kian-ku

Updated: May 1, 2025

This probably alludes to the difficulty experienced by the Mongals in forcing a passage across the great rivers Hoang-ho and Kian-ku E. These absurd notions must have been picked up by the credulous papal messengers, from ignorant or designing Nestorians in Mongolia. Of the Wars of the Mongals against the Greater and Lesser India.

Robert Kerr - A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 : Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time

In modern maps, there is a town on the northern shore of this river, named Tsing-Kiang, which may possibly be the Singui of Marco, and we may perhaps look for the Sian-fu of the Polos at Yang-tcheou, at the southern extremity of a chain of lakes immediately to the north of the river Kian-ku. The subject is however full of perplexity, difficulty, and extreme uncertainty.

Robert Kerr - A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 : Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time

Wherever this can be done with any tolerable probability of usefulness it shall be attempted. The Pei-ho, which runs into the gulf of Pekin, near the head of the Yellow sea. Kathay, or Northern China, contained the six northern provinces, and Mangi or Southern China, the nine provinces to the south of the river Kiang, Yang-tse-Kiang or Kian-ku.

Robert Kerr - A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 : Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time

For from the Quiam or Kian-ku river, they pass to that city by means of lakes and rivers, and by one large canal, which the great khan caused to be made for a passage from one river to another; so that vessels go all the way from Mangi or Southern China to Cambalu, without ever being obliged to put to sea.

Robert Kerr - A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 : Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time

The only other situation in all China which accords with the two canals, or rivers, communicating both with Kathay and Mangi, is Yotcheou on the Tong-ting-hou lake, which is on the Kian-ku river, and at a sufficient distance from the Hoang-ho to agree with the text. In the absence of all tolerable certainty, conjecture seems allowable.

Robert Kerr - A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 : Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time

Though called a province, this obviously refers to the city of Nankin; the Nau-ghin of the text being probably a corruption for Nan-ghin. For west, we ought certainly here to read south-west. Quiam, Kiang, Kian-ku, Kin-tchin-kian, or Yang-tsi-kiang.

Robert Kerr - A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 : Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time