the CA' POLO at three different periods, (1) From the great woodcut Map or View of Venice, dated 1500, and commonly called Albert Durer's. (2) From a Plan by Cav. Ludovico Ughi, 1729. (3) From the Modern Official Plan of the City. Diagram of arrangement of oars in galleys. Extract from a fresco by SPINELLO ARETINI, in the Municipal Palace at Siena, representing a GALLEY FIGHT (perhaps imaginary) between the Venetians and the fleet of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and illustrating the arrangements of mediaeval galleys. Drawn from a very dim and imperfect photograph, after personal study of the original, by the Editor. Extract from a picture by DOMENICO TINTORETTO in the Ducal Palace at Venice, representing the same GALLEY-FIGHT. After an engraving in the Theatrum Venetum. MARCO POLO'S GALLEY going into action at CURZOLA. Drawn by Signor Q. CENNI, from a design by the Editor. Map to illustrate the SEA-FIGHT at CURZOLA, where Marco Polo was taken prisoner. SEAL of the PISAN PRISONERS in Genoa, after the battle of Meloria (1284). From Manni, Osservazioni Storiche sopra Sigilli Antichi, tom. xii. Engraved by T. ADENEY. The Convent and CHURCH of S. LORENZO, the burial-place of Marco Polo, as it existed in the 15th century. From the Map of 1500 (see above). Engraved by the same. Arms of the TREVISAN family, according to Priuli. TAILED STAR near the Antarctic, as Marco Polo drew it for Pietro d'Abano. From the Conciliator of Pietro d'Abano. PROLOGUE. Remains of the Castle of SOLDAIA or Sudak. After Dubois de Montpereux, Voyage autour du Caucase, Atlas, 3d s. Pl. 64. Ruins of BOLGHAR. After Demidoff, Voyage dans la Russie Meridionale, Pl. 75. The GREAT KAAN delivering a GOLDEN TABLET to the two elder Polos. From a miniature in the Livre des Merveilles du Monde (Fr. 2810) in the Library at Paris, fol. 3 verso. Castle of AYAS. After Langlois, Voyage en Cilicie. Plan of ACRE as it was when lost (A.D. 1291). Reduced and translated from the contemporary plan in the Secreta Fidelium Crucis of Marino Sanudo the Elder, engraved in Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, vol. ii. 55 Portrait of Pope GREGORY X. After J. B. de Cavaleriis Pontificum Romanorum Effigies,
etc. Romae, 1580. Ancient CHINESE WAR VESSEL. From the Chinese Encyclopaedia called San-Thsai-Thou-Hoei, in the Paris Library. BOOK FIRST. Coin of King HETUM I. and Queen ISABEL of Cilician Armenia. From an original in the British Museum. Engraved by ADENEY. Castle of BAIBURT. After Texier, L'Armenie, Pl. 3. Mediaeval GEORGIAN FORTRESS. From a drawing by Padre CRISTOFORO DI CASTELLI of the Theatine Mission, made in 1634, and now in the Communal Library at Palermo. The name of the place has been eaten away, and I have not yet been able to ascertain it. View of DERBEND. After a cut from a drawing by M. Moynet in the Tour du Monde, vol. i. Coin of BADRUDDIN LOLO of Mosul (A.H. 620). After Marsden's Numismata Orientalia, No. 164. By ADENEY. GHAZAN Khan's Mosque at TABRIZ. Borrowed from Fergusson's History of Architecture. KASHMIR SCARF with animals,
etc. After photograph from the scarf in the Indian Museum. Humped Oxen from the Assyrian Sculptures at Kouyunjik. From Rawlinson's Ancient Monarchies. Portrait of a Hazara. From a Photograph, kindly taken for the purpose, by M.-Gen. C. P. Keyes, C.B., Commanding the Panjab Frontier Force. Illustrations of the use of the DOUBLE RUDDER in the Middle Ages. 7 figures, viz., No. 1, The Navicello of Giotto in the Porch of St. Peter's. From Eastlake's H. of Painting; Nos. 2 and 3, from Pertz, Scriptores, tom. xviii. after a Genoese Chronicle; No. 4, Sketch from fresco of Spinello Aretini at Siena; No. 5, Seal of Port of Winchelsea, from Sussex Archaeological Collections, vol. i. 1848; No. 6, Sculpture on Leaning Tower at Pisa, after Jal, Archeologie Navale; No. 7, from the Monument of Peter Martyr, the persecutor of the Lombard Patarini, in the Church of St. Eustorgius at Milan, after Le Tombe ed i Monumenti Illustri d'Italia, Mil. 1822-23. The ARBRE SEC, and ARBRES DU SOLEIL ET DE LA LUNE. From a miniature in the Prose Romance of Alexander, in the Brit. Museum MS. called the Shrewsbury Book (Reg. xv. e. 6). The CHINAR or Oriental Plane, viz., that called the Tree of Godfrey of Boulogne at Buyukdere, near Constantinople. Borrowed from Le Monde Vegetal of Figuier. Portrait of H. H. AGHA KHAN MEHELATI, late representative of the OLD MAN of the MOUNTAIN. From a photograph by Messrs. SHEPHERD and BOURNE. Ancient SILVER PATERA of debased Greek Art, formerly in the possession of the Princes of BADAKHSHAN, now in the India Museum. Ancient BUDDHIST Temple at Pandrethan in KASHMIR. Borrowed from Fergusson's History of Architecture. Horns of the OVIS POLI, or Great Sheep of Pamir. Drawn by the Editor from the specimen belonging to the Royal Asiatic Society. Figure of the OVIS POLI or Great Sheep of Pamir. From a drawing by Mr. Severtsof in a Russian publication. Head of a native of KASHGAR. After Verchaguine. From the Tour du Monde. View of KASHGAR. From Mr. R. Shaw's Tartary. View of SAMARKAND. From a Sketch by Mr. D. IVANOFF, engraved in a Russian Illustrated Paper (kindly sent by Mr. I. to the editor). 56 Colossal Figure; BUDDHA entering NIRVANA. Sketched by the Editor at Pagan in Burma. Great LAMA MONASTERY, viz., that at Jehol. After Staunton's Narrative of Lord Macartney's Embassy. The Kyang, or WILD ASS of Mongolia. After a plate by Wolf in the Journal of the Royal Zoological Society. The Situation of Karakorum. Entrance to the Erdeni Tso, Great Temple. From MARCEL MONNIER'S Tour d' Asie, by kind permission of M. PLON. Death of Chinghiz Khan. From a Miniature in the Livre des Merveilles. Dressing up a Tent, from MARCEL MONNIER'S Tour d' Asie, by kind permission of M. PLON. Mediaeval TARTAR HUTS and WAGGONS. Drawn by Sig. QUINTO CENNI, on a design compiled by the Editor from the descriptions of mediaeval and later travellers. Tartar IDOLS and KUMIS Churn. Drawn by the Editor after data in Pallas and Zaleski (Vie des Steppes Kirghiz). The SYRRHAPTES PALLASII; Bargherlac of Marco Polo. From a plate by Wolf in the Ibis for April, 1860. REEVES'S PHEASANT. After an engraving in Wood's Illustrated Natural History. The RAMPART of GOG and MAGOG. From a photograph of the Great Wall of China. Borrowed from Dr. Rennie's Peking and the Pekingese. A PAVILION at Yuen-Ming-Yuen, to illustrate the probable style of Kublai Kaan's Summer Palace. Borrowed from Michie's Siberian Overland Route. CHINESE CONJURING Extraordinary. Extracted from an engraving in Edward Melton's Zeldzaame Reizen,
etc. Amsterdam, 1702. A MONASTERY of LAMAS. Borrowed from the Tour du Monde. A TIBETAN BACSI. Sketched from the life by the Editor. BOOK SECOND.--PART FIRST. NAKKARAS. From a Chinese original in the Lois des Empereurs Mandchous (Thai-Thsing-Hoei-Tien-Thou), in the Paris Library. NAKKARAS. After one of the illustrations in Blochmann's edition of the Ain-i-Akbari. Seljukian Coin, with the LION and the SUN (A.H. 640). After Marsden's Numismata Orientalia, No. 98. Engraved by Adeney. Sculptured GERFALCON from the Gate of Iconium. Copied from Hammer's Falknerklee. Portrait of the Great KAAN KUBLAI. From a Chinese engraving in the Encyclopaedia called San Thsai-Thou-Hoei; in the Paris Library. Ideal Plan of the Ancient Palaces of the Mongol Emperors at Khanbaligh, according to Dr. Bretschneider. Palace at Khanbaligh. From the Livre des Merveilles. The WINTER PALACE at PEKING. Borrowed from Fergusson's History of Architecture. View of the "GREEN MOUNT." From a photograph kindly lent to the present Editor by Count de SEMALLE. The Yuan ch'eng. From a photograph kindly lent to the present Editor by Count de SEMALLE. South GATE of the "IMPERIAL CITY" at Peking. From an original sketch belonging to the late Dr. W. Lockhart. The BUGUT EAGLE. After Atkinson's Oriental and Western Siberia. 57 The TENTS of the EMPEROR K'ienlung. From a drawing in the Staunton Collection in the British Museum. Plain of CAMBALUC; the City in the distance; from the hills on the north-west. From a photograph. Borrowed from Dr. Rennie's Peking. The Great TEMPLE OF HEAVEN at Peking. From Michie's Siberian Overland Route. MARBLE ARCHWAY erected under the MONGOL DYNASTY at Kiu-Yong Kwan in the Nan-k'au Pass, N.W. of Peking. From a photograph in the possession of the present Editor. MARCO POLO AND HIS BOOK. INTRODUCTORY NOTICES. I. OBSCURITIES IN THE HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND BOOK. RAMUSIO'S STATEMENTS. [Illustration: Doorway of the House of Marco Polo in the Corte Sabbionera, at Venice] [Sidenote: Obscurities of Polo's Book, and personal History.] 1. With all the intrinsic interest of Marco Polo's Book it may perhaps be doubted if it would have continued to exercise such fascina-tion on many minds through succesive generations were it not for the difficult questions which it suggests. It is a great book of puzzles, whilst our confidence in the man's veracity is such that we feel certain every puzzle has a solution. And such difficulties have not attached merely to the identification of places, the interpretation of outlandish terms, or the illustration of obscure customs; for strange entanglements have perplexed also the chief circumstances of the Traveller's life and authorship. The time of the dictation of his Book and of the execution of his Last Will have been almost the only undisputed epochs in his biography. The year of his birth has been contested, and the date of his death has not been recorded; the critical occasion of his capture by the Genoese, to which we seem to owe the happy fact that he did not go down mute to the tomb of his fathers, has been made the subject of chronological difficulties; there are in the various texts of his story variations hard to account for; the very tongue in which it was written down has furnished a question, solved only in our own age, and in a most
