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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
.14••46 ! Mi
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2 7 2 MARCO POLO
BOOK III.
when, after some time, only the heart, the knots, and some other hard parts remained. The product was known under different names, according to its quality or shape, and in addition to the names given above, we find fowl bones, horse-hoofs, and green cinnamon ; these latter names, however, are seldom used. "—H. C.]
The fine eagle-wood of Champa is the result of disease in a leguminous tree, Aloexylon Agailochunz; whilst an inferior kind, though of the same aromatic properties, is derived from a tree of an entirely different order, Aquilaria A,} alloclza, and is found as far north as Silhet.
The Bonus of the G. T. here is another example of Marco's use, probably unconscious, of an Oriental word. It is Persian Abnzís, Ebony, which has passed almost unaltered into the Spanish Abenuz. We find Ibenus also in a French inventory (Douct d' Arai, p. 134), but the Bongs seems to indicate that the word as used by the Traveller was strange to Rusticiano. The word which he uses for pen-cases too, Calazzzanz, is more suggestive of the Persian Kalamddn than of the Italian Calazzzajo.
" Ebony is very common in this country (Champa), but the wood which is the most precious, and which is sufficiently abundant, is called ` Eagle-wood,' of which the first quality sells for its weight in gold ; the native name is Kínam." (Bishop Louis in J. A. S. B. VI. 742 ; Dr. Birdwood, in the Bible Educator, I. 243 Crawfurd's Dict. )
a
CHAPTER VI.
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't.
CONCERNING THE GREAT ISLAND OF JAVA.
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•
WHEN you sail from Chamba, 1500 miles in a course
between south and south-east, you come to a great Island
called Java. And the experienced mariners of those
Islands who know the matter well, say that it is the
greatest Island in the world, and has a compass of more
than 3000 miles. It is subject to a great King and
tributary to no one else in the world. The people are
Idolaters. The Island is of surpassing wealth, producing
black pepper, nutmegs, spikenard, galingale, cubebs,
cloves, and all other kinds of spices.
This Island is also frequented by a vast amount of
shipping, and by merchants who buy and sell costly
goods from which they reap great profit. Indeed the
treasure of this Island is so great as to be past telling.
And I can assure you the Great Kaan never could get
possession of this Island, on account of its great distance,
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