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| 0350 |
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Sumatra had become united, and that the town of Sumatra may have been
represented by the Pacem of the Portuguese.* I have to thank Mr. G. Phillips
for the copy of a small Chinese chart showing the northern coast of the island, which
he states to be from "one of about the 13th century." I much doubt the date, but
the map is valuable as showing the town of Sumatra (Sumantala). This seems to be
placed in the Gulf of Pasei, and very near where Pasei itself still exists. An ex-
tract of a "Chinese account of about A.D. 1413" accompanied the map. This
states that the town was situated some distance up a river, so as to be reached in two
tides. There was a village at the mouth of the river called Talumangkin.†
[Mr. E. H. Parker writes (China Review, XXIV. p. 102) : "Colonel Yule's remarks
about Pasei are borne out by Chinese History (Ming, 325, 20, 24), which states that in
1521 Pieh-tu-lu (Pestrello [for Perestrello ?]) having failed in China 'went for ' Pa-si.
Again 'from Pa-si, Malacca, to Luzon, they swept the seas, and all the other nations
were afraid of them.'"—H. C.]
Among the Indian states which were prevailed on to send tribute (or presents) to
Kúbláí in 1286, we find Sumutala. The chief of this state is called in the Chinese
record Tu-han-pa-ti, which seems to be just the Malay words Tuan Pati, "Lord
Ruler." No doubt this was the rising state of Sumatra, of which we have been
speaking; for it will be observed that Marco says the people of that state called them-
selves the Kaan's subjects. Rashiduddin makes the same statement regarding the
people of Java (i.e. the island of Sumatra), and even of Nicolar: "They are all
subject to the Kaan." It is curious to find just the same kind of statements about the
princes of the Malay Islands acknowledging themselves subjects of Charles V., in the
report of the surviving commander of Magellan's ship to that emperor (printed by
Baldelli-Boni, I. lxvii.). Pauthier has curious Chinese extracts containing a notable
passage respecting the disappearance of Sumatra Proper from history: "In the years
Wen-chi (1573-1615), the Kingdom of Sumatra divided in two, and the new state
took the name of Achi (Achin). After that Sumatra was no more heard of." (Gaubil,
205; De Mailla, IX. 429; Elliot, I. 71; Pauthier, pp. 605 and 567.)
Note 2.—"Vos di que la Tramontaine ne part. Et encore vos di que l'estoilles
dou Meistre ne aparent ne pou ne grant" (G. T.). The Tramontaine is the Pole
star :—
"De nostre Père l'Apostoille
Volisse qu'il semblast l'estoile
Qui ne se muet . . .
Par cele estoile vont et viennent
Et lor sen et lor voie tiennent
Il l'apelent la tres montaigne."
—La Bible Guiot de Provins in Barbazan, by Méon, II. 377.
The Meistre is explained by Pauthier to be Arcturus; but this makes Polo's error
greater than it is. Brunetto Latini says: "Devers la tramontane en a il i. autre
(vent) plus debonaire, qui a non Chorus. Cestui apelent li marinier Maistre por vij.
estoiles qui sont en celui meisme liu," etc. (Li Tresors, p. 122). Magister or
Magistra in mediæval Latin, La Maistre in old French, signifies "the beam of a
plough." Possibly this accounts for the application of Maistre to the Great Bear, or
Plough. But on the other hand the pilot's art is called in old French maistrance.
Hence this constellation may have had the name as the pilot's guide,—like our Lode-
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731
732
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