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60 li to Hang-chou. On these same itineraries, cf. the diaries of 1276 and 1308 in TP, 1915, 394-
395, 418-419.

Polo's itinerary does not give here all the distances from one place to another, and so it has
been possible to suppose that some of the places were out of the way. The different views on this
point can be seen in Pa, 490-491; Y, II, 184-185; TP, 1915, 411, 419; Ch, III, 73-74. I shall not
enter into a detailed discussion here, the less so as I have no positive proofs to proffer; but I feel,
like YULE, that Chia-hsing (Kia-hing) must be one of the places named. Consequently, I propose
to read *Vughian = 吳 江 Wu-chiang, instead of Vugiu; *Caghin = Chia-hsing, instead of Vughin;
as to Ciangan, it is difficult not to see in it the chên of Ch'ang-an on the Canal, some 50 li N. of
Shih-mên. But then there must be something wrong in the « three » days mentioned between
Ciangan and Hang-chou; either « three » is an error for « one » (cf. MOULE, I, 326, n. 1), or the starting
place for the « three » days' journey must be « *Caghin » = Chia-hsing.

If Ciangan be Ch'ang-an, it is likely that Polo, in so far as he had some feeling for the compo-
nents of the name, divided it into cian + gan rather than ciang + an; but CHARIGNON, since we
have examples of both (see « Cianglu » and « Coigangiu »), is too positive about it.

[This was written before Vol. I appeared and was not revised : but PELLIOT had attached to it
a note which I sent him about the readings of LT and Z (cf. Vol. I, 366). These readings make it
easy to identify Ciangan with Ch'ang-an, but do not help with Vugiu and Vughin. PELLIOT's
drastic emendations, based on his own and YULE's sound instinct, receive no support from the Mss.,
though it is true that Vuquian (rather than Vughian, Wu-chiang) need only drop the -an to become
Vuqui, Vugui, Vugiu. Caghin for Vughin is more difficult. For it is not, and was not, necessary
or, I think, usual to call at Chia-hsing, which is named in only one of the four itineraries of the Mongol
period given from the Ching-shih ta-tien above or in TP, 1915, and once in those of 1623. Wu-
chiang is barely 10 miles south of Su-chou; 12-15 miles farther south again the Grand Canal bends
S. E. towards Chia-hsing, while the more direct water way continues S. or SSW. to rejoin the Canal
near 石 門 Shih-mên wan. But we must not be sure that Polo went by water. The only Mss.
(FG and VB) which give any indication say that he rode (chevauchent), and it is quite gratuitous
to regard this as interpolation. Travellers on horse-back would be likely to take the post-road
for the sake of the official lodgings at night, of which unfortunately there does not seem to have been
one at Ciangan; but house-boats would stop at any convenient place. And it must not be forgotten
that it is a region where navigable canals are more numerous than roads and lanes are in England,
with villages or market towns every few miles. The descriptions of all three places are conventional
and perfunctory with no particular detail to guide us.

A table of six itineraries (1, 3, 4 official; 2, 5, 6 private) follows :

1 2 3 4 5 6

1276 1308 1320 1320 1623 1623
(TP 1915) (TP 1915) (see above) (see above) (TP 1915) (TP 1915)

Water Water Water Road Water Water