The Travels of Marco Polo Volume I Part 98

NOTE 9.--"As all that one sees of these palaces is varnished in those colours, when you catch a distant view of them at sunrise, as I have done many a time, you would think them all made of, or at least covered with, pure gold enamelled in azure and green, so that the spectacle is at once majestic and charming." (_Magaillans_, p. 353.)

NOTE 10.--[This is the _Ling yu_ or "Divine Park," to the east of the _Wan-sui shan_, "in which rare birds and beasts are kept. Before the Emperor goes to Shang-tu, the officers are accustomed to be entertained at this place." (_Ch'ue keng lu_, quoted by Bretschneider, 36.)--H. C.]

NOTE 11.--"On the west side, where the s.p.a.ce is amplest, there is a lake very full of fish. It is in the form of a fiddle, and is an Italian mile and a quarter in length. It is crossed at the narrowest part, which corresponds to gates in the walls, by a handsome bridge, the extremities of which are adorned by two triumphal arches of three openings each....

The lake is surrounded by palaces and pleasure houses, built partly in the water and partly on sh.o.r.e, and charming boats are provided on it for the use of the Emperor when he chooses to go a-fishing or to take an airing."

(Ibid. 282-283.) The marble bridge, as it now exists, consists of nine arches, and is 600 feet long. (_Rennie's Peking_, II. 57.)

Ramusio specifies another lake in the _city_, fed by the same stream before it enters the palace, and used by the public for watering cattle.

["The lake which Marco Polo saw is the same as the _T'ai-yi ch'i_ of our days. It has, however, changed a little in its form. This lake and also its name _T'ai-yi ch'i_ date from the twelfth century, at which time an Emperor of the Kin first gave orders to collect together the water of some springs in the hills, where now the summer palaces stand, and to conduct it to a place north of his capital, where pleasure gardens were laid out.

The river which enters the lake and issues from it exists still, under its ancient name _Kin-shui_." (_Bretschneider, Peking_, 34.)--H. C.]

NOTE 12.--The expression here is in the Geog. Text, "_Roze de l'acur_,"

and in Pauthier's "_de rose et de l'asur_." _Rose Minerale_, in the terminology of the alchemists, was a red powder produced in the sublimation of gold and mercury, but I can find no elucidation of the term Rose of Azure. The Crusca Italian has in the same place _Terra dello Azzurro_. Having ventured to refer the question to the high authority of Mr. C. W. King, he expresses the opinion that _Roze_ here stands for _Roche_, and that probably the term _Roche de l'azur_ may have been used loosely for _blue-stone_, i.e. carbonate of copper, which would a.s.sume a green colour through moisture. He adds: "Nero, according to Pliny, actually used _chrysocolla_, the siliceous carbonate of copper, in powder, for strewing the circus, to give the course the colour of his favourite faction, the _prasine_ (or green). There may be some a.n.a.logy between this device and that of Kublai Khan." This parallel is a very happy one.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mei Shan]

NOTE 13.--Friar Odoric gives a description, short, but closely agreeing in substance with that in the Text, of the Palace, the Park, the Lake, and the Green Mount.

A green mount, answering to the description, and about 160 feet in height, stands immediately in rear of the palace buildings. It is called by the Chinese _King-Shan_, "Court Mountain," _Wan-su-Shan_, "Ten Thousand Year Mount," and _Mei-Shan_, "Coal Mount," the last from the material of which it is traditionally said to be composed (as a provision of fuel in case of siege).[1] Whether this is Kublai's Green Mount does not seem to be quite certain. Dr. Lockhart tells me that, according to the information he collected when living at Peking, it is not so, but was formed by the Ming Emperors from the excavation of the existing lake on the site which the Mongol Palace had occupied. There is another mount, he adds, adjoining the east sh.o.r.e of the lake, which must be of older date even than Kublai, for a Dagoba standing on it is ascribed to the _Kin_.

[The "Green Mount" was an island called _K'iung-hua_ at the time of the Kin; in 1271 it received the name of _Wan-sui shan_; it is about 100 feet in height, and is the only hill mentioned by Chinese writers of the Mongol time who refer to the palace grounds. It is not the present _King-shan_, north of the palace, called also _Wan-sui-shan_ under the Ming, and now the _Mei-shan_, of more recent formation. "I have no doubt," says Bretschneider (_Peking_, l.c. 35), "that Marco Polo's handsome palace on the top of the Green Mount is the same as the _Kuang-han tien_" of the _Ch'ue keng lu_. It was a hall in which there was a jar of black jade, big enough to hold more than 30 piculs of wine; this jade had white veins, and in accordance with these veins, fish and animals have been carved on the jar. (Ibid. 35.) "The _Ku kung i lu_, in describing the _Wan-sui-shan_, praises the beautiful shady green of the vegetation there." (Ibid. 37.) --H. C.]

["Near the eastern end of the bridge (_Kin-ao yu-tung_ which crosses the lake) the visitor sees a circular wall, which is called _yuan ch'eng_ (round wall). It is about 350 paces in circuit. Within it is an imperial building _Ch'eng-kuang tien_, dating from the Mongol time. From this circular enclosure, another long and beautifully executed marble bridge leads northwards, to a charming hill, covered with shady trees, and capped by a magnificent white _suburga_." (_Bretschneider_, p. 22.)--H. C.]

In a plate attached to next chapter, I have drawn, on a small scale, the existing cities of Peking, as compared with the Mongol and Chinese cities in the time of Kublai. The plan of the latter has been constructed (1) from existing traces, as exhibited in the Russian Survey republished by our War Office; (2) from information kindly afforded by Dr. Lockhart; and (3) from Polo's description and a few slight notices by Gaubil and others.

It will be seen, even on the small scale of these plans, that the general arrangement of the palace, the park, the lakes (including that in the city, which appears in Ramusio's version), the bridge, the mount, etc., in the existing Peking, very closely correspond with Polo's indications; and I think the strong probability is that the Ming really built on the old traces, and that the lake, mount, etc., as they now stand, are substantially those of the Great Mongol, though Chinese policy or patriotism may have spread the belief that the foreign traces were obliterated. Indeed, if that belief were true, the Mongol Palace must have been very much out of the axis of the City of Kublai, which is in the highest degree improbable. The _Bulletin de la Soc. de Geographie_ for September 1873, contains a paper on Peking by the physician to the French Emba.s.sy there. Whatever may be the worth of the meteorological and hygienic details in that paper, I am bound to say that the historical and topographical part is so inaccurate as to be of no value.

NOTE 14.--For son, read grandson. But the G. T. actually names the Emperor's son Chingkim, whose death our traveller has himself already mentioned.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Yuan ch'eng]

NOTE 15.--["Marco Polo's bridge, crossing the lake from one side to the other, must be identified with the wooden bridge mentioned in the _Ch'ue keng lu_. The present marble bridge spanning the lake was only built in 1392." "A marble bridge connects this island (an islet with the hall _I- t'ien tien_) with the _Wan-sui shan_. Another bridge, made of wood, 120 _ch'i_ long and 22 broad, leads eastward to the wall of the Imperial Palace. A third bridge, a wooden draw-bridge 470 _ch'i_ long, stretches to the west over the lake to its western border, where the palace _Hing-sheng kung_ [built in 1308] stands." (_Bretschneider_, _Peking_, 36.)--H. C.]

[1] Some years ago, in Calcutta, I learned that a large store of charcoal existed under the soil of Fort William, deposited there, I believe, in the early days of that fortress.

["The _Jihia_ says that the name of _Mei shan_ (Coal hill) was given to it from the stock of coal buried at its foot, as a provision in case of siege." (_Bretschneider, Peking_, 38.)--H. C.]

CHAPTER XI.

CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAMBALUC.

Now there was on that spot in old times a great and n.o.ble city called CAMBALUC, which is as much as to say in our tongue "The city of the Emperor."[NOTE 1] But the Great Kaan was informed by his Astrologers that this city would prove rebellious, and raise great disorders against his imperial authority. So he caused the present city to be built close beside the old one, with only a river between them.[NOTE 2] And he caused the people of the old city to be removed to the new town that he had founded; and this is called TAIDU. [However, he allowed a portion of the people which he did not suspect to remain in the old city, because the new one could not hold the whole of them, big as it is.]

As regards the size of this (new) city you must know that it has a compa.s.s of 24 miles, for each side of it hath a length of 6 miles, and it is four-square. And it is all walled round with walls of earth which have a thickness of full ten paces at bottom, and a height of more than 10 paces;[NOTE 3] but they are not so thick at top, for they diminish in thickness as they rise, so that at top they are only about 3 paces thick.

And they are provided throughout with loop-holed battlements, which are all whitewashed.

There are 12 gates, and over each gate there is a great and handsome palace, so that there are on each side of the square three gates and five palaces; for (I ought to mention) there is at each angle also a great and handsome palace. In those palaces are vast halls in which are kept the arms of the city garrison.[NOTE 4]

The streets are so straight and wide that you can see right along them from end to end and from one gate to the other. And up and down the city there are beautiful palaces, and many great and fine hostelries, and fine houses in great numbers. [All the plots of ground on which the houses of the city are built are four-square, and laid out with straight lines; all the plots being occupied by great and s.p.a.cious palaces, with courts and gardens of proportionate size. All these plots were a.s.signed to different heads of families. Each square plot is encompa.s.sed by handsome streets for traffic; and thus the whole city is arranged in squares just like a chess-board, and disposed in a manner so perfect and masterly that it is impossible to give a description that should do it justice.][NOTE 5]

Moreover, in the middle of the city there is a great clock--that is to say, a bell--which is struck at night. And after it has struck three times no one must go out in the city, unless it be for the needs of a woman in labour, or of the sick.[NOTE 6] And those who go about on such errands are bound to carry lanterns with them. Moreover, the established guard at each gate of the city is 1000 armed men; not that you are to imagine this guard is kept up for fear of any attack, but only as a guard of honour for the Sovereign, who resides there, and to prevent thieves from doing mischief in the town.[NOTE 7]

NOTE 1.-- + The history of the city on the site of Peking goes back to very old times, for it had been [under the name of _Ki_] the capital of the kingdom of Yen, previous to B.C. 222, when it was captured by the Prince of the T'sin Dynasty. [Under the T'ang dynasty (618-907) it was known under the name of Yu-chau.] It became one of the capitals of the Khitans in A.D. 936, and of the Kin sovereigns, who took it in 1125, in 1151 under the name of Chung-tu. Under the name of Yenking, [given to this city in 1013] it has a conspicuous place in the wars of Chinghiz against the latter dynasty. He captured it in 1215. In 1264, Kublai adopted it as his chief residence, and founded in 1267, the new city of TATU ("Great Court"), called by the Mongols TAIDU or DAITU since 1271 (see Bk. I. ch.

lxi. note 1), at a little distance--Odoric says half a mile--to the north-east of the old Yenking. Tatu was completed in the summer of 1267.

Old Yenking had, when occupied by the Kin, a circuit of 27 _li_ (commonly estimated at 9 miles, but in early works the _li_ is not more than 1/5 of a mile), afterwards increased to 30 _li_. But there was some kind of outer wall about the city and its suburbs, the circuit of which is called 75 _li_. ["At the time of the Yuen the walls still existed, and the ancient city of the Kin was commonly called Nan-ch'eng (Southern city), whilst the Mongol capital was termed the northern city." _Bretschneider, Peking_, 10.--H. C.] (_Lockhart_; and see _Amyot_, II. 553, and note 6 to last chapter.)

Polo correctly explains the name _Cambaluc_, i.e. _Kaan-baligh_, "The City of the Kaan."

NOTE 2.--The river that ran between the old and new city must have been the little river _Yu_, which still runs through the modern Tartar city, and fills the city ditches.

[Dr. Bretschneider (_Peking_, 49) thinks that there is a strong probability that Polo speaks of the _Wen-ming ho_, a river which, according to the ancient descriptions, ran near the southern wall of the Mongol capital.--H. C.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: South Gate of Imperial City at Peking.

"Elle a donze portes, et sor chascune porte a une grandisme palais et biaus."]

NOTE 3.--This height is from Pauthier's Text; the G. Text has, "_twenty_ paces," i.e. 100 feet. A recent French paper states the dimensions of the existing walls as 14 metres (45-1/2 feet) high, and 14.50 (47-1/4 feet) thick, "the top forming a paved promenade, unique of its kind, and recalling the legendary walls of Thebes and Babylon." (_Ann. d'Hygiene Publique_, 2nd s. tom, x.x.xii. for 1869, p. 21.)

[According to the French astronomers (Fleuriais and Lapied) sent to Peking for the Transit of Venus in December, 1875, the present Tartar city is 23 kil. 55 in circuit, viz. if 1 _li_ = 575 m., 41 _li_; from the north to the south 5400 metres; from east to west 6700 metres; the wall is 13 metres in height and 12 metres in width.--H. C.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PEKING As it is and As it was, about 1290]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Yenking or Old Cambaluc A.D. 1290]

NOTE 4.--Our attempted plan of Cambaluc, as in 1290, differs somewhat from this description, but there is no getting over certain existing facts.

The existing Tartar city of Peking (technically _Ne-ch'ing_, "The Interior City," or _King-ch'ing_, "City of the Court") stands on the site of Taidu, and represents it. After the expulsion of the Mongols (1368) the new native Dynasty of Ming established their capital at Nanking. But this was found so inconvenient that the third sovereign of the Dynasty re- occupied Taidu or Cambaluc, the repairs of which began in 1409. He reduced it in size by cutting off nearly a third part of the city at the north end. The remains of this abandoned portion of wall are, however, still in existence, approaching 30 feet in height all round. This old wall is called by the Chinese _The Wall of the Yuen_ (i.e. the Mongol Dynasty), and it is laid down in the Russian Survey. [The capital of the Ming was 40 _li_ in circuit, according to the _Ch'ang an k'o hua_.] The existing walls were built, or restored rather (the north wall being in any case, of course, entirely new), in 1437. There seems to be no doubt that the present south front of the Tartar city was the south front of Taidu. The whole outline of Taidu is therefore still extant, and easily measurable.

If the scale on the War Office edition of the Russian Survey be correct, the long sides measure close upon 5 miles and 500 yards; the short sides, 3 miles and 1200 yards. Hence the whole perimeter was just about 18 English miles, or less than 16 Italian miles. If, however, a pair of compa.s.ses be run round Taidu and Yenking (as we have laid the latter down from such data as could be had) _together_, the circuit will be something like 24 Italian miles, and this may have to do with Polo's error.

["The _Yuen shi_ states that _Ta-tu_ was 60 _li_ in circ.u.mference. The _Ch'ue keng lu_, a work published at the close of the Yuen Dynasty, gives the same number of _li_ for the circuit of the capital, but explains that _li_ of 240 _pu_ each are meant. If this statement be correct, it would give only 40 common or geographical _li_ for the circuit of the Mongol town." (_Bretschneider_, _Peking_, 13.) Dr. Bretschneider writes (p. 20): "The outlines of Khanbaligh, partly in contradiction with the ancient Chinese records, if my view be correct, would have measured about 50 common _li_ in circuit (13 _li_ and more from north to south, 11.64 from east to west.")--H. C.]

Polo [and Odoric] again says that there were 12 gates--3 to every side.

Both Gaubil and Martini also say that there were 12 gates. But I believe that both are trusting to Marco. There are 9 gates in the present Tartar city--viz. 3 on the south side and 2 on each of the other sides. The old Chinese accounts say there were 11 gates in Taidu. (See _Amyot_, _Mem._ II. 553.) I have in my plan, therefore, a.s.sumed that one gate on the east and one on the west were obliterated in the reduction of the _enceinte_ by the Ming. But I must observe that Mr. Lockhart tells me he did not find the traces of gates in those positions, whilst the 2 gates on the _north_ side of the old Mongol rampart are quite distinct, with the barbicans in front, and the old Mongol bridge over the ditch still serving for the public thoroughfare.[1]

["The _Yuen shi_ as well as the _Ch'ue keng lu_, and other works of the Yuen, agree in stating that the capital had eleven gates. They are enumerated in the following order: Southern wall--(1) The gate direct south (mid.) was called _Li-cheng men_; (2) the gate to the left (east), _Wen-ming men_; (3) the gate to the right (west), _Shun-ch'eng men_.

Eastern wall--(4) The gate direct east (mid.), _Ch'ung-jen men_; (5) the gate to the south-east, _Ts'i-hua men_; (6) the gate to the north-east, _Kuang-hi men_. Western wall--(7) The gate direct west (mid.), _Ho-i men_; (8) the gate to the south-west, _P'ing-tse men_; (9) the gate to the north-west, _Su-ts'ing men_. Northern Wall--(10) The gate to the north-west, _K'ien-te men_; (11) the gate to the north-east, _An-chen men_." (_Bretschneider_, _Peking_, 13-14.)--H. C.]

When the Ming established themselves on the old Mongol site, population seems to have gathered close about the southern wall, probably using material from the remains of Yenking. This excrescence was inclosed by a new wall in 1554, and was called the "Outer Town." It is what is called by Europeans the _Chinese City_. Its western wall exhibits in the base sculptured stones, which seem to have belonged to the old palace of Yenking. Some traces of Yenking still existed in Gaubil's time; the only relic of it now pointed out is a paG.o.da outside of the Kw.a.n.g-An-Man, or western gate of the Outer City, marked in the War Office edition of the Russian Map as "Tower." (Information from _Dr. Lockhart._)

The "Great Palaces" over the gates and at the corner bastions are no doubt well ill.u.s.trated by the buildings which still occupy those positions.

There are two such lofty buildings at each of the gates of the modern city, the outer one (shown on p. 376) forming an elevated redoubt.