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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

PREFACE

THERE is no need of a long Preface to this small book. When the

third edition of the Book of Ser Marco Polo was published in i 903,

criticism was lenient to the Editor of YULE'S grand work, and it was

highly satisfactory to me that such competent judges as Sir Aurel

STEIN and Sven HEDIN gave their approval to the remarks I made

on the itineraries followed in Central Asia by the celebrated Venetian

Traveller.

Nevertheless occasional remarks having been made by some of the

reviewers, proper notice was taken of them ; moreover, it was impossible

to avoid some mistakes and omissions in a work including several

hundreds of pages. As years went on, extensive voyages were undertaken by travellers like Sir Aurel STEIN, Sven HEDIN, PELLIOT,

KozLov, and others, who brought fresh and important information.

I had myself collected material from new works as they were issued and

from old works which had been neglected. In the mean time I had given

a second edition of Cathay and the Way Thither, having thus an

opportunity to explore old ground again and add new commentaries

to the book.

All this material is embodied in the present volume which is to be

considered but as a supplementary volume of " Addenda " and

" Corrigenda " to the Book itself. I have gathered matter for a younger

editor when a fourth edition of the Book of Ser Marco Polo is undertaken,

age preventing the present editor to entertain the hope to be able to do

the work himself.

To many who lent their aid have I to give my thanks : all are named

in the following pages, but I have special obligation to Sir Aurel STEIN,

to Dr. B. LAUFER, of Chicago, to Sir Richard TEMPLE, and to Prof.

Paul PELLIOT, of the College de France, Paris, who furnished me with

some of the more important notes. A paper by Prof. E. H. PARKER in

the Asiatic Quarterly Review proved also of considerable help.

HENRI CORDIER.

PARIS, 8, RUE DE SIAM,

I I th of November, 1919.