cellui meisme de qui nostre livre parle, sejourna, en ceste cite de Janguy. iii. ans accompliz, par le commandement du Grant Kaan,” in which the nature of his employment is not indicated at all (though sejourna may be an error for seigneura).  The impression of his having been Governor-General is mainly due to the Ramusian version, which says distinctly indeed that “M.  Marco Polo di commissione del Gran Can n’ ebbe il governo tre anni continui in luogo di un dei detti Baroni,” but it is very probable that this is a gloss of the translator.  I should conjecture his rule at Yang-chau to have been between 1282, when we know he was at the capital (vol. i. p. 422), and 1287-1288, when he must have gone on his first expedition to the Indian Seas.

[1] The Lu or Circuit was an administrative division under the Mongols,
    intermediate between the Sing and the Fu, or department.  There were
    185 lu in all China under Kublai. (Pauth. 333). [Mr. E.L. 
    Oxenham, Hist.  Atlas Chin.  Emp., reckons 10 provinces or sheng, 39
    fu cities, 316 chau, 88 lu, 12 military governorships.—­H.C.]

CHAPTER LXIX.

CONCERNING THE CITY OF NANGHIN.

Nanghin is a very noble Province towards the west.  The people are Idolaters (and so forth) and live by trade and manufactures.  They have silk in great abundance, and they weave many fine tissues of silk and gold.  They have all sorts of corn and victuals very cheap, for the province is a most productive one.  Game also is abundant, and lions too are found there.  The merchants are great and opulent, and the Emperor draws a large revenue from them, in the shape of duties on the goods which they buy and sell.[NOTE 1]

And now I will tell you of the very noble city of Saianfu, which well deserves a place in our book, for there is a matter of great moment to tell about it.

NOTE 1.—­The name and direction from Yang-chau are probably sufficient to indicate (as Pauthier has said) that this is NGAN-KING on the Kiang, capital of the modern province of Ngan-hwei.  The more celebrated city of Nan-king did not bear that name in our traveller’s time.

Ngan-king, when recovered from the T’ai-P’ing in 1861, was the scene of a frightful massacre by the Imperialists.  They are said to have left neither man, woman, nor child alive in the unfortunate city. (Blakiston p. 55.)

CHAPTER LXX.

CONCERNING THE VERY NOBLE CITY OF SAIANFU, AND HOW ITS CAPTURE WAS EFFECTED.

Saianfu is a very great and noble city, and it rules over twelve other large and rich cities, and is itself a seat of great trade and manufacture.  The people are Idolaters (and so forth).  They have much silk, from which they weave fine silken stuffs; they have also a quantity of game, and in short the city abounds in all that it behoves a noble city to possess.