And the Ocean Sea comes within 25 miles of the city at a place called GANFU, where there is a town and an excellent haven, with a vast amount of shipping which is engaged in the traffic to and from India and other foreign parts, exporting and importing many kinds of wares, by which the city benefits.  And a great river flows from the city of Kinsay to that sea-haven, by which vessels can come up to the city itself.  This river extends also to other places further inland.[NOTE 9]

Know also that the Great Kaan hath distributed the territory of Manzi into nine parts, which he hath constituted into nine kingdoms.  To each of these kingdoms a king is appointed who is subordinate to the Great Kaan, and every year renders the accounts of his kingdom to the fiscal office at the capital.[NOTE 10] This city of Kinsay is the seat of one of these kings, who rules over 140 great and wealthy cities.  For in the whole of this vast country of Manzi there are more than 1200 great and wealthy cities, without counting the towns and villages, which are in great numbers.  And you may receive it for certain that in each of those 1200 cities the Great Kaan has a garrison, and that the smallest of such garrisons musters 1000 men; whilst there are some of 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000; so that the total number of troops is something scarcely calculable.  The troops forming these garrisons are not all Tartars.  Many are from the province of Cathay, and good soldiers too.  But you must not suppose they are by any means all of them cavalry; a very large proportion of them are foot-soldiers, according to the special requirements of each city.  And all of them belong to the army of the Great Kaan.[NOTE 11]

I repeat that everything appertaining to this city is on so vast a scale, and the Great Kaan’s yearly revenues therefrom are so immense, that it is not easy even to put it in writing, and it seems past belief to one who merely hears it told.  But I will write it down for you.

First, however, I must mention another thing.  The people of this country have a custom, that as soon as a child is born they write down the day and hour and the planet and sign under which its birth has taken place; so that every one among them knows the day of his birth.  And when any one intends a journey he goes to the astrologers, and gives the particulars of his nativity in order to learn whether he shall have good luck or no.  Sometimes they will say no, and in that case the journey is put off till such day as the astrologer may recommend.  These astrologers are very skilful at their business, and often their words come to pass, so the people have great faith in them.