["The Jihia Says That The Name Of Mei Shan (Coal Hill) Was Given
To It From The Stock Of Coal Buried At Its Foot, As A Provision In
Case Of Siege." (Bretschneider, Peking, 38.) - H. C.]
CHAPTER XI.
CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAMBALUC.
Now there was on that spot in old times a great and noble city called
CAMBALUC, which is as much as to say in our tongue "The city of the
Emperor."[NOTE 1] But the Great Kaan was informed by his Astrologers that
this city would prove rebellious, and raise great disorders against his
imperial authority. So he caused the present city to be built close beside
the old one, with only a river between them.[NOTE 2] And he caused the
people of the old city to be removed to the new town that he had founded;
and this is called TAIDU. [However, he allowed a portion of the people
which he did not suspect to remain in the old city, because the new one
could not hold the whole of them, big as it is.]
As regards the size of this (new) city you must know that it has a compass
of 24 miles, for each side of it hath a length of 6 miles, and it is
four-square. And it is all walled round with walls of earth which have a
thickness of full ten paces at bottom, and a height of more than 10
paces;[NOTE 3] but they are not so thick at top, for they diminish in
thickness as they rise, so that at top they are only about 3 paces thick.
And they are provided throughout with loop-holed battlements, which are
all whitewashed.
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