458 COMiMKRCE WITH with the prospect of having the Europeans as their pilots. I shall state the circumstance in the lan- guage of the editor of the travels : ** About the time of their (the ambassadors) reappearance, Mar- co Polo happened to arrive from a voyage he had made, with a few vessels under his orders, to some ports of the East Indies, * and reported to the grand Khan the intelligence he brought respecting the countries he had visited, with the circumstan- ces of his own navigation, which he said was per- formed in these seas with the utmost safety. This latter observation having reached the ears of the three ambassadors, who were extremely anxious to return to their own country, from whence they had now been absent three years, presently sought a conference with our Venetians, whom they found equally desirous of revisiting their home ; and it was settled between them that the former, accompanied by their young queen, should obtain an audience of the grand KhaUy and repre- sent to him with what convenience and security they might effect their return by sea, to the domi- nions of their master ; whilst the voyage would be attended with less expence than the journey by land, and be performed in a shorter time, accordr ing to the experience of Marco Polo, who had late- • To some of the Indian islands, in the opinion of Mr Marsden.
