Polo Speaks Also Of A 'very Fine Pillared Balustrade' (The Chu Lang, Pillared Verandah, Of The Chinese Author). Marco Polo States That The Basement Of The Great Palace 'is Raised Some Ten Palms Above The Surrounding Soil.' We Find In The Ku Kung I Lu:

'The basement of the Ta-ming tien is raised about 10 ch'i above the soil.' There can also

Be no doubt that the Ta-ming tien stood at about the same place where now the T'ai-ho tien, the principal hall of the palace, is situated." (Bretschneider, Peking, 28, note.)

[Illustration: Winter Palace at Peking.]

The Ch'ue keng lu, translated by Bretschneider, 25, contains long articles devoted to the description of the palace of the Mongols and the adjacent palace grounds. They are too long to be reproduced here. - H. C.]

NOTE 9. - "As all that one sees of these palaces is varnished in those colours, when you catch a distant view of them at sunrise, as I have done many a time, you would think them all made of, or at least covered with, pure gold enamelled in azure and green, so that the spectacle is at once majestic and charming." (Magaillans, p. 353.)

NOTE 10. - [This is the Ling yu or "Divine Park," to the east of the Wan-sui shan, "in which rare birds and beasts are kept. Before the Emperor goes to Shang-tu, the officers are accustomed to be entertained at this place." (Ch'ue keng lu, quoted by Bretschneider, 36.) - H. C.]

NOTE 11.

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