[12] Multiplying This Number Of Families By Five, Would Give A Population Of Eight Millions Of Individuals Of Every Age And Sex.

Fortunately Marco permits us to suppose that this population belonged to the viceroyalty, or province over which Quinsai presided.

- E.

[13] Either this computation, or that of the duty on salt, is erroneous. If 8 tomans are 6,400,000 ducats, 210 tomans would amount to 168,000,000, instead of the sum in the text. If the latter computation be right, 16,800,000 ducats from 210 tomans; the duty on salt, or 8 tomans, ought only to have been 640,000 ducats, which appears to be the truth. The whole revenue, therefore, of the province, will be 17,440,000 ducats, equal to L. 2,911,250 Sterling, at 3s. 7d. the ducat. - E.

[14] Besides the utter discrepancy of these names to those of any cities now in China, it appears obvious, that the direction of the itinerary in the text is erroneous or corrupted. We have been already on the ocean or bay of Nankin, the eastern boundary of China and of the land; yet the text persists continually to travel south-east, which is impossible. The direction of the itinerary must have been westwards, probably south-west. - E.

[15] This was probably Turmeric, so much used in the Eastern cookery, though it is the root which is employed. - E.

[16] Obviously what are now called Friesland, but more properly frizzled hens. - E.

[17] In the manufacture of sugar it is necessary to neutralize a certain redundant acid in the juice of the cane, by a fit proportion of some alkaline ingredient to enable the sugar to crystallize:

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