NOTE 1.—­Deguignes says that YETSINA is found in a Chinese Map of Tartary of the Mongol era, and this is confirmed by Pauthier, who reads it Itsinai, and adds that the text of the Map names it as one of the seven Lu or Circuits of the Province of Kansuh (or Tangut).  Indeed, in D’Anville’s Atlas we find a river called Etsina Pira, running northward from Kanchau, and a little below the 41st parallel joining another from Suhchau.  Beyond the junction is a town called Hoa-tsiang, which probably represents Etzina.  Yetsina is also mentioned in Gaubil’s History of Chinghiz as taken by that conqueror in 1226, on his last campaign against Tangut.  This capture would also seem from Petis de la Croix to be mentioned by Rashiduddin.  Gaubil says the Chinese Geography places Yetsina north of Kanchau and north-east of Suhchau, at a distance of 120 leagues from Kanchau, but observes that this is certainly too great. (Gaubil, p. 49.)

[I believe there can be no doubt that Etzina must be looked for on the river Hei-shui, called Etsina by the Mongols, east of Suhchau.  This river empties its waters into the two lakes Soho-omo and Sopo-omo.  Etzina would have been therefore situated on the river on the border of the Desert, at the top of a triangle whose bases would be Suhchau and Kanchau.  This river was once part of the frontier of the kingdom of Tangut. (Cf. Deveria, Notes d’epigraphie mongolo-chinoise, p. 4.) Reclus (Geog.  Univ., Asie Orientale, p. 159) says:  “To the east [of Hami], beyond the Chukur Gobi, are to be found also some permanent villages and the remains of cities.  One of them is perhaps the ‘cite d’Etzina’ of which Marco Polo speaks, and the name is to be found in that of the river Az-sind.”

“Through Kanchau was the shortest, and most direct and convenient road to I-tsi-nay....  I-tsi-nay, or Echine, is properly the name of a lake.  Khubilai, disquieted by his factious relatives on the north, established a military post near lake I-tsi-nay, and built a town, or a fort on the south-western shore of this lake.  The name of I-tsi-nay appears from that time; it does not occur in the chronicle of the Tangut kingdom; the lake had then another name.  Vestiges of the town are seen to this day; the buildings were of large dimensions, and some of them were very fine.  In Marco Polo’s time there existed a direct route from I-tsi-nay to Karakorum; traces of this road are still noticeable, but it is no more used.  This circumstance, i.e. the existence of a road from I-tsi-nay to Karakorum, probably led Marco Polo to make an excursion (a mental one, I suppose) to the residence of the Khans in Northern Mongolia.” (Palladius, l.c. pp. 10-11.)—­H.  C.]

NOTE 2.—­“Erberge” (G.  T.).  Pauthier has Herbage.