eneral is said to have signified _an hundred eyes_;
doubtless a Tartar title, denoting his vigilance and foresight. By the
Chinese historians, this general is named Pe-yen; which may have the
same signification. These historians attribute the conquest of Mangi,
or Southern China, to the indolence, debauchery, and extreme love of
pleasure of this emperor, whom they name Tou-Tsong.--Harris.
[3] The names of all places and provinces in the travels of Marco Polo, are
either so disguised by Tartar appellations, or so corrupted, that they
cannot be referred with any certainty to the Chinese names upon our
maps. Coiganzu, described afterwards as the first city in the
south-east of Mangi in going from Kathay, may possibly be Hoingan-fou,
which answers to that situation. The termination _fou_ is merely
_city_; and other terminations are used by the Chinese, as _tcheou_
and others, to denote the rank or class in which they are placed, in
regard to the subordination of their governors and tribunals, which
will be explained in that part of our work which is appropriated to
the empire of China.--E.
[4] Or Guinsai, to be afterwards described.--E.
[5] It does not appear where these islands were, situated; whether Hainan
or Formosa, properly Tai-ouan, or Tai-wan, or the islands in the bay
of Canton.--E.
[6] These sagacious diviners must have been well acquainted with the
military energy of the Tartar government, and the abject weakness of
their own; and certainly knew, from their brethren in Kathay, the
significant name of the Tartar general; on which foundation, they
constructed the enigma of their prophecy, which, like many others,
contributed towards its own accomplishment.--E.
[7] About a year after the surrender of his capital, Tou-Tsong died,
leaving three sons, who all perished in a few years afterwards. The
eldest was made prisoner, and died in captivity in Tartary. The second
died of a consumption at Canton, where he had taken refuge at eleven
years of age. The third, named Ti-Ping, after all the country was
seized by the Tartars, was carried on board the Chinese fleet, which
was pursued and brought to action by a fleet which the Tartars had
fitted out for the purpose. When the Chinese lord, who had the charge
of the infant emperor, saw the vessel in which he was embarked
surrounded by the Tartar
|