Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Travels of Marco Polo - Volume 1 This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Travels of Marco Polo - Volume 1 Author: Marco Polo da Pisa Rusticiano Editor: Henri Cordier Translator: Sir Henry Yule Release date: January 1, 2004 [eBook #10636] Most recently updated: June 11, 2025 Language: English Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10636 Credits: Charles Franks, Robert Connal, John Williams and PG Distributed Proofreaders, updated and HTML created by Robert Tonsing *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO - VOLUME 1 *** [Illustration: H. Yule _T. B. Wirgman, del. et. sc._ _Walker & Cockerell, ph. sc._] THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO THE COMPLETE YULE-CORDIER EDITION Including the unabridged third edition (1903) of Henry Yule's annotated translation, as revised by Henri Cordier; together with Cordier's later volume of notes and addenda (1920) IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME I _Containing the first volume of the 1903 edition_ DEDICATION. TO THE MEMORY OF SIR RODERICK I. MURCHISON, BART., K.C.B., G.C.ST.A., G.C.ST.S., ETC. THE PERFECT FRIEND WHO FIRST BROUGHT HENRY YULE AND JOHN MURRAY TOGETHER (HE ENTERED INTO REST, OCTOBER 22ND, 1871,) AND TO THAT OF HIS MUCH LOVED NIECE, HARRIET ISABELLA MURCHISON, WIFE OF KENNETH ROBERT MURCHISON, D.L., J.P., (SHE ENTERED INTO REST, AUGUST 9TH, 1902,) UNDER WHOSE EVER HOSPITABLE ROOF MANY OF THE PROOF SHEETS OF THIS EDITION WERE READ BY ME, I DEDICATE THESE VOLUMES FROM THE OLD MURCHISON HOME, IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE OF ALL I OWE TO THE ABIDING AFFECTION, SYMPATHY, AND EXAMPLE OF BOTH. TARADALE, AMY FRANCES YULE. ROSS-SHIRE, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 1902. SCOTLAND. * * * * Ed è da noi sì strano, Che quando ne ragiono I' non trovo nessuno, Che l'abbia navicato, * * * * Le parti del Levante, Là dove sono tante Gemme di gran valute E di molta salute: E sono in quello giro Balsamo, e ambra, e tiro, E lo pepe, e lo legno Aloe, ch'è sì degno, E spigo, e cardamomo, Giengiovo, e cennamomo; E altre molte spezie, Ciascuna in sua spezie, E migliore, e più fina, E sana in medicina. Appresso in questo loco Mise in assetto loco Li tigri, e li grifoni, Leofanti, e leoni Cammelli, e dragomene, Badalischi, e gene, E pantere, e castoro, Le formiche dell'oro, E tanti altri animali, Ch'io non so ben dir quali, Che son sì divisati, E sì dissomigliati Di corpo e di fazione, Di sì fera ragione, E di sì strana taglia, Ch'io non credo san faglia, Ch'alcun uomo vivente Potesse veramente Per lingua, o per scritture Recitar le figure Delle bestie, e gli uccelli.... -From _Il Tesoretto di Ser Brunetto Latini_ (_circa_ MDCCLX.). (_Florence_, 1824, pp. 83 _seqq._) [Illustration] Ἂνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ Πλάγχθη . . . . . . . Πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω. _Odyssey_, I. ----"I AM BECOME A NAME; FOR ALWAYS ROAMING WITH A HUNGRY HEART MUCH HAVE I SEEN AND KNOWN; CITIES OF MEN, AND MANNERS, CLIMATES, COUNCILS, GOVERNMENTS, MYSELF NOT LEAST, BUT HONOURED OF THEM ALL." TENNYSON. "_A SEDER CI PONEMMO IVI AMBODUI VÔLTI A LEVANTE, OND'ERAVAM SALITI; CHÈ SUOLE A RIGUARDAR GIOVARE ALTRUI._" DANTE, _Purgatory_, IV. [Illustration: Messer Marco Polo, with Messer Nicolo and Messer Maffeo, returned from xxvi years' sojourn in the Orient, is denied entrance to the Ca' Polo. (See _Int._ p. _4_)] CONTENTS OF VOL. I. page DEDICATION iii NOTE BY MISS YULE v PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION vii PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION xi ORIGINAL PREFACE xxi ORIGINAL DEDICATION xxv MEMOIR OF SIR HENRY YULE BY AMY FRANCES YULE, L.A.SOC. ANT. SCOT. xxvii A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SIR HENRY YULE'S WRITINGS lxxv SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS lxxxiii EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. I. xcvii INTRODUCTORY NOTICES _1-144_ THE BOOK OF MARCO POLO. NOTE BY MISS YULE. I desire to take this opportunity of recording my grateful sense of the unsparing labour, learning, and devotion, with which my father's valued friend, Professor Henri Cordier, has performed the difficult and delicate task which I entrusted to his loyal friendship. Apart from Professor Cordier's very special qualifications for the work, I feel sure that no other Editor could have been more entirely acceptable to my father. I can give him no higher praise than to say that he has laboured in Yule's own spirit. The slight Memoir which I have contributed (for which I accept all responsibility), attempts no more than a rough sketch of my father's character and career, but it will, I hope, serve to recall pleasantly his remarkable individuality to the few remaining who knew him in his prime, whilst it may also afford some idea of the man, and his work and environment, to those who had not that advantage. No one can be more conscious than myself of its many shortcomings, which I will not attempt to excuse. I can, however, honestly say that these have not been due to negligence, but are rather the blemishes almost inseparable from the fulfilment under the gloom of bereavement and amidst the pressure of other duties, of a task undertaken in more favourable circumstances. Nevertheless, in spite of all defects, I believe this sketch to be such a record as my father would himself have approved, and I know also that he would have chosen my hand to write it. In conclusion, I may note that the first edition of this work was dedicated to that very noble lady, the Queen (then Crown Princess) Margherita of Italy. In the second edition the Dedication was reproduced within brackets (as also the original preface), but not renewed. That precedent is again followed. I have, therefore, felt at liberty to associate the present edition of my father's work with the Name MURCHISON, which for more than a generation was the name most generally representative of British Science in Foreign Lands, as of Foreign Science in Britain. A. F. YULE. PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. Little did I think, some thirty years ago, when I received a copy of the first edition of this grand work, that I should be one day entrusted with the difficult but glorious task of supervising the third edition. When the first edition of the _Book of Ser Marco Polo_ reached "Far Cathay," it created quite a stir in the small circle of the learned foreigners, who then resided there, and became a starting-point for many researches, of which the results have been made |