[2] The Pei-ho, which runs into the gulf of Pekin, near the head of the
Yellow sea. - E.
[3] Kathay, or Northern China, contained the six northern provinces, and
Mangi or Southern China, the nine provinces to the south of the river
Kiang, Yang-tse-Kiang or Kian-ku. Tain-fu may possibly be Ten-gan-fu:
Gouza it is impossible to ascertain, unless it may be Cou-gan, a small
town, about thirty miles south from Peking or Cambalu. I suspect in
the present itinerary, that Marco keeps on the north of the Hoang-ho.
- E.
[4] Hara-moran, or Hoang-he. Thaigin may therefore be Tan-gin, about twenty
miles east from that river, in Lat. S6-1/4 N. In which case, Pian-fu
may be the city of Pin-yang; and Tain-fu, Tay-uen. - E.
[5] Bamboos. - E.
SECTION XIV.
An account of Thibet, and several other Provinces, with the Observations
made by the Author in passing through them.
At the end of twenty days journey through the before mentioned depopulated
country, we met with cities and many villages, inhabited by an idolatrous
people, whose manners are so licentious that no man marries a wife who is a
virgin. Hence when travellers and strangers from other countries come among
them, the women of the country who have marriageable daughters bring them
to the tents of the strangers, and entreat them to enjoy the company of
their daughters so long as they remain in the neighbourhood.