The inhibitants of this district have the shameful and odious habit of considering it no mark of disgrace that

those who travel throughout the country should have relations with their wives, daughters, or sisters; but,

on the contrary, when strangers arrive, each householder endeavors to bring one of them home with him.

There he turns over all the women of the family to him, leaves him in the position of master of the house,

and goes off. While the stranger is in the house, he places a signal at the window, such as his hat or some

other thing; and as long as the signal is visible, the husband remains away. And this custom prevails throughout

the province. This they do in honor of their idols, believing that by such acts of kindness and hospitality to travelers

a blessing is obtained and that they shall be rewarded with a plentiful supply of the fruits of the earth.

                                                                                 ------ The travel of Marco Polo

Men are disinclined to marry young women as long as they are virgins. They believe

a woman who has not had the company of men is worthless. Accordingly, upon the arrival

of a caravan of merchants, and as soon as they set up their tents for the night, those

mothers who have marriageble daughters conduct them to the place, and entreat the strangers

to accept their daughters and enjoy their society so long as they remain in the neighrborhood.

Such as the most attractive are of course chosen, and the others return home disapointed and

chagrined. Those chosen remain with the travelers until their departure. The travelers then return

them to their mothers and never attempt to carry them away. It is expected, however, that the

merchants will make the young women presents of trinkets, rings and other tokens of their regard,

which the young women take home with them. They wear all these ornaments about the neck or

other parts of the body, and she who shows the greatest number of them is considered to have

attracted the greatest number of men, and is therefore in higher esteem with the young men who

are looking for wives.

                             ------ The Travel of Marco Polo