The barometers suffered no
change, the three I had with me remained in statu quo." "The heat is
over by the middle of September, and after the autumnal equinox, there are
a few days of what is best described as a dense dry fog. This was
undoubtedly the haze referred to by Marco Polo." (Major Sykes, ch. iv.)
- H. C.]
Richthofen's remarkable exposition of the phenomena of the loess in
North China, and of the sub-aerial deposits of the steppes and of Central
Asia throws some light on this. But this hardly applies to St John's
experience of "no deposit of dust." (See Richthofen, China, pp. 96-97 s.
MS. Note, H. Y.)
The belief that such opportune phenomena were produced by enchantment was
a thoroughly Tartar one. D'Herbelot relates (art. Giagathai) that in an
action with a rebel called Mahomed Tarabi, the Mongols were encompassed by
a dust storm which they attributed to enchantment on the part of the
enemy, and it so discouraged them that they took to flight.
NOTE 5. - The specification that only seven were saved from Marco's
company is peculiar to Pauthier's Text, not appearing in the G. T.
Several names compounded of Salm or Salmi occur on the dry lands on
the borders of Kerman. Edrisi, however (I. p. 428), names a place called
KANAT-UL-SHAM as the first march in going from Jiruft to Walashjird.
Walashjird is, I imagine, represented by Galashkird, Major R. Smith's
third march from Jiruft (see my Map of Routes from Kerman to Hormuz); and
as such an indication agrees with the view taken below of Polo's route,
I am strongly disposed to identify Kanat-ul-Sham with his castello or
walled village of Canosalmi.
["Marco Polo's Conosalmi, where he was attacked by robbers and lost the
greater part of his men, is perhaps the ruined town or village Kamasal
(Kahn-i-asal = the honey canal), near Kahnuj-i-pancheh and Vakilabad in
Jiruft. It lies on the direct road between Shehr-i-Daqianus (Camadi) and
the Nevergun Pass. The road goes in an almost due southerly direction. The
Nevergun Pass accords with Marco Polo's description of it; it is very
difficult, on account of the many great blocks of sandstone scattered upon
it. Its proximity to the Bashakird mountains and Mekran easily accounts
for the prevalence of robbers, who infested the place in Marco Polo's
time. At the end of the Pass lies the large village Shamil, with an old
fort; the distance thence to the site of Hormuz or Bender 'Abbas (lying
more to the west) is 52 miles, two days' march. The climate of Bender
'Abbas is very bad, strangers speedily fall sick, two of my men died
there, all the others were seriously ill." (Houtum-Schindler, l.c. pp.
495-496.) Major Sykes (ch. xxiii.) says: "Two marches from Camadi was
Kahn-i-Panchur, and a stage beyond it lay the ruins of Fariab or Pariab,
which was once a great city, and was destroyed by a flood, according to
local legend. It may have been Alexander's Salmous, as it is about the
right distance from the coast, and if so, could not have been Marco's
Cono Salmi. Continuing on, Galashkird mentioned by Edrisi, is the next
stage." - H. C.]
The raids of the Mekranis and Biluchis long preceded those of the
Karaunas, for they were notable even in the time of Mahmud of Ghazni, and
they have continued to our own day to be prosecuted nearly on the same
stage and in the same manner. About 1721, 4000 horsemen of this
description plundered the town of Bander Abbasi, whilst Captain Alex.
Hamilton was in the port; and Abbott, in 1850, found the dread of Biluch
robbers to extend almost to the gates of Ispahan. A striking account of
the Biluch robbers and their characteristics is given by General Ferrier.
(See Hamilton, I. 109; J. R. G. S. XXV.; Khanikoff's Memoire; Macd.
Kinneir, 196; Caravan Journeys, p. 437 seq.)
[1] Khajlak is mentioned as a leader of the Mongol raids in India by the
poet Amir Khusru (A.D. 1289; see Elliot III. 527).
[2] Professor Cowell compares the Mongol inroads in the latter part of the
13th and beginning of the 14th century, in their incessant recurrence,
to the incursions of the Danes in England. A passage in Wassaf
(Elliot, III. 38) shows that the Mongols were, circa 1254-55,
already in occupation of Sodia on the Chenab, and districts adjoining.
CHAPTER XIX.
OF THE DESCENT TO THE CITY OF HORMOS.
The Plain of which we have spoken extends in a southerly direction for
five days' journey, and then you come to another descent some twenty miles
in length, where the road is very bad and full of peril, for there are
many robbers and bad characters about. When you have got to the foot of
this descent you find another beautiful plain called the PLAIN OF FORMOSA.
This extends for two days' journey; and you find in it fine streams of
water with plenty of date-palms and other fruit-trees. There are also many
beautiful birds, francolins, popinjays, and other kinds such as we have
none of in our country. When you have ridden these two days you come to
the Ocean Sea, and on the shore you find a city with a harbour which is
called HORMOS.[NOTE 1] Merchants come thither from India, with ships
loaded with spicery and precious stones, pearls, cloths of silk and gold,
elephants' teeth, and many other wares, which they sell to the merchants
of Hormos, and which these in turn carry all over the world to dispose of
again.
