w fu, M. Polo follows a special route, leaving the modern
postal route on his right; the road he took has, since the time of the
Emperor K'ang-hi, been called the courier's route." (Palladius, 18.)--H.
C.]

NOTE 2.--_Calachan_, the chief town of Egrigaia, is mentioned, according
to Klaproth, by Rashiduddin, among the cities of Tangut, as KALAJAN. The
name and approximate position suggest, as just noticed, identity with
Alashan, the modern capital of which, called by Prjevalsky Dyn-yuan-yin,
stands some distance west of the Hwang-Ho, in about lat. 39 deg.. Polo gives
no data for the interval between this and his next stage.

[The _Dyn-yuan-yin_ of Prjevalsky is the camp of _Ting-yuan-yng_ or Fu-ma-
fu of M. Bonin, the residence of the Si-wang (western prince), of Alashan,
an abbreviation of Alade-shan (_shan_, mountain in Chinese), Alade =
Eleuth or Oeloet; the sister of this prince married a son of Prince Tuan,
the chief of the _Boxers_. (_La Geographie_, 1901. I. 118.) Palladius
(l.c. 19) says: "Under the name of Calachan, Polo probably means the
summer residence of the Tangut kings, which was 60 _li_ from Ning-hia, at
the foot of the Alashan Mountains. It was built by the famous Tangut king
Yuen-hao, on a large scale, in the shape of a castle, in which were high
terraces and magnificent buildings. Traces of these buildings are visible
to this day. There are often found coloured tiles and iron nails 1 foot,
and even 2 feet long. The last Tangut kings made this place their
permanent residence, and led there an indolent and sensual life. The
Chinese name of this residence was Ho-lan shan _Li-Kung_. There is
sufficient reason to suppose that this very residence is named (under the
year 1226) in the Mongol text _Alashai nuntuh_; and in the chronicles of
the Tangut Kingdom, _Halahachar_, otherwise _Halachar_ apparently in the
Tangut language. Thus M. Polo's Calachan can be identified with the
Halachar of the _Si hia shu shi_, and can be taken to designate the
Alashan residence of the Tangut kings."--H. C.]

NOTE 3.--Among the Buraets and Chinese at Kiakhta snow-white camels,
without albino character, are often seen, and probably in other parts of
Mongolia. (See _Erdmann_, II. 261.) Philostratus tells us that the King of
Taxila furnished white camels to Apollonius. I doubt if the present King
of Taxila, whom Anglo-Indians call the Commissioner of Rawal Pindi, could
do the like.

_Cammellotti_ appear to have been fine wool