In Another Wang-Ku Branch, Si-Li-Ki-Sze Reminds One Also Of The Christian Name Sergius." - H. C.]

NOTE 3.

- "The Lapis Armenus, or Azure,... is produced in the district of Tayton-fu (i.e. Tathung), belonging to Shansi." (Du Halde in Astley, IV. 309; see also Martini, p. 36.)

NOTE 4. - This is a highly interesting passage, but difficult, from being corrupt in the G. Text, and over-curt in Pauthier's MSS. In the former it runs as follows: "Hil hi a une jenerasion de jens que sunt appelles Argon, qe vaut a dire en francois Guasmul, ce est a dire qu'il sunt ne del deus generasions de la lengnee des celz Argon Tenduc et des celz reduc et des celz que aorent Maomet. Il sunt biaus homes plus que le autre dou pais et plus sajes et plus mercaant." Pauthier's text runs thus: "Il ont une generation de gens, ces Crestiens qui ont la Seigneurie, qui s'appellent Argon, qui vaut a dire Gasmul; et sont plus beaux hommes que les autres mescreans et plus sages. Et pour ce ont il la seigneurie et sont bons marchans." And Ramusio: "Vi e anche una sorte di gente che si chiamano Argon, per che sono nati di due generazioni, cioe da quella di Tenduc che adorano gl' idoli, e da quella che osservano la legge di Macometto. E questi sono i piu belli uomini che si trovino in quel paese e piu savi, e piu accorti nella mercanzia."

In the first quotation the definition of the Argon as sprung de la lengnee, etc., is not intelligible as it stands, but seems to be a corruption of the same definition that has been rendered by Ramusio, viz. that the Argon were half-castes between the race of the Tenduc Buddhists and that of the Mahomedan settlers. These two texts do not assert that the Argon were Christians. Pauthier's text at first sight seems to assert this, and to identify them with the Christian rulers of the province. But I doubt if it means more than that the Christian rulers have under them a people called Argon, etc. The passage has been read with a bias, owing to an erroneous interpretation of the word Argon in the teeth of Polo's explanation of it.

Klaproth, I believe, first suggested that Argon represents the term Arkhaiun, which is found repeatedly applied to Oriental Christians, or their clergy, in the histories of the Mongol era.[2] No quite satisfactory explanation has been given of the origin of that term. It is barely possible that it may be connected with that which Polo uses here; but he tells us as plainly as possible that he means by the term, not a Christian, but a half-breed.

And in this sense the word is still extant in Tibet, probably also in Eastern Turkestan, precisely in Marco's form, ARGON. It is applied in Ladak, as General Cunningham tells us, specifically to the mixt race produced by the marriages of Kashmirian immigrants with Bot (Tibetan) women.

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