I do not think that we are to regard Marco as having held at any time the
important post of Governor-General of Kiang-che. The expressions in the G.
T. are: "Meser Marc Pol meisme, celui de cui trate ceste livre,
seingneurie ceste cite por trois anz." Pauthier's MS. A. appears to read:
"Et ot seigneurie, Marc Pol, en ceste cite, trois ans." These
expressions probably point to the government of the Lu or circuit of
Yang-chau, just as we find in ch. lxxiii. another Christian, Mar Sarghis,
mentioned as Governor of Chin-kiang fu for the same term of years, that
city being also the head of a Lu. It is remarkable that in Pauthier's
MS. C., which often contains readings of peculiar value, the passage runs
(and also in the Bern MS.): "Et si vous dy que ledit Messire Marc Pol,
cellui meisme de qui nostre livre parle, sejourna, en ceste cite de
Janguy. iii. ans accompliz, par le commandement du Grant Kaan," in which
the nature of his employment is not indicated at all (though sejourna
may be an error for seigneura). The impression of his having been
Governor-General is mainly due to the Ramusian version, which says
distinctly indeed that "M. Marco Polo di commissione del Gran Can n' ebbe
il governo tre anni continui in luogo di un dei detti Baroni," but it is
very probable that this is a gloss of the translator. I should conjecture
his rule at Yang-chau to have been between 1282, when we know he was at
the capital (vol. i. p. 422), and 1287-1288, when he must have gone on his
first expedition to the Indian Seas.
[1] The Lu or Circuit was an administrative division under the Mongols,
intermediate between the Sing and the Fu, or department. There were
185 lu in all China under Kublai. (Pauth. 333). [Mr. E.L.
Oxenham, Hist. Atlas Chin. Emp., reckons 10 provinces or sheng, 39
fu cities, 316 chau, 88 lu, 12 military governorships. - H.C.]
CHAPTER LXIX.
CONCERNING THE CITY OF NANGHIN.
Nanghin is a very noble Province towards the west. The people are
Idolaters (and so forth) and live by trade and manufactures. They have
silk in great abundance, and they weave many fine tissues of silk and
gold. They have all sorts of corn and victuals very cheap, for the
province is a most productive one. Game also is abundant, and lions too
are found there. The merchants are great and opulent, and the Emperor
draws a large revenue from them, in the shape of duties on the goods which
they buy and sell.[NOTE 1]
And now I will tell you of the very noble city of Saianfu, which well
deserves a place in our book, for there is a matter of great moment to
tell about it.
NOTE 1. - The name and direction from Yang-chau are probably sufficient to
indicate (as Pauthier has said) that this is NGAN-KING on the Kiang,
capital of the modern province of Ngan-hwei.
