RESIDENT.

NON-RESIDENT.

LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE N.-C. B. OF THE R. A. S.

OF THE

NORTH-CHINA BRANCH

OF THE

ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

ARTICLE I.

ELUCIDATIONS OF MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS IN NORTH-CHINA, DRAWN FROM CHINESE SOURCES. *

I

BY THE REV. ARCHIMANDRITE PALLADIUS.

INTEND in the following notes to verify, by means of Chinese documents, some of Marco Polo's statements regarding his route from Lobnor, to Shangtu in the northern part of China proper. I do not undertake to explain all the dark and doubtful points in the narrative of the celebrated traveller, but merely offer some information in as far as my acquaintance with Chinese literature may enable me. The abundant and multifarious material found in this literature is well nigh inexhaustible; but a considerable collection of books and a good deal of time are required, to admit of the systematical research necessary for the solution of the questions before us. As a basis for my investigations, I have chosen Col. H. Yule's work, The Book of Ser Marco Polo, etc., London, 1871. The vast work of this learned commentator obviates the necessity of discussing many questions which have already been solved by him with the sound critical judgment which distinguishes his conclusions.

BOOK I.

Ch. XXXVIII.-Charchan.

"CHARCHAN is a Province of Great Turkey, lying between north-east and east. The people worship Mahommet. There are numerous towns and villages, and the chief city of the kingdom bears its name, Charchan. The Province contains rivers which bring down ja-per and chalcedony, and these are carried for sale into Cathay

where they fetch great prices.

The whole of the Province is sandy, and so is the road all the way from Pein, and much of the water that you find is bitter and bad. However at some places you do find fresh and sweet water. When an army passes through the land, the people escape with their wives, childrea, and cattle a distance of two or three days' journey into the sandy waste; and knowing the spots where water is to be had they are able to live there, and to keep their cattle alive, whilst it is impossible to discover them; for the wind immediately blows the sand over their track." (Vol. i, p. 178.)

Such a name is not met with, either on the 16th century map or in other extant geographical documents relating to the Mongol period; a name similar to it occurs for the first time in a description of the route from China to the west, as far as the Mediterranean Sea, compiled in the time of the Ming dynasty.+ Eight hundred and fifty li west of Turfan, the town Karahashitie is mentioned in the itinerary. To the south of this town, it is further stated, is a river Ch'e-li-ch'ang. Two hundred li further on (west) is mentioned He-shui-ts'iuen “Blackwater's source." To the north of this is the town of Ch'a-li-shi, and to the south, the town of Ch'e-li-ch'ang. Three hundred li west of the Black-water's source, is mentioned the well of Ch'a-li-ch'a; and to the north, Ho-yen shan "the Mountain of Fire." There is no necessity to see in this "Mountain of Fire," the mountain Nao-sha shan, which lies a hundred li north of Kutch. Chinese geographers state that "burning caverns are found in the mountain range of Tien shan, on the whole distance from Turfan to Kutch.

* Appended to the Hai kwo t'u chi, and to vol iv of the Contributions of the members of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Peking.

This itinerary, published with some modifications during the present dynasty, is appended to the extensive work, T## Tien hia kiun ko li ping shu, or 'Strategetical Description of China (com menced in 1639, terminated in 1662)." There exist also manuscript copies of this itinerary, but they are, like the printed work, full of errors and discrepan cies. The compilation of this itinerary, or at least the principal information contained in it, must belong to the beginning of the 15th century. It is mentioned in the Hwang ming ta ching ki, that in 1415, Ch'en Ch'ing returned from the western countries after three years' travels, and that he wrote a detailed description of the countries he visited. This description probably served as a groundwork for the itinerary. There was another traveller, An Chi-tao, who was despatched to Tamerlan in 1395, and returned in 1407; he also wrote a description of the western countries; but it was not published even in the time of the Ming dynasty. Vide Ye ho prien.

# See & Hui kiang tung chi, and other works.

There seems to be no doubt that Ch'e-li-ch'ang is the "Charchan" of Marco Polo, and that it is to be found in the present province of Karashar.

Ch. XXXIX.-Lop, etc.

"LOP is a large town at the edge of the Desert, which is called the Desert of Lop, and is situated between east and north-east. It belongs to the Great Kaan, and the people worship Mahommet. Now, such persons as propose to cross the Desert take a week's rest in this town to refresh themselves and their cattle; and then they make ready for the journey, taking with them a month's supply for man and beast. On quitting this city they enter the Desert. The length of this Desert is so great that 'tis said it would take a year and more to ride from one end of it to the other. And here, where its breadth is least, it takes a month to cross it. "Tis all composed of hills and valleys of sand, and not a thing to eat is to be found on it. But after riding for a day and a night you find fresh water, enough mayhap for some 50 or 100 persons with their beasts, but not for more. And all across the Desert you will find water in like manner, that is to say, in some 28 places altogether you will find good water, but in no great quantity; and in four places also you find brackish water. Beasts there are none; for there is nought for them to eat. But there is a marvellous thing related of this Desert, which is that when travellers are on the move by night, and one of them chances to lag behind or to fall asleep or the like, when he tries to gain his company again he will hear spirits talking, and will suppose them to be his comrades. Sometimes the spirits will call him by name; and thus shall a traveller ofttimes be led astray so that he never finds his party. And in this way many have perished. [Sometimes the stray travellers will hear as it were the tramp and hum of a great cavalcade of people away from the real line of road, and taking this to be their own company they will follow the sound; and when day breaks they find that a cheat has been put on them and that they are in an ill plight.] Even in the day time one hears those spirits talking. And sometimes you shall hear the sound of a variety of musical instruments, and still more commonly the sound of drums. [Hence in making this journey 'tis customary for travellers to keep close together. All the animals, too have bells at their necks, so that they cannot easily get astray. And at sleeping time a signal is put up to show the direction of the next march.]" (Pp. 180, 181.)

name.

Neither Chinese history nor Chinese geography contains any mention of the existence of the city of Lop, near the lake of this The descriptions of Chinese travellers do not show that the shores of this lake are inhabited at present; the only inhabitants of this locality,-half-savage people numbering several hundred families,-are settled on two little islands in the lake. The villages nearest to the lake are on the basin of the river Tarim, and the line of military posts, which begins at #