ES

Having in November 1888, in a paper read before the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, shown that the Port of Changchau did, in Mongol times, alternate with Chinchew and Fuchau as the capital of Fuhkien, thereby making its claims to be the mediæval Zaïitun equal to that of Chinchew, which port had hitherto been considered the site of that great trading mart, I thus had my attention again directed to Polo's topography of Fuhkien. The result of my further researches in this direction seems to show that Ramusio’s edition of Marco Polo is fully capable of clear and explicit explanation of the localities visited by Marco Polo in this Province, while Pauthier’s and Yule’s edition offer great difficulties. Both these latter editions describe a city, called by them Fuju, by Ramusio Kangiu. The description of this city by Polo, as Ï will show later on, adapts itself by its manufactures and exports perfectly well to Chinchew, but not to Fuchau.

The question is, is Ramusio’s version reliable? I believe 1t to be so, for this version of Marco Polo, of which Colonel Yule tells us no manuscript copy has yet been found, contains certain inter-

polations that are not to be met with in the other editions, and

THE IDENTITY OF MARCO POLO'S ZAITUN WITH CHANGCHAU. 219

which Yule says it is extremely difficult to assign to any hand but the traveller’s own. Further, Ramusio’s version contains a passage giving a glowing account of the mountains and scenery of Badakshan, which is only to be met with in this version, and Colonel Yule has remarked, says à reviewer, that it would be heresy to doubt its genuine character ‘). With such à mark of its genuineness from such à high authority regarding Badakshan, [ have no hesitation in assuming that his “Fuhkien topography and proper names together with the interpolations regarding the weaving of silk and cotton at Kien-Ning-Foo, and his description of two places at Zaïitun, an inland and a sea-side town, are correct and borne out by facts.

There is also one other fact connected with Ramusio’'s version, which Î cannot pass unnoticed, and which, as Pauthier says, is not found in any other edition, and that is the conspiracy against Kublaïs minister Ahmed, which is fully coufirmed in contemporaneous Chinese history.

Ramusio, after giving a full detail of the conspiracy, says «When his Majesty returned to Kambalu, he was desirous of knowing the causes of what had happened, and then learned that the infamous Achmac and seven of his sons (for all were not equally culpable) had committed those enormities which have been described. He gave orders for removing the treasure that had been accumulated by the deceased to an incredible amount, from the place of his residence in the old city, to the new; where it was deposited in his own treasury. He likewise directed that his body should be taken from the tomb, and thrown into the street, to be torn in pieces by the dogs. The sons who had followed the steps of their father in his

iniquities, he caused to be flayed alive” ?).

1) Yule’s Marco Polo, Vol. 1, p. 171, Note 7. 2) Marsden’s Travels of Marco Polo, p. 313. London 1818.

The Yuan annals confirm this in a most wonderful way in the following words. » After Ah-Ho-Ma’s death, Kublai, still imperfectly acquainted with the wicked actions of which his Minister had been ouilty, gave orders to the mothers of certain of his councillors to enquire into the reason of the conspiracy from Ah-Ho-Ma’s wives; and at the same time he himself made every enquiry concerning the matter from one Polo, through whom he became thoroughly acquainted with the Minister's evil deeds, on the hearing of which he was very angry and exclaimed: <Wan-Chu was fully justified in putting him to death”. He forthwith gave orders for Ah-Ho-Ma’s grave to be opened, the coffin to be burst open, his body taken out, and carried outside the Tung-hsuen gate of the city, there to be cut into pieces, and thrown into the streets to be eaten by the dogs. His son and nephews were one and all put to death, and the property of the Minister and his family confiscated to the crown.

This act of justice greatly pleased the officials, scholars and people

who witnessed it” *).