The Quantity Of Merchandize Also Which
These Vessels Transport To Manzi And Cathay Is Something Marvellous; And
Then They Return Loaded With Other Merchandize, So That The Amount Of
Goods Borne To And Fro On Those Two Rivers Is Quite Astonishing.[NOTE 1]
NOTE 1.
- Friar Odoric, proceeding by water northward to Cambaluc about
1324-1325, says: "As I travelled by that river towards the east, and
passed many towns and cities, I came to a certain city which is called
SUNZUMATU, which hath a greater plenty of silk than perhaps any place on
earth, for when silk is at the dearest you can still have 40 lbs. for less
than eight groats. There is in the place likewise great store of
merchandise," etc. When commenting on Odoric, I was inclined to identify
this city with Lin-t'sing chau, but its position with respect to the two
last cities in Polo's itinerary renders this inadmissible; and Murray and
Pauthier seem to be right in identifying it with T'SI-NING CHAU. The affix
Matu (Ma-t'eu, a jetty, a place of river trade) might easily
attach itself to the name of such a great depot of commerce on the canal
as Marco here describes, though no Chinese authority has been produced for
its being so styled. The only objection to the identification with
T'si-ning chau is the difficulty of making 3 days' journey of the short
distance between Yen-chau and that city.
Polo, according to the route supposed, comes first upon the artificial
part of the Great Canal here. The rivers Wen and Sse (from near
Yen-chau) flowing from the side of Shan-tung, and striking the canal line
at right angles near T'si-ning chau, have been thence diverted north-west
and south-east, so as to form the canal; the point of their original
confluence at Nan-wang forming, apparently, the summit level of the canal.
There is a little confusion in Polo's account, owing to his describing the
river as coming from the south, which, according to his orientation,
would be the side towards Hunan. In this respect his words would apply more
accurately to the Wei River at Lin-t'sing (see Biot in J. As. ser.
III. tom. xiv. 194, and J.N.C.B.R.A.S., 1866, p. ii; also the map with
ch. lxiv.) [Father Gandar (Canal Imperial, p. 22, note) says that the
remark of Marco Polo: "The river flows from the south to this city of
Sinjumatu," cannot be applied to the Wen-ho nor to the Sse-ho, which
are rivers of little importance and running from the east, whilst the
Wei-ho, coming from the south-east, waters Lin-ts'ing, and answers well
to our traveller's text. - H.C.] Duhalde calls T'si-ning chau "one of the
most considerable cities of the empire"; and Nieuhoff speaks of its large
trade and population. [Sir John F. Davis writes that Tsi-ning chau is a
town of considerable dimensions.... "The ma-tow, or platforms, before the
principal boats had ornamental gateways over them.... The canal seems to
render this an opulent and flourishing place, to judge by the gilded and
carved shops, temples, and public offices, along the eastern banks."
(Sketches of China, I. pp.
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