IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
TU CATHAY.
581
CHAPTER XIII.
How our Brother Benedict died in the Chinese territory, after the
arrival of one of our members who had been sent from Pekin to his assistance.
TOWARDS the northern extremity of the western frontier of China the celebrated wall comes to an end, and there is a space of about two hundred miles through which the Tartars, prevented by the wall from penetrating the northern frontier, used to attempt incursions into China, and indeed they do so still, but with less chance of success. For two very strongly fortified cities, garrisoned with select troops, have been established on purpose to repel their attacks. These cities are under a special Viceroy and other officials deriving their orders direct from the capital. In one of these two cities of the province of SCENSI, which is called CANCEU, is the residence of the Viceroy and other chief officers ; the other city called SocIEU,' has a governor of its own, and is divided into two parts. In one of these dwell the Chinese, whom the Mahomedans here call Cathayans, in the other the
i Sucheu, the Succuir of Marco Polo, the Sukchu of Shah Rukh's embassy, and the Sowchick of Anthony Jenkinson's reports. The Persian envoys describe it (1419) as a great city of a perfectly square form, with a strong fort. The bazars were fifty cubits in width, kept clean and watered. There were four gates on each side, and behind (over ?) each gate was a pavilion of two stories with a roof en dos d'âne after the Chinese fashion. The streets were paved with vitrified brick, and there were many great temples. See also Hajji Mahomed in Notes to Prelim.
Essay.
Canceu is the still existing Kancheu, the Canpicion of Polo, the Camexu of Pegolotti, the Kamcka or Kamju of Rashid and the Ambassadors (see supra, p. 270). The latter say it was nine posts from Sukchu, and was the seat of the Dankshi or chief governor of the frontier. They describe here a great temple, and one of those gigantic recumbent figures, representing Gautama in a state of Nirwana, which are still to be seen in Ceylon, Burma, and Siam. This one was fifty paces long, with figures of other divinities and Bakshis round about, executed with great vivacity. There was also a singular pagoda of timber, fifteen stories high, which turned upon a pivot. Here the envoys had to deposit their baggage, and received thereafter all supplies from the Chinese government.
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