Japan and the Japanese

14 JAPAN. A. D. 1281 1283.
the Yellow, the Blue and the China Seas (embosoming the Caspian
and the Black Seas), to the Levant, the Archipelago, the River
Dniester, and beyond its Not content with having added Anatolia
and Russia to the western extremity of this vast kingdom, the
(Jreek empire being reduced, at this moment, to the vicinage of
Constantinople and the western coasts of the Archipelago, Kublai
Khan, after completing the conquest of Southern China, sent an
expedition against Japan ; in which, however, the Mongols were no
more successful than they had been in their attempts, a few years
before, to penetrate through Hungary and Poland (which they
overran and ravaged, to the terror of all Europe) into Germany,
whence Teutonic valor repelled them.
The accounts given by Marco Polo, and by the Chinese and
Japanese annalists, of this expedition, though somewhat contradic-
tory as to the details, agree well enough as to the general result.
As Marco Polo's account is sho-t, as well as curious, we insert it at
length, from the English translation of his travels by Marsden,
subjoining to it the statements which we have of the same event
derived from Chinese and Japanese sources. We may add that
Columbus was greyly stimulated to undertake his western voyages
of discovery by tfte constant study of Marco Polo's travels, confi-
dently expect'o^ to reach by that route the Cathay and Zipangu
of that 8>;tHor countries for which he sedulously inquired throughout
the Archipelago of the AVest Indies, and along the southern
and western shores of the Caribbean Sea.
" Zipangu," says Marco Polo " is an island in the eastern ocean,
situated at the distance of about fifteen hundred miles from the
main land, or coast of Manji.* It is of considerable size ; its inhab-
itants have fair eornplex'ons, are well made, and are civilized in
their manners. Their religion is the worship of idols. They are
independent of every foreign power, and governed only by their
own kings. They have gold in the greatest abundance, its sources
eing inexhaustible ; but as the king does not allow of its being
xpm-tcd, few merchants visit the country, nor is it frequented by
much shipping from other parts. To this circumstance we are to
* The true distance is about five hundred miles ; but, possibly, by mileg
M.-irco Polo may have intended Chinese li , of which there are nearly three in
cmr mile.