[Regarding the name of this river, the Rev. C. Holcombe
(l.c. p. 56) writes: “Williamson states
in his Journeys in North China that the name
of this stream is, properly Poo-too Ho—’Grape
River,’ but is sometimes written Hu-t’ou
River incorrectly. The above named author, however,
is himself in error, the name given above [Hu-t’o]
being invariably found in all Chinese authorities,
as well as being the name by which the stream is known
all along its course.”
West of the Fan River, along the western border of
the Central Plain of Shan-si, in the extreme northern
point of which lies T’ai-yuan fu, the Rev. C.
Holcombe says (p. 61), “is a large area, close
under the hills, almost exclusively given up to the
cultivation of the grape. The grapes are unusually
large, and of delicious flavour.”—H.C.]
NOTE 4.—+In no part of China probably,
says Richthofen, do the towns and villages consist
of houses so substantial and costly as in this.
Pianfu is undoubtedly, as Magaillans again notices,
P’ING-YANG FU.[3] It is the Bikan of
Shah Rukh’s ambassadors. [Old P’ing yang,
5 Lis to the south] is said to have been the
residence of the primitive and mythical Chinese Emperor
Yao. A great college for the education of the
Mongols was instituted at P’ing-yang, by Yeliu
Chutsai, the enlightened minister of Okkodai Khan.
[Its dialect differs from the T’ai-yuan dialect,
and is more like Pekingese.] The city, lying in a
broad valley covered with the yellow loess, was destroyed
by the T’ai-P’ing rebels, but it is reviving.
[It is known for its black pottery.] The vicinity
is noted for large paper factories. ["From T’ai-yuan
fu to P’ing-yang fu is a journey of 185 miles,
down the valley of the Fuen-ho.” (Colonel Bell,
Proc.R.G.S. XII. 1890, p. 61.) By the way,
Mr. Rockhill remarks (Land of the Lamas, p.
10): “Richthofen has transcribed the name
of this river Fuen. This spelling has
been adopted on most of the recent maps, both German
and English, but Fuen is an impossible sound
in Chinese.” (Read Fen ho.)—H.C.]
(Cathay, ccxi.; Ritter, IV. 516; D’Ohsson,
II. 70; Williamson, I. 336.)
[1] And I see Ritter understood the passage as I do
(IV. 515).
[2] Baligh is indeed properly Mongol.
[3] It seems to be called Piyingfu (miswritten
Piying_ku_) in Mr. Shaw’s
Itinerary from Yarkand (Pr.R.G.S.
XVI. 253.) We often find the
Western modifications of Chinese
names very persistent.
CONCERNING THE CASTLE OF CAICHU.
On leaving Pianfu you ride two days westward, and
come to the noble castle of CAICHU, which was built
in time past by a king of that country, whom they
used to call the GOLDEN KING, and who had there a great
and beautiful palace. There is a great hall of
this palace, in which are pourtrayed all the ancient
kings of the country, done in gold and other beautiful
colours, and a very fine sight they make. Each
king in succession as he reigned added to those pictures.[NOTE
1]
