Marco Polo

Famous Explorers Marco Polo 1256 - 1323 Christopher Columbus 1451 - 1506 Sir Francis Drake, 1540 - 1596 Sir Walter Raleigh, 1552 – 1618 Captain James Cook 1728 - 1779 David Livingstone, 1813 - 1873 Captain Robert Falcon Scott, 1868 – 1912

Marco Polo Son of a wealthy merchant in Venice Travelled the silk road to the east to bring back goods Captured and imprisoned by the Genoese he wrote tales of his adventures ‘The travels of Marco Polo’ Inspired many others to become explorers.

Journeys of the Explorers Marco Polo ----

Some of the tales bought back to Europe by early travellers Far away there is a great sea of gravel and sand. It has not a drop of water in it, but it has great waves There is a place where people get burnt black by the sun There is a race of small hairy men who live in the trees The sea is full of great sea monsters which blow water at you There is a hill from which flows a river of precious jewels You will reach a place where the sea is all covered in white crystals If you sail too far, you will sail off the edge of the world.

Marco Polo's best achievement is best said with his own words in his own book: " I believe it was God's will that we should come back, so that men might know the things that are in the world, since, as we have said in the first chapter of this book, no other man, Christian or Saracen, Mongol or pagan, has explored so much of the world as Messer Marco, son of Messer Niccolo Polo, great and noble citizen of the city of Venice."