The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-07-09
TRAVELLERS TALES.
The wonderlul storie. Related BY the

John Baptist RamuSio to show how
the three Polos, after their return
from their wonderful journey to
Cathay, convinced their neighbors
of the truth of their story:
They invited a number of their
kindred to an entertainments, which
they took care to have prepared
with great state and splendor in that
house of theirs, and when the hour
arrived for sitting down to table
they came forth from their chamber,
all three clothed in crimson satin
fashioned in long robes reaching to
the ground, such as people in those
days wore within doors. And when
water for the hands had been served
and the guests were set, they took
off those robes and put ON others of
crimson damask, while the first
suits were BY their orders cut up
and divided among the servants.
Then after partaking of some of the
dishes they went out again and came
back in robes OF crimson velvet, and
when they had again taken their
seats the second suits were divided
as before. When dinner was over.
they did the like with the robes of
velvet after they had put on dresses
of the ordinary fashion worn by the
rest of the company. These proceed
ings caused much wonder and amaze
ment among the guests. But when
the cloth had been drawn and all
tho servants had been ordered to re.
tire from the dining hall, Messer
Marco, as the youngest of the three,
rose from table, and, going into an
other chamber, brought forth the
three shabby dresses of coarse stuff
which they had worn when they
first arrived.
Straightway they took sharp
knives and began to rip up some of
the seams and welts and to take out
Of them jewels of the greatest value
in vast quantities, such as rubies,
sapphires, carhuncles, diamonds and
emeralds, which had all been stitch
ed up il those dresses in so artful
fashion that nobody could have sus-
pected the fact, for when they took
leave of the great khan they had
changed all the wealth that he had
bestowed upon them into this mass
of rubies, emeralds and other jew
els, being we'll aware of the impos-
sibility of carrying with them so
great an amount of gold over jour-
ney Of such extreme length and diff
GUILTY. Now, this exhibition of such
huge treasure of jewels and pre-
cious stones, all tumbled out upon
the table, threw the guests into
fresh amazement, insomuch that
they seemed quito bewildered and
dumfounded. And now they recog-
nized that in spite of all former
doubts these wero in truth those
honored and worthy gentlemen of
the Ca Polo that they claimed to be,
and SO all paid them the greatest
honor and reverence. And when the |
story got wind in Venice, straight
way tho whole city, gentle and sim
pie, hoclled to the house to embrace
them and to make much of them,
with every conceivable demonstra-
ton of affection and respect.
On Messer Matfeo, who was the
eldest, they conferred the honors of
an Office that was of great dignity
in those days, while the young men
came daily to visit and converse
with tho ever polite and gracious
Messer Marco and to ask him ques-
tons about Cathay and the Great
Can, all of which he answered with
such kindly courtesy that every
man felt himself in manner his
debtor And as it happened that in
the story which he was constantly
called on to repeat, of the magnifi-
cence of tho great khan, he would
speak of his revenues as amounting
to 10 or Is millions of gold, and in
like manner, when recounting other
instances of great wealth in those
parts, would always make use of
the torn millions, so they gave him
the nicknSme Of Messer Marco Mil
lioni, q thing which l have noted al
so in the public books of this repub-
lie where mention is made of him.
The court of his house, too, at st.
Giovanni Chrisostomo, has always
from that time been popularity
known as the Court of the Millioni.
Repeating Rifles.