Marco Polo’s Itineraries No. VI. (Book II, Chapters 67–82)
Journey through Manzi Polo’s names thus Kinsay
[1] Dr. C. Douglas objects to this derivation of Zayton, that
the place was never called Tseut’ung absolutely, but
T’seu-t’ung-ching, “city of prickly T’ung-trees”; and this
not as a name, but as a polite literary epithet, somewhat like
“City of Palaces” applied to Calcutta.
[2] Giovanni did not get to Zayton; but two years later he got to
Canton with Fernão Perez, was sent ashore as Factor, and a few days
after died of fever. (De Barros, III. II. viii.) The way in which
Botero, a compiler in the latter part of the 16th century, speaks
of Zayton as between Canton and Liampo (Ningpo), and exporting
immense quantities of porcelain, salt and sugar, looks as if he
had before him modern information as to the place. He likewise
observes, “All the moderns note the port of Zaiton between Canton
and Liampo.” Yet I know no other modern allusion except Giovanni
d’Empoli’s; and that was printed only a few years ago. (Botero,
Relazione Universale, pp. 97, 228.)
[3] Martini says of Ganhai (’An-Hai or Ngan-Hai), “Ingens hic mercium
ac Sinensium navium copia est ... ex his (’Anhai and Amoy) in totam
Indiam merces avehuntur.”
[4] Dr. Douglas assures me that the cut at p. 245 is an
excellent view of the entrance to the S. channel of the
Chang-chau River, though I derived it from a professed view
of the mouth of the Chinchew River. I find he is quite
right; see List of Illustrations.
[5] In a modern Chinese geographical work abstracted by Mr. Laidlay,
we are told that the great river of Tsim-lo, or Siam,
“penetrates to a branch of the Hwang-Ho.” (J. A. S. B. XVII.
Pt. I. 157.)
[6]Chinese-English Dictionaryof the Vernacular or Spoken language
of Amoy, with the principal variations of the Chang-chew and
Chin-chew Dialects; by the Rev. Carstairs Douglas,
M.A., LL.D., Glasg., Missionary of the Presb. Church in England.
(Trübner, 1873.) I must note that I have not access to the book
itself, but condense these remarks from extracts and abstracts made
by a friend at my request.