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HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



following manner. A war between the Venetians and the 

 Genoese resulted in the capture of the galley of which he was 

 commander. He was imprisoned during four years at Genoa. 

 His surprising history becoming known, he was visited by all the 

 principal inhabitants, who were anxious to listen to his narrative. 

 The frequent necessity of repeating the same story became in- 

 tolerably irksome to him, and he resolved to commit it to writing. 

 He thus gave the first impulse to the promotion of geographical 

 science. He procured from Venice the original notes he had 

 made in the course of his travels, and, with their assistance and 

 that of a Genoese amanuensis, the narrative was composed in 

 his cell. It is a work of great research and deep interest. 

 Formerly read for its marvels, it is now perused as the earliest 

 authentic account of a region which still remains a terra incog- 

 nita, and whose inhabitants repel curiosity and decline mingling 

 with other nations upon the usual reciprocal terms of fellowship 

 and good-will. Marco Polo is now justly considered the founder 

 of the modern geography of Asia. It was long before any new 

 discoveries were added to those of the illustrious Venetian, but 

 his original statements were confirmed in many quarters: — by 

 Oderic, who visited India and China in 1320 ; by Schiltberger, 

 of Munich, who accompanied Tamerlane in his expeditions 

 through Central Asia; by Pegoletti, an Italian merchant who 

 went to Pekin, through the heart of Asia, in 1335 ; and by Cla- 

 vijo, in 1403, who was sent by Spain as ambassador to Samar- 

 cand. 



Thus, a European had been to the regions of spices and had 

 returned. From this time forward the world was to know no 

 rest till the route by sea had been discovered. 



