UNDER THE MONGOLS. 259
launching pleasure boats.' The river had formerly another channel, and discharged itself into the gulf of the ocean, which penetrated within a short distance of Khanbaligh. But in the course of time this channel had become so shallow as not to admit the entrance of shipping, so that they had to discharge their cargoes and send them up to Khanbaligh on pack-cattle. And the Chinese engineers and men of science having reported that the vessels from the provinces of Cathay, from the capital of MIcHIN,2 and from the cities of KUINGSAÏ and ZAITVN no longer could reach the metropolis, the Khan gave them orders to dig a great canal, into which the waters of the said river and of several others should be introduced. This canal extends for a distance of forty days' navigation from Khanbaligh to Khingsai and Zaitun, the ports frequented by the ships that come from India and from the capital of M ichin.2 The canal is provided with many sluices intended to distribute the water over the country ; and when vessels - arrive at these sluices they are hoisted up by means of machinery, whatever be their size, and let down on the other side into the water. The canal has a width of more than 30 ells. Kublai caused the sides of the embankments to be revetted with stone in order to prevent the earth giving way.3 Along the side of the canal runs the high road to Machin, extending for a space of forty days' journey, and this has been paved throughout, so that travellers and their animals may get along during
' The two rivers are the Sha-ho and Peho, which unite below Peking, afterwards bearing the latter name. The lake is that called Thai-i-tchi or Si haï-tsu, to the east (west) of the imperial palace. (K.)
2 Here we find the capital of Machin" distinct from Kingssé. It is probably Chinkalan or Canton that is meant. See supra, p. 105. The author refers here to the extension of' the Great Canal towards Peking by Kublai.
3 The earthen embankments in this part of the canal were supported by retaining walls of coarse grey marble cut into large blocks, and cemented together with a kind of mortar. Those walls were about twelve feet in thickness, and the large stones on the top were bound together with
IIIF Color HighRes
