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.

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