t Lin-t'sing (see _Biot_ in _J. As._ ser.
III. tom. xiv. 194, and _J.N.C.B.R.A.S._, 1866, p. ii; also the map with
ch. lxiv.) [Father Gandar (_Canal Imperial_, p. 22, note) says that the
remark of Marco Polo: "The river flows from the south to this city of
Sinjumatu," cannot be applied to the _Wen-ho_ nor to the _Sse-ho_, which
are rivers of little importance and running from the east, whilst the
_Wei-ho_, coming from the south-east, waters Lin-ts'ing, and answers well
to our traveller's text.--H.C.] Duhalde calls T'si-ning chau "one of the
most considerable cities of the empire"; and Nieuhoff speaks of its large
trade and population. [Sir John F. Davis writes that Tsi-ning chau is a
town of considerable dimensions.... "The _ma-tow_, or platforms, before the
principal boats had ornamental gateways over them.... The canal seems to
render this an opulent and flourishing place, to judge by the gilded and
carved shops, temples, and public offices, along the eastern banks."
(Sketches of China, I. pp. 255-257.)--H.C.]

CHAPTER LXIII.

CONCERNING THE CITIES OF LINJU AND PIJU.

On leaving the city of Sinju-matu you travel for eight days towards the
south, always coming to great and rich towns and villages flourishing with
trade and manufactures. The people are all subjects of the Great Kaan, use
paper-money, and burn their dead. At the end of those eight days you come
to the city of LINJU, in the province of the same name of which it is the
capital. It is a rich and noble city, and the men are good soldiers,
natheless they carry on great trade and manufactures. There is great
abundance of game in both beasts and birds, and all the necessaries of
life are in profusion. The place stands on the river of which I told you
above. And they have here great numbers of vessels, even greater than
those of which I spoke before, and these transport a great amount of
costly merchandize[NOTE 1].

So, quitting this province and city of Linju, you travel three days more
towards the south, constantly finding numbers of rich towns and villages.
These still belong to Cathay; and the people are all Idolaters, burning
their dead, and using paper-money, that I mean of their Lord the Great
Kaan, whose subjects they are. This is the finest country for game,
whether in beasts or birds, that is anywhere to be found, and all the
necessaries of life are in profusion.

At the end of those three days you find the city of PIJU, a great, rich,
and