Shaw's Itinerary shows "salt pools"
at six of the stations between Kiria and Charchand, so Marco's memory in
this also was exact.
Nia, a town two marches from Kiria according to Johnson, or four
according to Shaw, is probably the ancient city of Ni-jang of the ancient
Chinese Itineraries, which lay 30 or 40 miles on the China side of Pima,
in the middle of a great marsh, and formed the eastern frontier of Khotan
bordering on the Desert. (J. R. G. S. XXXVII. pp. 13 and 44; also Sir H.
Rawlinson in XLII. p. 503: Erskine's Baber and Humayun, I. 42; Proc. R.
G. S. vol. xvi. pp. 244-249; J. A. S. B. IV. 656; H. de la V. de
Khotan, u.s.)
[The Charchan of Marco Polo seems to have been built to the west of the
present oasis, a little south of the road to Kiria, where ruined houses
have been found. It must have been destroyed before the 16th century,
since Mirza Haidar does not mention it. It was not anterior to the 7th
century, as it did not exist at the time of Hiuen Tsang. (Cf. Grenard,
III. p. 146.)
Grenard says (pp. 183-184) that he examined the remains of what is called
the old town of Charchan, traces of the ancient canal, ruins of dwellings
deep into the sand, of which the walls built of large and solid-baked
bricks, are pretty well preserved. Save these bricks, "I found hardly
anything, the inhabitants have pillaged everything long ago. I attempted
some excavating, which turned out to be without result, as far as I was
concerned; but the superstitious natives declared that they were the cause
of a violent storm which took place soon after. There are similar ruins in
the environs, at Yantak Koudouk, at Tatrang, one day's march to the north,
and at Ouadjchahari at five days to the north-east, which corresponds to
the position assigned to Lop by Marco Polo." (See Grenard's Haute Asie
on Nia.)
Palladius is quite mistaken (l.c. p. 3.) in saying that the "Charchan" of
Marco Polo is to be found in the present province of Karashar. (Cf. T. W.
Kingsmill's Notes on Marco Polo's Route from Khoten to China, Chinese
Recorder, VII. pp. 338-343; Notes on Doctor Sven Hedin's Discoveries in
the Valley of the Tarim, its Cities and Peoples, China Review, XXIV.
No. II. pp. 59-64.) - H. C.]
CHAPTER XXXIX.
OF THE CITY OF LOP AND THE GREAT DESERT.
Lop is a large town at the edge of the Desert, which is called the Desert
of Lop, and is situated between east and north-east. It belongs to the
Great Kaan, and the people worship Mahommet. Now, such persons as propose
to cross the Desert take a week's rest in this town to refresh themselves
and their cattle; and then they make ready for the journey, taking with
them a month's supply for man and beast. On quitting this city they enter
the Desert.
The length of this Desert is so great that 'tis said it would take a year
and more to ride from one end of it to the other. And here, where its
breadth is least, it takes a month to cross it. 'Tis all composed of hills
and valleys of sand, and not a thing to eat is to be found on it. But
after riding for a day and a night you find fresh water, enough mayhap for
some 50 or 100 persons with their beasts, but not for more. And all across
the Desert you will find water in like manner, that is to say, in some 28
places altogether you will find good water, but in no great quantity; and
in four places also you find brackish water.[NOTE 1]
Beasts there are none; for there is nought for them to eat. But there is a
marvellous thing related of this Desert, which is that when travellers are
on the move by night, and one of them chances to lag behind or to fall
asleep or the like, when he tries to gain his company again he will hear
spirits talking, and will suppose them to be his comrades. Sometimes the
spirits will call him by name; and thus shall a traveller ofttimes be led
astray so that he never finds his party. And in this way many have
perished. [Sometimes the stray travellers will hear as it were the tramp
and hum of a great cavalcade of people away from the real line of road,
and taking this to be their own company they will follow the sound; and
when day breaks they find that a cheat has been put on them and that they
are in an ill plight.[NOTE 2]] Even in the day-time one hears those
spirits talking. And sometimes you shall hear the sound of a variety of
musical instruments, and still more commonly the sound of drums. [Hence in
making this journey 'tis customary for travellers to keep close together.
All the animals too have bells at their necks, so that they cannot easily
get astray. And at sleeping-time a signal is put up to show the direction
of the next march.]
So thus it is that the Desert is crossed.[NOTE 3]
NOTE 1. - LOP appears to be the Napopo, i.e. Navapa, of Hiuen Tsang,
called also the country of Leulan, in the Desert. (Mem. II. p. 247.)
Navapa looks like Sanskrit. If so, this carries ancient Indian influence
to the verge of the great Gobi. [See supra, p. 190.] It is difficult to
reconcile with our maps the statement of a thirty days' journey across the
Desert from Lop to Shachau.
