. The book of Ser Marco Polo : the Venetian concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East . all with the view of obtainingco-operation in attack on the Egyptian Sultan. Such messages came from Abaka in1277 ; from Arghun in 1289 and 1291 ; from Ghazan in 1302 ; from Oljaitu in 1307.(See Rimusat in Mim. de VAcad. VII.) Chap. XVIII. CHINESE WAR VESSELS 37 Note 3.—Ramusio has nine sails. Marsden thinks even this lower numberan error of Ramusios, as it is well known that Chinese vessels do not carry any kindof topsail. This is, however, a mistake, for they do sometimes carry a small topsailof cot
. The book of Ser Marco Polo : the Venetian concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East . all with the view of obtainingco-operation in attack on the Egyptian Sultan. Such messages came from Abaka in1277 ; from Arghun in 1289 and 1291 ; from Ghazan in 1302 ; from Oljaitu in 1307.(See Rimusat in Mim. de VAcad. VII.) Chap. XVIII. CHINESE WAR VESSELS 37 Note 3.—Ramusio has nine sails. Marsden thinks even this lower numberan error of Ramusios, as it is well known that Chinese vessels do not carry any kindof topsail. This is, however, a mistake, for they do sometimes carry a small topsailof cotton cloth (and formerly, it would seem from Lecomte, even a topgallant sail attimes), though only in quiet weather. And the evidence as to the number of sailscarried by the great Chinese junks of the Middle Ages, which evidently made a greatimpression on Western foreigners, is irresistible. Friar Jordanus, who saw them inMalabar, says : With a fair wind they carry ten sails ; Ibn Batuta : One of thesegreat junks carries from three sails to twelve ; Joseph, the Indian, speaking of those. Ancient Chinese War Vessel. that traded to India in the 15th century : They were very great, and had sometimestwelve sails, with innumerable rowers. {Lecomte, I. 389 ; F>: Jordanus, Hak. Soc,p. 55 ; Ibn Batuta, IV. 91 ; Nevus Orbis, p. 148.) A fuller account of these vesselsis given at the beginning of Bk. III. Note 4.— in this case Sumatra, as will appear hereafter. It is quitepossible for a fleet of fourteen junks which required to keep together to take threemonths at the present time to accomplish a similar voyage. A Chinese trader, whohas come annually to Singapore in junks for many years, tells us that he has had aslong a passage as sixty days, although the average is eighteen or twenty days.{Logan in/. Ind. Arckip. II. 609.) 38 MARCO TOLO Trol. Note 5.—Rainusios version here varies widely, and looks more probable: Fromthe day that they embarked until their arrival there died o
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