l had _salt_.--E.

[6] This alone would give a working population exceeding a million,
including the women, children, and aged, belonging to these. But
populous as the country certainly is, the Chinese, in all ages, from
Polo down to Staunton, have imposed those ridiculously exaggerated
accounts upon all inquisitive travellers. This subject will be
discussed in that division of this work, which particularly relates to
China.--E.

[7] The contrast between the cleanness and splendour of Quinsay and the
gloomy dirt of European cities in the thirteenth century is very
striking. China then enjoyed hackney coaches, tea gardens, and
hilarity; while the delights of European capitals were processions of
monks among perpetual dunghills in narrow crooked lanes.--E.

[8] Probably meaning a gong.--E.

[9] There must be some corruption in the text here; for even Chinese
exaggeration could hardly venture upon this computation, which would
extend the garrisons in Mangi alone to many millions.--E.

[10] If Li, from 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 miles.--E.

[11] Supposing Kua-hing to have been Quan-sai, no city appears in the
direction indicated in the text for the situation of Gampu. But if we
might venture to suppose north-east an error for south, the city of
Hanfcheou is nearly at the distance mentioned by Marco, and stands at
the bottom of a deep bay of the ocean, in a very convenient situation
for trade, communicating with Kua-hing by the great canal--E.

[12] Multiplying this number of families by five, would give a population
of eight millions of individuals of every age and sex. Fortunately
Marco permits us to suppose that this population belonged to the
viceroyalty, or province over which Quinsai presided.--E.

[13] Either this computation, or that of the duty on salt, is erroneous. If
8 tomans are 6,400,000 ducats, 210 tomans would amount to 168,000,000,
instead of the sum in the text. If the latter computation be right,
16,800,000 ducats from 210 tomans; the duty on salt, or 8 tomans,
ought only to have been 640,000 ducats, which appears to be the truth.
The whole revenue, therefore, of the province, will be 17,440,000
ducats, equal to L. 2,911,250 Sterling, at 3s. 7d. the ducat.--E.

[14] Besides the utter discrepancy of these names to those of any cities
now in China, it appears obvious, that the direction of the itinerary