The Cities of Sinju

CHAPTER 71. The City of Sinju and the Great River Kian.

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.{1}

This city stands on the greatest river in the world, the Kian.

It is in some places 10 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.

This river flows so far and traverses so many countries and cities that in good sooth there pass and repass 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.

Marco Polo once beheld at that city 15,000 vessels at one time.

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?

Marco Polo heard from the officer employed to collect the Great Kaan’s duties on this river that there passed up-stream 200,000 171vessels in the year, without counting those that passed down!

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 quantity 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.

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

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.

The ropes so made are stronger than if they were made of hemp.{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 shores a constant succession of villages and inhabited places.

CHAPTER 72. The City of Caiju

Caiju is a small city towards the south-east. The people are subject to the Great Kaan and have paper-money.

It stands upon the river before mentioned.{1} At this place are collected great quantities of corn and rice to be transported to the great city of Cambaluc for the use of the Kaan’s Court; for the grain for the Court all comes from this part of the country.

The Emperor hath caused a water-communication to be made from this city to Cambaluc, in the shape of a wide and deep channel dug between stream and stream, between lake and lake, forming as it were a great river on which large vessels can ply.

Thus there is a communication all the way from this city of Caiju to Cambaluc; so that great vessels with their loads can go the whole way.

A land road also exists, for the earth dug from those channels has been thrown up so as to form an embanked road on either side.{2}

Just opposite to the city of Caiju, in the middle of the River, there stands a rocky island on which there is an idol-monastery containing some 200 idolatrous friars, and a vast number of idols. And this Abbey holds supremacy over a number of other idol-monasteries, just like an archbishop’s see among Christians.{3}

After crossing the river is a city called Chinghianfu.

CHAPTER 73. The City of Chinghianfu

Chinghianfu is a city of Manzi. The people are Idolaters and subject to the Great Kaan, and have paper-money, and live by handicrafts and trade.

They have plenty of silk, from which they make sundry kinds of stuffs of silk and gold. There are great and wealthy merchants in the place; plenty of game is to be had, and of all kinds of victual.

There are in this city two churches of Nestorian Christians which were established in the year of our Lord 1278; and I will tell you how that happened.

You see, in the year just named, the Great Kaan sent a Baron of his whose name was Mar Sarghis, a Nestorian Christian, to be governor of this city for three years.

During the three years that he abode there he caused these two Christian churches to be built, and since then there they are. But before his time there was no church, neither were there any Christians.

CHAPTER 74. The City of Chinginju and the Slaughter of certain Alans there

Leaving the city of Chinghianfu and travelling three days south-east through a constant succession of busy and thriving towns and villages, you arrive at the great and noble city of Chinginju.

The people are Idolaters, use paper-money, and are subject to the Great Kaan. They live by trade and handicrafts, and they have plenty of silk. They have also abundance of game, and of all manner of victuals, for it is a most productive territory.{1}

The people of this city did an evil deed which they paid for dearly.

During the conquest, Bayan sent troops, consisting of a people called Alans, who are Christians, to take this city.

After taking it, they drank wine until they were all drunk and slept like so many swine.

The townspeople then slew them all; not a man escaped.

When Bayan heard this, he sent another Admiral of his with a great force, and stormed the city, and killed all the inhabitants.

Thus the whole population of that city was exterminated.{3}