1.) I may add that the _Lurs_, the _Shuls_, and the
Shabankaras are the subjects of three successive sections in the
_Masalak-al-Absar_ of _Shihabuddin Dimishki_, a work which reflects much of
Polo's geography. (See _N. et E._ XIII. i. 330-333; Curzon, _Persia_, II.
pp. 248 and 251.)

NOTE 2.--The horses exported to India, of which we shall hear more
hereafter, were probably the same class of "Gulf Arabs" that are now
carried thither. But the Turkman horses of Persia are also very valuable,
especially for endurance. Kinneir speaks of one accomplishing 900 miles in
eleven days, and Ferrier states a still more extraordinary feat from his
own knowledge. In that case one of those horses went from Tehran to
Tabriz, returned, and went again to Tabriz, within twelve days, including
two days' rest. The total distance is about 1100 miles.

The _livre tournois_ at this period was equivalent to a little over 18
francs of modern French silver. But in bringing the value to our modern
gold standard we must add one-third, as the ratio of silver to gold was
then 1:12 instead of 1:16. Hence the equivalent in gold of the livre
tournois is very little less than 1_l._ sterling, and the price of the
horse would be about 193_l._[1]

Mr. Wright quotes an ordinance of Philip III. of France (1270-1285) fixing
the maximum price that might be given for a palfrey at 60 _livres
tournois_, and for a squire's _roncin_ at 20 livres. Joinville, however,
speaks of a couple of horses presented to St. Lewis in 1254 by the Abbot
of Cluny, which he says would at the time of his writing (1309) have been
worth 500 livres (the pair, it would seem). Hence it may be concluded in a
general way that the _ordinary_ price of imported horses in India
approached that of the highest class of horses in Europe. (_Hist. of Dom.
Manners_, p. 317; _Joinville_, p. 205.)

About 1850 a very fair Arab could be purchased in Bombay for 60_l._, or
even less; but prices are much higher now.

With regard to the donkeys, according to Tavernier, the fine ones used by
merchants in Persia were imported from Arabia. The mark of silver was
equivalent to about 44_s._ of our silver money, and allowing as before for
the lower relative value of gold, 30 marks would be equivalent to 88_l._
sterling.

_Kisi_ or Kish we have already heard of. _Curmosa_ is Hormuz, of which we
shall hear more. With a Pisan, as Rusticiano was, the sound of _c_ is
purely and strongly aspirate. Giovanni d'Empol