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Marco Polo, Rustichello of Pisa - The Travels of Marco Polo, 1
alterutros ... clamoribus interjectis hine et inde ad terrorem; ita ut nec Deus tonans in sublime coaudiri
potuisset." (De Excidio Acconis, in Martene et Durand, V. 780.)
NOTE 5. - "Car il estoit homme au Grant Kaan." (See note 2, ch. xiv., in Prologue.)
NOTE 6. - In continuation of note 4, chap. ii., we give Gaubil's conclusion of the story of Nayan: "The
Emperor had gone ahead with a small force, when Nayan's General came forward with 100,000 men to
make a reconnaissance. The Sovereign, however, put on a bold front, and though in great danger of being
carried off, showed no trepidation. It was night, and an urgent summons went to call troops to the
Emperor's aid. They marched at once, the horsemen taking the foot soldiers on the crupper behind them.
Nayan all this while was taking it quietly in his camp, and his generals did not venture to attack the
Emperor, suspecting an ambuscade. Liting then took ten resolute men, and on approaching the General's
camp, caused a Fire-Pao to be discharged; the report caused a great panic among Nayan's troops,
who were very ill disciplined at the best. Meanwhile the Chinese and Tartar troops had all come up, and
Nayan was attacked on all sides: by Liting at the head of the Chinese, by Yusitemur at the head of the
Mongols, by Tutuha and the Emperor in person at the head of his guards and the troops of
Kincha (Kipchak). The presence of the Emperor rendered the army invincible, and Nayan's forces
were completely defeated. That prince himself was taken, and afterwards put to death. The battle took
place in the vicinity of the river Liao, and the Emperor returned in triumph to Shangtu" (207). The
Chinese record given in detail by Pauthier is to the like effect, except as to the Kaan's narrow escape, of
which it says nothing.
As regards the Fire-Pao (the latter word seems to have been applied to military machines
formerly, and now to artillery), I must refer to Fave and Reinaud's very curious and interesting treatise on
the Greek fire (du Feu Gregeois). They do not seem to assent to the view that the arms of this
description which are mentioned in the Mongol wars were cannon, but rather of the nature of rockets.
[Dr. G. Schlegel (T'oung Pao, No. 1, 1902), in a paper entitled, On the Invention and Use of
Fire-Arms and Gunpowder in China, prior to the Arrival of Europeans, says that "now,
notwithstanding all what has been alleged by different European authors against the use of gunpowder
and fire-arms in China, I maintain that not only the Mongols in 1293 had cannon, but that they were
already acquainted with them in 1232." Among his many examples, we quote the following from the
Books of the Ming Dynasty: "What were anciently called P'ao were all machines for hurling
stones. In the beginning of the Mongol Dynasty (A.D. 1260), p'ao (catapults) of the Western
regions were procured. In the siege [in 1233] of the city of Ts'ai chow of the Kin (Tatars),
fire was for the first time employed (in these p'ao), but the art of making them was not handed
down, and they were afterwards seldom used." - H. C.]
CHAPTER V. HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSED NAYAN TO BE PUT TO DEATH.
And when the Great Kaan learned that Nayan was taken right glad was he, and commanded that he
should be put to death straightway and in secret, lest endeavours should be made to obtain pity and
pardon for him, because he was of the Kaan's own flesh and blood. And this was the way in which he
was put to death: he was wrapt in a carpet, and tossed to and fro so mercilessly that he died. And the
Kaan caused him to be put to death in this way because he would not have the blood of his Line Imperial
spilt upon the ground or exposed in the eye of Heaven and before the Sun.[NOTE 1]
And when the Great Kaan had gained this battle, as you have heard, all the Barons and people of Nayan's
provinces renewed their fealty to the Kaan. Now these provinces that had been under the Lordship of
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