to Venice.

When they reached Venice they found that they had been forgotten by
their friends. They had been away twenty-four years, and in that time
everything had changed very much. They themselves had grown older,
and their clothes differed from those worn by the Venetians; for
fashions changed even in the thirteenth century, although not so often
as they change at the present time. It is no wonder that the Polos
were not known until they recalled themselves to the memory of their
friends.

One evening they invited a few of their old friends to dinner, and
during the evening they brought out three old coats. These coats they
proceeded to rip apart, and out from the linings dropped all kinds
of precious stones--diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. In
this way these wary travelers had hidden their wealth and treasure
while on their perilous journey. The visitors were astonished at the
sight of so great riches, and listened eagerly to the accounts of the
countries from which they came.

Soon after the return of Marco Polo to Venice, he took part with his
countrymen in a battle against the Genoese. The city of Genoa, like
the city of Venice, had a large trade with the East. These two cities
were rivals in trade, and were very jealous of each other. Whenever
Venetian ships and those of the Genoese met on the Mediterranean Sea,
the sailors found some way of starting a quarrel. The quarrel quickly
led to a sea fight, and it was in one of these combats that Marco Polo
engaged. The Venetians were defeated, and Marco Polo was taken
prisoner and cast into a dungeon. Here he spent his time in writing
the wonderful book in which he described his travels.

[Illustration: A Sea Fight.]

The descriptions Polo gave of the East were as wonderful as fairy tales.
He told of countries rich in gold, silver, and precious stones, and
of islands where diamonds sparkled on the shore. The rulers of these
countries wore garments of rich silk covered with glittering gems,
and dwelt in palaces, the roofs of which were made of gold.

He described golden Cathay, with its vast cities rich in manufactures,
and also Cipango, Hindustan, and Indo-China. He knew of the Indies
Islands, rich in spices, and he described Siberia, and told of the
sledges drawn by dogs, and of the polar bears. The fact that an ocean
washed the eastern coast of Asia was proved by him, and this put at
rest forever the theory that there was an impassable swamp east o