(Biot, p. 168; Martini, p. 137.) But
we shall explain presently the serious difficulties that beset the
interpretation of the itinerary as it stands.
NOTE 2. - Several Chinese plants afford a fibre from the bark, and some of
these are manufactured into what we call grass-cloths. The light
smooth textures so called are termed by the Chinese Hiapu or
"summer cloths." Kwei-chau produces such. But perhaps that specially
intended is a species of hemp (Urtica Nivea?) of which M. Perny of
the R.C. Missions says, in his notes on Kwei-chau: "It affords a texture
which may be compared to batiste. This has the notable property of
keeping so cool that many people cannot wear it even in the hot weather.
Generally it is used only for summer clothing." (Dict. des Tissus,
VII. 404; Chin. Repos. XVIII. 217 and 529; Ann. de la Prop. de
la Foi, XXXI. 137.)
NOTE 3. - Tigers of course are meant. (See supra, vol. i. p. 399.)
M. Perny speaks of tigers in the mountainous parts of Kwei-chau. (Op.
cit. 139.)
NOTE 4. - These great dogs were noticed by Lieutenant (now General)
Macleod, in his journey to Kiang Hung on the great River Mekong, as
accompanying the caravans of Chinese traders on their way to the Siamese
territory. (See Macleod's Journal, p. 66.)
NOTE 5. - The trade in wild silk (i.e. from the oak-leaf silkworm) is in
truth an important branch of commerce in Kwei-chau. But the chief seat of
this is at Tsuni-fu, and I do not think that Polo's route can be sought so
far to the eastward. (Ann. de la Prop. XXXI. 136; Richthofen, Letter
VII. 81.)
NOTE 6. - We have now got back to Sindafu, i.e. Ch'eng-tu fu in
Sze-ch'wan, and are better able to review the geography of the track we
have been following. I do not find it possible to solve all its
difficulties.
The different provinces treated of in the chapters from lv. to lix. are
strung by Marco upon an easterly, or, as we must interpret,
north-easterly line of travel, real or hypothetical. Their names and
intervals are as follows: (1) Bangala; whence 30 marches to (2) Caugigu; 25
marches to (3) Anin; 8 marches to (4) Toloman or Coloman; 12 days in Cuiju
along a river to the city of (5) Fungul, Sinugul (or what not); 12 days
further, on or along the same river, to (6) Ch'eng-tu fu. Total from
Bangala to Ch'eng-tu fu 87 days.
I have said that the line of travel is real or hypothetical, for no
doubt a large part of it was only founded on hearsay. We last left our
traveller at Mien, or on the frontier of Yun-nan and Mien. Bangala is
reached per sallum with no indication of interval, and its position is
entirely misapprehended. Marco conceives of it, not as in India, but as
being, like Mien, a province on the confines of India, as being under
the same king as Mien, as lying to the south of that kingdom, and as being
at the (south) western extremity of a great traverse line which runs
(north) east into Kwei-chau and Sze-ch'wan. All these conditions point
consistently to one locality; that, however, is not Bengal but Pegu. On
the other hand, the circumstances of manners and products, so far as they
go, do belong to Bengal. I conceive that Polo's information regarding
these was derived from persons who had really visited Bengal by sea, but
that he had confounded what he so heard of the Delta of the Ganges with
what he heard on the Yun-nan frontier of the Delta of the Irawadi. It is
just the same kind of error that is made about those great Eastern Rivers
by Fra Mauro in his Map. And possibly the name of Pegu (in Burmese
Bagoh) may have contributed to his error, as well as the probable fact
that the Kings of Burma did at this time claim to be Kings of Bengal,
whilst they actually were Kings of Pegu.
Caugigu. - We have seen reason to agree with M. Pauthier that the
description of this region points to Laos, though we cannot with him
assign it to Kiang-mai. Even if it be identical with the Papesifu of the
Chinese, we have seen that the centre of that state may be placed at Muang
Yong not far from the Mekong; whilst I believe that the limits of Caugigu
must be drawn much nearer the Chinese and Tungking territory, so as to
embrace Kiang Hung, and probably the Papien River. (See note at p. 117.)
As regards the name, it is possible that it may represent some specific
name of the Upper Laos territory. But I am inclined to believe that we are
dealing with a case of erroneous geographical perspective like that of
Bangala; and that whilst the circumstances belong to Upper Laos, the
name, read as I read it, Caugigu (or Cavgigu), is no other than the
Kafchikue of Rashiduddin, the name applied by him to Tungking, and
representing the KIAOCHI-KWE of the Chinese. D'Anville's Atlas brings
Kiaochi up to the Mekong in immediate contact with Che-li or Kiang Hung. I
had come to the conclusion that Caugigu was probably the correct reading
before I was aware that it is an actual reading of the Geog. Text more
than once, of Pauthier's A more than once, of Pauthier's C at least once
and possibly twice, and of the Bern MS.; all which I have ascertained from
personal examination of those manuscripts.[1]
Anin or Aniu.
