnificence of the Grand Kaan is unequalled by that of 

 any monarch in the world." " In respect of the numbers 

 of his subjects, the extent of his territory, the amount 

 of his revenue, he surpasses every sovereign that has 

 heretofore been or that now is in the world." Province 

 after province of the huge Empire Marco surveys, giving 

 a monotonous picture of a civilization far in advance, 

 both in intellectual and in material things, of the most 

 progressive countries of Europe. And this civilization 

 found its centres in huge seaport towns, with populations 

 running up to 1,600,000 families, with streets well paved 

 and well drained, with excellent arrangements of police 

 and fire-brigade, and " surpassing in grandeur and in 

 wealth every other city in the world." This gigantic 

 prosperity was founded on maritime commerce. To 

 Cambaluc (Peking) " are brought articles of greater cost 

 and rarity, and in greater abundance of all kinds, than to 

 any other city in the world. For people of every descrip- 

 tion, and from every region, bring things (including all 

 the costly wares of India), some for the sovereign, some 

 for the court, some for the city which is so great, some for 

 the great hosts of the Emperor, which are quartered round 

 about ; and thus, between court and city, the quantity 

 brought in is endless." In Singu (I-ching-hien) and 

 Singu was "a city of no great size" Marco saw 15,000 

 ships at one time. Kinsay (Hang-chau), " the City of 



