In later days the fear of
the Kalmaks caused this line to be abandoned, and the circuitous one
occupied 100 days." This directer route between Khotan and China must have
been followed by Fa-hian on his way to India; by Hiuen Tsang on his way
back; and by Shah Rukh's ambassadors on their return from China in 1421.
The circuitous route alluded to appears to have gone north from Khotan,
crossed the Tarimgol, and fallen into the road along the base of the Thian
Shan, eventually crossing the Desert southward from Komul.
Former commentators differed very widely as to the position of Pein, and
as to the direction of Polo's route from Khotan. The information acquired
of late years leaves the latter no longer open to doubt. It must have been
nearly coincident with that of Hiuen Tsang.
The perusal of Johnson's Report of his journey to Khotan, and the
Itineraries attached to it, enabled me to feel tolerable certainty as to
the position of Charchan (see next chapter), and as to the fact that Marco
followed a direct route from Khotan to the vicinity of Lake Lop. Pein,
then, was identical with PIMA,[1] which was the first city reached by
Hiuen Tsang on his return to China after quitting Khotan, and which lay
330 li east of the latter city.[2] Other notices of Pima appear in
Remusat's history of Khotan; some of these agree exactly as to the
distance from the capital, adding that it stood on the banks of a river
flowing from the East and entering the sandy Desert; whilst one account
seems to place it at 500 li from Khotan.
