Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1896 — The Fabled Salamander. [ARTICLE]

The Fabled Salamander.

Chlugintalas is also a province at the verge of the Desert, and lying between northwest and north. It has an extent of sixteen days’ journey, and belongs to the Great Kaan, and contains numerous towns aud villages. There arq three different races of people in it— Idolaters, Saracens and some Nestorian Christians. At the northern extremity of this province there is a mountain in which are excellent veins of steel and ondanlque. And you must know that in the same mountain there is a vein of the substance from which Salamander is made. For the real truth is that the Salamander is no beast, as they allege, in our part of the world, hut Is a substance found in the earth; and I will tell you about It. Everybody must be aware that it can be no animal’s nature to live in lire, seeing that every animal is composed of all the four elements. Now I, Marco Polo, had a Turkish acquaintance of the name of Zurtiear, ami he was a very clever fellow. And this Turk related how he had lived three years iu that, region on behalf of the Great Kaan, in order to procure those Salamanders for him. He said that the way they got them was by digging in that mountain till they found a certain vein. The substance of this vein was then taken ami crushed, and when so treated it divides as it were Into fibres of wool, which they set forth to dry. When dry, these fibres were pouuded iu a great copper mortar, and then washed, so as to remove all the earth, and to leave only the fibres ..like fibres wool. These were then spun, and ipade Into napkins. When first made, these napkins are not very white, but by putting them into the fire for a while they come out as white as suow. And so again whenever they become dirty they are bleached by being put in the fire. Now this, and naught else, is the truth about the Salamander, and the people of the Country all say the same. Any other account of the matter is fabulous nonsense. And I may add that they have at Rome a napkin of this stuff, which the Grand Kaan sent to the Pope—St. Nicholas.