"That one," says M. Garnier in a letter, "which enters the Kiang a little
above Siu-chau fu, the River of Lowa-tong, which was descended by our
party, has a branch to the eastward which is navigable up to about the
latitude of Chao-tong. Is not this probably Marco Polo's route? It is to
this day a line much frequented, and one on which great works have been
executed; among others two iron suspension bridges, works truly gigantic
for the country in which we find them."
[Illustration: Iron Suspension Bridge at Lowatong. (From Garnier.)]
An extract from a Chinese Itinerary of this route, which M. Garnier has
since communicated to me, shows that at a point 4 days from Wei-ning the
traveller may embark and continue his voyage to any point on the great
Kiang.
We are obliged, indeed, to give up the attempt to keep to a line of
communicating rivers throughout the whole 24 days. Nor do I see how it is
possible to adhere to that condition literally without taking more
material liberties with the text.
[Illustration: MARCO POLO'S ITINERARIES No. V.
Indo Chinese Regions (Book II, Chaps.
