Such
stuff is called Hung Lu Kin 'red and green cloth.' Cotton cloth, made with
dyed thread, is also very common in our day in many other cities in
Fuh-Kien." - H.C.]
In Ramusio the bridges are only "each more than 100 paces long and 8 paces
wide." In Pauthier's text each is a mile long, and 20 feet wide. I
translate from the G.T.
Martini describes one beautiful bridge at Kien-ning fu: the piers of cut
stone, the superstructure of timber, roofed in and lined with houses on
each side (pp. 112-113). If this was over the Min it would seem not to
survive. A recent journal says: "The river is crossed by a bridge of
boats, the remains of a stone bridge being visible just above water."
(Chinese Recorder (Foochow), August, 1870, p. 65.)
NOTE 5. - Galanga or Galangal is an aromatic root belonging to a class of
drugs once much more used than now. It exists of two kinds: 1. Great or
Java Galangal, the root of the Alpinia Galanga. This is rarely
imported and hardly used in Europe in modern times, but is still found in
the Indian bazaars. 2. Lesser or China Galangal is imported into
London from Canton, and is still sold by druggists in England. Its
botanical origin is unknown. It is produced in Shan-si, Fo-kien, and
Kwang-tung, and is called by the Chinese Liang Kiang or "Mild Ginger."
["According to the Chinese authors the province of Sze-ch'wan and
Han-chung (Southern Shen-si) were in ancient times famed for their Ginger.
Ginger is still exported in large quantities from Han k'ou. It is known
also to be grown largely in the southern provinces. - Galingale is the
Lesser or Chinese Galanga of commerce, Alpinia officinarum Hance."
(Bretschneider, Hist. of Bot. Disc. I. p. 2. See Heyd, Com. Levant, II.
616-618.) - H.C.]
Galangal was much used as a spice in the Middle Ages. In a syrup for a
capon, temp. Rich. II., we find ground-ginger, cloves, cinnamon and
galingale. "Galingale" appears also as a growth in old English gardens,
but this is believed to have been Cyperus Longus, the tubers of which
were substituted for the real article under the name of English Galingale.
The name appears to be a modification of the Arabic Kulijan, Pers.
Kholinjan, and these from the Sanskrit Kulanjana. (Mr. Hanbury;
China Comm.-Guide, 120; Eng. Cycl.; Garcia, f. 63; Wright, p. 352.)
NOTE 6. - The cat in question is no doubt the fleecy Persian. These
fowls, - but white, - are mentioned by Odoric at Fu-chau; and Mr. G.
Phillips in a MS. note says that they are still abundant in Fo-kien, where
he has often seen them; all that he saw or heard of were white.
