The Travels of Marco Polo Volume II Part 25

Of the kind worked by man-ropes must have been that huge mangonel which Mahomed Iba Kasim, the conqueror of Sind, set in battery against the great Dagoba of Daubul, and which required 500 men to work it. Like Simon de Montfort's it had a tender name; it was called "The Bride." (_Elliot_, I.

120.)

Before quitting this subject, I will quote a curious pa.s.sage from the History of the Sung Dynasty, contributed to the work of Reinaud and Fave by M. Stanislas Julien: "In the 9th year of the period Hien-shun (A.D.

1273) the frontier cities had fallen into the hands of the enemy (Tartars). The _Pao_ (or engines for shooting) of the Bwei-Hwei (Mahomedans) were imitated, but in imitating them very ingenious improvements were introduced, and _pao_ of a different and very superior kind were constructed. Moreover, an extraordinary method was invented of neutralising the effects of the enemy's _pao_. Ropes were made of rice-straw 4 inches thick, and 34 feet in length. Twenty such ropes were joined, applied to the tops of buildings, and covered with clay. In this manner the fire-arrows, fire-_pao_, and even the pao casting stones of 100 Lbs. weight, could cause no damage to the towers or houses." (Ib. 196; also for previous parts of this note, _Visdelou_, 188; _Gaubil_, 34, 155 seqq.

and 70; _De Mailla_, 329; _Pauthier in loco_ and Introduction; _D'Ohsson_, II. 35, and 391; Notes by _Mr. Edward Thomas_, F.R.S.; _Q. Rashid._, pp.

132, 136.) [See I. p. 342.]

[Captain Gill writes (_River of Golden Sand_, I. p. 148): "The word 'P'ao'

which now means 'cannon,' was, it was a.s.serted, found in old Chinese books of a date anterior to that in which gunpowder was first known to Europeans; hence the deduction was drawn that the Chinese were acquainted with gunpowder before it was used in the West. But close examination shows that in all old books the radical of the character 'P'ao' means 'stone,'

but that in modern books the radical of the character 'P'ao' means 'fire'; that the character with the radical 'fire' only appears in books well known to have been written since the introduction of gunpowder into the West; and that the old character 'P'ao' in reality means 'Balista.'"

--H.C.]

["Wheeled boats are mentioned in 1272 at the siege of Siang-yang. Kublai did not decide to 'go for' Manzi, i.e. the southern of the two Chinese Empires, until 1273. Bayan did not start until 1274, appearing before Hankow in January 1275. Wuhu and Taiping surrendered in April; then c.h.i.n.kiang, Kien K'ang (Nanking), and Ning kwoh; the final crushing blow being dealt at Hwai-chan. In March 1276, the Manzi Emperor accepted va.s.saldom. Kiang-nan was regularly administered in 1278." (_E. H. Parker, China Review_, xxiv. p. 105.)--H.C.]

Siang-yang has been twice visited by Mr. A. Wylie. Just before his first visit (I believe in 1866) a discovery had been made in the city of a quant.i.ty of treasure buried at the time of the siege. One of the local officers gave Mr. Wylie one of the copper coins, not indeed in itself of any great rarity, but worth engraving here on account of its connection with the siege commemorated in the text; and a little on the principle of Smith the Weaver's evidence:--"The bricks are alive at this day to testify of it; therefore deny it not."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Coin from a treasure hidden at Siang-yang during the siege in 1268-73, lately discovered.]

[1] And to the Bern MS. which seems to be a copy of it, as is also I think (in substance) the Bodleian.

[2] In this note I am particularly indebted to the researches of the Emperor Napoleon III. on this subject. (_Etudes sur le pa.s.se et l'avenir de l'Artillerie_; 1851.)

[3] Thus Joinville mentions the journey of Jehan li Ermin, the king's artillerist, from Acre to Damascus, _pour acheter cornes et glus pour faire arbalestres_--to buy horns and glue to make crossbows withal (p. 134).

In the final defence of Acre (1291) we hear of balistae _bipedales_ (with a forked rest?) and other _vertiginales_ (traversing on a pivot) that shot 3 quarrels at once, and with such force as to _st.i.tch_ the Saracens to their bucklers--_c.u.m clypeis consutos interfecerunt_.

The crossbow, though apparently indigenous among various tribes of Indo-China, seems to have been a new introduction in European warfare in the 12th century. William of Brittany in a poem called the _Philippis_, speaking of the early days of Philip Augustus, says:--

"Francigenis nostris illis ignota diebus Res erat omnino quid balistarius arcus, Quid balista foret, nec habebat in agmine toto Rex quenquam sciret armis qui talibus uti."

--_d.u.c.h.esne, Hist. Franc. Script._, V. 115.

Anna Comnena calls it [Greek: Tzagra] (which looks like Persian _charkh_), "a barbaric bow, totally unknown to the Greeks"; and she gives a very lengthy description of it, ending: "Such then are the facts about the _Tzagra_, and a truly diabolical affair it is."

(_Alex._ X.--Paris ed. p. 291.)

[4] The construction is best seen in Figs. 17 and 19. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the cut are from Chinese sources; Figs. 6, 7, 8 from Arabic works; the rest from European sources.

[5] Christine de Pisan says that when keeping up a discharge by night lighted brands should be attached to the stones in order to observe and correct the practice. (_Livre des faits_, etc., _du sage Roy Charles_, Pt. II. ch. xxiv.)

[6] Professor Sprenger informs me that the first mention of the _Manjanik_ in Mahomedan history is at the siege of Tayif by Mahomed himself, A.D.

630 (and see _Sprenger's Mohammed_ [German], III. 330). The _Annales Marbacenses_ in _Pertz_, xvii. 172, say under 1212, speaking of wars of the Emperor Otho in Germany: "Ibi tunc cepit haberi usus instrumenti bellici quod vulgo _tribok_ appellari solet."

There is a ludicrous Oriental derivation of Manjanik, from the Persian: "_Man chi nek_"! "How good am I!" Ibn Khallikan remarks that the word must be foreign, because the letters j and k ([Arabic] and [Arabic]) never occur together in genuine Arabic words (_Notes_ by _Mr. E.

Thomas_, F.R.S.). It may be noticed that the letters in question occur together in another Arabic word of foreign origin used by Polo, viz.

_Jathalik_.

[7] Dufour mentions that stone shot of the mediaeval engines exist at Zurich, of 20 and 22 inches diameter. The largest of these would, however, scarcely exceed 500 lbs. in weight.

[8] _Georg. Stellae Ann._ in _Muratori_, XVII. 1105; and _Daru_, Bk. viii.

-- 12.

[9] Shaw, _Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages_, vol. i. No 21.

CHAPTER LXXI.

CONCERNING THE CITY OF SINJU AND THE GREAT RIVER KIAN.

You must know that when you leave the city of Yanju, after going 15 miles south-east, you come to a city called SINJU, of no great size, but possessing a very great amount of shipping and trade. The people are Idolaters and subject to the Great Kaan, and use paper-money.[NOTE 1]

And you must know that this city stands on the greatest river in the world, the name of which is KIAN. It is in some places ten miles wide, in others eight, in others six, and it is more than 100 days' journey in length from one end to the other. This it is that brings so much trade to the city we are speaking of; for on the waters of that river merchandize is perpetually coming and going, from and to the various parts of the world, enriching the city, and bringing a great revenue to the Great Kaan.

And I a.s.sure you this river flows so far and traverses so many countries and cities that in good sooth there pa.s.s and repa.s.s on its waters a great number of vessels, and more wealth and merchandize than on all the rivers and all the seas of Christendom put together! It seems indeed more like a Sea than a River.[NOTE 2] Messer Marco Polo said that he once beheld at that city 15,000 vessels at one time. And you may judge, if this city, of no great size, has such a number, how many must there be altogether, considering that on the banks of this river there are more than sixteen provinces and more than 200 great cities, besides towns and villages, all possessing vessels?

Messer Marco Polo aforesaid tells us that he heard from the officer employed to collect the Great Kaan's duties on this river that there pa.s.sed up-stream 200,000 vessels in the year, without counting those that pa.s.sed down! [Indeed as it has a course of such great length, and receives so many other navigable rivers, it is no wonder that the merchandize which is borne on it is of vast amount and value. And the article in largest quant.i.ty of all is salt, which is carried by this river and its branches to all the cities on their banks, and thence to the other cities in the interior.[NOTE 3]]

The vessels which ply on this river are decked. They have but one mast, but they are of great burthen, for I can a.s.sure you they carry (reckoning by our weight) from 4000 up to 12,000 cantars each.[NOTE 4]

Now we will quit this matter and I will tell you of another city called CAIJU. But first I must mention a point I had forgotten. You must know that the vessels on this river, in going up-stream have to be tracked, for the current is so strong that they could not make head in any other manner. Now the tow-line, which is some 300 paces in length, is made of nothing but cane. 'Tis in this way: they have those great canes of which I told you before that they are some fifteen paces in length; these they take and split from end to end [into many slender strips], and then they twist these strips together so as to make a rope of any length they please. And the ropes so made are stronger than if they were made of hemp.[NOTE 5]

[There are at many places on this river hills and rocky eminences on which the idol-monasteries and other edifices are built; and you find on its sh.o.r.es a constant succession of villages and inhabited places.[NOTE 6]]

NOTE 1.--The traveller's diversion from his direct course--_sceloc_ or south-east, as he regards it--towards Fo-kien, in order to notice Ngan-king (as we have supposed) and Siang-yang, has sadly thrown out both the old translators and transcribers, and the modern commentators. Though the G. Text has here "_quant l'en se part de la cite de_ Angui," I cannot doubt that _Iangui_ (Yanju) is the reading intended, and that Polo here comes back to the main line of his journey.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Sono sopiaquesto frumern molti luoghi, colline e monticelli sa.s.sosi, sopia quali sono edificati monasteir d'Edoli, e altre stanze...']

I conceive Sinju to be the city which was then called CHeN-CHAU, but now I-CHING HIEN,[1] and which stands on the Kiang as near as may be 15 miles from Yang-chau. It is indeed south-west instead of south-east, but those who have noted the style of Polo's orientation will not attach much importance to this. I-ching hien is still the great port of the Yang-chau salt manufacture, for export by the Kiang and its branches to the interior provinces. It communicates with the Grand Ca.n.a.l by two branch ca.n.a.ls.

Admiral Collinson, in 1842, remarked the great numbers of vessels lying in the creek off I-ching. (See note 1 to ch. lxviii. above; and _J.R.G.S._ XVII. 139.)

["We anch.o.r.ed at a place near the town of _Y-ching-hien_, distinguished by a paG.o.da. The most remarkable objects that struck us here were some enormously large salt-junks of a very singular shape, approaching to a crescent, with sterns at least thirty feet above the water, and bows that were two-thirds of that height. They had 'bright sides', that is, were varnished over the natural wood without painting, a very common style in China." (_Davis, Sketches_, II. p. 13.)--H.C.]

NOTE 2.--The river is, of course, the Great Kiang or Yang-tzu Kiang (already spoken of in ch. xliv. as the _Kiansui_), which Polo was justified in calling the greatest river in the world, whilst the New World was yet hidden. The breadth seems to be a good deal exaggerated, the length not at all. His expressions about it were perhaps accompanied by a mental reference to the term _Dalai_, "The Sea," which the Mongols appear to have given the river. (See _Fr. Odoric_, p. 121.) The Chinese have a popular saying, "_Ha vu ping, Kiang vu ti_," "Boundless is the Ocean, bottomless the Kiang!"

NOTE 3.--"The a.s.sertion that there is a greater amount of tonnage belonging to the Chinese than to all other nations combined, does not appear overcharged to those who have seen the swarms of boats on their rivers, though it might not be found strictly true." (_Mid. Kingd._ II.

398.) Barrow's picture of the life, traffic, and population on the Kiang, excepting as to specific numbers, quite bears out Marco's account. This part of China suffered so long from the wars of the T'ai-P'ing rebellion that to travellers it has presented thirty years ago an aspect sadly belying its old fame. Such havoc is not readily repaired in a few years, nor in a few centuries, but prosperity is reviving, and European navigation is making an important figure on the Kiang.

[From the _Returns of Trade for the Year 1900_ of the Imperial Maritime Customs of China, we take the following figures regarding the navigation on the Kiang. Steamers entered inwards and cleared outwards, under General Regulations at _Chung-King_: 1; 331 tons; sailing vessels, 2681; 84,862 tons, of which Chinese, 816; 27,684 tons. At _Ichang_: 314; 231,000 tons, of which Chinese, 118; 66,944 tons; sailing vessels, all Chinese, 5139; 163,320 tons. At _Shasi_: 606; 453,818 tons, of which Chinese, 606; 453,818 tons; no sailing vessels. At _Yochow_: 650; 299,962 tons, of which Chinese, 458; 148,112 tons; no sailing vessels; under Inland Steam Navigation Rules, 280 Chinese vessels, 20,958 tons. At _Hankow_: under General Regulation, Steamers, 2314; 2,101,555 tons, of which Chinese, 758; 462,424 tons; sailing vessels, 1137; 166,118 tons, of which Chinese, 1129; 163,724 tons; under Inland Steam Navigation Rules, 1682 Chinese vessels, 31,173 tons. At _Kiu-Kiang_: under General Regulation, Steamers, 2916; 3,393,514 tons, of which Chinese, 478; 697,468 tons; sailing vessels, 163; 29,996 tons, of which Chinese, 160; 27,797 tons; under Inland Steam Navigation Rules, 798 Chinese vessels; 21,670 tons. At _Wu-hu_: under General Regulation, Steamers, 3395; 3,713,172 tons, of which Chinese, 540; 678,362 tons; sailing vessels, 356; 48,299 tons, of which Chinese, 355; 47,848 tons; under Inland Steam Navigation Rules, 286 Chinese vessels; 4272 tons. At _Nanking_: under General Regulation, Steamers, 1672; 1,138,726 tons, of which Chinese, 970; 713,232 tons; sailing vessels, 290; 36,873 tons, of which Chinese, 281; 34,985 tons; under Inland Steam Navigation Rules, 30 Chinese vessels; 810 tons. At _c.h.i.n.kiang_: under General Regulation, Steamers, 4710; 4,413,452 tons, of which Chinese, 924; 794,724 tons; sailing vessels, 1793; 294,664 tons, of which Chinese, 1771; 290,286 tons; under Inland Steam Navigation Rules, 2920; 39,346 tons, of which Chinese, 1684; 22,776 tons.--H.C.]

NOTE 4.--+12,000 _cantars_ would be more than 500 tons, and this is justified by the burthen of _Chinese_ vessels on the river; we see it is more than doubled by that of some British or American steamers thereon. In the pa.s.sage referred to under Note 1, Admiral Collinson speaks of the salt-junks at I-ching as "very remarkable, being built nearly in the form of a crescent, the stern rising in some of them nearly 30 feet and the prow 20, whilst the mast is 90 feet high." These dimensions imply large capacity. Oliphant speaks of the old rice-junks for the ca.n.a.l traffic as transporting 200 and 300 tons (I. 197).

NOTE 5.--The tow-line in river-boats is usually made (as here described) of strips of bamboo twisted. Hawsers are also made of bamboo. Ramusio, in this pa.s.sage, says the boats are tracked by horses, ten or twelve to each vessel. I do not find this mentioned anywhere else, nor has any traveller in China that I have consulted heard of such a thing.

NOTE 6.--Such eminences as are here alluded to are the Little Orphan Rock, Silver Island, and the Golden Island, which is mentioned in the following chapter. We give on the preceding page ill.u.s.trations of those three picturesque islands; the Orphan Rock at the top, Golden Island in the middle, Silver Island below.