The two last suppositions I consider the most
probable; the more so that similar difficulties occur several times in
Marco Polo's narrative." (L.c. p. 8.) - H. C.]
NOTE 2. - [Ondanique. - We have already referred to this word, Kerman,
p. 90. Cobinan, p. 124. La Curne de Sainte-Palaye (Dict.), F. Godefroy
(Dict.), Du Cange (Gloss.), all give to andain the meaning of
enjambee, from the Latin andare. Godefroy, s.v. andaine, calls it
sorte d'acier ou de fer, and quotes besides Marco Polo:
"I. espiel, ou ot fer d'andaine,
Dont la lamele n'iert pas trouble."
(Huon de Mery, Le Tornoiement de l'Antechrist, p. 3, Tarbe.)
There is a forest in the department of Orne, arrondissement of Domfront,
which belonged to the Crown before 1669, and is now State property, called
Foret d'Andaine; it is situated near some bed of iron. Is this the origin
of the name? - H. C.]
NOTE 3. - The Altai, or one of its ramifications, is probably the mountain
of the text, but so little is known of this part of the Chinese territory
that we can learn scarcely anything of its mineral products. Still Martini
does mention that asbestos is found "in the Tartar country of Tangu,"
which probably is the Tangnu Oola branch of the Altai to the south of
the Upper Yenisei, and in the very region we have indicated as
Chingintalas.
