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Marco Polo, Rustichello of Pisa - The Travels of Marco Polo, 1
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 shi, 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!
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