Chap II. of M a r i 
and fquat, have no Prince, and live like Beafts. The 
Tartars often rob them of their Cattle in thofe dark 
Months, and left they fhould lofe their Way, they ride 
on Mares which have Colts fucking, which they leave 
with a Guard at the Entrance of that Country, where the 
Light beginneth to fail, and when they have taken their Prey, 
give Reins to the Mares, which haften to their Colts. In 
their long continued Summer, they take many of the fineft 
Furrs (one Occafion of the Tartars going to rob them) 
of which I have heard home are brought into Rujfta . Ruf- 
fia is a great Country near that Northern Darknefs. The 
People are Greek Chriftians, the Men and Women fair, 
and pay Tribute to the King of the Tartars of the Weft, 
on whom they border. On the Eaft there is plenty of 
Furrs, Wax, and Mines of Silver; it reaches, as I was 
told, to the Ocean Sea, in which are Iflands that abound 
in Ger~ Falcons and Falcons. 
28. We are now arrived at the Clofe of this Author’s 
'Writings, and therefore are the more capable of judging 
of the Particulars they contain, which was the Reafon 
that I left fome Points to be confidered here, which I 
fhould other wife have thrown under the Head of Objecti- 
ons. Some critical Readers have affe&ed to doubt, whe- 
ther our Author, or rather his Performance, deferves Cre- 
dit, from the Account that is given of the Manner in 
which it was wrote, and from the different Stories that we 
have told of the Original. We have already accounted 
for the Miftakes that have been made on this Head, and 
fhall here only take Notice, that Francis Pipin , of the 
Order of Preachers, who made a Latin Tranflation of our 
Author’s Work, tells us in his Preface, that from the Re- 
port of his Domefticks, he was fatisfied that Marco Polo 
Was a Man of great Prudence, remarkably honeft, and 
©ne who had the faireft Character that could be. It is not 
very eafy to conceive, that fuch a Man Would expofe that Cre- 
dit which he had been at fo much Pains to eftablilh, by 
fending into the World an indigefted Heap of Fictions 
and Romances. But the fame Perfon informs us farther, 
that Seignior Nicolo Polo , the Father of our Author, was 
the molt efteemed, and beft beloved Man of his Time, 
and that he conftantly reported the very fame FaCts, dur- 
ing his whole Life, which his Son publifhed in his Works; 
and as for his Uncle Seignior Mafia, who enjoyed fome of 
the principal Offices in the Government at Venice , and 
diftinguiffied himfelf by his Wifdom and Integrity, when 
he was upon his Death-Bed, he took particular Care to affure 
his Confeffor, that he had reviewed his Nephew’s Work, 
and that he was fully fatisfied, that there was nothing in 
it that was not ftriClly true, and this he gave him Leave 
to declare for the Satisfaction of the World. Here then 
are three credible Witneffes to the fame FaCts, and there- 
fore, according to all the Laws of Evidence, they ought 
to be looked upon as throughly eftabliihed. 
We muft however diftinguilh between fuch FaCts as 
our Author reports from his own Knowledge, and thofe 
which are grounded only on hear-fay and Information. 
We may accufe an Author of Credulity or Imprudence, 
who inferts ftrange and improbable things in his Writings, 
but we cannot with Juftice charge him with Infidelity or 
Falfhood on that Head, and we ought alfo to make fome 
Allowance for the Genius of the Time in which he wrote, 
becaufe it cannot be prefumed, that even the wifeft and 
rood prudent Man can be totally free from the Errors of 
the Age in which he flourifhed : It may not be amifs to give 
a few Inftances with regard to our Author. 
In the twenty- fifth Chapter, there is an Account of 
Diamond Mines, in the Kingdom of Murfili y where we 
have omitted a Paffage that is to be met with in moft of 
of the Editions of our Author, becaufe it is reported on 
the Credit of the Inhabitants, and we were willing to ex- 
amine it by itfelf, that the Reader might perceive we had 
no Intention to impofe upon him thofe Improbabilities 
which had been impofed upon our Author himfelf. After hav- 
ing told us, that Diamonds are found there at the Bottom 
of the rocky Mountains, after the rainy Seafon is over, he 
proceeds thus: 44 They alfo in the Summer-Time afcend 
thefe Mountains, though with great Difficulty, becaufe 
“ of the Vehemence of the Heat, and find abundance of 
thofe precious Stones among the Gravel In this they 
4 
44 are likewife much expofed to Danger from the vaft 
44 Number of Serpents of enormous Size, which fheltef' 
44 themfelves in the Holes and Caverns of thefe Rocks, 
44 where, neverthelefs, they find Diamonds in the greateft 
44 Abundance. Among other Methods of obtaining them^ 
44 they make ufe of this : There are abundance of white 
44 Eagles that reft in the upper Part of thofe Rocks, for the 
44 fake of feeding on the Serpents, and in the deep Val- 
46 lies and Precipices, where Men are afraid to venture 
44 themfelves, they throw Pieces of raw Meat, which the 
44 Eagles perceiving, immediately ftoop and feize it, with 
44 all the little Stones and Gravel that adhere to thefe moift 
44 Pieces of Meat. Such as fearch for Diamonds watch 
44 the Eagles Nefts, and when they leave them, pick up 
44 fuch little Stones, and fearch likewife for Diamonds 
44 among the Eagles Dung. The Kings and Great Men 
44 in this Country keep the faireft and fineft of thefe Stones 
“ to themfelves, and fuffer the Merchants to fell the reft. 
The famous Julius Gtefar Scaliger was extremely of- 
fended with this Relation, which he treats with the utmoft 
Contempt, and feems to wonder at the Affurance of a Wri- 
ter that experts Stories of this kind fhould gain Credit : 
Yet, after all, I do not fee that there is any great Harm in 
our Author’s relating this Tale, however improbable it 
may feem, fince without doubt he received it from the In- 
habitants, and what Motives they had to tell him fuch a 
Story, is not very difficult to guefs. The native Indians , 
in all the Revolutions that have happened in the Countries 
where they live, have preferved this Trade in their own 
Hands, and by Fables of one fort or other kept Strangers 
from attempting to interfere with them. Our Author was 
very probably the firft European that was ever at the Dia- 
mond Mines, and therefore we have the lefs Reafon to be 
furprized at his being impofed upon, in an Affair of which 
he could not be a competent Judge. 
But to make the Reader fome Amends for fo imperfedt a 
Relation of the manner in which this valuable Trade is car- 
ried on, I fhall take this Opportunity of inferring the beft 
Account of the Matter that I believe has been hitherto given 
by one who was an Eye-witnefs of it in the Year i 680, and 
that too in the very Country known to our Author by the 
Name of the Kingdom of Mur fill. “ The Diamonds are fo 
44 fcattered and difperfed in the Earth, and lie fo thin, that 
44 in the moft plentiful Mines it is rare to find one in dig- 
44 ging, or till they have prepared the Stuff, and fearched 
44 purpofely for them : They are alfo frequently enclofed in 
44 Clods ; and fome of thofe of Molwilleed ; and the hewMines 
44 in the Kingdom of Goleonda have the Earth fo fixed 
44 about them, that till they grind them on a rough Stone 
44 with Sand, they cannot move it fufficiently to difcover 
44 they are tranfparent, or were it not for their Shapes, to 
44 know them from other Stones. At the firft opening of 
44 the Mine, the unfkilful Labourers fometimes, to try 
44 what they have found, lay them on a great Stone, and 
44 ftriking on them with another, to their coftly Experience 
44 difcover they have broken a Diamond. One I know who 
44 had an excellent Stone of eight Mangellans, that is, 
44 thirty-two Grains, ferved fo by ignorant Miners he em- 
44 ployed. Near the Place where they dig they raife a 
44 Wall, with fuch rugged Stones as they find at hand, 
44 whereof all the Mines afford Plenty, of about two Foot 
44 high, and fix Foot over, flooring it well with the fame ; 
44 for the laying of which they have no other Mortar than 
44 the Earth tempered with Water. To ftrengthen and 
44 make it tight, they throw up a Bank againft the Side of 
44 it, in one Part whereof they leave a fmall Vent about two 
44 Inches from the Bottom, by which it empties itfelf into 
44 a little Pit made in the Earth to receive fmall Stones, if 
44 by chance any ffiould run through. The Vent being 
44 flopp’d, they fill the Ciftern they have made with Water, 
44 foaking therein as much of the Earth they dig out of 
44 the Mine as it can conveniently receive at a time, break- 
44 ing the Clods, picking out the great Stones, and flirting 
44 it with Shovels till the Water is all muddy, the gravelly 
44 Stuff falling to the Bottom ; then they open the Vent, 
44 letting out the foul Water, and fupply it with clean, till 
44 all the earthy Subftance be wafhed away, and none but a 
44 gravelly one remains at the Bottom. Thus they continue 
44 wafhing till about Ten of the Clock before Noon, when 
44 they 
