The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-20

Marco POl0'S View Of mat Far on Land
Some Marvellous Stories.
london Globe.
In Marco Polo's travels the first mention
OF Burnah in the medieval Language O
Europe is to be found. He calls the king
dom Men, in Chinese fashion; and atieI
narrating his approach to it by down
NIL Journey OF Two and o half days, aud
1 much longer passage through wild
country, he pAuses 10 tell Of great battle
which had taken place between the forces
oil the "Great KAN" OF Tartary and the
King OF Mien, which he describes &C
graphically that 1t seems probable be
gathered his account from the lips o.
those who had been present at it. Ar
army o. the Great KAN" had approach
ed the frontier OF Burmah, and the Bur
mese King advanced against it with 5000
men and 1000 elephants, having on theil
backs to wers OF timber, each Of which con-
tanned from twelve to sixteen warriors
Che Tartar force was the weaker, AID the
Tartar horses were scared Ivy the ele'
plants, and broke in disorder. Then
Nescradin, the Tartar captain, ordered
his men to lie their horses t.
trees and TO lake their bows, In the use
OF which they were very expert. The ele'
chants, in their turn, could not stand the
4rroyR many were slain, and at last they
fed with a terrific rush into forest Dor.
iering the plain Of battle. destroying the
wooden castles as they forced their way
through the trees. A fierce hand-to-haud
fight ensued, and such was the noise o.
battle, says Polo, that "God might have
Numbered and no man would have heard
it." The Chinese annals, which zorro.
borate Marcos date, mention that stakes
had been fixed in order TO injure the
elephants. After the defeat OF the Bur
,nese, 200 OF these animals were taken
alive by the Tartars, and the great Khan
ever afterwards kept elephants as auxili
aries in war. Polo then goes on TO de
scribe these great wonders Of Amier
Ia city which Colonel Rule thinks may
be identified with ODD Pagan, the
towers Of gold and silver erected
near the tomb OF king. One was GOV
cred With gold to the thickness OF finger
and the other with silver in like manner
The towers sh6aO brilliantly in the sun
And 10 each were attached bells respegt
iysly of god and silver, that tlnkled In
the wind. A doubtful version ia Their
given of o conquest, the occurrence oil
which is CONFIRMED both by the Burmese
and Chinese annals. The 4Gregt Kaan,
having an oyerplus Of jugylers and glee
men about his court, sent an army q
them to conquer Men, o task they dpiy
effected. The towers OF gold and silver
excited their cupidity, but their master
with the reverence OF his nation for the
dead. would not suffer these monuments
m he pulled down. The Burmese histor
ians estimate the Mongal inYadeTq q
their couatry on that occasion as amount:
ing to 5000, 600 Of borses and aO,OOp,0O0 o
foot.
Ludovico di yarthema, most naive ane
entertaining OF travellers, visited Burmat
toward tho close OF the fifteenth century,
but he has not much to say about It tina
Is not touched upon by others who follow
ed him there. He speaks, AMONG otheI
things, OF the long and thick timber, o
the plsntiiulness OF civet cats, and OF The
marvellous iewelry OF the King, the ring
Of gold and gems about his arms and legs
the rings upon his fingers, and his ear
that chung down half palm" with tht
weight OF their adornment. During tht
next century good many Europeans
seem 10 have Btrayed into this remote
land. Burmah changed its divisions ire
ouently at this time, First one king ami
then another rose 10 prominence and de
stroyed or made tributary his fellow kings
In the consequent series OF wars European
partisaus were engaged, notably goot
many Portuguese. About the middle o
the century there arose a great King
kpogn to fame as Drama OF Taungo, ant
nnder him Burmah seems to have attain
el its greatest power, and TO have I'M
nTessed ali travellers with It's riches ant
ms0nificence. Drama is spoken Of as ex
ceeding tho "Great Turk" in power, and
IA having ], 500, 900 men Of war at his com
mand. During this prosperous time
Rslph Fitch, a mercnapk Of London
reached the country, and has recordet
what he ssw there. He admifed IN
straight streets OF the capital, 90 protectet
by rows Of palm trees that You might wall
in the shade ali day. He was struck, q
most paople were, by the honors paid y
the sacred elephants, which EXTENDED
eyen 10 washing their feet in silver basins
and he mentlopa bow wild elt plants wer
captured by amounting depoEs with Q Pc
cuIiar scented ointment. When 2 Wilt
elephant was caught, each merchant haaI
tn make donation Of half q du9at. Q
black elephants Of war the King had n
fewer than 5000. In the country Ter
mines Of rubies, sapphires and sptnelles