It is a fine, noble,
and rich city, and is the last of the government of Kinsay in this
direction.[NOTE 3] The other kingdom which we now enter, called Fuju, is
also one of the nine great divisions of Manzi as Kinsay is.
NOTE 1. - The traveller's route proceeds from Kinsay or Hang-chau southward
to the mountains of Fo-kien, ascending the valley of the Ts'ien T'ang,
commonly called by Europeans the Green River. The general line, directed
as we shall see upon Kien-ning fu in Fo-kien, is clear enough, but some of
the details are very obscure, owing partly to vague indications and partly
to the excessive uncertainty in the reading of some of the proper names.
No name resembling Tanpiju (G.T., Tanpigui; Pauthier, Tacpiguy,
Carpiguy, Capiguy; Ram., Tapinzu) belongs, so far as has yet been
shown, to any considerable town in the position indicated.[2] Both
Pauthier and Mr. Kingsmill identify the place with Shao-hing fu, a large
and busy town, compared by Fortune, as regards population, to Shang-hai.
Shao-hing is across the broad river, and somewhat further down than
Hang-chau: it is out of the traveller's general direction; and it seems
unnatural that he should commence his journey by passing this wide river,
and yet not mention it.
