which was just going to sail for the country of JAVA, distant
forty days' voyage.
On this junk he took his passage, and after fifteen days they touched at BARAHNAGAR, where the men had mouths like dogs, whilst the women were extremely beautiful. He describes them as in a very uncivilised state, almost without an apology for clothing, but cultivating bananas, betel-nut, and pawn. Some Mahomedans from Bengal and Java were settled among them. The king of these people came down to see the foreigners, attended by some twenty others, all mounted on elephants. The chief wore a dress of goatskin with the hair on, and coloured silk handkerchiefs round his head, carrying a spear.'
the curious and half obliterated Portulano Mediceo of the Laurentian Library (A.D. 1351), and also in the Carta Catalana of 1375. By Fra Mauro Bengalla is shown in addition to Sonargauam and Satgauana (probably Chittagong). Its position in many later maps, including Blaeu's, has been detailed by Mr. Badger. But I may mention a curious passage in the travels of V. le Blanc, who says he came "au Royaume de Bengale, dont la principale ville est aussi appellée Bengale par les Portugais, et par les autres nations ; mais ceux du pais l'appellent Batacouta." He adds, that ships ascend the Ganges to it, a distance of twenty miles by water, etc. Sir T. Herbert also speaks of Bengala, anciently called Baracura," etc. (Fr. transi., p. 490). But on these authorities I must remark that Le Blanc is almost quite worthless, the greater part of his book being a mere concoction, with much pure fiction, whilst Herbert is here to be suspected of borrowing from Le Blanc ; and there is reason to believe, I am sorry to say, that the bulk of Sir Thomas's travels eastward of Persia is factitious and hashed up from other books. One of the latest atlases containing the city of Bengala is that of Coronelli (Venice 1691); and he adds the judicious comment, "creduta favolosa."
I Lee takes Barahnagar for the Nicobar Islands, Dulaurier for the Andamans. With the people of the latter there does not seem to have been intercourse at any time, but the Nicobars might be fairly identified with the place described by our traveller, were it not for the elephants which are so prominent in the picture. It is in the highest degree improbable that elephants were ever kept upon those islands. Hence, if this feature be a genuine one, the scene must be referred to the mainland, and probably to some part of the coast of Arakan or Pegu, where the settlements of the wilder races, such as the Khyens of the Arakan Yoma, might have extended down to the sea. Such a position might best be sought in the neighbourhood of the Island Negrais (NAGARIT of the Burmese), where the extremity of the Yoma Range does abut upon the sea. And it is worth noting that, the sea off Negrais is called by Caesar Frederic and some other sixteenth century travellers, " the Sea of BARA." The combination of Bara-Nagarit is at least worthy of consider-
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