The Travels of Marco Polo - Volume II Part 74
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Volume II Part 74

(They carry a threat of attack if he should refuse to present himself before Toctai. Nogai refuses with defiance. Both sides prepare for war, but Toctai's force is the greater in numbers.)

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

HOW TOCTAI MARCHED AGAINST NOGAI.

(The usual description of their advance to meet one another. Toctai is joined by the two sons of Totamangu with a goodly company. They encamp within ten miles of each other in the Plain of NERGHI.)

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

HOW TOCTAI AND NOGAI ADDRESS THEIR PEOPLE, AND THE NEXT DAY JOIN BATTLE.

(The whole of this is in the usual formula without any circ.u.mstances worth transcribing. The forces of Nogai though inferior in numbers are the better men-at-arms. King Toctai shows great valour.)

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

THE VALIANT FEATS AND VICTORY OF KING NOGAI.

(The deeds of Nogai surpa.s.s all; the enemy scatter like a flock, and are pursued, losing 60,000 men, but Toctai escapes, and so do the two sons of Totamangu.)

CHAPTER x.x.xIV. AND LAST

CONCLUSION.[1]

And now ye have heard all that we can tell you about the Tartars and the Saracens and their customs, and likewise about the other countries of the world as far as our researches and information extend. Only we have said nothing whatever about the GREATER SEA and the provinces that lie round it, although we know it thoroughly. But it seems to me a needless and useless task to speak about places which are visited by people every day.

For there are so many who sail all about that sea constantly, Venetians, and Genoese, and Pisans, and many others, that everybody knows all about it, and that is the reason that I pa.s.s it over and say nothing of it.

Of the manner in which we took our departure from the Court of the Great Kaan you have heard at the beginning of the Book, in that chapter where we told you of all the vexation and trouble that Messer Maffeo and Messer Nicolo and Messer Marco had about getting the Great Kaan's leave to go; and in the same chapter is related the lucky chance that led to our departure. And you may be sure that but for that lucky chance, we should never have got away in spite of all our trouble, and never have got back to our country again. But I believe it was G.o.d's pleasure that we should get back in order that people might learn about the things that the world contains. For according to what has been said in the introduction at the beginning of the Book, there never was a man, be he Christian or Saracen or Tartar or Heathen, who ever travelled over so much of the world as did that n.o.ble and ill.u.s.trious citizen of the City of Venice, Messer Marco the son of Messer Nicolo Polo.

Thanks be to G.o.d! Amen! Amen!

[1] This conclusion is not found in any copy except in the Crusca Italian, and, with a little modification, in another at Florence, belonging to the Pucci family. It is just possible that it was the embellishment of a transcriber or translator; but in any case it is very old, and serves as an epilogue.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Asiatic Warriors of Polo's Age. (From a contemporary Persian Miniature.)]

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A.--_Geneaology of the House of Chinghiz, to end of Thirteenth Century_.

Supreme [KAANS] in large capitals. KHANS of KIPCHAK, CHAGATAI, and PERSIA in small capitals. Numerals indicate order of succession. For other sons of Kublai, see Book II., chapter ix.

Those who are mentioned by Marco Polo have a _line_ under their names.

Seniority runs from right to left.

Vesugai _______________________________________________

Uchegin or [I._CHINGIZ KAAN_]

Pilgutai

__________________________

_____________________

Jintu TULI [II. OKKODAI KAAN]

___________

__________

______________________

Tagajar Arikbuga I. _HULAKU_ [V._KuBLaI_ [IV._MANGKU_

_KAAN_] _KAAN_]

_____________

______

____

Agul 3._TIGUDAR_ Tara- 2._ABAKA_ _Chingkim_

_AHMAD_ kai

______

______________

____________

[VI._TEMUR KAAN_]

Kanbala

_______

______

_Nayan_ 6._BAIDU_

Tarmabala

5._KAI-_ 4._ARGHUN_

_KHATU_

________

_______

8. OLJAITU 7._GHAZAN_

[Khans of PERSIA]

__________________________________________________________

Shiregi Kashin [III. _KUYUK_KAAN]

_Kaidu_

Chapar

or

Shabar

__________________________________________________________

_CHAGATAI_

______

_________________________________________

Kadami Sarban Paidar 2.YESSU- Muwatukan Juji

MANGKU,

followed by

Kara-Hulaku's

widow, 3. ARGUNA.

____________

8. TUKA 7. NIK- ALGHUL Yesan- I. KAKA- _Nigudar-_

(or BUKA) PAL Tewa. HULAKU. _Aghul_

TEMUR

6.BORRAK. 5.MUBARIK

SHAH

9. TEWA or

DUA

[Khans of ULUS CHAGATAI]

__________________________________________________________

Tewal Shaiban 4. _BARKA_ 7. _BATU_

____________________

_______ Tatar Kaunchi

3.ULAGHJI Toghan 2. SARTAK

_______________

_______

_Noghai_ 6. _TUDAI- 5. _MANGKU_ Bartu _MANGKU_ _TEMUR_

_______________

8._TOKTAI_ Abaji 7. _TULABUGA_.

[Khans of KIPCHAK or ULUS JUJI]

APPENDIX B.--_The Polo Families_.

(I.) GENEALOGY OF THE FAMILY OF MARCO POLO THE TRAVELLER.

/- Maffeo, /- Giovannino Seniority runs from

make will in

(_Illeg._) [bottom] to [top].

Feb. 1309;

alive in 1321.

was dead

before 1318. +- Stefano

(_Illeg._)

alive in 1321.

Catarina,

d. of Nic. /- Fiordelisa.

Sagredo.

------

+- Maffeo - Pasqua.

2. (Mother

made a will, (_Illeg._)

of Maffeo.

1300.

_Fiordelisa

Trevisan_?)

Renuzzo Delfio +- Nicol, -------+

of S. Giov.

/- Moreta,

Grisostomo

married

married twice, - MARCO,

after 1324;

d. before 1300. of S. Giov.

alive in

Grisostomo,

1336.

1. (Marco's 1254-1324.

A

Mother,

---------+- Bellella, n

Name unknown.) Donata--(?)

married to-- d

died after

before 1324; r

1333 and

died before 1333.

e

before 1336.

a

- Fantina,

married P

before 1324; o

alive in 1379.

l

--------- Pietro Bragadin o

Marco Bragadin of S. Giov.

,

of S. Geminiano Grisostomo, + was alive in o

1388.

f

/- Maroca. /- Agnesina

S. - Marco, --+- Nicol. ---- Marco, -----+ made will,

known as

F 1280

_Marcolino_ - Matteo, e

(1328) of married Caterina, l

S. Giov. daughter of i

Grisotomo. Giandomenico.

c - Antonio.