176-177.) Mr. Moule, whilst abating somewhat from the
colouring of this description, admits the establishment to be a
considerable charitable effort. It existed before the rebellion, as I see
in the book of Mr. Milne, who gives interesting details on such Chinese
charities. (Life in China, pp. 46 seqq.)
NOTE 7. - The paved roads of Manzi are by no means extinct yet. Thus, Mr.
Fortune, starting from Chang-shan (see below, ch. lxxix.) in the direction
of the Black-Tea mountains, says: "The road on which we were travelling
was well paved with granite, about 12 feet in width, and perfectly free
from weeds." (II. 148). Garnier, Sladen, and Richthofen speak of
well-paved roads in Yun-Nan and Sze-ch'wan.
The Topography quoted by Mr. Moule says that in the year 1272 the Governor
renewed the pavement of the Imperial road (or Main Street), "after which
nine cars might move abreast over a way perfectly smooth, and straight as
an arrow." In the Mongol time the people were allowed to encroach on this
grand street.
NOTE 8. - There is a curious discrepancy in the account of these baths.
Pauthier's text does not say whether they are hot baths or cold. The
latter sentence, beginning, "They are hot baths" (estuves), is from the
G. Text. And Ramusio's account is quite different: "There are numerous
baths of cold water, provided with plenty of attendants, male and female,
to assist the visitors of the two sexes in the bath. For the people are
used from their childhood to bathe in cold water at all seasons, and they
reckon it a very wholesome custom. But in the bath-houses they have also
certain chambers furnished with hot water, for foreigners who are
unaccustomed to cold bathing, and cannot bear it. The people are used to
bathe daily, and do not eat without having done so." This is in
contradiction with the notorious Chinese horror of cold water for any
purpose.
A note from Mr. C. Gardner says: "There are numerous public baths at
Hang-chau, as at every Chinese city I have ever been in. In my experience
natives always take hot baths. But only the poorer classes go to the
public baths; the tradespeople and middle classes are generally supplied by
the bath-houses with hot water at a moderate charge."
NOTE 9. - The estuary of the Ts'ien T'ang, or river of Hang-chau, has
undergone great changes since Polo's day. The sea now comes up much nearer
the city; and the upper part of the Bay of Hang-chau is believed to cover
what was once the site of the port and town of KANP'U, the Ganpu of the
text. A modern representative of the name still subsists, a walled town,
and one of the depots for the salt which is so extensively manufactured on
this coast; but the present port of Hang-chau, and till recently the sole
seat of Chinese trade with Japan, is at Chapu, some 20 miles further
seaward.
