hsia fan nan, ti yi Chou. ’In all the
world, there is no place so public as this: for
multiplied cares and trials, this is the first Chou.’
The people of Cho-Chou, of old celebrated for their
religious spirit, are now well known for their literary
enterprise.”—H.C.] This bifurcation
of the roads is a notable point in Polo’s book.
For after following the western road through Cathay,
i.e. the northern provinces of China, to the
borders of Tibet and the Indo-Chinese regions, our
traveller will return, whimsically enough, not to
the capital to take a fresh departure, but to this
bifurcation outside of Chochau, and thence carry us
south with him to Manzi, or China south of the Yellow
River.
Of a part of the road of which Polo speaks in the
latter part of the chapter Williamson says: “The
drive was a very beautiful one. Not only were
the many villages almost hidden by foliage, but the
road itself hereabouts is lined with trees....
The effect was to make the journey like a ramble through
the avenues of some English park.” Beyond
Tingchau however the country becomes more barren.
(I. 268.)
THE KINGDOM OF TAIANFU.
After riding then those ten days from the city of
Juju, you find yourself in a kingdom called TAIANFU,
and the city at which you arrive, which is the capital,
is also called Taianfu, a very great and fine city.
[But at the end of five days’ journey out of
those ten, they say there is a city unusually large
and handsome called ACBALUC, whereat terminate in this
direction the hunting preserves of the Emperor, within
which no one dares to sport except the Emperor and
his family, and those who are on the books of the
Grand Falconer. Beyond this limit any one is at
liberty to sport, if he be a gentleman. The Great
Kaan, however, scarcely ever went hunting in this
direction, and hence the game, particularly the hares,
had increased and multiplied to such an extent that
all the crops of the Province were destroyed.
The Great Kaan being informed of this, proceeded thither
with all his Court, and the game that was taken was
past counting.][NOTE 1]
Taianfu[NOTE 2] is a place of great trade and great
industry, for here they manufacture a large quantity
of the most necessary equipments for the army of the
Emperor. There grow here many excellent vines,
supplying great plenty of wine; and in all Cathay
this is the only place where wine is produced.
It is carried hence all over the country.[NOTE 3] There
is also a great deal of silk here, for the people
have great quantities of mulberry-trees and silk-worms.
From this city of Taianfu you ride westward again
for seven days, through fine districts with plenty
of towns and boroughs, all enjoying much trade and
practising various kinds of industry. Out of these
districts go forth not a few great merchants, who
travel to India and other foreign regions, buying
and selling and getting gain. After those seven
days’ journey you arrive at a city called PIANFU,
a large and important place, with a number of traders
living by commerce and industry. It is a place
too where silk is largely produced.[NOTE 4]
