CHAPTER X. 



THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO THE FIRST MENTION OF JAPAN lh HISTORY- 



KUBLAI KHAN — MARCO POLO'S VOYAGE FROM AMOY TO ORMUZ — MALACCA-^ 



SUMATRA PYGMIES SINGULAR STORIES OF DIAMONDS THE ROC POLO NOT 



RECOGNISED UPON HIS RETURN HIS IMPRISONMENT THE PUBLICATION OF 



HIS NARRATIVE THE INTEREST AWAKENED IN CHINA, JAPAN, AND THE ISLANDS 



OF SPICES. 



The call to arms against the Moslems fixed, as we have said, 

 the attention of Europe upon the East. The travels of Carpini, 

 Rubruquis, and Ascelin, in Tartary and in China, revealed the 

 existence of numerous tribes in localities believed to be occupied 

 by the ocean. Hordes of savages, we are told, and whole nations 

 of powerful and warlike people, emerged from the imaginary 

 waters of Eoiis, the fabulous sea of antiquity and bed of 

 Aurora. Marco Polo, whose celebrated journey was performed 

 during the twenty years closing the thirteenth century, made 

 known the centre and eastern extremity of Asia, Japan, a 

 portion of the islands of the Indian Archipelago, a part of the 

 continent of Africa, and, by hearsay, the large island of Mada- 

 gascar. We subjoin a brief account of that portion of his 

 travels which was prosecuted by sea. 



He became a great favorite with Kublai Khan, whose winter 



capital was Khanbalik or Pekin, and served him for many years 



as one of his confidential officers. He was the first European 



who heard of the island of Japan, of which he speaks thus: — 



"Zipangu, or Cipango, is an island in the Eastern Ocean, situated 



about fifteen hundred miles from the mainland. It is quite 

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