NOTE 3.—­The Min, the River of Fu-chau, “varies much in width and depth.  Near its mouth, and at some other parts, it is not less than a mile in width, elsewhere deep and rapid.”  It is navigable for ships of large size 20 miles from the mouth, and for good-sized junks thence to the great bridge.  The scenery is very fine, and is compared to that of the Hudson. (Fortune, I. 281; Chin.  Repos. XVI. 483.)

[1] Dr. Medhurst calls the proper name of the city, as distinct from the
    Fu, Chinkang (Dict. of the Hok-keen dialect).  Dr. Douglas has
    suggested Chinkang, and T’swan-kok, i.e.  “Kingdom of T’swan”
    (chau), as possible explanations of Chonka.

[2] Mr. Phillips’s views were issued first in the Chinese Recorder
    (published by Missionaries at Fu-Chau) in 1870, and afterwards sent to
    the R. Geo. Soc., in whose Journal for 1874 they appeared, with
    remarks in reply more detailed than I can introduce here.  Dr.
    Douglas’s notes were received after this sheet was in proof, and it
    will be seen that they modify to a certain extent my views about
    Zayton, though not about Fu-chau.  His notes, which do more justice to
    the question than Mr. Phillips’s, should find a place with the other
    papers in the Geog.  Society’s Journal.

[3] There is a capital lithograph of Fu-chau in Fortune’s Three Years’
    Wanderings (1847), in which the city shows as on a river, and
    Fortune always speaks of it; e.g. (p. 369):  “The river runs
    through the suburbs.”  I do not know what is the worth of the old
    engravings in Montanus.  A view of Fu-chau in one of these (reproduced
    in Astley, iv. 33) shows a broad creek from the river
    penetrating to the heart of the city.

[4] The words of the G.T. are these:  “Il hi se fait grant mercandies
    de perles e d’autres pieres presiose, e ce est por ce que les nes de
    Yndie hi vienent maintes con maint merchaant qe usent en les ysles de
    L’ndie, et encore voz di que ceste ville est pres au port de Caiton
    en la mer Osiani; et illuec vienent maintes nes de Indie con maintes
    mercandies, e puis de cest part vienent les nes por le grant flum qe
    je voz ai dit desoure jusque a la cite de Fugui, et en ceste mainere
    hi vienent chieres cousse de Indie.”

[5] It is odd enough that Martini (though M. Pauthier apparently was not
    aware of it) does show a fort called Haiteu at the mouth of the
    Min; but I believe this to be merely an accidental coincidence.  The
    various readings must be looked at together; that of the G.T. which I
    have followed is clear in itself and accounts for the others.

CHAPTER LXXXII.

OF THE CITY AND GREAT HAVEN OF ZAYTON.