t notable fortress of the Kin sovereigns was that of T'ungkwan, on
the right bank of the river, 25 miles below P'u-chau fu, and closing the
passage between the river and the mountains, just where the boundaries of
Ho-nan, Shan-si, and Shen-si meet. It was constantly the turning-point of
the Mongol campaigns against that Dynasty, and held a prominent place in
the dying instructions of Chinghiz for the prosecution of the conquest of
Cathay. This fortress must have continued famous to Polo's time--indeed it
continues so still, the strategic position being one which nothing short of
a geological catastrophe could impair,--but I see no way of reconciling its
position with his narrative.

[Illustration: Plan of Ki-chau, after Duhalde.]

The _name_ in Ramusio's form might be merely that of the Dynasty, viz.
_Tai-Kin_= Great Golden. But we have seen that Thaigin is not the only
reading. That of the MSS. seems to point rather to some name like
_Kaichau_. A hypothesis which has seemed to me to call for least correction
in the text is that the castle was at the _Ki-chau_ of the maps, nearly due
west of P'ing-yang fu, and just about 20 miles from the Hwang Ho; that the
river was crossed in that vicinity, and that the traveller then descended
the valley to opposite P'u-chau fu, or possibly embarked and descended the
river itself to that point. This last hypothesis would mitigate the
apparent disproportion in the times assigned to the different parts of the
journey, and would, I think, clear the text of error. But it is only a
hypothesis. There is near Kichau one of the easiest crossing places of the
River, insomuch that since the Shen-si troubles a large garrison has been
kept up at Ki-chau to watch it.[1] And this is the only direction in which
two days' march, at Polo's rate, would bring him within 20 miles of the
Yellow River. Whether there is any historic castle at Ki-chau I know not;
the plan of that place in Duhalde, however, has the aspect of a strong
position. Baron v. Richthofen is unable to accept this suggestion, and has
favoured me with some valuable remarks on this difficult passage, which I
slightly abridge:--

"The difficulties are, (1) that for either reading, _Thaigin_ or _Caichu_,
a corresponding place can be found; (2) in the position of _Cachanfu_,
setting both at naught.

"_Thaigin_. There are two passages of the Yellow River near its great bend.
One is at T'ungkwan, where I crossed it; the other, and more con