The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 58 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

0058	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2

=Great Golden. But we have seen that Thaigin is not the only reading. That
of the MSS. seems to point rather to some name like Kaichau. A hypothesis
which has seemed to me to call
for least correction in the text
is that the castle was at the Ki-chau
of the maps, nearly due west of
P'ing-yang fu, and just about 20 miles
from the Hwang Ho; that the river
was crossed in that vicinity, and that
the traveller then descended the
valley to opposite P'u-chau fu, or
possibly embarked and descended
the river itself to that point. This
last hypothesis would mitigate the
apparent disproportion in the times
assigned to the different parts of the
journey, and would, I think, clear
the text of error. But it is only a
hypothesis. There is near Kichau
one of the easiest crossing places of
the River, insomuch that since the
Shen-si troubles a large garrison has
been kept up at Ki-chau to watch
it.* And this is the only direction
in which two days' march, at Polo's
rate, would bring him within 20
miles of the Yellow River. Whether
there is any historic castle at Ki-chau I know not; the plan of that place in Duhalde,
however, has the aspect of a strong position. Baron v. Richthofen is unable to
accept this suggestion, and has favoured me with some valuable remarks on this
difficult passage, which I slightly abridge:—
"The difficulties are, (1) that for either reading, Thaigin or Caichu, a correspond-
ing place can be found; (2) in the position of Cachanfu, setting both at naught.
"Thaigin. There are two passages of the Yellow River near its great bend. One
is at T'ungkwan, where I crossed it; the other, and more convenient, is at the
fortress of Taiching-kwan, locally pronounced Taigin-kwan. This fortress, or rather
fortified camp, is a very well-known place, and to be found on native maps; it is very
close to the river, on the left bank, about 6 m. S.W. of P'u-chau fu. The road
runs hence to Tung-chau fu and thence to Si-ngan fu. T'aiching-kwan could not
possibly (at Polo's rate) be reached in 2 days from P'ing-yang fu.
"Caichu. If this reading be adopted Marsden may be right in supposing Kiai-
chau, locally Khaidju, to be meant. This city dominates the important salt marsh,
whence Shan-si and Shen-si are supplied with salt. It is 70 or 80 m. from P'ing-yang
fu, but could be reached in 2 days. It commands a large and tolerably populous
plain, and is quite fit to have been an imperial residence.
"May not the striking fact that there is a place corresponding to either name
suggest that one of them was passed by Polo in going, the other in returning? and
that, this being the only locality between Ch'êng-tu fu and Chu-chau where there was any
deviation between the two journeys, his geographical ideas may have become some-
what confused, as might now happen to any one in like case and not provided with a
map? Thus the traveller himself might have put into Ramusio's text the name of
Thaigin instead of Caichu. From Kiai-chau he would probably cross the River at
T'ungkwan, whilst in returning by way of Taiching-kwan he would pass through

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books