Such pearls were perhaps also most highly esteemed in old India;
for red pearls (Lohitamukti) form one of the seven precious objects
which it was incumbent to use in the adornment of Buddhistic reliquaries,
and to distribute at the building of a Dagoba. (Nat. Hist. of Prec.
Stones, etc., 263; Koeppen, I. 541.)
CHAPTER III.
WHAT FURTHER CAME OF THE GREAT KAAN'S EXPEDITION AGAINST CHIPANGU.
You see those who were left upon the Island, some 30,000 souls, as I have
said, did hold themselves for dead men, for they saw no possible means of
escape. And when the King of the Great Island got news how the one part of
the expedition had saved themselves upon that Isle, and the other part was
scattered and fled, he was right glad thereat, and he gathered together
all the ships of his territory and proceeded with them, the sea now being
calm, to the little Isle, and landed his troops all round it. And when the
Tartars saw them thus arrive, and the whole force landed, without any
guard having been left on board the ships (the act of men very little
acquainted with such work), they had the sagacity to feign flight. [Now
the Island was very high in the middle, and whilst the enemy were
hastening after them by one road they fetched a compass by another and] in
this way managed to reach the enemy's ships and to get aboard of them.
This they did easily enough, for they encountered no opposition.
Once they were on board they got under weigh immediately for the great
Island, and landed there, carrying with them the standards and banners of
the King of the Island; and in this wise they advanced to the capital. The
garrison of the city, suspecting nothing wrong, when they saw their own
banners advancing supposed that it was their own host returning, and so
gave them admittance. The Tartars as soon as they had got in seized all
the bulwarks and drove out all who were in the place except the pretty
women, and these they kept for themselves. In this way the Great Kaan's
people got possession of the city.
When the King of the great Island and his army perceived that both fleet
and city were lost, they were greatly cast down; howbeit, they got away to
the great Island on board some of the ships which had not been carried
off. And the King then gathered all his host to the siege of the city, and
invested it so straitly that no one could go in or come out. Those who
were within held the place for seven months, and strove by all means to
send word to the Great Kaan; but it was all in vain, they never could get
the intelligence carried to him.
