Chinese would, according to Williams, be pronounced Ngam, Ngin, and
Ngienchau, all of which are sufficiently near Polo's Gengiu. The next city
reached is Lan Ki Hien or Lan Chi Hsien, famous for its hams, dates, and
all the good things of this life, according to the Chinese. In this city I
recognise Polo's Zen Gi An of Ramusio. Does its description justify me in
my identification? 'The city of "Zen gi an",' says Ramusio, 'is built upon
a hill that stands isolated in the river, which latter, by dividing itself
into two branches, appears to embrace it. These streams take opposite
directions: one of them pursuing its course to the south-east and the
other to the north-west.' Fortune, in his _Wanderings in China_ (vol. li.
p. 139), calls Lan-Khi, Nan-Che-hien, and says: 'It is built on the banks
of the river, and has a picturesque hill behind it.' Milne, who also
visited it, mentions it in his _Life in China_ (p. 258), and says: 'At the
southern end of the suburbs of Lan-Ki the river divides into two branches,
the one to the left on south-east leading direct to Kinhua.' Milne's
description of the place is almost identical with Polo's, when speaking of
the division of the river. There are in Fuchau several Lan-Khi
shopkeepers, who deal in hams, dates, etc., and these men tell me the city
from the river has the appearance of being built on a hill, but the houses
on the hill are chiefly temples. I would divide the name as follows, Zen
gi an; the last syllable _an_ most probably represents the modern Hien,
meaning District city, which in ancient Chinese was pronounced _Han_,
softened by the Italians into _an_. Lan-Khi was a Hien in Polo's day."
--H.C.]

Kin-hwa fu, as Pauthier has observed, bore at this time the name of
WU-CHAU, which Polo would certainly write _Vugiu_. And between Shao-hing
and Kin-hwa there exists, as Baron Richthofen has pointed out, a line of
depression which affords an easy connection between Shao-hing and Lan-ki
hien or Kin-hwa fu. This line is much used by travellers, and forms just 3
short stages. Hence Kin-hwa, a fine city destroyed by the T'ai-P'ings, is
satisfactorily identified with _Vugiu_.

The journey from Vugui to Ghiuju is said to be through a succession of
towns and villages, looking like a continuous city. Fortune, whose journey
occurred before the T'ai-P'ing devastations, speaks of the approach to
Kiu-chau as a vast and beautiful garden. And Mr. Milne's map of this route
shows an incomparab