The Travels of Marco Polo Volume I Part 102

NOTE 1.--So Magaillans: "Game is so abundant, especially at the capital, that every year during the three winter months you see at different places, intended for despatch thither, besides great piles of every sort of wildfowl, rows of four-footed game of a gunshot or two in length: the animals being all frozen and standing on their feet. Among other species you see three sundry kinds of bears ... and great abundance of other animals, as stags and deer of different sorts, boars, elks, hares, rabbits, squirrels, wild-cats, rats, geese, ducks, very fine jungle-fowl, etc., and all so cheap that I never could have believed it" (pp. 177-178).

As this writer mentions _wild-cats_, we may presume that the "lions" of Polo also were destined to be eaten.

["Kubilai Khan kept a whole army, 14,000 men, huntsmen, distributed in Peking and other cities in the present province of Chili (_Yuen-s.h.i.+_). The Khan used to hunt in the Peking plain from the beginning of spring, until his departure to Shang-tu. There are in the Peking department many low and marshy places, stretching often to a considerable extent and abounding in game. In the biography of _Ai-sie_ (_Yuen s.h.i.+_, chap. cx.x.xiv.), who was a Christian, it is mentioned that Kubilai was hunting also in the department of Pao-ting fu." (_Palladius_, p. 45.)--H. C.]

CHAPTER XVIII.

OF THE LIONS AND LEOPARDS AND WOLVES THAT THE KAAN KEEPS FOR THE CHASE.

The Emperor hath numbers of leopards[NOTE 1] trained to the chase, and hath also a great many lynxes taught in like manner to catch game, and which afford excellent sport.[NOTE 2] He hath also several great Lions, bigger than those of Babylonia, beasts whose skins are coloured in the most beautiful way, being striped all along the sides with black, red, and white. These are trained to catch boars and wild cattle, bears, wild a.s.ses, stags, and other great or fierce beasts. And 'tis a rare sight, I can tell you, to see those lions giving chase to such beasts as I have mentioned! When they are to be so employed the Lions are taken out in a covered cart, and every Lion has a little doggie with him. [They are obliged to approach the game against the wind, otherwise the animals would scent the approach of the Lion and be off.][NOTE 3]

There are also a great number of eagles, all broken to catch wolves, foxes, deer, and wild goats, and they do catch them in great numbers. But those especially that are trained to wolf-catching are very large and powerful birds, and no wolf is able to get away from them.[NOTE 4]

NOTE 1.--The Cheeta or Hunting-Leopard, still kept for the chase by native n.o.blemen in India, is an animal very distinct from the true leopard. It is much more lanky and long-legged than the pure felines, is unable to climb trees, and has claws only partially retractile. Wood calls it a link between the feline and canine races. One thousand Cheetas were attached to Akbar's hunting establishment; and the chief one, called s.e.m.e.nd-Manik, was carried to the field in a palankin with a kettledrum beaten before him.

Boldensel in the first half of the 14th century speaks of the Cheeta as habitually used in Cyprus; but, indeed, a hundred years before, these animals had been constantly employed by the Emperor Frederic II. in Italy, and accompanied him on all his marches. They were introduced into France in the latter part of the 15th century, and frequently employed by Lewis XI., Charles VIII., and Lewis XII. The leopards were kept in a ditch of the Castle of Amboise, and the name still borne by a gate hard by, _Porte des Lions_, is supposed to be due to that circ.u.mstance. The _Moeurs et Usages du Moyen Age_ (Lacroix), from which I take the last facts, gives copy of a print by John Strada.n.u.s representing a huntsman with the leopard on his horse's crupper, like Kublai's (supra, Bk. I. ch. lxi.); Frederic II. used to say of his Cheetas, "they knew how to ride." This way of taking the Cheeta to the field had been first employed by the Khalif Yazid, son of Moawiyah. The Cheeta often appears in the pattern of silk damasks of the 13th and 14th centuries, both Asiatic and Italian. (_Ayeen Akbery_, I. 304, etc.; _Boldensel_, in _Canisii Thesaurus_, by _Basnage_, vol. IV. p. 339; _Kington's Fred. II._ I. 472, II. 156; _Bochart_, _Hierozoica_, 797; _Rock's Catalogue, pa.s.sim_.)

[The hunting equipment of the Sultan consisted of about thirty falconers on horseback who carried each a bird on his fist. These falconers were in front of seven hors.e.m.e.n, who had behind a kind of tamed tiger at times employed by His Highness for hare-hunting, notwithstanding what may be said to the contrary by those who are inclined not to believe the fact. It is a thing known by everybody here, and cannot be doubted except by those who admit that they believe nothing of foreign customs. These tigers were each covered with a brocade cloth--and their peaceful att.i.tude, added to their ferocious and savage looks, caused at the same time astonishment and fear in the soul of those whom they looked upon. (_Journal d'Antoine Galland_, trad. par Ch. Schefer, I. p. 135.) The Cheeta (_Gueparda jubata_) was, according to Sir W. Jones, first employed in hunting antelopes by Hus.h.i.+ng, King of Persia, 865 B.C.--H. C.]

NOTE 2.--The word rendered Lynxes is _Leu cervers_ (G. Text), _Louz serviers_ of Pauthier's MS. C, though he has adopted from another _Loups_ simply, which is certainly wrong. The _Geog. Latin_ has "_Linceos i.e.

lupos cerverios_." There is no doubt that the _Loup-cervier_ is the Lynx.

Thus Brunetto Latini, describing the Loup-cervier, speaks of its remarkable powers of vision, and refers to its agency in the production of the precious stone called _Liguire_ (i.e. _Ligurium_), which the ancients fancied to come from _Lync-urium_; the tale is in Theophrastus). Yet the quaint Bestiary of Philip de Thaun, published by Mr. Wright, identifies it with the Greek Hyena:--

"_Hyena_ e Griu num, que nus beste apellum, Ceo est _Lucervere_, oler fait et mult est fere."

[The Abbe Armand David writes (_Missions Cathol._ XXI. 1889, p. 227) that there is in China, from the mountains of Manchuria to the mountains of Tibet, a lynx called by the Chinese _T'u-pao_ (earth-coloured panther); a lynx somewhat similar to the _loup-cervier_ is found on the western border of China, and has been named _Lyncus DesG.o.dinsi_.--H. C.]

Hunting Lynxes were used at the Court of Akbar. They are also mentioned by A. Hamilton as so used in Sind at the end of the 17th century. This author calls the animal a _Shoe-goose! i.e. Siya-gosh_ (Black-ear), the Persian name of the Lynx. It is still occasionally used in the chase by natives of rank in India. (_Brunetto Lat. Tresor_, p. 248; _Popular Treatises on Science written during Mid. Ages_, 94; _Ayeen Akbery_, u.s.; _Hamilt. E.

Indies_, I. 125; _Vigne_, I. 42.)

NOTE 3.--The conception of a Tiger seems almost to have dropped out of the European mind during the Middle Ages. Thus in a mediaeval Bestiary, a chapter on the Tiger begins: "_Une Beste est qui est apelee Tigre c'est une maniere de_ Serpent." Hence Polo can only call the Tigers, whose portrait he draws here not incorrectly, _Lions_. So also nearly 200 years later Barbaro gives a like portrait, and calls the animal _Leonza_.

Marsden supposes judiciously that the confusion may have been promoted by the ambiguity of the Persian _Sher_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Burgut Eagle. (After Atkinson) "Il a encore aiglies qe sunt afaites a prendre leus et voupes et dain et chavrion, et en prennent a.s.sez."]

The Chinese pilgrim, Sung-Yun (A.D. 518), saw two young lions at the Court of Gandhara. He remarks that the pictures of these animals common in China, were not at all good likenesses. (_Beal_, p. 200.)

We do not hear in modern times of Tigers trained to the chase, but Chardin says of Persia: "In hunting the larger animals they make use of beasts of prey trained for the purpose, _lions_, leopards, _tigers_, panthers, ounces."

NOTE 4.--This is perfectly correct. In Eastern Turkestan, and among the Kirghiz to this day, eagles termed _Burgut_ (now well known to be the Golden Eagle) are tamed and trained to fly at wolves, foxes, deer, wild goats, etc. A Kirghiz will give a good horse for an eagle in which he recognises capacity for training. Mr. Atkinson gives vivid descriptions and ill.u.s.trations of this eagle (which he calls "Bear coote"), attacking both deer and wolves. He represents the bird as striking one claw into the neck, and the other into the back of its large prey, and then tearing out the liver with its beak. In justice both to Marco Polo and to Mr.

Atkinson, I have pleasure in adding a vivid account of the exploits of this bird, as witnessed by one of my kind correspondents, the Governor-General's late envoy to Kashgar. And I trust Sir Douglas Forsyth will pardon my quoting his own letter just as it stands[1]:--"Now for a story of the _Burgoot_--Atkinson's 'Bearcoote.' I think I told you it was the Golden Eagle and supposed to attack wolves and even bears. One day we came across a wild hog of enormous size, far bigger than any that gave sport to the Tent Club in Bengal. The Burgoot was immediately let loose, and went straight at the hog, which it kicked, and flapped with its wings, and utterly _flabbergasted_, whilst our Kashgaree companions attacked him with sticks and brought him to the ground. As Friar Odoric would say, I, T.

D. F., have seen this with mine own eyes."--Shaw describes the rough treatment with which the Burgut is tamed. Baber, when in the Bajaur Hills, notices in his memoirs: "This day Burgut took a deer." (_Timkowski_, I.

414; _Levchine_, p. 77; _Pallas_, _Voyages_, I. 421; _J. R. A. S._ VII.

305; _Atkinson's Siberia_, 493; and _Amoor_, 146-147; _Shaw_, p. 157; _Baber_, p. 249.)

[The Golden Eagle (_Aquila chrysaetus_) is called at Peking _Hoy tiao_ (black eagle). (_David et Oustalet_, _Oiseaux de la Chine_, p. 8.)--H. C.]

[1] Dated Yangi Hissar, 10th April, 1874.

CHAPTER XIX.

CONCERNING THE TWO BROTHERS WHO HAVE CHARGE OF THE KAAN'S HOUNDS.

The Emperor hath two Barons who are own brothers, one called Baian and the other Mingan; and these two are styled _Chinuchi_ (or _Cunichi_), which is as much as to say, "The Keepers of the Mastiff Dogs."[NOTE 1] Each of these brothers hath 10,000 men under his orders; each body of 10,000 being dressed alike, the one in red and the other in blue, and whenever they accompany the Lord to the chase, they wear this livery, in order to be recognized. Out of each body of 10,000 there are 2000 men who are each in charge of one or more great mastiffs, so that the whole number of these is very large. And when the Prince goes a-hunting, one of those Barons, with his 10,000 men and something like 5000 dogs, goes towards the right, whilst the other goes towards the left with his party in like manner. They move along, all abreast of one another, so that the whole line extends over a full day's journey, and no animal can escape them. Truly it is a glorious sight to see the working of the dogs and the huntsmen on such an occasion! And as the Lord rides a-fowling across the plains, you will see these big hounds coming tearing up, one pack after a bear, another pack after a stag, or some other beast, as it may hap, and running the game down now on this side and now on that, so that it is really a most delightful sport and spectacle.

[The Two Brothers I have mentioned are bound by the tenure of their office to supply the Kaan's Court from October to the end of March with 1000 head of game daily, whether of beasts or birds, and not counting quails; and also with fish to the best of their ability, allowing fish enough for three persons to reckon as equal to one head of game.]

Now I have told you of the Masters of the Hounds and all about them, and next will I tell you how the Lord goes off on an expedition for the s.p.a.ce of three months.

NOTE 1.--Though this particular Bayan and Mingan are not likely to be mentioned in history, the names are both good Mongol names; _Bayan_ that of a great soldier under Kublai, of whom we shall hear afterwards; and _Mingan_ that of one of Chinghiz's generals.

The t.i.tle of "Master of the Mastiffs" belonged to a high Court official at Constantinople in former days, _Samsunji Bas.h.i.+_, and I have no doubt Marco has given the exact interpretation of the t.i.tle of the two Barons: though it is difficult to trace its elements. It is read variously _Cunici_ (i.e.

_Kunichi_) and _Cinuci_ (i.e. _Chinuchi_). It is evidently a word of a.n.a.logous structure to _Kushchi_, the Master of the Falcons; _Parschi_, the Master of the Leopards. Professor Schiefner thinks it is probably corrupted from _Noghaichi_, which appears in Kovalevski's Mongol Dict. as "_chaesseur qui a soins des chiens courants_." This word occurs, he points out, in Sanang Setzen, where Schmidt translates it _Aufseher uber Hunde_.

(See _S. S._ p. 39.)

The metathesis of _Noghai_-chi into _Kuni_-chi is the only drawback to this otherwise apt solution. We generally shall find Polo's Oriental words much more accurately expressed than this would imply--as in the next chapter. I have hazarded a suggestion of (Or. Turkish) _Chong-lt-chi_, "Keeper of the Big Dogs," which Professor Vambery thinks possible. (See "_chong_, big, strong," in his _Tschagataische Sprachstudien_, p. 282, and note in _Lord Strangford's Selected Writings_, II. 169.) In East Turkestan they call the Chinese _Chong Kafir_, "The Big Heathen." This would exactly correspond to the rendering of Pipino's Latin translation, "_hoc est canum magnorum Praefecti_." _Chinuchi_ again would be (in Mongol) "Wolf-keepers." It is at least possible that the great dogs which Polo terms mastiffs may have been known by such a name. We apply the term Wolf- dog to several varieties, and in Macbeth's enumeration we have--

----"Hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, Shoughs, water rugs, and _Demi-Wolves_."

Lastly the root-word may be the Chinese _Kiuen_ "dog," as Pauthier says.

The mastiffs were probably Tibetan, but may have come through China, and brought a name with them, like _Boule-dogues_ in France.

[Palladius (p. 46) says that _Chinuchi_ or _Cunici_ "have no resemblance with any of the names found in the _Yuen s.h.i.+_, ch. xcix., article _Ping chi_ (military organisation), and relating to the hunting staff of the Khan, viz.: _Si pao ch'i_ (falconers), _Ho r ch'i_ (archers), and _Ke lien ch'i_ (probably those who managed the hounds)."--H. C.]

CHAPTER XX.

HOW THE EMPEROR GOES ON A HUNTING EXPEDITION.

After he has stopped at his capital city those three months that I mentioned, to wit, December, January, February, he starts off on the 1st day of March, and travels southward towards the Ocean Sea, a journey of two days.[NOTE 1] He takes with him full 10,000 falconers, and some 500 gerfalcons besides peregrines, sakers, and other hawks in great numbers; and goshawks also to fly at the water-fowl.[NOTE 2] But do not suppose that he keeps all these together by him; they are distributed about, hither and thither, one hundred together, or two hundred at the utmost, as he thinks proper. But they are always fowling as they advance, and the most part of the quarry taken is carried to the Emperor. And let me tell you when he goes thus a-fowling with his gerfalcons and other hawks, he is attended by full 10,000 men who are disposed in couples; and these are called _Toscaol_, which is as much as to say, "Watchers." And the name describes their business.[NOTE 3] They are posted from spot to spot, always in couples, and thus they cover a great deal of ground! Every man of them is provided with a whistle and hood, so as to be able to call in a hawk and hold it in hand. And when the Emperor makes a cast, there is no need that he follow it up, for those men I speak of keep so good a look out that they never lose sight of the birds, and if these have need of help they are ready to render it.

All the Emperor's hawks, and those of the Barons as well, have a little label attached to the leg to mark them, on which is written the names of the owner and the keeper of the bird. And in this way the hawk, when caught, is at once identified and handed over to its owner. But if not, the bird is carried to a certain Baron, who is styled the _Bularguchi_, which is as much as to say "The Keeper of Lost Property." And I tell you that whatever may be found without a known owner, whether it be a horse, or a sword, or a hawk, or what not, it is carried to that Baron straightway, and he takes charge of it. And if the finder neglects to carry his trover to the Baron, the latter punishes him. Likewise the loser of any article goes to the Baron, and if the thing be in his hands it is immediately given up to the owner. Moreover, the said Baron always pitches on the highest spot of the camp, with his banner displayed, in order that those who have lost or found anything may have no difficulty in finding their way to him. Thus nothing can be lost but it shall be incontinently found and restored.[NOTE 4]

And so the Emperor follows this road that I have mentioned, leading along in the vicinity of the Ocean Sea (which is within two days' journey of his capital city, Cambaluc), and as he goes there is many a fine sight to be seen, and plenty of the very best entertainment in hawking; in fact, there is no sport in the world to equal it!