- The Traveller's Diversion From His Direct Course - Sceloc
Or South-East, As He Regards It - Towards Fo-Kien, In Order To Notice
Ngan-King (As We Have Supposed) And Siang-Yang, Has Sadly Thrown Out Both
The Old Translators And Transcribers, And The Modern Commentators.
Though
the G. Text has here "quant l'en se part de la cite de Angui," I cannot
doubt that Iangui (Yanju) is the reading intended, and that Polo here
comes back to the main line of his journey.
[Illustration: 'Sono sopiaquesto frumern molti luoghi, colline e
monticelli sassosi, sopia quali sono edificati monasteir d'Edoli, e altre
stanze...']
I conceive Sinju to be the city which was then called CHEN-CHAU, but now
I-CHING HIEN,[1] and which stands on the Kiang as near as may be 15 miles
from Yang-chau. It is indeed south-west instead of south-east, but those
who have noted the style of Polo's orientation will not attach much
importance to this. I-ching hien is still the great port of the Yang-chau
salt manufacture, for export by the Kiang and its branches to the interior
provinces. It communicates with the Grand Canal by two branch canals.
Admiral Collinson, in 1842, remarked the great numbers of vessels lying in
the creek off I-ching. (See note 1 to ch. lxviii. above; and J.R.G.S.
XVII. 139.)
["We anchored at a place near the town of Y-ching-hien, distinguished by
a pagoda. The most remarkable objects that struck us here were some
enormously large salt-junks of a very singular shape, approaching to a
crescent, with sterns at least thirty feet above the water, and bows that
were two-thirds of that height. They had 'bright sides', that is, were
varnished over the natural wood without painting, a very common style in
China." (Davis, Sketches, II. p. 13.) - H.C.]
NOTE 2. - The river is, of course, the Great Kiang or Yang-tzu Kiang
(already spoken of in ch. xliv. as the Kiansui), which Polo was
justified in calling the greatest river in the world, whilst the New World
was yet hidden. The breadth seems to be a good deal exaggerated, the
length not at all. His expressions about it were perhaps accompanied by a
mental reference to the term Dalai, "The Sea," which the Mongols appear
to have given the river. (See Fr. Odoric, p. 121.) The Chinese have a
popular saying, "Hai vu ping, Kiang vu ti," "Boundless is the Ocean,
bottomless the Kiang!"
NOTE 3. - "The assertion that there is a greater amount of tonnage
belonging to the Chinese than to all other nations combined, does not
appear overcharged to those who have seen the swarms of boats on their
rivers, though it might not be found strictly true." (Mid. Kingd. II.
398.) Barrow's picture of the life, traffic, and population on the Kiang,
excepting as to specific numbers, quite bears out Marco's account. This
part of China suffered so long from the wars of the T'ai-P'ing rebellion
that to travellers it has presented thirty years ago an aspect sadly
belying its old fame.
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