Polo, according to the route supposed, comes first upon the artificial part of the Great Canal here. The rivers _Wen_ and _Sse_ (from near Yen-chau) flowing from the side of Shan-tung, and striking the canal line at right angles near T’si-ning chau, have been thence diverted north-west and south-east, so as to form the canal; the point of their original confluence at Nan-wang forming, apparently, the summit level of the canal. There is a little confusion in Polo’s account, owing to his describing the river as coming from the _south_, which, according to his orientation, would be the side towards Honan. In this respect his words would apply more accurately to the _Wei_ River at Lin-t’sing (see _Biot_ in _J. As._ sér. III. tom. xiv. 194, and _J. N. C. B. R. A. S._, 1866, p. 11; also the map with ch. lxiv.) [Father Gandar (_Canal Impérial_, p. 22, note) says that the remark of Marco Polo: “The river flows from the south to this city of Sinjumatu,” cannot be applied to the _Wen-ho_ nor to the _Sse-ho_, which are rivers of little importance and running from the east, whilst the _Wei-ho_, coming from the south-east, waters Lin-ts’ing, and answers well to our traveller’s text.—H. C.] Duhalde calls T’si-ning chau “one of the most considerable cities of the empire”; and Nieuhoff speaks of its large trade and population. [Sir John F. Davis writes that Tsi-ning chau is a town of considerable dimensions.... “The _ma-tow_, or platforms, before the principal boats had ornamental gateways over them.... The canal seems to render this an opulent and flourishing place, to judge by the gilded and carved shops, temples, and public offices, along the eastern banks.” (_Sketches of China_, I. pp. 255–257.)—H. C.] CHAPTER LXIII. CONCERNING THE CITIES OF LINJU AND PIJU. On leaving the city of Sinju-matu you travel for eight days towards the south, always coming to great and rich towns and villages flourishing with trade and manufactures. The people are all subjects of the Great Kaan, use paper-money, and burn their dead. At the end of those eight days you come to the city of LINJU, in the province of the same name of which it is the capital. It is a rich and noble city, and the men are good soldiers, natheless they carry on great trade and manufactures. There is great abundance of game in both beasts and birds, and all the necessaries of life are in profusion. The place stands on the river of which I told you above. And they have here great numbers of vessels, even greater than those of which I spoke before, and these transport a great amount of costly merchandize{1}.