But Now I Will Tell You Another Thing That I Had Forgotten, But Which
Ought To Be Told Whilst I Am On This Subject.
You must know that by the
Great Kaan's orders there has been established between those post-houses,
at every interval of three miles, a little fort with some forty houses
round about it, in which dwell the people who act as the Emperor's
foot-runners.
Every one of those runners wears a great wide belt, set all
over with bells, so that as they run the three miles from post to post
their bells are heard jingling a long way off. And thus on reaching the
post the runner finds another man similarly equipt, and all ready to take
his place, who instantly takes over whatsoever he has in charge, and with
it receives a slip of paper from the clerk, who is always at hand for the
purpose; and so the new man sets off and runs his three miles. At the next
station he finds his relief ready in like manner; and so the post proceeds,
with a change at every three miles. And in this way the Emperor, who has an
immense number of these runners, receives despatches with news from places
ten days' journey off in one day and night; or, if need be, news from a
hundred days off in ten days and nights; and that is no small matter! (In
fact in the fruit season many a time fruit shall be gathered one morning in
Cambaluc, and the evening of the next day it shall reach the Great Kaan at
Chandu, a distance of ten days' journey.[NOTE 5] The clerk at each of the
posts notes the time of each courier's arrival and departure; and there are
often other officers whose business it is to make monthly visitations of
all the posts, and to punish those runners who have been slack in their
work.[NOTE 6]) The Emperor exempts these men from all tribute, and pays
them besides.
Moreover, there are also at those stations other men equipt similarly with
girdles hung with bells, who are employed for expresses when there is a
call for great haste in sending despatches to any governor of a province,
or to give news when any Baron has revolted, or in other such emergencies;
and these men travel a good two hundred or two hundred and fifty miles in
the day, and as much in the night. I'll tell you how it stands. They take
a horse from those at the station which are standing ready saddled, all
fresh and in wind, and mount and go at full speed, as hard as they can
ride in fact. And when those at the next post hear the bells they get
ready another horse and a man equipt in the same way, and he takes over
the letter or whatever it be, and is off full-speed to the third station,
where again a fresh horse is found all ready, and so the despatch speeds
along from post to post, always at full gallop, with regular change of
horses.
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