ted also by Friar Odoric, who
calls it _Fuzo_, and it appears in duplicate on the Catalan Map as _Fugio_
and as _Fozo_.

I used the preceding words, "the city of course is Fu-chau," in the first
edition. Since then Mr. G. Phillips, of the consular staff in Fo-kien, has
tried to prove that Polo's Fuju is not Fu-chau (_Foochow_ is his
spelling), but T'swan-chau. This view is bound up with another regarding
the identity of Zayton, which will involve lengthy notice under next
chapter; and both views have met with an able advocate in the Rev. Dr. C.
Douglas, of Amoy.[2] I do not in the least accept these views about Fuju.

In considering the objections made to Fu-chau, it must never be forgotten
that, according to the spelling usual with Polo or his scribe, Fuju is not
merely "a name with a great resemblance in sound to Foochow" (as Mr.
Phillips has it); it _is_ Mr. Phillips's word Foochow, just as absolutely
as my word Fu-chau is his word Foochow. (See remarks almost at the end of
the Introductory Essay.) And what has to be proved against me in this
matter is, that when Polo _speaks_ of Fu-chau he does not _mean_ Fu-chau.
It must also be observed that the distances as given by Polo (three days
from Quelinfu to Fuju, five days from Fuju to Zayton) do correspond well
with my interpretations, and do _not_ correspond with the other. These are
very strong fences of my position, and it demands strong arguments to
level them. The adverse arguments (in brief) are these:

(1.) That Fu-chau was not the capital of Fo-kien ("_chief dou reigne_").

(2.) That the River of Fu-chau does not flow through the middle of the
city ("_por le mi de cest cite_"), nor even under the walls.

(3.) That Fu-chau was not frequented by foreign trade till centuries
afterwards.

The first objection will be more conveniently answered under next chapter.

As regards the second, the fact urged is true. But even now a straggling
street extends to the river, ending in a large suburb on its banks, and a
famous bridge there crosses the river to the south side where now the
foreign settlements are. There _may_ have been suburbs on that side to
justify the _por le mi_, or these words may have been a slip; for the
Traveller begins the next chapter--"When you quit Fuju (to go south) you
_cross the river_."[3]

Touching the question of foreign commerce, I do not see that Mr.
Phillips's negative evidence would be sufficient to establish his point.
But, in fact,