as they were taken down from his lips in the prison of
Genoa.

[Sidenote: Conclusive proof that the Old French Text is the source of all
the others.]

53. Another circumstance, heretofore I believe unnoticed, is in itself
enough to demonstrate the Geographic Text to be the source of all other
versions of the Work. It is this.

In reviewing the various classes or types of texts of Polo's Book, which
we shall hereafter attempt to discriminate, there are certain proper names
which we find in the different texts to take very different forms, each
class adhering in the main to one particular form.

Thus the names of the Mongol ladies introduced at pp. 32 and 36 of this
volume, which are in proper Oriental form _Bulughan_ and _Kukachin_,
appear in the class of MSS. which Pauthier has followed as _Bolgara_ and
_Cogatra_; in the MSS. of Pipino's version, and those founded on it,
including Ramusio, the names appear in the correcter forms _Bolgana_ or
_Balgana_ and _Cogacin_. Now _all the forms_ Bolgana, Balgana, Bolgara,
_and_ Cogatra, Cocacin _appear in the Geographic Text_.

Kaikhatu Kaan appears in the Pauthier MSS. as _Chiato_, in the Pipinian as
_Acatu_, in the Ramusian as _Chiacato. All three forms_, Chiato, Achatu,
and Quiacatu _are found in the Geographic Text_.

The city of Koh-banan appears in the Pauthier MSS. as _Cabanant_, in the
Pipinian and Ramusian editions as _Cobinam_ or _Cobinan_. _Both forms are
found in the Geographic Text_.

The city of the Great Kaan (Khanbalig) is called in the Pauthier MSS.
_Cambaluc_, in the Pipinian and Ramusian less correctly _Cambalu_. _Both
forms appear in the Geographic Text_.

The aboriginal People on the Burmese Frontier who received from the
Western officers of the Mongols the Persian name (translated from that
applied by the Chinese) of _Zardandan_, or Gold-Teeth, appear in the
Pauthier MSS. most accurately as Zardandan, but in the Pipinian as
_Ardandan_ (still further corrupted in some copies into _Arcladam_). Now
_both forms are found in the Geographic Text_. Other examples might be
given, but these I think may suffice to prove that this Text was the
common source of both classes.

In considering the question of the French original too we must remember
what has been already said regarding Rusticien de Pise and his other
French writings; and we shall find hereafter an express testimony borne in
the next generation that Marco's Book was composed _in vulgari Gallico_.