tract where neither house nor hostel exists, still
there the station-houses have been established just the same, excepting
that the intervals are somewhat greater, and the day's journey is fixed at
thirty-five to forty-five miles, instead of twenty-five to thirty. But
they are provided with horses and all the other necessaries just like
those we have described, so that the Emperor's messengers, come they from
what region they may, find everything ready for them.

And in sooth this is a thing done on the greatest scale of magnificence
that ever was seen. Never had emperor, king, or lord, such wealth as this
manifests! For it is a fact that on all these posts taken together there
are more than 300,000 horses kept up, specially for the use of the
messengers. And the great buildings that I have mentioned are more than
10,000 in number, all richly furnished, as I told you. The thing is on a
scale so wonderful and costly that it is hard to bring oneself to describe
it.[NOTE 4]

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 not