ThesethingsIheredeliveroughttobenotthoughtbyanymantobeincredible。For（besidesthatMarcoPoloinhisrelationsaffirmethfargreaterthings）thesethingsIspeakareinthesedaysapprovedtobemosttruebytheintelligenceswedoreceivecontinuallybothofsecularandreligiouspersons，asalsobyallthenationofthePortuguese。Soashethatwilldenyitshallshowhimselfafool。ButforthesatisfactionofthereaderIwillnotsparetosearchouttheveryreasonshowitcomestopassthatChinaissopopulousandfullofsuchadmirablecities。
Letusthensupposethateitherbythegoodnessoftheheavensorbythesecretinfluenceofthestarstousunknown，orforsomeotherreasonselsewhatsoevertheybe，thatpartoftheworldthatisorientaluntoushathmorevirtue，Iknownotwhat，intheproducingofthingsthantheWest。Hereofitproceedeththatanumberofexcellentthingsgrowinthesehappycountiesofwhichothersareutterlydestituteandvoid，ascinnamon，nutmegs，cloves，pepper，camphor，sandalwood，incense，aloes，theIndiannuts，andsuchotherlike。Moreoverthethingsthatarecommonuntoboth，totheEast，Isay，andtheWest，theyaregenerallymuchmoreperfectintheEastthantheWest；asforproofthereof，thepearlsoftheWestincomparisonoftheEastareasitwereleadtosilver。AndlikewisethebezoarthatisbroughtfromtheIndiesisagreatdealbetterfarthanthebezoarthatcomesfromPeru。
NowChinacomesthenearesttotheEastofanypartoftheworld，andthereforedothsheenjoyallthoseperfectionsthatareattributedtotheEast。Andfirsttheair（whichofallthingsimportethtothelifeofmansomuchasnothingmore）isverytemperate；whereuntothenearnessoftheseaaddethagreathelp，whichembraceth，asitwere，witharmscastabroadagreatpartthereof，andlooksitinthefacewithacheerfulaspect，andwithathousandcreeksandgulfspenetratethfarwithintheveryprovince。
Next，thatthecountryisforthemostpartveryplainandofnatureveryapttoproducenotonlythingsnecessaryfortheuseandsustenanceofthelifeofmanbutalsoallsortsofdaintythingforman’sdelightandpleasure。Thehillsandmountainsareperpetuallyarrayedwithtreesofallsorts，somewildandsomefruitful；theplainsmanured，tilledandsownwithrice，barley，wheat，peasandbeans；thegardens，besidesourcommonsortsoffruits，doyieldmostsweetmelons，mostdelicateplums，mostexcellentfigs，pomecitronsandorangesofdiversformsandexcellenttaste。
Theyhavealsoanherboutofwhichtheypressadelicatejuicewhichservesthemfordrinkinsteadofwine。Italsopreservestheirhealthandfreesthemfromallthoseevilsthattheimmoderateuseofwinedothbreeduntous。