You see, at the beginning of the affair, when the Kaan’s people had landed on the great Island and occupied the open country as I told you, they stormed a tower belonging to some of the islanders who refused to surrender, and they cut off the heads of all the garrison except eight; on these eight they found it impossible to inflict any wound!  Now this was by virtue of certain stones which they had in their arms inserted between the skin and the flesh, with such skill as not to show at all externally.  And the charm and virtue of these stones was such that those who wore them could never perish by steel.  So when the Barons learned this they ordered the men to be beaten to death with clubs.  And after their death the stones were extracted from the bodies of all, and were greatly prized.[NOTE 3]

Now the story of the discomfiture of the Great Kaan’s folk came to pass as I have told you.  But let us have done with that matter, and return to our subject.

NOTE 1.—­Kublai had long hankered after the conquest of Japan, or had at least, after his fashion, desired to obtain an acknowledgment of supremacy from the Japanese sovereign.  He had taken steps in this view as early as 1266, but entirely without success.  The fullest accessible particulars respecting his efforts are contained in the Japanese Annals translated by Titsing; and these are in complete accordance with the Chinese histories as given by Gaubil, De Mailla, and in Pauthier’s extracts, so far as these three latter enter into particulars.  But it seems clear from the comparison that the Japanese chronicler had the Chinese Annals in his hands.

In 1268, 1269, 1270, and 1271, Kublai’s efforts were repeated to little purpose, and, provoked at this, in 1274, he sent a fleet of 300 vessels with 15,000 men against Japan.  This was defeated near the Island of Tsushima with heavy loss.

Nevertheless Kublai seems in the following years to have renewed his attempts at negotiation.  The Japanese patience was exhausted, and, in 1280, they put one of his ambassadors to death.

“As soon as the Moko (Mongols) heard of this, they assembled a considerable army to conquer Japan.  When informed of their preparations, the Dairi sent ambassadors to Ize and other temples to invoke the gods.  Fosiono Toki Mune, who resided at Kama Kura, ordered troops to assemble at Tsukuzi (Tsikouzen of Alcock’s Map), and sent ... numerous detachments to Miyako to guard the Dairi and the Togou (Heir Apparent) against all danger....  In the first moon (of 1281) the Mongols named Asikan (Ngo Tsa-han[1]), Fan-bunko (Fan Wen-hu), Kinto (Hintu), and Kosakio (Hung Cha-khieu), Generals of their army, which consisted of 100,000 men, and was embarked on numerous ships of war.  Asikan fell ill on the passage, and this made the second General (Fan Wen-hu) undecided as to his course.