hsia fan nan, ti yi Chou.  ’In all the world, there is no place so public as this:  for multiplied cares and trials, this is the first Chou.’  The people of Cho-Chou, of old celebrated for their religious spirit, are now well known for their literary enterprise.”—­H.C.] This bifurcation of the roads is a notable point in Polo’s book.  For after following the western road through Cathay, i.e. the northern provinces of China, to the borders of Tibet and the Indo-Chinese regions, our traveller will return, whimsically enough, not to the capital to take a fresh departure, but to this bifurcation outside of Chochau, and thence carry us south with him to Manzi, or China south of the Yellow River.

Of a part of the road of which Polo speaks in the latter part of the chapter Williamson says:  “The drive was a very beautiful one.  Not only were the many villages almost hidden by foliage, but the road itself hereabouts is lined with trees....  The effect was to make the journey like a ramble through the avenues of some English park.”  Beyond Tingchau however the country becomes more barren. (I. 268.)

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE KINGDOM OF TAIANFU.

After riding then those ten days from the city of Juju, you find yourself in a kingdom called TAIANFU, and the city at which you arrive, which is the capital, is also called Taianfu, a very great and fine city. [But at the end of five days’ journey out of those ten, they say there is a city unusually large and handsome called ACBALUC, whereat terminate in this direction the hunting preserves of the Emperor, within which no one dares to sport except the Emperor and his family, and those who are on the books of the Grand Falconer.  Beyond this limit any one is at liberty to sport, if he be a gentleman.  The Great Kaan, however, scarcely ever went hunting in this direction, and hence the game, particularly the hares, had increased and multiplied to such an extent that all the crops of the Province were destroyed.  The Great Kaan being informed of this, proceeded thither with all his Court, and the game that was taken was past counting.][NOTE 1]

Taianfu[NOTE 2] is a place of great trade and great industry, for here they manufacture a large quantity of the most necessary equipments for the army of the Emperor.  There grow here many excellent vines, supplying great plenty of wine; and in all Cathay this is the only place where wine is produced.  It is carried hence all over the country.[NOTE 3] There is also a great deal of silk here, for the people have great quantities of mulberry-trees and silk-worms.

From this city of Taianfu you ride westward again for seven days, through fine districts with plenty of towns and boroughs, all enjoying much trade and practising various kinds of industry.  Out of these districts go forth not a few great merchants, who travel to India and other foreign regions, buying and selling and getting gain.  After those seven days’ journey you arrive at a city called PIANFU, a large and important place, with a number of traders living by commerce and industry.  It is a place too where silk is largely produced.[NOTE 4]