[This itinerary is difficult, as Sir Henry Yule says.  It takes Marco Polo 24 days to go from Coloman or Toloman to Ch’eng-tu.  The land route is 22 days from Yun-nan fu to Swi-fu, via Tung-ch’wan and Chao-t’ung. (J.  China B.R.A.S. XXVIII. 74-75.) From the Toloman province, which I place about Lin-ngan and Cheng-kiang, south of Yun-nan fu, Polo must have passed a second time through this city, which is indeed at the end of all the routes of this part of South-Western China.  He might go back to Sze-ch’wan by the western route, via Tung-ch’wan and Chao-t’ung to Swi-fu, or, by the eastern, easier and shorter route by Siuen-wei chau, crossing a corner of the Kwei-chau province (Wei-ning), and passing by Yun-ning hien to the Kiang, this is the route followed by Mr. A. Hosie in 1883 and by Mr. F.S.A.  Bourne in 1885, and with great likelihood by Marco Polo; he may have taken the Yun-ning River to the district city of Na-ch’i hien, which lies on the right bank both of this river and of the Kiang; the Kiang up to Swi-fu and thence to Ch’eng-tu.  I do not attempt to explain the difficulty about Fungul.

I fully agree with Sir H. Yule when he says that Polo spoke of Caugigu and of Bangala, probably of Anin, from report only.  However, I believe that Caugigu is the Kiao-Chi kwe of the Chinese, that Ani_n_ must be read Ani_u_, that Aniu is but a transcription of Nan-yue that both Nan-yue and Kiao-Chi represent Northern Annam, i.e. the portion of Annam which we call Tung-king.  Regarding the tattooed inhabitants of Caugigu, let it be remembered that tattooing existed in Annam till it was prohibited by the Chinese during the occupation of Tung-king at the beginning of the 15th century.—­H.C.]

NOTE 7.—­Here the traveller gets back to the road-bifurcation near Juju, i.e.  Chochau (ante p. 11), and thence commences to travel southward.

[Illustration:  Fortified Villages on Western frontier of Kweichau. (From Garnier.)

“Chastians ont-il grant quantite en grandismes montagnes et fortres.”]

[1] A passing suggestion of the identity of Kafchi Kue and Caugigu is made
    by D’Ohsson, and I formerly objected. (See Cathay, p. 272.)

[2] Cuiju might be read Ciuju—­representing Siuchau, but the
    difficulty about Fungul would remain.

BOOK II.—­Continued.

PART III.—­JOURNEY SOUTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN PROVINCES OF CATHAY AND MANZI.

CHAPTER LX.

CONCERNING THE CITIES OF CACANFU AND OF CHANGLU.

Cacanfu is a noble city.  The people are Idolaters and burn their dead; they have paper-money, and live by trade and handicrafts.  For they have plenty of silk from which they weave stuffs of silk and gold, and sendals in large quantities. [There are also certain Christians at this place, who have a church.] And the city is at the head of an important territory containing numerous towns and villages. [A great river passes through it, on which much merchandise is carried to the city of Cambaluc, for by many channels and canals it is connected therewith.[NOTE 1]]