It is the habit to have burdens carried by
elephants; this country is to-day the Pu-cheng province." M. Sainson adds
in a note that Pu-cheng, in Annamite Bo chanh quan, is to-day Quang-binh,
and that, in this country, was placed the first capital (Dong-hoi) of the
future kingdom of Champa thrown later down to the south. - H.C.]
[The Chams, according to their tradition, had three capitals: the most
ancient, Shri-Banoeuy, probably the actual Quang-Binh province;
Bal-Hangov, near Hue; and Bal-Angoue, in the Binh-Dinh province. In the
4th century, the kingdom of Lin-y or Lam-ap is mentioned in the Chinese
Annals. - H.C.]
NOTE 2. - The date of Marco's visit to Champa varies in the MSS.: Pauthier
has 1280, as has also Ramusio; the G.T. has 1285; the Geographic Latin
1288. I incline to adopt the last. For we know that about 1290, Mark
returned to Court from a mission to the Indian Seas, which might have
included this visit to Champa.
The large family of the king was one of the stock marvels. Odoric says:
"ZAMPA is a very fine country, having great store of victuals and all good
things.
