The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,335 pages of information about The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2.

The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,335 pages of information about The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2.
    the Singphos, in talking of their eastern and southern neighbours,
    call them Kakhyens or Kakoos, and consider it an insult to be called
    so themselves.” (Sketch of the Singphos, or the Kakhyens of
    Burma
, Calcutta, 1847, pp. 3-4.) If, however, the Kakhyens, or
    Kachyens (as Major Sladen calls them), are represented by the
    Go-tchang of Pauthier’s Chinese extracts, these seem to be
    distinguished from the Kin-Chi, though associated with them. (See pp.
    397, 411.)

[2] [Mr. E.H.  Parker (China Review, XIV. p. 359) says that Colonel
    Yule’s Langszi are evidently the Szilang, one of the six
    Chao, but turned upside down.—­H.C.]

[3] Cathay, etc., pp. ccl. seqq. and p. 441.

[4] Written in 1870.

CHAPTER LI.

WHEREIN IS RELATED HOW THE KING OF MIEN AND BANGALA VOWED VENGEANCE
AGAINST THE GREAT KAAN.

But I was forgetting to tell you of a famous battle that was fought in the kingdom of Vochan in the Province of Zardandan, and that ought not to be omitted from our Book.  So we will relate all the particulars.

You see, in the year of Christ, 1272,[NOTE 1] the Great Kaan sent a large force into the kingdoms of Carajan and Vochan, to protect them from the ravages of ill-disposed people; and this was before he had sent any of his sons to rule the country, as he did afterwards when he made Sentemur king there, the son of a son of his who was deceased.

Now there was a certain king, called the king of Mien and of Bangala, who was a very puissant prince, with much territory and treasure and people; and he was not as yet subject to the Great Kaan, though it was not long after that the latter conquered him and took from him both the kingdoms that I have named.[NOTE 2] And it came to pass that when this king of Mien and Bangala heard that the host of the Great Kaan was at Vochan, he said to himself that it behoved him to go against them with so great a force as should insure his cutting off the whole of them, insomuch that the Great Kaan would be very sorry ever to send an army again thither [to his frontier].

So this king prepared a great force and munitions of war; and he had, let me tell you, 2000 great elephants, on each of which was set a tower of timber, well framed and strong, and carrying from twelve to sixteen well-armed fighting men.[NOTE 3] And besides these, he had of horsemen and of footmen good 60,000 men.  In short, he equipped a fine force, as well befitted such a puissant prince.  It was indeed a host capable of doing great things.

And what shall I tell you?  When the king had completed these great preparations to fight the Tartars, he tarried not, but straightway marched against them.  And after advancing without meeting with anything worth mentioning, they arrived within three days of the Great Kaan’s host, which was then at Vochan in the territory of Zardandan, of which I have already spoken.  So there the king pitched his camp, and halted to refresh his army.

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The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.